Merry Christmas!

Found this on the Internet and wanted to share it with y'all. Here it is:


Joseph's Letter to Home

Dear Mom,

We're still in Bethlehem--Mary and I and little Jesus.

There were lots of things I couldn't talk to you about last summer. You wouldn't have believed me then, but maybe I can tell you now. I hope you can understand.

You know, Mom, I've always loved Mary. You and dad used to tease me about her when she was still a girl. She and her brothers used to play on our street. Our families got together for supper. But the hardest day of my life came scarcely a year ago when I was twenty and she only fifteen. You remember that day, don't you?

The trouble started after we were betrothed and signed the marriage agreement at our engagement. That same spring Mary had left abruptly to visit her old cousin Elizabeth in Judea. She was gone three whole months. After she got back, people started wondering out loud if she were pregnant.

It was cloudy the day when I finally confronted her with the gossip. "Mary," I asked at last, "are you going to have a baby?"

Her clear brown eyes met mine. She nodded.

I didn't know what to say. "Who?" I finally stammered.

Mom, Mary and I had never acted improperly--even after we were betrothed.

Mary looked down. "Joseph," she said. "There's no way I can explain. You couldn't understand. But I want you to know I've never cared for anyone but you." She got up, gently took my hands in hers, kissed each of them as if it were the last time she would ever do that again, and then turned towards home. She must have been dying inside. I know I was.

The rest of the day I stumbled through my chores. It's a wonder I didn't hurt myself in the woodshop. At first I was angry and pounded out my frustrations on the doorframe I was making. My thoughts whirled so fast I could hardly keep my mind on my work. At last I decided just to end the marriage contract with a quiet divorce. I loved her too much to make a public scene.
I couldn't talk to you. Or anyone, for that matter. I went to bed early and tried to sleep. Her words came to me over and over. "I've never cared for anyone but you.... I've never cared for anyone but you...." How I wished I could believe her!

I don't know when I finally fell asleep. Mom, I had a dream from God. An angel of the Lord came to me. His words pulsated through my mind so intensely I can remember them as if it were yesterday.

"Joseph, son of David," he thundered, "do not fear to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."

I couldn't believe my ears, Mom. This was the answer! The angel continued, "She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."

The angel gripped my shoulders with his huge hands. For a long moment his gaze pierced deep within me. Just as he turned to go, I think I saw a smile on his shining face.

I sat bolt upright in bed. No sleep after that! I tossed about for a while, going over the words in my mind. Then I got up and dressed quietly so I wouldn't wake you.

I must have walked for miles beneath the moonless sky. Stars pricked the blackness like a thousand tiny pinpoints. A warm breeze blew on my face.

I sang to the Lord, Mom. Yes, me, singing, if you can imagine that. I couldn't contain my joy. I told Him that I would take Mary and care for her. I told Him I would watch over her--and the Child--no matter what anyone said.

I got back just as the sun kissed the hilltops. I don't know if you still recall that morning, Mom. I can see it in my mind's eye as if it were yesterday. You were feeding the chickens, surprised to see me out. Remember?

"Sit down," I said to you. "I've got to tell you something." I took your arm and helped you find a seat on the big rock out back. "Mom," I said, "I'm going to bring Mary home as my wife. Can you help make a place for her things?"

You were silent a long time. "You do know what they're saying, don't you, son?" you said at last, your eyes glistening.

"Yes, Mom, I know."

Your voice started to rise. "If your father were still alive, he'd have some words, I'll tell you. Going about like that before you are married. Disgracing the family and all. You... you and Mary ought to be ashamed of yourselves!"

You'd never have believed me if I'd tried to explain, so I didn't. Unless the angel had spoken to you, you'd have laughed me to scorn.

"Mom, this is the right thing to do," I said.

And then I started talking to you as if I were the head of the house. "When she comes I don't want one word to her about it," I sputtered. "She's your daughter-in-law, you'll respect her. She'll need your help if she's to bear the neighbors' wagging tongues!"

I'm sorry, Mom. You didn't deserve that. You started to get up in a huff.

"Mom," I murmured, "I need you." You took my hand and got to your feet, but the fire was gone from your eyes.

"You can count on me, Joseph," you told me with a long hug. And you meant it. I never heard another word. No bride could hope for a better mother-in-law than you those next few months.

Mom, after I left you I went up the road to Mary's house and knocked. Her mother glared at me as she opened the door. Loudly, harshly she called into the house, "It's Joseph!" almost spitting out my name as she said it.

My little Mary came out cringing, as if she expected me give her the back of my hand, I suppose. Her eyes were red and puffy. I can just imagine what her parents had said.

We walked a few steps from the house. She looked so young and afraid. "Pack your things, Mary," I told her gently. "I'm taking you home to be my wife."

"Joseph!" She hugged me as tight as she could. Mom, I didn't realize she was so strong.

I told her what I'd been planning. "We'll go to Rabbi Ben-Ezer's house this week and have him perform the ceremony."

I know it was awfully sudden, Mom, but I figured the sooner we got married the better it would be for her, and me, and the Baby.

"Mary, even if our friends don't come, at least you and I can pledge our love before God." I paused. "I think my Mom will be there. And maybe your friend Rebecca would come if her dad will let her. How about your parents?"

I could feel Mary's tiny frame shuddering as she sobbed quietly.

"Mary," I said. I could feel myself speaking more boldly. "No matter what anyone says about you, I'm proud you're going to be my wife. I'm going to take good care of you. I've promised God that."

She looked up.

I lowered my voice. "I had a dream last night, Mary. I saw an angel. I know."

The anguish which had gripped her face vanished. She was radiant as we turned away from the house and began to walk up the hill together.

Just then her mother ran out into the yard. "Wait," she called. She must have been listening from behind the door. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I'll get your father," she called, almost giddy with emotion. "We," she cried as she gathered up her skirts. "We," she shouted as she began to run to find her husband. "We ... are going to have a wedding!"

That's how it was, Mom. Thanks for being there for us. I'll write again soon.

Love,
Joseph

The Great Washing Machine Repair Adventure

The washing machine we currently have is probably around 20 years old. And it's been slowing down more and more, and becoming more and more sluggish, for several months now. Finally we decided we'd had it when it was requiring three complete washes just to get the soap out of a load of clothes...in case that sentence was just a little too obtuse for some people, I'll clarify: A load of laundry, instead of being run through once, was requiring three washes! So my father and I decided to take a look inside and see what we could see. It was certainly an enlightening experience, as you will see from the following pictures. At any rate, when we were done we thought we had fixed it, since it seemed to be running fine then. As it turned out, we reduced it from a three to one ratio to a two to one ratio -- in other words, one load of laundry required two washes instead of one...which is better than three, but only barely. Which means we will probably soon be getting a new washing machine. Anyway, here are the pictures from our adventure:

Peekaboo!

Doctor, will the patient live?

The inside of an old washing machine...in case you ever wondered what it looked like :-)

A closer look at the inner workings of the washing machine

Uh, Dad...I don't think it's supposed to look like that...

Do we know where all those wires go?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

First, to begin where I left off, I'll explain a little more about our Christmas Celebration and Remembrance. The potluck dinner was good, although I didn't really get to eat very much since I was in the play and they said it was time to begin before I was done munching! Anyway, I read the Magnificat in the first scene (My soul doth magnify the Lord... If you didn't know, that's Mary's prayer right after she visits her cousin Elizabeth). In scene 4, I sat with Joseph and looked pretty while the shepherds visited, and then while somebody sang Mary Did You Know (by the way, I love that song! It gives me goosebumps, especially when it says 'when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God). In scene 5, Joseph and the young Jesus and I were visited by some Wise Men. All in all, it was a neat experience...except for the blood blister on my finger from getting caught when the stool they told me to sit on collapsed underneath me...OUCH!

We finally got our Christmas tree and got it all decorated, so here it is:

For a cookie exchange we had for our church, we had a couple neighborhood friends over to help us make mouse cookies, which we took to the exchange. They were a great hit, as you can probably guess just by seeing the pictures:

So anyway, that's about it for this post. I'm about to make another post about our washing machine repair escapade, which should be above by the time you are reading this. I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas, and blessings for the New Year!

Christmas Party and Play

I have only a quick minute, but I thought I'd post just a few pics from the party and play last night. I'll probably post more later, but here are a few:

The cake was delicious...and symbolic

My soul doth magnify the Lord...

Me, Joseph, and Baby Jesus

Joseph, Young Jesus, and me

That's all for now, I'll post more about it later.

Everything Else -- Part 2

O.K., to continue. The dermatologist (I wonder if that's the correct spelling?) appointment went pretty well, but not as expected. I had two moles (at least, I thought that's what they were -- the Dr. had some pretty interesting names for them, names I won't even try to pronounce) that we had her look at. The bigger one was on my back, has been there for many, many years -- since I was very small. She took both off for a 'biopsy' -- basically she took them off and they'll be tested now to make sure they're not, you know, malignant or something. The other one had been irritated recently, had seemingly dried up and part had fallen off, so they took a biopsy of that one too.

She was the same doctor that we've been going to for the acne that I've had since I was, like, 7 or so. My mom did not want me to have antibiotics for it, and she cooperated with us, prescribing instead several topical creams and lotions to apply at different times and for different reasons. As a result, my acne is almost completely cleared up. Thank You, Lord!

Tonight is the Christmas potluck and play for a group we belong to. I am one of the three Marys (I wonder if you would say Marys or Maries...interesting thought), it just depends on what scene it is as to which Mary you see. One girl is Mary in the scene where the angel visits her -- and in that same scene, I read the Magnificat. I'm in two other scenes, the one where the shepherds visit Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus, and the other where the Wise Men visit, but there's a different Mary for the scene where she and Joseph can't find room in an inn and have to have Jesus in a stable. The funniest part is that there's only one Joseph!

Oh, and Tuesday night I made cookies! For those of you who don't know me very well, let me explain that this is a rare occurence -- me baking/cooking anything. Part of the reason for that is that I am somewhat cooking-dyslexic -- I can follow a recipe pretty well, but if the directions are the type that Moms usually use -- i.e., a pinch of this, about a cup or so of that, enough of this to make it be the right consistency, that sort of thing -- I am not very good at following such directions. I like directions to be very exact and precise -- 1 cup this, 2 tablespoons that, 3 eggs, etc. The other reason is that I don't really enjoy cooking/baking usually, especially if it's something that I don't like to eat (like frozen mixed vegetables -- my dad likes them, I want to throw up just by smelling them). But in spite of all this, I made oatmeal butterscotch cookies, and I have proof:









They were delicious -- my dad took them to work with him and they were eaten all up. And, for once, I actually enjoyed baking them. Part of that is because I firmly believe in the Biblical principle laid out very clearly in 1 Timothy 5:18 "For the Scripture says,' YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING', and 'THE LABORER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES.'" In other words, the dough might have yielded one or two more cookies than it did if I'd had tape across my mouth. You catch my drift?


Well, I need to sign off for now, but I will continue later.

Now for Everything Else

O.K., having done 3 posts in a row about our continuing Ant War (and I must say, I would definitely choose ants over cockroaches any day, even if they are extremely annoying), now it is time for Everything Else.

Let's start with my beautiful niece, who will be eight weeks old tomorrow. Don't the bottom 2 look like she's a lot older? Apparently she's already a ham! :-)


Taking a snooze on the couch...can somebody pull the hat up so I can see?!



Ariana's first piggyback ride...hold still, Daddy!


Aren't I just the cutest?!!


That sure was funny, Mommy!

Our Sign Language 1 class is finished -- we took our test last Wednesday, and our final assignment, an in-class dialogue between two partners (completely in sign, of course) was finished on Monday. Cassandra and I wrote out our dialogue, which included me having a birthday, and her describing her upcoming wedding (just so's you know, my birthday isn't until next month, and there is no engagement anywhere in sight for her -- it was just what we came up with). It took a little over three minutes (it was supposed to be 3-5 min.) and we signed pretty smoothly, I think, especially for having written and memorized in a week's time. I just found out this morning -- thank You, Lord, I got an A! Yay! I thought I probably would, since I've been consistently getting A's, with one B, on my tests. So, now I'm trying to get into the Sign 2 class being taught by the same instructor. Easier said than done. It was completely full by the time I was allowed to register (there are special rules about K-12 students taking classes at the college). So now we wait and pray -- because I know that if the Lord wants me to take that class, He'll provide an opening and let me get in. And if not...then I wait out the semester (the other Sign 2 class is too late at night for our family schedule) and try again later.

There's still quite a bit left to say, but it will have to wait for the next post, since it is time for me to get going. I have a dermotologist (I don't think that's the correct spelling, but oh well) appointment in a few hours, and tonight is a Christmas potluck and play (I'm one of the 3 Marys -- I'll post more later). So I'll talk to y'all later.

They Struck Again! or, Ode to the Treat Bag

The ants. In the Treat Bag.

Yes, the very same short paper bag that has held a place of high honor in my eyes for many years. The one that could, almost magically, produce sweet things whenever Mom or Dad commanded. The one that has held many pieces of wonderful delicacies to delight my young taste buds. Over the years its volume dwindled, until all it contained were some old, gooey Jolly Ranchers, empty Pez containers, and maybe an old lemon drop or two. My, but those ants on the Jolly Ranchers sure were happy. I'm sure they died with smiles on their little ant faces.

We tracked their line up the cupboard and along the tops of the cupboards over the kitchen counter and stove. My mother had her secret weapons handy, especially Sponge, which came very much in handy for smushing and crushing the tiny bodies and wiping them away. It hurt some to throw away the old Treat Bag...I will always hold it in a position of high esteem in my memories...it will always be to me the Treat Bag, with capital letters...and someday I will bring it to life again for my own children, teaching them the value of delayed gratification, i.e., occasional treats, instead of demanded, taken-for-granted candy. And someday I will be the mother, bravely defending her home from the unwanted invaders, probably with the same weapons as my own mother.

And someday, ants will fear me...

Update on the Ant Invasion

Well, we won the first battle. And the second. And the third. And I think we will continue to win, as long as we maintain power over our secret weapons of mass destruction. Problem is, somebody forgot to tell the ants. They are convinced that a strategy that was defeated once will be victorious the second time...and the third...and so on. Dumb ants.

But one thing you can say for them -- they are persistant. And they must have quite a propoganda system working, because morale seems to be quite high among the troops. Either that or they're all kamikaze foot soldiers who know they will die and do so gladly for the sake of the Queen. Whatever.

At any rate, it is a major tactical error to assume that they will not try again on a front they were already defeated on. At least with most enemies, you can pretty much assume that a battlefield that they lost on will not be fought on again anytime soon. Ants have other ideas. Something along the lines of, if it didn't work before, it's sure to work this time. So they do their best, and bravely give their little ant lives. Man, if some human army got ahold of the same methods of training and brainwashing that these ants apparently have, well, Armegeddon here we come! They may not be very strong, nor invincible by any means, nor do they have great and fearsome weapons. But all of them willingly (and swiftly!) march down the little line, knowing that straight ahead lies either a great feast, or certain death...or perhaps both. And if one cupboard has been invaded, and they were defeated there, why not try again, either in that cupboard or in the one right next to them.

We are convinced that they are living in our walls. They must be. We have sprinkled ant powder around any place they were going in, or ever thought they might use to go in, but yet they come...endlessly long lines of them. So last night we get a delightful dinner on the couch while the cupboards air out from the Ant-B-Gone, and the contents of the cupboards repose on the kitchen table. Fun.

The Ants Go Marching 20 by 20 -- aaagh!!

We are in the middle of an ANT INVASION!! It began Sunday afternoon, but you might say it actually began much earlier than that. For some time now they have been sending out 'scouts', I guess, to decide whether or not it was worth the effort to invade. We killed most of the scouts, but I guess they decided they had a good strategy and that the risk of defeat was low. D-Day was Sunday, the landing was executed with perfect timing, and the unsuspecting family came home from church to find ourselves under siege.

The kitchen counters were covered, and the stove, and just about anything in sight that was not in some sort of closed container was being ravished by the Formicidae Hymenoptera forces. But they had underestimated the strength and cunning of the adversary. My mother, a skilled and experienced strategist herself, used her secret weapons of mass destruction, one called Sponge, which crushes and wipes away the invading forces, and one called Ant-B-Gone, which could come under the category of biological warfare, since it is sprayed into the air and kills the ants instantly on contact. With these weapons she soon won this battle, having sprayed, crushed, wiped, and swabbed all ants in sight.

The ants are not very smart, though. Most countries, if they are up against such a formidable foe, and their armies are wiped out by the hundreds by this foe in the very first battle, will at least withdraw and try on a different front, or even completely give up and mind their own business. But not ants. We've been killing nearly every scout they've sent out between Sunday and now, but this morning we were alerted to a new battle when I took down the sugar canister to sprinkle some on my breakfast grapefruit. The ants had developed a new strategy, one that was essentially composed of the idea 'out of sight, out of mind'. In other words, instead of being out in the open, they were inside a cupboard, swarming over it and the things in it. But, once again, they underestimated their opponent, and my mother and her secret weapons triumphed once again.

December Devotional

The One Thing: A Christmas Devotion
by Mary Comm

I love the Christmas season. The cheerful music, the blinking lights, the brightly colored decorations, the cooler weather. I love the smell of the Christmas trees and the smell in the air. It's different this time of year. I love shopping for gifts for people who are special to me. I love watching my son, who's almost 4 now, as he begins to experience the wonder of Christmas. I love seeing the light in his eyes and hearing the excitement in his voice as he takes in all the sights and sounds around him. And I try to remember what it was like to be a child at Christmas, experiencing it with all it's magic-and without all the hassles and responsibilities and concerns that go along with being an adult at this hectic time of year.

Those childhood memories are vague. But seeing Christmas through the eyes of my child helps bring them into focus.

Even so, it seems to get harder every year to findthe real meaning of Christmas. And perhaps it's different for everyone... I mean Christ is the central figure of Christmas, but what does the celebration of His birth mean to you? Is it the sacrifice He made for us, or is it the life He gives us that makes Christmas special? Is it the miraculous way He came into this world or the reason He came into this world that brings significance to the season for you?

Christmas means many different things to everyone, but all I wanted-or needed-was one thing-one thing I could cling to to bring significance to this holiday season.

As I was lying in bed one night, I realized I'd never had even "one thing" that made this season really special before. Christmas had bever really been personal to me before. It was always what it was "supposed" to be-the celebration of Christ's birth. Period. And I've always felt like Christmas was a little like my Grandmother's birthday. She's had 93 of them, so what's the big deal about it any more? She would tell you after all these years her birthday had lost a lot of it's special-ness. It's become a day just like any other. Sure, she goes through the motions, she opens her gifts and blows out her candles, but the excitement is gone. And what's worse is the memory that this used to be such a special day along with the lack of significance it now has, has made her birthday even more hollow and empty. And that's kind of how I've been feeling about Christmas.

But as I was lying in bed this particular night, I was telling God how I've been feeling and I began asking Him a lot of questions. After I'd asked my last question I realized He was speaking to my heart-you know, in that still small voice that, although it's not audible, it leaves an indelible impression nonetheless. It was though He was saying to me, "'Mary, the one thing is you and Me."

Instantly I knew what He meant. As with everything else in the Christian life, it's not about ritual or tradition or even about what Christ did for us. It's about where I stand with him now, today, right this minute. It's about our relationship. It's about walking with Him daily, turning to Him in every situation, trusting Him with all my cares and burderns and concerns. It's about making Him the priority in my life, day by day, moment by moment.

And then it occured to me. My relationship with God is more important than anything. More important than my husband, my son, or my daughter. I suppose I've always known via head-knowledge that was the way it was supposed to be, but in that brief moment with God, there alone in my bedroom, I realized it in my heart, even to the very core of my being. Once it was lip-service, but at that moment it was so tangible I felt I could reach out and touch it.

I also realized I'd been so overwhelmed trying to take care of my family, our house, and other responsibilities that I have neglected my relationship with my Lord. Although it's been a priority to spend time with God and to work on our relationship, it just hadn't seemed possible to fit it into my already overcrowded schedule. How could I hope to spend time daily with Him (who I can't see) when I couldn't even seem to take care of those whom I can see? But there, in His presence, He spoke the answer to my heart and it seemed as though it was the most logical thing in the world. "Make Me your top priority and all the other priorities will be taken care of as a result."

That night I found my "one thing." And I commit to you now that this holiday season I will hold on to my "one thing." I will hold on to the gift God personally gave me that night-a personal encounter with Him during which He, by virtue of His Holy Spirit, gave me a tangible picture of what Christmas is really supposed to be for me. It's a time to put things in perspective, to get my priorities straight, and to focus my time and energy on drawing closer to God. Nothing is more important. In fact, it's so important that He gave His only Son over to death on a cross so that I would be able to draw close to Him.

I challenge and encourage you in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this holiday season to take a quiet moment to ask God what your "one thing" is for this Christmas season. I guarantee you if you ask Him with all your heart, He will answer you. For He says in His Word, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Merry Christmas!

Copyright © 1995 Mary Comm.

Meme Tag!

I'm participating in Theresa's meme tag. So, here we go:

Here are the rules:

*Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.

*Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.

*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

*Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I can't remember ever not loving horses -- in other words, I have loved horses for as long as I can remember! However, when I was young, I liked the English style of riding best...now, of course, I have seen the light and converted to Western! :-)
2. I don't like changing my socks. Drives my mom nuts to see me wearing dirty socks. Without prompting, I might change them every 2-3 weeks...but if they're not in the laundry on laundry day, she has been known to steal them and wash them! Since I almost never wear them all day long, but rather only for brief periods when I put on my boots to go somewhere, I don't really see a need to change them every day, or even every week. So now I'm sure I've just grossed you all out! :-)
3. I detest any type of stitching/sewing, be it quilting, cross-stitching, knitting, crocheting, etc. I like to design quilts (that my mom then sews), and I am teaching a younger friend of mine to cross-stitch, but I do not like to sew. My mom, on the other hand, is a very good seamstress, and has made several of the items in my wardrobe, including the shirt I'm wearing right now!
4. I cannot stand seeing someone wearing a necklace with the clasp down by the pendant. I don't know why, it's just some nutty part of me. In my mind, clasps should be up at the back of the neck, out of sight, not down by the pendant. I have been known to take the necklaces my friends and relatives are wearing and move the clasp up to the back of the neck.
5. When I was a young child, I had many, many ear infections. They lessened as I grew older, and my last one was about 3 years ago. I hope they stay away from now on!
6. Winter is my favorite season. I love the colder weather, although I admit I might not like it so much if I were in a place where it snows a lot! I would like to live in such a place, but I am sure I would eventually even get tired of snow. I love the way Christmas tends to change people's attitudes -- everybody becomes nicer and kinder at Christmas. And I like the whole wintery atmosphere -- snuggled under a blanket, sipping hot chocolate, fire in the fireplace...ahhh.
7. I saved the best for last -- I was saved at the age of 7, when my daddy prayed with me to receive Christ into my heart and have my sins washed away. Since then I have been growing and maturing in the Lord, and plan to follow Him all my life, doing and being whatever He wants me to do and be. After all, when He gave His life for me, is it not the least I can do to give my life to Him?

Well, that's my 7 facts. Now for the 7 people to tag:

1. Chris, my cousin
2. Kate, because I like her and what she believes
3. Southern Gal, just because
4. Natalie, because I just discovered her blog, I like what she says, and I'm curious to know what she'll say
5. Hannah, because I just discovered her blog too, and we have a lot in common
6. Ashleigh, because I know she just doesn't have enough going on to keep busy! :-)
7. Heather, because she is a dear friend whom I love very much, and because I know she'll have some interesting things to say!

Well, that's pretty much it!

Christmas is Coming!

It's somewhat chilly...I'm sitting here at the PC in sweats and slippers...and Christmas music playing from a Christian radio station...O.K., to be truthful, I've been listening to Christmas music since, oh, mid-October or so...and I just know that Christmas is coming!

No, there is no snow, and the temperature is not below O (as a matter of fact, the only number that the temperature is below might be the number of the temperature in Phoenix or some such place, but I'll be thankful for what I've got)...there are not very many colored leaves, either on the trees or blowing on the ground...but hey, it's a lovely southern California autumn day! So, how about the Christmas decorations coming out pretty soon? O.K., maybe I'll wait until the first of December. It's not very far away, after all. And it will give some time for the temperature to cool down some more.

I thought I'd give y'all an update on how sign language is coming for me. Our class at the community college is nearly finished. We are midway through Unit 6 of 6; our final test is the 5th of December, if I remember right. We will have to do a two-partner dialogue (videotaped -- aaagh!) on the 10th, so my partner and I will stay after class tomorrow to write out our dialogue. It must be 3-5 minutes long, and include such elements as vocabulary, proper sentence structure, fingerspelling, and numbers. We have a few possible ideas, but we will get together to write our script tomorrow.

Yesterday we did our second Deaf Event. My partner, Cassandra, a 20- or 21-year-old (I don't remember -- sorry, Cassandra!) Christian lady, and I, and another classmate, Alex, who is also a Christian (I believe -- I have not asked him outright yet, but from what I have seen, and what he has said, I think he is...plus he works at a huge, well-known megachurch nearby), got together for our second Deaf Event. Our assignment was to go somewhere public, where we would be seen (and stared at!), and talk completely in sign, with no voices. At first we tried doing it there on campus, but we were sort of out of the way of everyone else and nobody saw us. We walked over by the bus stop, where a lot of people were gathered, but as we walked close a bus came along and everyone got in it. So we ended up hitching a ride with my mom and going over to a nearby mall, where we walked around, visiting a few stores, and talking sign. Mostly we just used the words 'nice/clean/pure' and 'beautiful', but we also found occasion to use several other words, such as 'want', 'hungry', 'thirsty', 'really/truth/sure', 'bad', 'alcohol' (don't think wrong things here, folks -- we saw a bottle of wine in a display), 'child', 'kid', 'play', and many others.

So that's a bit of an update on my life :-)

Random

I like the title of a blog I recently discovered: Random Thoughts of a Deep Thinker. Not to plagiarize or anything, but that title would go pretty well for this post...especially since I've already used the title Odds and Ends a few times. At any rate, whatever is applicable...if the shoe fits...

So anyway. It's Sunday afternoon. Church this morning was good; Pastor taught on Joshua 10 for Sunday School (you know, where the 5 kings go up against Gibeon, who lied to make a league with Israel, and the Israelites soundly defeat and kill the 5 kings and their people); the sermon was on Philippians 1:12-30 (I think -- I don't have my KJV Bible right on hand and the other versions say it a little different).

I got to hold my beautiful niece, who is now about 10 pounds and about 21 inches, now that she is 4 weeks old. I got a lesson in diaper changing -- hey, I gotta learn sometime! Several years ago my mom used to babysit a little neighbor boy, and I changed his diapers sometimes, but that was a while ago, and it was a boy. This is a little different. At any rate, I also gave her a bottle, and burped her, both of which I know how to do now.

Ariana is the first baby I've ever really been around...I'm an only child, and there just weren't a whole lot of babies around as I've grown up. Now that I'm nearing adulthood (I have a few years left), I'm beginning to realize desires I've never really known before...like wanting to be a wife, to have a husband to love, cherish, and obey...like wanting to be a mommy and have a baby...like wanting to be whatever God wants me to be, whether or not that includes either or both of those things -- well, His will better include the first one if it includes the second!

So anyway, I'm sitting here on a lovely, chilly, overcast, Southern California, Sunday afternoon. I've been working on a puzzle, but since my dad's on his laptops, and my mom's reading a book, the house is pretty quiet, and somehow puzzling wasn't quite what I wanted to do. I know I'm rambling some, which I don't usually do, but please forgive me, especially since I don't usually do it.

Well, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It was just the three of us and one friend from church. A far cry from the huge extended-family gatherings I remember as a small child, but somehow much more peaceful and reflective. We had good food and good fellowship.

Ah, food. We had a turkey, of course...it seems like no Thanksgiving in this country is complete without a turkey! Why that is, I'm not quite sure. But back to the food. The turkey was delicous; Mom baked it breast-side-down for 23 minutes per pound. It was a large turkey, so she had to get up at 5:15 that morning. Poor Mom...couldn't even sleep in on Thanksgiving morning! But I digress. We had simple mashed potatoes (in other words, potato flakes and hot water mixed together), simple turkey gravy (in other words, McCormick's Turkey Gravy Mix and hot water mixed together), and simple drinks (in other words, jugs of Cherry Limeade and Tropical Punch bought from the store, not mixed together). I made the orange-cranberry sauce (ground cranberries, juice of one orange, and a few teaspoonfuls of sugar), Mom made the pies...pumpkin (which was good, but nothing special) and chocolate-carmel-pecan...wow. That chocolate-carmel-pecan pie is really, really something. So rich you can only stand one piece, and so delicious you can't resist another...

But alas, I forgot somehow to take pictures of our bountiful tables (one table for the people, one for the food!). I did, however, get a picture or two of my fire -- my lovely roaring fire. Here's the clearest picture of the flames:

And here's one of the whole fireplace, mantle and all:And here's me and the puzzle I just finished a little while ago:And here's our whole family, the picture we'll use for our Christmas cards:Well, talk to y'all later...thanks for bearing with me and my rambling mind.

As A Proud Auntie...

...I feel the necessity to, quite regularly, show off photos of my beautiful niece. And since I haven't done so in awhile (falling down on the job!), I apologize to anyone with slow browsers who has trouble loading pictures. Don't worry, there aren't too many of them, just a few:






Can you say, C-U-T-E!!!!
(P.S. The one at the top shows her lying on a quilt my mom and I made for her!)

What Horse Are You?

There is now a quiz that you can take to discover what kind of horse you are.

O.K., I don't usually do this kind of stuff, because often it's not safe. But, against my better judgement, I tried this one, on the recommendation of a friend and some friends of hers. So, here it is:

I AM A MUSTANG!

A Mustang, the wild breed of horse that roamed America in the 1700's and 1800's. Like the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. You are an outdoorsy character, you'd rather go camping than attend the fanciest dance in town. Matter of fact, you're rarely in town. You'd rather gallop like the wind in some huge wild prairie, and you're free as a butterfly. (Okay, maybe that's a bad analogy)... You never have and never will have an owner... you're free! Your coat colour will most likely be: buckskin or dun.

An interesting little quiz. I won't give advice on whether or not to try it, since it still has not been proven whether or not it dumps stuff on the computer (which, by the way, Blogger does, so better get yourself a good antivirus, antispyware, etc., if you do not already have such things). If you want to try the quiz, and find out what breed of horse you are, here is the URL:

http://www.geocities.com/hlquiz/

So, what are you?

Happy Thanksgiving!

One of today's most popular syndicated newspaper columns is "Dear Abby." Started in 1956 by Abigail Van Buren, the advice column is written today by her daughter Jeanne Phillips. In a recent edition, she included this Thanksgiving Prayer written many years before by her mother:

O Heavenly Father:
We thank Thee for food
and remember the hungry.
We thank Thee for health
and remember the sick.
We thank Thee for friends
and remember the friendless.
We thank Thee for freedom
and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances
stir us to service.
That Thy gifts to us may be used
for others. Amen.

The words of this prayer echo the clear teaching of Scripture. Our thanksgiving to God should always be accompanied by thinking of those in need. "Therefore," said the writer to the Hebrews, "by [Jesus] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15).

But there is more to it than thankfulness. We are to put actions behind our gratitude. "Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (v.16).
Be thankful for God's many blessings, but be sure to remember those who have less.

—David C. McCasland


Throughout history, many cultures have set aside a time for expressing their thankfulness. In the US, Thanksgiving Day originated with the pilgrims. In the midst of extreme hardship, loss of loved ones, and meager supplies, they still believed they were blessed. They chose to celebrate God's blessings by sharing a meal with Native Americans who had helped them survive.

We know we've lost the spirit of that original celebration when we catch ourselves complaining that our Thanksgiving Day has been "spoiled" by bad weather, disappointing food, or a bad cold. It's we who are spoiled—spoiled by the very blessings that should make every day a day of thanksgiving, whatever our circumstances.

Billy Graham wrote, "Ingratitude is a sin, just as surely as is lying or stealing or immorality or any other sin condemned by the Bible." He then quoted Romans 1:21, one of the Bible's indictments against rebellious humanity. Then Dr. Graham added, "Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness."

Which condition describes you?—Joanie Yoder


A grumbling mood of discontent
Gives way to thankfulness
When we consider all God's gifts
And all that we possess. —Sper


A Happy Thanksgiving to everyone...may you realize all God's blessings...

How to Get a Picture on Your Profile

This post is mainly for Natalie, but I hope it might help other folks too. Let me begin by saying that some folks just have another website host a pic for them. As I have never used such a service, I cannot offer advice or instructions on that method, but I'm sure plenty of folks can. I will simply tell you the easiest way I have found, and that is to have Blogger host your pic by posting it on your blog first. Once the post with your picture in it is successfully posted, go back and edit it, and go into the 'edit HTML' command. Look at the HTML of your picture, and figure out where the pictures are in it (hint: find the brackets around a bunch of seeming gibberish).

Copy the URL of your picture, the SECOND ONE (the one inside the 'img' brackets), inside the quotes, with the http and everything, like this: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkPX9PPCfwAyX3gCqJwaidF-ZzXZ8WpKgUGSbSqThLi4lhC9At5yziHSdZC5qXKtJe7JjJ5DuSen1U7_1k342TbWinFeHV-rmiFplxh3h7vJTcy0cUPW1_ONqeVX12tn9AOB40TGI86pc/s400/PicsForJoy10N.jpg Now that you have that copied (you might want to either do this in a separate window, or at least paste it into WordPad or Word or something like that), go into your profile and click edit. Once inside the profile, scroll down to where it says Photograph and has a space for an URL, and paste this in there. Save it. That's what worked for me, as long as you make sure it is the *SECOND* URL, and it includes everything inside those quotes.

Hope it works for you. In case you were wondering, I actually discovered this from Blogger Help, but they weren't quite as detailed and it took me several times. I hope this is helpful for y'all!

Why Are You Still Here?

Wrote a poem the other day I thought I'd share with y'all. It's actually a song, and would probably make more sense if you heard the tune I put it to. At any rate, here it is:

Why Are You Still Here?

(Verse 1)

Some folks are sayin'

Lot o' things need to change

Like the government

And cattle on the range

They talk about our problems

And highlight our shame

Why don't they just go 'way

To the countries that have changed

(Chorus)

Why are you still doin' here

If you don't like

The way we do things

And run our lives

You're tryin' to change

Our very core

So why don't you just go 'way

And don't bother us no more

(Verse 2)

They don't show our progress

In the war oversees

But you can bet national TV

Will show the latest casualty

And then they have the arrogance

To say that we

Are killin' the earth we didn't create

With our cars and factories

(Chorus)
Why are you still doin' here
If you don't like
The way we do things
And run our lives
You're tryin' to change
Our very core
So why don't you just go 'way
And don't bother us no more

(Bridge)

Iraq or China love people like you

In Socialist Russia, you'd find plenty to do

But no, you've gotta stay and try to change

The country that's given you the right to complain

(Chorus x2)

Why are you still doin' here

If you don't like

The way we do things

And run our lives

You're tryin' to change

Our very core

So why don't you just go 'way

And don't bother us no more

My Poor Dog

Well, these aren't the best pics of her, but I thought I'd post some cute ones. What torture I subject her to! lol

Poor doggie...but she endures it all, as long as I give her plenty of treats! :-)

Our First Video

O.K., the video quality is very, very poor (I think that's 'cause the batteries were pretty low), but this is our first attempt at a video on our little camera. Sorry there's no sound... In case you can't tell, it's me having my Baby, Casey, doing tricks.

Enjoy if you can!

Autumn Tradition

I don't have much time, nor is there much exciting to talk about, but I do want to finally post a picture I have wanted to post for a while, and here it is:Me and my dad doing one of my favorite autumn traditions -- posing with candy corn 'teeth'! The picture quality isn't the best, but the memories it reminds me of are priceless...

Thank You, Veterans

Veterans' Day (formerly Armistice Day)

November 11, is the anniversary of the Armistice which was signed in the Forest of Compiegne by the Allies and the Germans in 1918, ending World War I, after four years of conflict. At 5 A.M. on Monday, November 11, 1918 the Germans signed the Armistice, an order was issued for all firing to cease; so the hostilities of the First World War ended. This day began with the laying down of arms, blowing of whistles, impromptu parades, closing of places of business. All over the globe there were many demonstrations; no doubt the world has never before witnessed such rejoicing.

In November of 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued his Armistice Day proclamation. The last paragraph set the tone for future observances: To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation.

In 1927 Congress issued a resolution requesting President Calvin Coolidge to issue a proclamation calling upon officials to display the Flag of the United States on all government buildings on November 11, and inviting the people to observe the day in schools and churches...But it was not until 1938 that Congress passed a bill that each November 11 "shall be dedicated to the cause of world peace and ...hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day." That same year President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill making the day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia. For sixteen years the United States formally observed Armistice Day, with impressive ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the Chief Executive or his representative placed a wreath. In many other communities, the American Legion was in charge of the observance, which included parades and religious services. At 11 A.M. all traffic stopped, in tribute to the dead, then volleys were fired and taps sounded.

After World War II, there were many new veterans who had little or no association with World War I. The word, "armistice," means simply a truce; therefore as years passed, the significance of the name of this holiday changed. Leaders of Veterans' groups decided to try to correct this and make November 11 the time to honor all who had fought in various American wars, not just in World War I.

In Emporia, Kansas, on November 11, 1953, instead of an Armistice Day program, there was a Veterans' Day observance. Ed Rees, of Emporia, was so impressed that he introduced a bill into the House to change the name to Veterans' Day. After this passed, Mr. Rees wrote to all state governors and asked for their approval and cooperation in observing the changed holiday. The name was changed to Veterans' Day by Act of Congress on May 24, 1954. In October of that year, President Eisenhower called on all citizens to observe the day by remembering the sacrifices of all those who fought so gallantly, and through rededication to the task of promoting an enduring peace. The President referred to the change of name to Veterans' Day in honor of the servicemen of all America's wars.

Excerpts from All About American Holidays by Mayme R. Krythe.
From http://www.patriotism.org/veterans_day/

To learn more about Veterans Day, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day and
http://www.army.mil/cmh/faq/vetsday/vetshist.htm To find out about Veterans Day activities in your area, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

Remember to thank our veterans, whether retired or still in active duty, and remember:

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus agitator

Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,

Who serves beneath the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag,

Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Copyright 2005 Charles M. Province

THANK YOU, VETERANS!

Happy 232nd Birthday, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS!

From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli...

Born in Tun Tavern Philidelphia, Pennsylvania on 10 November 1775, the United States Marine Corps is older than the nation it protects. The history of this proud organization is a story of triumph and glory, and tragedy and pain. The call first went out in 1775 when the Continental Congress authorized then Commandant, Cpt. Samuel Nicholas to raise a brigade of Marines. The Marines of Commandant Nicholas's brigade were stout seamen, who brought their own rifle, and knew how to use them. These Marines helped protect American shipping interests prior to the Revolutionary War.

During the Revolutionary War, the call again went out to America's youth. The Revolutionary War saw the Marines take their place as America's soldiers on the sea, as well as the birth of many of the Marines symbols and traditions. For example, the term leather neck comes from leather collars worn by Marines to help hold their heads erect and protect them from slashes by sabres and cutlasses. The quatrefoil, a braided cross of gold cord worn by officers, was originally used by Marine sharpshooters to help tell friend from foe. The sharpshooters would climb into the rigging of American ships and when the Marines boarded an enemy ship, the sharpshooters would rain death and destruction upon the enemy while sparing the Marines who wore the cross of rope upon their covers.

The blood stripe worn on the dress blue trousers of officers and non-commissioned officers is in memory of the battle of Chapultepec, during the Mexican-American war. During that battle, 90% of the Marine Officers and NCO's died taking the Mexican stronghold. The battle is further commemorated in the Marines' Hymn in the line "From the Halls of Montezuma".

The War to end all Wars, WWI was another proving ground for the Marine Corps. Although the Marines won many honors, the horrors experienced by all the allied troops was a heavy price to pay. Among the honors won were 3 French Croix de Querres, Frances highest military honor. The third Croix de Querre was won at the battle of Belleau Woods, now called La Boix de la Brigade des Marines, the Woods of the Marine Brigade. In honor of the three Croix de Querres, the Fifth and Sixth Marine Regiments are authorized to wear the French Fouragere, a braided cord, symbolizing the their units famed past. Another distinction to come out of WWI was the phrase First to fight , which came from recruiting posters of that era. The one award which the Marine Corps is most proud of from this period of strife did not come from our allies, rather it came from the hated enemy the Germans. It was during WWI in Belleau Woods when Dan Daily said, " Retreat hell! We just got here!" that the Marines won their most prized honor. For it was during this battle that the Germans first started to use the term Tuefle Hunden. After classifying the Marines as Shock Troops, a classification given only to the most elite military units, the Germans gave us our name, DEVIL DOGS.

Thanks to http://www.marinewives.com/

A few links for your enjoyment:

http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Home_Page.htm Actual USMC history page, with links for Customs & Traditions, Frequently Requested, This Month in History, Who’s Who, Medal of Honor, etc.

http://www.acidus.com/marines.html Marine Corps history from earliest to modern

http://www.blogger.com/www.usmc1.us/ USMC history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marines Seems pretty accurate, but as Wikipedia is the ‘encyclopedia anyone can edit’, don’t hold everything as necessarily truthful.

http://www.bluejacket.com/index_usmc.html Links for USMC history

http://www.lee.army.mil/marines/MCHistory.html On the Tun Tavern, the birthplace of the Continental Marines by a Congressional Act.

http://www.kmike.com/MarineCorpsKorea/Marines.htm Marines’ role in the Korean War

http://www.homeofheroes.com/quickquiz/031101_usmcBirthday.html USMC Trivia Quiz

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, USMC!

Just Odds and Ends

Well, as not much fantastically exciting is happening around here, I don't really have much to say but a few odds and ends. So here goes.

My good friend Miss Ashleigh from Heart and Home is, along with her husband and their little son Troy, celebrating their own Tiny Blessing, the birth of their second son, Merritt Will.

For anyone who noticed my earlier comments concerning sign language, I thought I'd elaborate a bit. I'm taking a community college course in Sign Language 1, and we just finished Unit 5 of the 6-unit course. Unit 5 included a lot of interesting words, mostly time references (now, tomorrow, before, yesterday, future, etc.) and family/romance words (boyfriend, fall-in-love, marriage, daughter, nephew, etc.).

In the last post, Getting to Know Me..., I mentioned in passing that one of my life goals is to take the steps to become independently wealthy, financially free, and said that I would say more about that later. O.K., it's later. As part of my continued schoolwork I am taking a finance class, in which I have read Rich Dad Poor Dad, for Teens and Rich Dad Poor Dad, and am currently reading The Cashflow Quadrant. While not all of Robert T. Kiyosaki's philosophy and directions line up exactly with what the Christian is instructed by God to do, most of it does, and most of it is very good instruction. You simply must think through everything and be discerning. I did not come to this decision, despite reading these books, until a few days ago when I was sitting at our family dinner table listening to my dad talking to my mom. As he is the sole supporter of our family, a lot of responsibility is on him to provide for us. He does not really like his job, and does not dare do anything about it, for the fear that if he does, he will lose it and his family will not eat. I listened to his frustration and his fear, and decided that I do not want to be stuck in that rut while single, nor do I want my family to be stuck in that rut when/if I do marry.

Well, not much else terribly exciting is happening, at least not until the weekend, and I have some things I must get done before then, so I will wish you all a happy Thursday!

Getting to Know Me...

Kate, from The Days of My Life, just did a post like this, and I liked the idea and decided to steal it. So here goes.

I am Rebekah Virginia, 5' 6 1/2 ", with shorter blond hair (I love it short! I used to have it down to about the middle of my back, and it tangled *so* bad, I'd spend 20 minutes after a shower trying to untangle it, so I got fed up and got it cut shorter). I live in Southern California, with my parents and my dog, and plan to join the military in a few years, Lord be willing. I love most animals, especially dogs and horses, but also pretty much everything else, including snakes (I want a scarlet king snake, but my dad doesn't want to have one in the house) and spiders (see my other posts about Sally) but not including lizards (they just don't thrill me. I used to keep geckos, but they don't tickle my fancy anymore). I like bodyboarding at the beach, but don't know how to surf. I'd rather explore a forest or a meadow, preferably by myself or with one or two of a couple very dear friends. I was raised in Arizona (Phoenix, to be exact), and still love the desert (yeah AZ!); I'd be living in northern Arizona if I had my druthers. I'm beginning to get interested in photography, but don't have a very quality camera to work with right now, so I'm not sure where that will go. I have been a Christian since my dad led me to the Lord when I was seven.

Future goals include: the military; having a ranch (preferably in northern AZ); getting married; having children; making the financial choices and moves necessary to being independently wealthy (more on that later); helping other people; and many more. I'm looking forward to seeing what God is planning to do with my life -- it may not even include all or any of these, or it may: only He knows! I'm glad He knows; it's nice being able to rest in the assurance that whatever happens is not a surprise to Him, He knew about it before the world began.

Well, that's pretty much me, condensed into a teaspoon! :-)

I have some pictures I want to post, but they're pretty much all on my computer, which is not connected to the Internet, and whose CD drives are currently misbehaving. So I guess the pictures are going to have to wait for awhile! The one picture I do have handy to post is one I took out at the ranch of some of my friends, of one of their cats that was drinking from a bucket.

Everything Else

O.K., so now that I have the devotional post taken care of (I will admit I was stressing a bit over it as Nov. 1 came closer and closer and I had no devotional -- and then I had 6 and had to figure out which one to use, they were all good), I can write about everything else!

Well, there isn't really much. Today I had to go both to eye doctor (this morning) and the dentist (this afternoon) today. Oh joy. My yearly eye exam wasn't bad at all, and I heard the exciting news that my eyes really haven't changed since I began wearing contacts. The visit to the dentist was not nearly so pleasant. I had a bunch of plaque and stuff built up on my teeth that had to be scraped, drilled, burned, and pried off (I did brush, honest I did!!). We did the right side of my mouth a week or two ago, this time it was the left side. You know, I just hate it when I can't hold water in my mouth but I can't spit either -- I have to sort of drool it out!! Yuck!

In case you didn't notice, I put a new object on my sidebar -- a poll. The question is: 'Which size of dog is best?' I also added, 'please leave me a comment telling me why you chose the size you did - I'm curious!'. Just in case you were wondering, I chose Large mostly because my own Baby is large.

Oh, and Kate, this is for you, I thought you'd like this picture (it cracks me up every time I see it!):
Well, have a great weekend everybody! (O.K., so it's only Thursday, but I want it to be the weekend already!)

A Bigger Shovel

It's the first of the month, and time for the November devotional. Naturally, it's about Thanksgiving.

A BIGGER SHOVEL
By Joe Stowell

"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" 2 Corinthians 9:6

It’s interesting to me that Jesus taught more about money than any other subject. He consistently talked about the importance of generosity and the deadly danger of greed. To the man who asked Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him, Jesus responded by warning, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). And in Luke 6:38 Jesus taught, "Give, and it will be given to you . . . pressed down, shaken together and running over." To disciples distracted by financial needs, Jesus assured them that the Father knows they need such things as food and clothes: "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well" (Luke 12:22-31).

God’s plan is simple—give to gain. In other words, give to the kingdom and God will take care of your needs.

The great British preacher Charles H. Spurgeon once learned about this kind of trust while trying to raise money for poor children in London. He went to Bristol hoping to collect £300 (which in those days was a huge amount of money) for London’s homeless children. At the end of the week of meetings, many lives had been changed and his financial goal had been reached. That night, as he bowed in prayer, Spurgeon was clearly prompted to give the money to a co-laborer of Christ named George Mueller.

"Oh no, Lord," answered Spurgeon, "I need it for my own dear orphans." Yet Spurgeon couldn’t shake the idea that God wanted him to part with it. Only when he said, "Yes, Lord, I will," could he find rest.

With great peace, he made his way the next morning to Mueller’s orphanage and found the great man of prayer on his knees. The famous minister placed his hand on Mueller’s shoulder and said, "George, God has told me to give you the £300 I’ve collected."

"Oh, my dear brother," exclaimed Mueller," I’ve just been asking him for exactly that amount!" The two servants of the Lord wept and rejoiced together.

When Spurgeon returned to London, he found an envelope on his desk containing more than £300. The Lord had returned the £300 he had obediently given to Mueller, with 300 shillings of interest!

Spurgeon learned what another generous believer once said: "I shovel out, and God shovels in, and he has a bigger shovel than I do." And while the return may or may not be monetary, you can be sure that your heart will overflow with the joy of giving generously and seeing His kingdom prosper.

And you don’t have to look back a hundred plus years to discover stories about the overflowing generosity of God to people who cheerfully give their money to the needs of others and God’s work. Just ask those who have discovered the joy of giving. They’ve got plenty of stories to prove the point. Let me invite you to get a few stories of your own!

YOUR JOURNEY…

• When was the last time God prompted you to give something? How did you respond? If He hasn’t prompted you to give to others, ask Him to give you an opportunity. You can be sure that He will!
• Do you give generously and sacrificially to the kingdom? Examining your heart to find out why or why not will be an important exercise. What holds you back? Greed? Fear? Disinterest?
• Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. Why is it sometimes hard to be a "cheerful giver"?
• To help you give more cheerfully in the future, be sure to consider the outcome—your gift "is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God" (2 Corinthians 9:12).
• What assurance do you find in the promise of Philippians 4:19? Don’t miss the fact that the promise was made to the Philippians who had just given themselves sacrificially into poverty for the work of Christ through Paul.

California On Fire

I don't have much time, I'm at my cousins' house in Phoenix right now. This morning was the funeral for my great-uncle Bob. In case you didn't know, there are several fires going right now, one pretty near our city. Naturally, it's pretty scary for me being so far from home and not knowing if I'm even going to have a home to go to tomorrow. Read Ashleigh's blog, and Mrs. Mishel's blog, to read updates on how the fires are going. Pray, oh please pray, for all the folks affected by this already, and the ones who will be affected; the ones who lost their homes, had their homes damaged, or are fighting the fire.

Tiny Blessing

It is with great joy and gladness, and praising God, that I announce to you that ARIANA MICHELLE was born at 6:03 this morning, 19 1/2 inches long, weighing 7 lbs 11 oz. For those of you who don't know who she is, she is the newborn daughter of our pastor and his wife. As all their family is across the country, we get to play 'relatives'. We have said for a long time that Pastor Daniel and Miss Melonee are like my big brother and sister. My mom gets to play grandma. And me, well, I'm the aunt. So as a proud aunt, I'm going to show you a bunch of pictures.

Staring on the top, the first is the hospital picture. The second is Ariana in her proud Daddy's lap. Next is me holding her when she was only eight hours old, and the last is my mom and her.

And now I'll include a video her daddy took of her when she was only a few minutes old:

Ariana is Greek for 'most holy one', and Michelle, the femine of Michael, is Hebrew for 'who is like the Lord?'. Every finger and toe, even fingernails and toenails, she's perfect. Complete. I think it's the first time I've ever held an 8-hour-old baby, and it was an amazing experience.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139: 13-14

Season's Firsts

O.K., so I love the cooler weather that comes with this time of year. So much so that I have to write a whole post just on how much cooler it's getting. You might ask, just how much cooler is it getting?

Well, yesterday for the first time of the season I was cold wearing just a T-shirt (and pants, of course -- I don't want anybody thinking wrong things here), and very comfortable wearing a flannel shirt on top of a T-shirt.

And last night I slept in a sweatshirt for the first time of the season.

And, the crowning joy, last night I had my first hot chocolate of the season. So naturally I had to take pictures of this Big Event, and post them here. First came the hot water...

Then came the cocoa powder and the stirring...

And then, O joy, the sip...ah, the sip...

So of course I just had to tell you all about the wonderful changes being wrought in the weather, even here in sunny Southern California. And just to put your mind at ease, I will assure you that I did enjoy every sip of that hot chocolate...and I'm looking forward to another cup pretty soon!

A Great Weekend

Thought I'd post a few bits and pictures from the weekend my mother and I just spent with some of our best friends. These friends of ours currently have 18 horses on their property (about to be 19) but only 10 of them actually belong to them, not counting two mustangs they just adopted for the purpose of training for sale. In the picture on the right Red is on the left side and is mostly obscured by Tony (Heart of Tonapah) on the right (see his perfect heart?!) Pockets is a mustang they trained through the Mustang Makeover program, and to read about that go to http://www.mustang4-u.com/ and his picture is to the left.

They also adopted a mustang all their own, an 18-month-old colt they named Montana -- isn't he a cutie!?!

I took a lot of pictures, and some of them turned out pretty nice. Below are two more, one of a mare named Dusty, one of a loveable mule named Rudy:

And I figured I'd include one more, of the layout of their ranch: