New Web Site and Busy Days!

Busy, Busy Days!!  That's what this past week or so has been like!  There is so much to be done in opening a new business! My husband has been a great help with some things even though he already has a full-time occupation/ministry that he needs to keep up with.  My daughter has a full-time job that she needs to work to support herself and her son until we open our Adult Day Care.  So I've been working day and night, and I'm feeling pretty tired right now.

The picture is the road we take back and forth to Dunlap.  It's beautiful scenery when you get to a certain point and can see the view of the mountains!  We didn't go up there today but decided to go furniture shopping instead.  We needed a couple tables and we went with our daughter to a couple of  2nd hand furniture stores and found a very nice table and a bureau for our reception area, at a very good price! While we were there, we had the opportunity to talk with a lady who was acquainted with the ministry my husband works with. We also talked about the stress involved in caring for family members as they age and are diagnosed with dementia.  She said she doesn't think she would have made it when she was caring for her Mother, without the help of being able to use an adult day care occasionally. This was another confirmation of how rewarding this will be.

Our new website address is:  www.caringheartsdunlap.com     

I've also got a blog here at the address: www.caringheartsdunlap.blogger.com

I've posted some pictures on both of them so you can see the progress we're making on our building!

This blog is about the "little moments" that we can so easily miss if we aren't paying attention.  One of those moments came today while I was talking with the lady who had cared for her Mother before she died with Alzheimer's disease.  There are so many stories like that out there.  I am looking forward to being a help to these "caring hearts" by helping to relieve some of the burden and stress they are under, and to ministering to those who have given their entire lives to others and are now in need of some compassion and tenderness in their old age themselves.

Keep checking back and I'll try to keep this updated, although I'm not sure how much I'll be here.  The website and blogspot and Twitter and facebook are taking up most of my time. I think I'm overly "social networked" out!! :-) 

 The beautiful mountains across from The Cooky Jar Restaurant in Dunlap, TN

New Business and New Web Site!

We are opening a new business!

Caring Hearts of Dunlap, adult day care and services!

We are so excited!

Check out our new web pages at:

http://www.caringheartsdunlap.com/

Also, we have a blogspot for the daycare:

http://www.caringheartsdunlap.blogspot.com/

We start renovations on the building on Tuesday!

We're looking for 2 part-time CNAs and a part-time Food Manager.

If you know of anyone in Dunlap, TN that would be interested, please email me at:

linda@caringheartsdunlap.com

Friends are friends forever!

We have spent the last week up in Chicago.  My husband had meetings and since he had to go, we drove and I spent some time with my family and my Mom while he was in meetings.  While we were away, our dogs were boarded at the doggie spa.  Not really a spa, but they really are very nice there and the dogs seem to love going!  Before we even pull up into the parking lot, they get all excited and can't wait to get inside!  Since we got Noel, the Miniature Schnauzer, she and Sarge are fast friends!  They play together all the time and even share a bed at night in the living room while we watch TV.  Now, when we have to go away for a while, we have the boarding place put them together.  When we picked them up after our trip, of course, we were gone a week, so they were very happy to see us!  Noel's left leg was shaved for the IV she had while she was there, because we had her spayed while she was there.  This is the picture that I took of them in the back seat after we picked them up.  They were both so excited to be going home that it took them twenty minutes to settle down!  This is their "happy to be going home" faces!

Family Reunions

I remember growing up in rural Illinois.  Each summer would have an exciting event that we all looked forward to:  our Family Reunion!!  Someone would reserve the place in the Forest Preserve and tables would be set up and the whole family would gather, with so much food it made you dizzy looking at it all!  I can still see my Grandmother setting up the table with a table cloth and there would be coolers filled with soda pop and drinks and ice!  The barbecue grills would be going and food cooking on them.  Games were planned and we all competed especially in the family softball tournament!  One of the neatest things was that us "kids" got to see all of our cousins that we hadn't seen in so long!  Aunts and Uncles in lawn chairs, music playing from radios and laughter rising in the air! What fun we had!
Now most of those family members from back then have passed on and with them, somehow the tradition of the Family Reunion passed on also.  Many reasons were given: family moved on to other states, key persons that had always planned it were passed on;  no one could get off work or travel that far, etc.  It's a shame because that was really the only time that all of us got to really spend some fun time together and catch up on what had been transpiring with each of us.

Now my Nephew and his wife have decided that enough time has gone by without all of us seeing each other and they have planned our first Family Reunion in probably 20 or more years. Many of our family are traveling today and a few have arrived early to spend some time with their children doing some sight-seeing before tomorrow.  Most of the ones attending are the younger generation: cousins!  Some of us older family will be there also, but it's so nice to see the younger families desiring to pick up this old tradition again!

Tomorrow will be a blessed day!  Praying for everyone to have a good time and safe travels and that this tradition will grow even bigger with each passing year!

A salute to old traditions!

We Will Remember in November

Praying that God will have mercy on our nation, forgive our sins, and bless us once again!

Nostalgic

 

Last week, my husband and I went away to a cabin in Townsend, TN to celebrate our 42nd anniversary!!  We were isolated from the world in a magical world of woods and silence!  When we awoke on that first morning after arriving the night before, we were surprised to see a Winter Wonderland all around us!  I opened the door to take some pictures and was awed by the silence and the sound (yes, it does make a sound) of falling snow on the trees and shrubs. It was beautiful!!

Trying to decide what we really wanted to "DO" on our anniversary,  we realized something:  when you get to our ages and have been married for as long as we have been, it's hard to find something different or exciting to do!  So we decided to just go into Pigeon Forge and see where we wanted to eat our anniversary dinner at and we'd decide what to do once we got there.  Well, neither of us could find anything that looked like "fun" until we saw a Books-a-Million store!!  Our eyes lit up and we realized that nothing could be better for us or more fun than going to the book store!!  We have always loved books!  We pulled into the lot and went through the doors and although I told myself I was only going to look and really didn't expect to find anything that I wanted to read, (as I have several books at home still that are unread!), within the first five minutes I found not one but FOUR books I just had to have!!   We spent about an hour or so in there browsing and when we finished, we decided to go to Calhoun's to have our anniversary dinner!  The food was excellent and we noticed that right next door was my favorite candy store! I discovered this candy store in Gatlinburg several years ago and now they have one in Pigeon Forge!  It's named "Kilwin's" and they have the absolute BEST pecan-caramel apples in the world!  I bought two and we headed back home.  We were supposed to get more snow so we wanted to get home and across the mountain road we took before it got dark.

What a wonderful day we had!

Today, I have been reading one of the books I purchased and it's called "Making Rounds With Oscar" by David Dosa, M.D.  It's an excellent book, although I must say that it has made me feel a little sad reading it.  It has brought up many memories of when my Dad was dying from Alzheimer's Disease.  The book is about a doctor that makes rounds in a nursing facility and the patients he serves and a cat named Oscar that senses when a patient is about to die.  It's really very interesting, but if you have had a loved one die with Alzheimer's, it may make you feel sad as you revisit those days in your mind.

I finished another book that I bought that day titled "One Good Dog" by Susan Wilson.  I read it in a couple days it was so good!! I highly recommend it although as a fair warning, it does have a few swear words in it. Wonderful story otherwise!

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep... "

Cold and Heat

The last few days here in the southeast, have been brutally cold!  Temperatures at night going down in the single digits in some places with a wind chill making it almost unbearable!

Remember what I wrote about getting a new puppy for my Birthday, "Christmas Noel"?  Well, puppies need to be taken outside a LOT to learn to be housebroken.  One must act quickly too, as soon as you see the "signs" or their urge!  This means quickly grabbing coat and scarf and gloves and my "Clicker" and "Doggie Treats" all in one swoop in order to get her outside quickly enough!  Then she, being the three month old puppy that she is, once outside, decides it's play time instead of potty time!  She wants to eat every rock and leaf and twig she can find instead of doing her business. 

I've been told by a medical professional and friend that I show classic signs of ADD.  Well, this pup makes me look good! She gets distracted by literally everything she sees and every sound she hears and has to repeatedly be reminded that we're out there freezing in the cold, so she can do her business!  Many times, after I just can't stand the cold anymore, I give up and bring her back inside to try again later. It then takes me several minutes to thaw out, only to have to quickly repeat this routine again a few minutes later until she "finally" decides to do her business.  Remember what I said about "I must be crazy!"? 

This afternoon the sun was shining so pretty and it had warmed up just a little bit so I thought I'd take both dogs out to the back yard to get some play time and exercise in.  It was fun watching them romp around the yard chasing each other and playing "keep away" which is Sarge's favorite game, bar none!  As I watched them play, the wind and air still felt very cold after just a short time, but as I stood in the yard, I could feel the penetrating rays of the sun seeping into my face as I turned it upwards to the sky and just soaked it in.

Is there anything that feels better than the sun soaking into your skin

and penetrating deep down inside,

on a cold and chilly day? I think not! 

Call Me Crazy!

Right before Christmas, my daughter called and asked us to help her find a puppy for our Grandson.  He is an only child and she thought that having a puppy would give him some companionship. So the search was on!  Our middle daughter found a Miniature Schnauzer breeder online and called us. We made an appointment to go and look at the puppies. The one thing I did that was not too smart, was I went with her, as did our middle daughter!  You know how it is when you see a little puppy! Oh they're so adorable and cuddly and cute and you pick them up and hold them and that's IT!  It was love at first sight for all three of us!  We walked out of there, each with a puppy in our arms! Two little girls and my youngest daughter with the only boy left of the litter.

I had to be crazy!!  We already have a 55 lb., 3-year old Boxer!  Did I REALLY want to start house-breaking and training all over again??  I wasn't thinking clearly about that though when I was holding this cute little puppy in my arms!  My husband kept saying "Are you SURE you want to do this?  why don't we just wait a little longer until Sarge (our Boxer) is older?  Then we can think about getting a puppy!"  no..... I HAD to have this puppy!  She was just SO CUTE and SO CUDDLY!  She LOVED me!! What could I do?

We brought them all home, and I decided in the car on the way home what her name should be....  there was no other choice!  It was a few days before Christmas; her new name would be "Christmas Noel" and we'd call her "Noel" for short.  I was very pleased with this ingenious stroke of creativity in choosing a new name.

Well, we've had Noel now for almost three weeks.  When we brought her home we discovered why she was so cuddly and so calm:  she and her siblings we very, very sick.  She had a very bad upper respiratory infection and very bad congestion in her lungs. Her brother, had pneumonia!  They both had to stay overnight at the animal hospital to be treated.  Since they were so young, the Vet was concerned that the aggressive treatment might be even harder on the little boy, since he had it the worst.  Thankfully, we have a very good Vet and they both pulled through after another ten days of antibiotics and tender loving care.

Now, we have this little "demon dog" on our hands that has so much energy and orneriness that she's a handful, even for our Boxer!  I decided to pay the fee and take her to puppy training classes at PetSmart.  She can now "Sit", "Down" and "Leave It" as well as "Come" when called. We're still working on the housebreaking thing, although she's starting to get the idea.  She still has mistakes in the house.  It's more "owner training" and "owner quick reactions" than it is pet training though!  And every time she is outside, she wants to eat every rock, stick, leaf and twig she finds!  She ends up getting lots of treats for "Leave it!!"

I just have to ask myself some days though,

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING???  I'M GETTING TOO OLD FOR THIS!"

Until she sits pretty and looks up at me with those adoring eyes!

I'm a Goner then!  Call me a Soft Touch! Yep, that's what I am!

Maybe a little CRAZY too!

But then, who would blame me?

Isn't she just adorable?

Meet Christmas Noel:

Our First Snow of 2010

We had our first snow of the year yesterday and today the temperature is so low that everything is frozen!  My Family and Friends up north laugh at us down here because they see this and hear that all the schools are closed and everyone is making a big deal out of it, when they have 6 inches and it's still coming down!  My Nephew said they don't close the schools up north until it's 20 below with 8 or more inches of snow! Funny how different areas of the U.S. are!  I told them that "Abscence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder!"  :)  We never GET snow but once or twice a year and then just a light dusting!  So when we hear "SNOW" --- WE get excited! Excited and worried!  We're not set up down here for heavy snow removal or management like they are in other areas; plus, we had HILLS and MOUNTAIN roads.  People hear snow and they all panic beforehand (just in case!) and clean out the grocery store shelves!  My husband stopped by Wal-mart yesterday on his way home because we heard it was going to snow and then turn to ice.  We were out of a few "essentials" (like bathroom tissue!! and bread of course!).  He said that it took him forever to even find a parking space, let alone get out of the check-out lines!  Funny!  So here we are, with all the schools closed this morning and parents that either had to take time off work or find something to do with the kids because most of the businesses will be open.

I just want to leave you with one thought; a quote from the character Jerry Espinson on "Boston Legal":

"Friendships are like backyard gardens: we plan to attend them, but we always manage to put it off until next week."

May we all make a concerted effort to tend to our friendships and family relationships this year!

God bless you and Happy New Year!

New Year's Resolutions_Again!

 

Things to keep in mind as the New Year approaches us!

Four things that can never be recovered: 

• 
  

  The stone after it's thrown

  
  
• 
  

  the word after it's spoken 

  
  
• 
  

  the occasion after it's missed 

  
  
• 
  

  and the time after it's gone.

  
  
  
  

The "Secret Blessings of God"

This morning, I received an Email from my Sister in Indiana, and I'd like to share with you what she said:

"we are always thankful for our health but more than that, the secret blessings God gives always come in our greatest times of trial. So when we need, you know as well as I, that our greatest gifts come from God."

This got me thinking!

 

"The Secret Blessings God Gives"!  Have you ever been aware of the secret blessings from God in your time of need? 

For instance:  My Nephew and his wife have two small children.  He has worked in a trucking company as the Administrative Office Manager, keeping track of all the traffic coming in and out of the company; he has worked on the Loading Docks and on heavy equipment as well as in the office as Dispatcher.  He's done this for the past 10 years and now, right before Christmas, he was called into the office by the higher-ups and told he was being let-go for financial reasons.  The company is hurting right now and they have to trim the payroll.  So they trimmed his payroll!

In a situation like this, with two small children at home, one would have a tendency to get down and depressed and wonder "WHY GOD?" 

Not my Nephew and his wife!  They are Christians and trust God!  They know that He has never let them down in the past and won't let them down now.  They just went to church as usual on Sunday and in their Sunday School Class, shared a prayer request, asking for prayer for him to be able to find another job quickly. Without them knowing anything about it, this group of Christians did more than pray! 

They put their faith into action as James talks about in the Bible: 

 James 2:17-20  "Even so faith if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea, if a man say, "Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"

So we see that just 'having faith' is not enough!  It's what we do with that faith that matters!  We can't sit in our church week after week, like a sponge, just soaking it all up and not giving anything back in return.  Do you know what happens to a sponge if it just keeps soaking up water? Before long, it is water-logged and just oozes out.  We as Christians were meant to soak up God's blessings and then 'squeeze them out' over others in return.  Not trying to keep it all to ourselves.

This small family, found themselves the recipients of "the secret blessings of God" in their time of need!  This Sunday School class got together, unbeknownst to my Nephew and his family, and collected boxes and boxes of food to carry them through this time!  They not only gave food, but a GIFT CARD so that the would be able to take care of their children's Christmas gifts!  Their sensitivity to the Holy Spirit caused them to think what would be the greatest hurt for a parent at this time of year without money.  Children don't understand the worries that their parents have; they just know that Christmas is coming and they've always gotten gifts in the past.  This would hurt a parent more than anything; to not be able to give gifts to their children.  God made us that way because HE is a GIVING GOD and loves bestowing "gifts" on His children!  This group of Christians were sensitive to that and wanted to alleviate this concern for one of their group. God will bless them abundantly because you 'can't out-give God'!  He sees each kind act that we do and because He loves us, He will not let that go unrewarded.  These giving people will experience a joy that others will not, this Christmas. Giving truly is better than receiving!

One would think that coming on 'hard times' in this world, would be a bad thing!  But instead, it opens up an opportunity for our wonderful LORD to show us how HE can take care of us and bestow those wonderful "secret blessings" in our time of need! This builds our faith!  Each time we place our trust in God in times of great need, our faith is strengthened to continue walking with Him and doing even greater things in the future.

It's wonderful to walk with the Lord day by day and see Him work in our lives!

Malachi 3:10  "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

And again in James 4:8  "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."

When we walk in obedience day by day with the LORD, and seek His face, we can be in no greater place and in no better hands!  We will be daily recipients of the "secret blessings of God", whether they be actual physical blessings or spiritual.  Either way, there's no better place to be!

Psalm 5:12 "For Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield."

Psalm 37:39 "But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble."

Psalm 46:1  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble."

I wish for you that you will walk with the Lord this Christmas and into the New Year; holding His hand and following in His steps!

For myself, I plan to read, study and meditate on His Word more; trust Him more; and try to be a blessing to others, sharing His secret blessings on my life and letting them spill over onto others!

From our Home to Yours,

Merry Christmas!

That Old Christmas Let-Down Feeling

Do you find yourself feeling "let down" 

even before Christmas is here?  

I mean, you walk through the stores and see all the pretty decorations, the trees, the lights, the bows, and maybe even hear Christmas songs in the stores that still are playing them, or on the radio.  

"Here Comes Santa Claus"; "Jingle Bells"; "Frosty the Snowman"; "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas".........  but it doesn't "feel" like Christmas.  

Where is the wonder and joy and anticipation that you felt as a child?  

It doesn't matter how much "Jolly" and "bright lights" you see around you, the "jolly" just isn't there for you, and you feel pressured because there isn't enough time and you still have '_x__ # of gifts to buy" yet!  

There isn't much money and the kids are asking for mega-buck-costing toys on their lists. 

Maybe you were just recently laid off from your job or your pay has been cut to enable you to keep your job!  I have a Nephew with a wife and two small children that was just "let go" from his job last week, as part of the cut backs, right before Christmas.  It would be hard to feel very "Christmas-y" in that situation, one would think.

So, what can a person do, if they find themselves on the "BLUE" end of the Christmas spirit instead of on the "Ho Ho Ho" end?

Maybe your focus is askew.  

If we focus on "things" and "money", then life can be pretty tough this time of year. If we focus on ourselves and what we can get or what we want, we get the same result.  

If we focus on the 

REASON FOR THIS SEASON

There is JOY!  

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.  God sent His Son to a dying world, in the form of a tiny baby.  He didn't choose to herald His coming with media ads or jingling bells. He announced His coming long ago by the prophet Micah, (chapter 5:2)

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

Jesus came to the world quietly; born to a Virgin and laid in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn when they arrived.  His birth was imminent and Joseph had to find a place for Mary to rest and give birth. No fanfare.. nothing glamorous or glitzy, just a quiet entering-in, to the world.  Just the way Jesus wants to enter your life and bring you the peace that "passes all understanding" (Phil. 4:7)

Jesus says to us: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 

(Matt. 11:28)

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  (John 14:27)

This world will never give you peace.  Only God can do that.  We can't have peace if we are at enmity with God.  Come to Jesus and let Him give you His peace.  Celebrate His birth and focus on Him and your relationship to God during this Christmas season, and you won't feel "let down" but lifted up!  The Christmas Season will bring joy and meaning!

See this link on how to become a Christian and know FOR SURE

that you will spend eternity in Heaven with God.

http://www.billygraham.org/SH_HowtobecomeaChristian.asp

It's a time of Celebration!  Celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! 

My favorite Christmas song is Mary Did You Know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1oHJR2g7Tw

And here is the story of Jesus' Birth as told by the Apostle Luke, in Luke 2:1-20:

 

Christ is Born

1And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

2This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

3So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

6So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

7And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Angels Announce Jesus to the Shepherds

8Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

10Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

11For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

The Shepherds Visit Jesus

15So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

17Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

18And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

There Is a Remedy

This morning in our church worship service, our choir sang a beautiful song called

     "There is a Remedy".   

In these days leading up to "Christmas", the time we as Christians set aside to celebrate the birth of our Savior, several thoughts will come to mind as the days go on and we shop in the stores, seeing the decorations and gifts and bright bows; hearing the Christmas music in those that still are playing it. We'll see shoppers, some with smiling faces as they choose that special gift for a loved one; some with frowns and lines in their faces because this is a stressful time that brings little if any real 'joy' to their lives.

Some people are very lonely at this time of year, even when surrounded by friends and parties and festive decorations.  There is an emptiness deep inside that can't be filled with anything, no matter how hard one might try.  There is a reason for that emptiness.  I believe this is the time of year when our hearts are drawn to seek a Savior.  The wise men searched for long periods of time through sacred writings, trying to find where this Savior would be born, as foretold in the holy Scriptures.  They traveled long and hard seeking the ONE that could provide a remedy to a sin-sick world.

Jesus came into a world that was not looking for him and had no room for Him. From the moment He was born and laid in the manger, the shadow of a cross lingered over His cradle.  Jesus came to die; for you and for me and all that will seek Him, just as those wisemen from many years ago.

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not."  John 1: 9-11

But the GOOD NEWS of Christmas

and each and every day to us is this:

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  John 1:12-14

Here are the lovely words to the song our choir sang this morning:

There is a Remedy

For the world that's lost in darkness

For the saint who's gone astray
For the sinner, blind but searching
For the child in need of faith

For the homeless and forsaken
For the hungry and the cold
For the prisoner and the captive
For the young and for the old

                                                       
(Chorus)
There is a remedy
For every sin-sick soul

There is a cure for all

All the pain and hurt and wrong

There is a solution
For all the problems deep inside
There is a remedy
And His name is Jesus Christ

For the bitter, for the lonely

For the weary and afraid

For the burdened and frustrated
The discouraged and dismayed

For the mocked and persecuted

For the battered, for the wronged
For the scarred and for the wounded
For the weak and for the strong

(Repeat Chorus)

                                                  

(Bridge)

For every tribe and every nation
For every color, every rac
For every tongue and every language
For every time and every place
There's an answer to the questions
There is love for all the hate
There's a healer for the dying
He's the Light, the Truth, the Way

                               
(Repeat Chorus)

I only wish you could hear this sung by our Pastor's wife and our choir!

Our Lord Jesus Christ is beyond beautiful.

I Am Habit - New Post

I love this poem and wrote it down in a book a very long time ago. It's a good reminder for each of us as Christians, and even for those who aren't. It's the daily little things we allow to come into our lives that slowly and meticulously mold us into what we will become. If we walk daily with the Lord and follow in His steps, always seeking His guidance in everything, we won't have to worry about slowly going off course. Isaiah 30:21 says: "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." All we have to do is ASK for guidance when we need to make a decision about anything. I call them "whisper prayers"... just quickly whisper a prayer up to God and He, who loves you more than anyone else, will quickly answer. He won't leave you floundering or wondering "should I do this or not? is this okay for a Christian to do?" Just ASK HIM.

One of the reasons God had to discipline Israel is found in Isaiah 29:13: "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:".....

We cannot, as Christians, say we are Christians and then live like the rest of the unsaved world. We cannot allow the "world" to shape and form our convictions. It's a contradiction and a shame. It drags God's Name through the mud and causes the Name of Christ to be ridiculed by the watching world.

The world says "everything is relevant and that there is no wrong or right; it's up to each individual to decide for himself". How then can we as individuals really know what is okay or harmless, or what is really not a good thing for Christians to participate in? Our convictions and thoughts must be molded by the Word of God and only then will we know the Heart of God on any chosen thing. God has made His thoughts on any subject, clear to us in His Word.

I believe Christians today have a hard time discerning because they aren't spending enough time in God's Word or seeking His face each day. Studies today show that the current generation is almost Biblically ignorant. How then can we know the way? Every man will do what is right "in his own eyes" without guidance from the Holy Spirit. This is what the world is teaching. " It may be right for you but it can be wrong for someone else... but that doesn't mean it's wrong for you." Satan is a liar and out to cause division and confusion amongst God's people. Without spending time in God's Word, we will go astray and be confused.

Here is the poem by Robert E. Sly, that I have kept and have never forgotten because of its message:

It is mighty hard to shake me;
In my brawny arms I take thee;
I can either make or break thee;
I am habit!

Through each day I slowly mold thee;
Soon my tight'ning chains enfold thee;
Then it is with ease I hold thee;
I am Habit!

I can be both good and vile,
I can e'en be worth your while,
Or the cause of your bitter cry;
I am Habit!

Oft I've proved myself a pleasure;
Proved myself a priceless treasure,
Or a menace past all measure;
Thus is Habit!

Harmless though I sometimes seem, yet
My strange force is like a magnet;
Like a great and greedy dragnet;
I am Habit!

Though you sometimes fear or doubt me
No one yet has lived without me;
I am present all about thee;
Thus is Habit!

CHOOSE ME WELL when you are starting
Seldom is an easy parting;
I'm a devil or a darling!
I am Habit!

Robert E. Sly

Words of wisdom for all of us!

I Am Habit

Click on the link below to read my post on Facebook:

Facebook | Linda Smith Hobart: I Am Habit

Just like the knarled and twisted bark of this ancient tree, our lives can be scarred and torn by the wrong decisions we allow in our daily lives.

Logged On and Tuned Out

Last night, as my husband and I were driving home from speaking at a church about 45 minutes from our house, we were listening to a Christian radio station.  The speaker being interviewed was Vicki Courtney.  She was speaking about how the generation of kids today are so tech savvy that it's hard for parents to keep up.  Most parents are "clueless" as to their children's online activities.  Consider all the temptations out there online for young kids!  You only have to be 13 or 14 to have a MySpace or Facebook account and any other number of social networking accounts.  Kids as young as 8 and 9 years old are lying about their ages and signing up for social network accounts.  Predators are well aware of this also and know where to look!  Most children, when they sign up for these accounts, aren't blocking or protecting their pages.  They can protect them so that only their friends can see the content on their pages, but how many do that?  Very few.  And when they get invitations to be a friend on their page, they indiscriminately "ok" them, whether they really know them or not.  The sad thing is that many parents know their kids have these accounts; some even know they lied about their ages to get them!  I've heard some say that they think it's good for their kids and it's helping them with some of their problems.  How is allowing your child to lie about his age and illegally sign up for a social network, which is against the policies of that network, 'helping' your child?  Come on parents!  Stand up and be parents!  I know it's very difficult today to keep up with all of the things your kids are into.  Some parents, roughly about 50% of them, are clueless and don't even know where to look or how to look.  They don't even know the names of these social networking sites that their children are participating in.  If most parents saw some of the pictures their under-age children are posting and the pictures that their friends are posting they would be shocked beyond belief!

It's a tough world we're living in.  The temptations that kids face today are overwhelming.  It takes extreme diligence for parents to keep up today! If you're not tech savvy... you need to GET tech savvy.  Ask someone to teach you; take a course; pay someone to teach you the ropes! You cannot afford to negate your responsibility today as a parent.  The outcome has the potential to be tragic.

May I suggest a book for you?  Go to this website and buy this book!

http://www.vickicourtney.com/books_resources.htm

Look for:  "Logged On and Tuned Out" by Vicki Courtney

The tragedy today is that too many parents are giving up.  They're tired.  They're overwhelmed.  They're into too many things themselves to keep up with all that their kids are into.  Let's face it:  parenting is extremely difficult today!  But God has gifted us with our children.  He has given us the responsibility to watch over them and guide them along the way and then to present them to Him, trained and fit for the Master's Use.

Don't give up your responsibility. It's TOUGH, yes!  But it's worth it in the long run!

The Weekend is Coming and So Much to Do!

 To all my friends in Blogland:  I just wanted to let you know that my husband and I will be taking advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend and getting some much needed yard work done.  I will also be working on a sewing project since I just got my new sewing machine!  I haven't sewn for probably 20 years and wanted to get back to it! I'm so excited about starting to sew again! I bought a pattern for a simple night-gown to start on and a pattern for some reversible table place-mats and a table runner.  I purchased some Christmas patterned material for the place mats. I wanted to buy some Thanksgiving-Fall material but figured since it will soon be December, I better start with the Christmas pattern and save the Fall pattern for next year.

I am also reading a new book I bought, called "In the President's Service-Behind the Scene With Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect" by Ronald Kessler.  It's a fascinating book and hard to put down! It's also hard to read about how despicable some of the men that have held the office of "President" and the "most powerful man in the free world" have been. I learned that the threats on the president's life have gone up more than 400% since President Obama took office!  It's a scary world we're living in! 

Because we'll be so busy over the next few days though, I probably won't be blogging until next week sometime.  Oh yes, I should work on my novel some more too! I've neglected that for several days now!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Linda

Veteran's Day and a Tribute to my Favorite Veteran

This is a portrait drawn of my Dad when he was in the Navy. My Dad joined the Navy when he was barely 16 and had to have his parent's signature.  He served on a U.S. Destroyer Escort and was in Nagasaki after the bombing. All of his adult life he was loyal to his country and to the Navy.  He loved the Navy and talked about it often. He was frequently seen wearing his Veteran's hat.  He was proud to have served his country.

My Dad's portrait, done by his friend in the Navy

My Dad passed on November 14, 2001, after the attack on the Twin Towers and right before Thanksgiving. It was the worst day in our family's lives, losing him.  We miss him terribly.  

His father, my grandfather, also served in the military, I believe he served in the Marines.  I have a nephew, and an ex-son-in-law that are military now; both in the Air Force.  I have a son-in-law and a Nephew that are ex-military now but served their time in the Army and the Marines.  My husband and his father both served in the Army. 

May God bless and protect all of our young men and women in the military!
Thank you to all of those serving now and having served in the past to keep us free!

As my friend said on her post:

"Freedom isn't Free"

Ramblings About Growing up in the 50's

I am putting some pictures in this post of my family; my sisters and parents when we were young and living in "the sticks" as we referred to it! 

Having grown up in the 50's, I believe I grew up with an idealistic view of things.  We lived in a rural area; unincorporated.  We played in the fields and ran up and down the street unafraid back and forth to our neighbor's homes.  We made our own butterfly nets and caught butterflies for our collections.  We laid on blankets in the grass in the summer and we actually 'played outside'!  We took care of each other and neighbors looked out for the other children on the block as well as their own; even taking on the role of teacher and surrogate parents if need be at times.  We had a wonderful time as children and things were simpler then.  We were also taught the Bible and taught such things as values and morality and respect for adults.  Our parents took us to church and Sunday School and sat with us, instructing us on respect and how to behave in church and having respect for the Word of God and the man in the pulpit teaching it.

Many children today don't know a whole lot about make-believe and playing outside. Instead, they'd rather stay inside in front of the TV set playing video games or glued to their DSL's.  When they don't get what they want, they demand it and usually Mom and Dad, tired from pursuing their own interests all day or the almighty dollar, give in to junior's whims just to keep peace and not have to deal with the situation as a parent should.  I'm afraid most parents have taken the  'easy way out' with their role as parent.  Let's face it; letting an electronic device entertain and hypnotize your child is much easier than actually having to BE the parent. Parenting is TOUGH and most parents are so busy today with so many things that they just don't have the time or the energy or the inclination to take on the battle of saying "NO" to junior. So they give in and negate their role of  parent.  Then that child grows up and has no respect for their parent nor patience for them, just as the young lady I observed in the restaurant with her parents today. Their parents had no time or patience for them when they were growing up and now the parent that is aging and actually would like to spend some time with their child, finds that their child has no time nor patience for them any more.

This is also the generation that is deciding on our healthcare and "go home and make peace with death" situation that we see our current administration adopting today. No respect or value for people over a certain age. They're useless and are not profitable to society because they have no wage-earning potential.  It doesn't matter that they earned many wages all their lives and funded Social Security which is not going to be there for them when they need it now and their children, who can't be bothered taking care of them, will shove them off into some nursing home, so they won't have to be bothered with them.  I heard a phrase on a comedy show one time that spoke of this, and said the nursing home's motto was: "We CARE-so you won't HAVE to!"  How apropos is that?

 

This came to mind today after we left the hospital.  My husband had to go in for his check-up endoscopy.  After being given the all-clear from the doctor, we stopped at a restaurant to get some breakfast and coffee!!  He couldn't have his coffee before the procedure!  He was still feeling groggy but well enough to stop for breakfast.  While we sat at our table and talked, I couldn't help but notice an elderly couple sitting at a table behind us (the booth behind my husband).  


They sat there with their daughter, who I'd say was in her mid-thirties maybe. 


She seemed to be your typical self-reliant young woman of today, who has it all under control.  The thing that bothered me, as it always does when I see this, is that she had very little patience for her parents and their ages. She seemed impatient with them whenever they would say something. (They were probably buying her breakfast too!).  She seemed to 'talk down' to them as if their age made them less intelligent.  I told my husband that the thing that seems to be like a disease among this age group is "ingratitude" or a lack of thankfulness.  Whenever I see a young person treating an older adult this way, especially their parents, I feel like going up to that person and asking them, "Just who do you think you are? You are who and what you are today because of your parents!! Show a little gratitude and yes, patience, will you? Just because they're getting older and move a little slower or don't remember everything or maybe even repeat something more than once, doesn't mean they're imbeciles!!"  It just infuriates me to see ingratitude or to see the elderly treated with such disrespect when they've lived their lives earning it! 


Why aren't parents teaching their children respect or manners today?  And I'm not blaming ALL young parents in that age group because I know some very good young parents that will not tolerate disrespect from their children and don't give in to every demand they make. Good for them!!  Their children will rise up and call them "blessed" as the Bible tells us!

Another thing that I've noticed about growing up in the 50's is the respect we held for our nation's highest office, the Presidency.  We grew up to honor that role, even if the person holding it wasn't our choice at the polls.  Today I hear so much disrespect for the President (no matter who it is).  Even if we don't agree with the man's politics, he does hold the highest office and is the Ruler of the Free World! That position deserves our respect!  If you disagree with him, write him a letter and with courtesy, tell him how you disagree and why.  But be respectful!! Respect the office!


I recently bought the book by Ronald Kessler "In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect". I am up to chapter three now and I have to tell you, it's a fascinating book, but it's also a real eye-opener fo rme!  I knew growing up in the Nixon years and Johnson and Kennedy years that our presidents at times had indiscretions and were not the highly moral people they should be or that we 'kids' thought they were, at least I did.  I remember President Eisenhower. How I loved that man as a child!  Reading this book though, tells the truths, as hard as they are to take, about the men that have held this highly respected office of the President.  It's sad and disheartening to me to think that such men could have put on such a cover-up personality and have won the respect and votes of our nation's people and then lived the way they did while in office.  I am thoroughly disgusted with some of the things I have read about many of these men.  That said, however, my respect for the men and women that hold the job of having to 'take a bullet for the President' if necessary has gone way up, considering who they might have to take the bullet for!  How disgusted they must feel at times and yet are sworn to secrecy and the beck and call to do whatever he tells them to do and to keep quiet about it, even if it's something the public would be appalled by if they knew!  The stories of Johnson were particularly appalling to me!  

I've gotten off on a tangent now, but what I mostly wanted to say was that having grown up in the 50's was a much kinder and gentler time to grow up in.  Being a child then and being a child now are worlds apart.  I don't wish to go back in time, but I sure do wish that parents would start teaching their children to be thankful and courteous again.  Gee.... I just wish parents would start being 'parents' again and teaching their children!!

Proverbs 22:6  "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 

Words of wisdom from King Solomom

I'm so thankful I had parents and grandparents that loved us enough to actually BE parents!  To teach us values and courtesy and respect for others around us, especially our elders!

I'm thankful I grew up in an era where respect and courtesy was expected of young people!

I'm thankful I grew up in the 50's and was taught how to be creative instead of putting my mind into neutral and allowing an electronic game mesmerize me and dull my creativity and ability to think.

I'm thankful I grew up in the 50's and learned a love for books and reading and nature!

May God help our current and future generations!

Malachi 4:5,6

"Behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD; 

and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, 

lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."