Beautiful Street

There is a street in Boise, ID that is just beautiful in the fall. This morning it just seemed extraordinare. It was a cloudy morning with the street lights still on. I was taking my step grandkids to school. We turn down Warm Springs and my heart soars. The bright yellows, vibrant reds, and yellow oranges are just stunning on the old oak and maple trees.

My son had a good idea, it would be neat to ride a horse driven carriage down that street during the fall when the trees have all turned. I thought it was a romantic drive through there. The old homes along the way just make it that much more beautiful along the way.

This morning started out on the wrong foot, but taking a drive down that old street just set the mood right. I could just sit there or walk along there for hours. It's nice to have such picturesque beauty in a bustling growing city. It helps one appreciate the goodness in life and stops you in your tracks to remind you there is much to be thankful for.

I really do need to get out there and take some pictures. I talked about slowing down (granted that was about driving), but it's time to take time out for capturing and saving such a beautiful sight and share it. Especially since it only happens once a year for brief period of time.

Halloween/Fall Fest Recipes Etc

Looking for last minute ideas for Halloween Treats? There are some that actually fully celebrate the theme and for those of us that keep it simple and a Fall Festive mode instead at Pillsbury's site. You can go here to get the recipes and other ideas. And of course you can use these ideas for the coming years as well.

Happy Fall Fest everyone! Keep it safe, keep it fun.

Leaving a Legacy

On today’s Encouragement for Today, they talked about leaving a legacy for our children and grandchildren. It is a very good article that follows messages in the Bible such as:

Deut. 4:9: “Only be on your guard and diligently watchyourselves, so that you
don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your
mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”

Psalm 145: 3-4: “Yahweh is great and is highly praised;
His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation will declare Your words might acts.”

Go here to read the whole article. Just click on Read Today’s Devotion to read the whole article.

Healing

The night before, my son & I got into a discussion about the grand children. We talked about one of our grandsons who appears to be mentally retarded. He really struggles and is way behind children of his age. Often times it is like talking to a body that doesn't have any one inside it. You can see the emptiness in his eyes. He is unable to comprehend much.

I had talked to his dad about this very thing one day, and his dad commented on how he has no idea what to do for him. His fiance, my daughter has told him to get him some help, but he won't do it. Ignoring the problem is only making things worse. No one has the patience with him as he is a handful with not listening, making messes whether it be eating, handling things that can make a mess, or going to the bathroom. He gets very physical at times which scares us with the baby.

I mentioned to my son that I wish he would get the boy into see a doctor and then go from there. That's when my smart son mentioned that prayer, talking to God, having him prayed over, and for him to believe is all that it may take to help him. Of course, the healing powers of our great Father in Heaven!

That's when the idea came to me. There are many times that alter calls are made for those struggling financially, those with health issues, those with other physical problems, etc. Why not do a monthly alter call for children? There are many out there that need the prayers, especially in a group that has everyone in agreement. Can you imagine the amount of children that would be healed and how much good that would do for our nation? Prayers for mental illness to be resolved, abuse to be removed from their lives, illness to be taken from their bodies, for the Holy Spirit to reside in them, and guide them, etc.

I used to read stories about children going through these very things and now actually live it with my grand children. I read a post today about a pediatrician going to the ward where meth babies are trying to get through the days of detoxifying their bodies and waiting for their moms to get out of prison and come claim them, and how she had taken to one baby in particular. These babies sit in the nursery crying almost constantly, in pain, not wanting to eat or sleep. Can you imagine? Those poor babies definitely need to be prayed over along with the mother to get herself cleaned up for the childs sake.

But even now, we can be praying for the children of the world being neglected, abused both physically and verbally--which reminds me, despite the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones; but words shall never harm me," is way off. Words can sometimes hurt more than physical attacks--those that are in hospital care units with drug abuse born in their systems, those of disease whether chemical, bacterial, or mental. They all need us to stay in contact and be near and strong in the Lord and they need our prayers.

God Bless!

Driving

Today while driving, a piece for posting came to mind. Of course I think about this issue everytime I'm on the road, but it hit me to write about it today.

Have you heard the song, "In a Hurry" I think that's the title any how, by Alabama? Well some of the words are as follows:

"I'm in a hurry to get things done;
Oh I rush and rush until lifes no fun.
All I really gotta do is live and die;
I'm in a hurry and don't know why."

I think of this very thing when I see people rushing, darting in and out of traffic in a hurry. Or when people tailgate, often times even when they have time and room to go around you while on the freeway (very frustrating). I've been fighting my need to yell and distort my face when these people do this--especially when the children are in the car--wondering why they take chances on near accidents. I now try to pray that the Lord guides them and wakes them up to the dangers.

I often think about what I would do if someone caused an accident while I have the kids in the car. Then I remind myself that I have to set an example. I have to admit, it kind of scares me to think of my reaction should one of my grand children be injured due to neglence. I pray the Lord will give the sanity to stay as calm as possible and let Him deal with their ignorance. Being put in jail would not do the kids one bit of good--and no, I'm not a violent person--a protective mother hen, yes. :) LOL

I've had so many near misses lately. People cutting over trying to get one or two more vehicles ahead. Just yesterday where we had plenty of notice to merge to the left due to a lane being blocked for construction, a vehicle came flying up and got over just in time. Yes, I reacted and laid on the horn. He looked at me enough to say, What? Then I prayed. That's a first. I drive my son, daughter, & husband up a wall. Sometimes the grand kids will say, "Omah, you need to take a deep breath!" Awe, the innocence of babes. Gotta love it. Then I'll calm down.

What am I driving at? Those of us being confronted by people not taking the time to think about their actions and driving neglently, we need to be praying for enlightenment for them and safer roads to drive on,and do away with our road rage. Those that are driving neglegently, slow down! Give yourself time to get to where you need to be rather than rushing, taking the chance with others lives and yours. Have you ever thought about what it would do to you mentally should you take a childs life or severely injure them, what it might do to them mentally? Let's all practice more patience. Oh, but don't forget, do not pray for patience. :) Believe me, I learnt that lesson the hard way. LOL!

Besides, rushing and impatience is only going to give you heartburn, or ulcers, or trips to the doctor, or worse to the ER for a heart attack, even worse, six feet underground. The more you get upset--and yes, I know I need to think about this with getting angry with crazy drivers--the more damage you are doing to your heart. Is is worth it? No way! Enjoy life, make the best of it, slow down, enjoy the views, save a life!

The Cabal

Yesterday I learned a bit more about the Cabal. Thankfully some of our people of the church have been woken up to visions of this being broken up and desinigrating! Yeah, sure hope so. Any way, the Cabal works in many ways. We really need to be joining together tho have this beast removed from American and the world. The more we join together and pray, the less power it has.

The following is a site that explains the Cabal. It's demonic, it's evil, it's horrible. Let's let it know that we will not let it take our great country from us. We will not tolerate it rearing it's ugly head no more! We are taking America back!

One more thing; are you all aware that Barack Obama still has not produced an actual authentic birth certificate. A person can not be voted into office without one. So why is Obama being allowed to still persue the presidency when in fact he can not prove he is a native American? Speak out America! Let Congress, the Senate and the President know that we do not agree with the wrong doings in politics. It's time to stop the bueracy that takes place. We are fed up with lies and laws being broken to suit the needs of a few.

Several have shared visions that have been given to them that Obama is another Hitler and all the other dictators. Should he be voted into office, America is going to go down hill real fast. We will suffer and pay the price. Do we want to become another Iraq/Iran? Do we want to become another Weimer, Germany like it was during WWI? I myself was told that Satan lives in him. One day while watching him, I had such a chill come over me. That's when I was told who he really is and to beware.

Let's please save our country and not allow a nasty dictator to take our country from us. Pray!

Are You Spinning Plates?

Today while reading Girlfriends in God from Crosswalk.com Gwen talked about spinning plates metaphorically, not actual plate spinning. Are you one of those mom's that are multi-tasking and some times wondering where you are going to get your energy from, how you are going to get enough rest to become re-energized, keep up with your children and other responsibilities? If so, this article is for you.

The article talks of how God wants us to go to Him and rest. How Jesus took His disciples to rest. It is a very good piece that will help. It's a great reminder of how we must take our time and rest in the Lord.

TGIF Daily Devotional

Retirement or a New Assignment?

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by OS Hillman

10-29-2008

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill... (Eccl 2:21).
He didn't begin this job until he was sixty-nine years old. He had already had a successful Hollywood movie career and decided to try his hand at politics. He would be known by one job more than any other. He would also be known as one of the United State's greatest statesmen. He had a faith that was genuine but not intruding or very public, but you knew where he stood. He always treated people, even his detractors with grace. He was known for his extraordinary love he had for his wife.

His name was Ronald Reagan, and he did not begin his greatest work until he was sixty-nine years old. By this season of life, most are thinking of retirement in Florida. Ronald Reagan decided to run for President of the United States and successfully served two terms as our 40th President.

It was Reagan's faith that led him to see the Soviet Union as an "evil empire." He'll be remembered as the President who brought down communism in the Soviet Union. And it was his Christian faith that gave him the quiet confidence and self-certainty that made him a great leader and earned him the title "the great communicator."

Where did he get his spiritual values? There were a number of influences. First and foremost was his mother, Nelle Reagan. I'm confident that had Nelle Reagan died in the winter of 1918-19 - a near-victim of the devastating influenza epidemic that killed millions of healthy, middle-aged mothers around the world - Ronald Reagan very likely would not have become President. It was Nelle who insisted her boy go to church-a request he happily obliged-and it was in church that Reagan picked up not only those core beliefs and values, but also the intangibles so vital to his success: his confidence, his eternal optimism (which he called a "God-given optimism"), and even his ability to speak. Indeed, history has also overlooked the fact that the Great Communicator found his first audiences in a church. He learned to speak in a church.*

Consider this: Your greatest work may yet be ahead of you. Don't let age keep you from being used by God.

Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this email in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.
The above piece has not been altered in any way. It is shown in it’s entirety.

Reference

Hillman, O.S. 29 October, 2008. Prime Time with God: TGIF Daily Devotional’s. Today

God is First. V 2.

http://msg1svc.net/servlet/Pv?c=703d63676926733d3738313236266d3d3132392

6743d4826723d4e2664613d30

Good Lesson

Yesterday I had recieved an e-mail stating that Home Depot was not going to use the word Christmas. I had a feeling this may be wrong and was taken out of context. It apparently had to do with the last add not having the word Christmas anywhere like some adds did, and used the word holiday instead.

I wrote to customer service to see if it was true, as I do not like seeing good companies having the businesses hurt from lies. It turns out that the group sending the e-mail talked with Home Depot and was set straight. This is not the case. Home Depot is not shutting out Christmas, but they are using the word holiday to reach those that do not relate to Christmas. I think this is admirable in the fact that they are respecting all people involved.

Now if only our government would do the same. Instead of removing God from so many things, removing prayer from schools, along with the Pledge of Allegeance, there are ways to honor all peoples beliefs. We need to quit taking away what America was for a few and work with everyone.

Any way, the moral of the story is: if you are not sure if what you have been told, or what you read, check the story out first before letting it go further. This can save a lot of heartache for many. Spreading and sharing things that aren't not backed with facts can do a lot of harm and possibly come back to you.

Losing the Young

I just finished reading a post from a fellow blogger. The person wrote of losing a fellow collegue and friend of age 23. The person was hit and killed while riding a bike.

It's times like this when you look for the right words to say. Losing anyone is hard no matter what, but for some reason it seems harder when the person is young or a child. I've seen many lost at such young ages. Recently lost a sister-in-law at age 50. The hardest of all was a 16 year old girl that was so full of life and promise. Another was a very dear friend losing her first child to SIDS. The baby wasn't that old. Losing the baby really took it's toll on mom. Another was the loss of a friend in her 30's. Her husband found her. They were such a great couple. One other was losing a sister that would have been close in age to me. She was born 2 years after I was. I never got to meet her. She died just hours after being born on Feb. 14 1962. Her name is Kimberly. What helps me with this is knowing that someday I will finally meet my sister!

It hits hard in the pit of the stomach when you hear of such things. You ask all kinds of questions. The hardest for me is knowing what to say. You want to be strong and supportive, while the whole time your heart is breaking for them. What really helps me, especially with kids is the thought that God must have some really special need for that child. Granted, He already has our times picked out, but it just feels comforting to think that thought. But that still doesn't take away the pain of loss from the family members and friends.

The best thing is prayer. There is nothing more powerful than prayer. One piece of advice I'll never forget is that when a person loses a loved one, many are there for support the first couple of weeks, and then the emptiness hits. The time people need support the most is when the calls and visits stop coming. That time after is when the person(s) is really going to feel the loss of their loved one. I keep reminding my husband to stay in touch with his brother, as now is when he needs people more than ever. Those first two weeks, they are feeling the pain, but there seems to be plenty of people to keep you occupied so you don't dwell on it. But think about it, after that, it hits home. The shock wears off, the door bell and the phone quits constantly ringing...

It's Not About You!

Today's daily devotional with Chuck Swindol does a great piece on It's not about us; which so many either forget this, or expect it to be all about us. Read Corinthians 12:2-10.

This devotional is a great reminder for all of us. It is too easy in our busy lives to forget sometimes. I'll admit there are times when I'll think, "What about me? When do I get to rest and relax and have fun?" How selfish is that. Imagine Jesus thinking that way. Yikes! That's a scary thought.

Daily Devotional: Don't Worry

Are you a worrier? Is there something(s) in your life that is troubling you? Often times in our lives we find things that trouble us and we carry it with us. I know I have a bad habit of that; especially when it comes to children. With the grand kids, I find myself constantly worrying over some things that are going on in their lives and the treatment they recieve. But then I constantly remind myself of a recent pod cast I had heard from Dr. Charles Stanley saying, "Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry." I can't count the times anymore when I am constantly reminded of that very thing.

Partly hearing this repeated is due to listening and writing what I hear so that I can go back and referr to different areas of the message. There are times when the cast would skip ahead and I'd have to go back and would hear the "don't worry" part over and over. At first I was irritated, then realized that God was probably trying to tell me something. That particular pod cast was the worst one I've had problems with. Now I know why! :)

Anyway, on today's Crosswalk.com; Greg Lauries Daily Devotions has a great pieced called, "God's Answer to Worry." Definitely worth the read. Have a great day!

Joke of the Day

Check out the joke of the day here from Beliefnet. It is perfect with all the political goings on. The joke is about a pastor hearing a first cofession at a new church. He is being honored for 25 years there and a politician is to give a speach. The politician gets stuck in traffic is late and...
Well you will have to go to the site to read it all. It is a gem!

Beautiful Vision

I just had one of the most beautiful visions. I thought I would share this one. Hubby, son, and myself were sitting here listening to Third Day (I'm terrible with song titles) some of the words were: "I will lift my voice up to worship you my king." Any way, I was sitting in my chair with arms stretched up, singing with my eyes closed and this vision came to me.

Sitting in a sandy area with a small pit fire burning, there stood Jesus talking to us. I thought "yes Jesus, talk to us, give us direction, guide us." It was so real. Then the song came to me, "I Can Only Imagine," It is one of my many favorites. I could spend my whole day worshipping and talking to God. Well, basically do the talking all day, with half the day worshipping or listening.

Speaking of which. It is amazing how Christian music can take and turn an ugly, moody moment the kids are experiencing and turn it into a beautiful day. When the grand kids are down and out and just augh, we will turn on Christian music and they will calm down, start singing and dancing and then they are a blast! God is good! In fact, God is Good all the Time is their favorite. I turn that on and all you hear is giggles, singing, and running around the living room and spinning and dancing. I absolutely love watching them come to life with the worshipping of God. When I do play that one, it's play it again, play it again, play it again. Yup, 3-4 times. Here I am to Worship is another that they want to hear over and over again.

Oh the innosance of babes. Isn't it great! Could not imagine life without children. They are the joys of our lives even there are times you wonder how in the world you are going to get through the day.

"God is Good;
All the time;
He put a song of praise in this heart of mine
God is Good;
All the time;
Through the darkest hours, His light will shine;
God is Good;
God is Good;
All the time.
When your walking; through the valley; there are shadows all around.
Do not fear, He will guide you; He will keep you safe and sound.
For His love; Is never ending; and His mercy, it will never end."

Those words hold a lot. I'm sure the kids pick up on those words too and think about it. I know there are many different versions of the song, but this particular one is our favorite thus far, as the beat and tune is so catchy.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Just wanted to share which brought up other thoughts. Have a wonderful blessed week all!

24 Coming Soon!

We can't wait to have this back. Watch the preview then be ready for a 2 hour sneak preview November 23rd

If Jesus Complained

This all came about after dropping my daughter and her children off. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and it's getting worse. It particularly affects my hands, arms and knees. I take care of 2 of the grand children full time--a 4 year old and 4 mo. old, and 1-2 of the others after school and on the weekends--a 6 year old and 7 year old.

You see, I have come to realize that one of my callings is to do for others, help as much as possible and lessen the burden on family members as much as possible. Well, lately I've been taking the kids longer, and have been go, go, go with them. The reason being is one of them is very depressed. We've been really worried about her. She is living in an abusive situation, which is having an affect on her little sister too. Their family life is not very good. Paccah (there grandpa) & I have been praying for guidance on how to deal with the situation. Our main concern is the little ones as they can not do anything about it.

Well today, I had 4 of the 5 grand kids today. Thankfully, Paccah took care of the baby, so Omah could be outside with the others. They rode bikes and Omah was there to pick up the youngest often as she kept getting knocked off her bike. Then we carved pumpkins. OMG, Omah is sore. :(, That is a lot of carving, especially with the big ones, let me tell you when your hands don't want to work and your arms are already hurting, but it was worth it to see their joy and exitement as they pulled out the innards and then saw the finished product after Omah finished the carving.

Then our daughter wanted to go get groceries and said she would take a couple of the kids with her. But, none of them wanted to go, so we were going to have all 5 kids. Okay, no biggie until Paccah says he won't be here. But oh well. So I fixed dinner, and of course they all wanted something different, which Omah usually doesn't do, but was not prepard for a bunch to feed, so it was okay. Then mom decides she had better wait to go shopping as she could tell the kids were a handful. After dropping them all off, I could feel every muscle in my body screaming at me. I started to whine to myself, then it hit me.

I love the Lord and His sense of humor, but still gets through to us. This is what He said to me:
Have you ever thought about what it would be like if Jesus whined and felt sorry for Himself? Think about it. I would get to the point where I would throw my hands up in the air and say, "That's it! I've had it with the whole lot of you! I'm finished; I can't take all of you whining all the time." I felt silly then and told Him I was sorry and would share this on my blog, as I could tell it was a message He wanted others to hear as well. We have chuckled over my stubborness often. Thank heavens He has a sense of humor and is so forgiving. He has told me that yes I am a stubborn one, and sometimes He wonders about me, but He still loves me! :) This happens when I tell Him that He must get really frustrated with me sometimes when I get stubborn and try to do it on my own. But He gets my attention real fast and reminds me. I can't imagine life without our Father in it. God is Good!

So when you feel like life is getting too strenous and you feel like whining, ask yourself, What if Jesus complained? Then remind yoursel of all the good He has done and the suffering He went through for us and not once did he whine! We all go through our seasons. Sometimes God puts us in tough situations to bring us closer to Him. He has a reason for everything. God Bless!

The Story of Jack

While reading a sister of the churches blog, I came across this story of Jack. It is very powerful. I will warn you, it is a heart warming story, so if you are a feeling person, have a hanky ready; you'll need it. You can read the story here.

Grace vs. Work

When reading this article, I just had to share it. It comes from Insights with Bill Bright. The article says so much. The permission to use this is listed at the end of the article. This is something to really think about and to show others that have not come to Christ. God Bless!

TODAY'S INSIGHT Grace vs. Works
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people (Titus 2:11, NLT).
Dear friends: In 1990 I spoke on Red Square in Moscow to tens of thousands of people on their Easter day. I gave the invitation to receive Christ and about 95 per cent of them then raised their hands indicating that they had invited Jesus into their lives. My message was broadcast live to an estimated 160 million.
Later that day in Moscow I met an intense, chain-smoking man who was very much an entrepreneur and whose cosmonaut friend had received Christ during my invitation while watching on national television. I asked him where he was on his spiritual journey -- if he was ready to make the same decision his friend had made earlier. He cut me off very short, blurting, "Look, I'm a busy man, I don't have time for religion. I work day and night to make money. My responsibilities are great and I'm just too busy to get involved in religion." He made it very clear that he was satisfied with his life.
As a matter of fact, he said, "My ticket to Heaven is the fact that I am publishing millions of pieces of literature, including Bibles and all kinds of materials like the Four Spiritual Laws." I was suddenly gripped with the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9. I asked him to read the verses aloud, which he did: "For by grace you are saved by faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." As he read, "Not of works, lest any man should boast," his face lit up, and he said, "Not of works, lest any man should boast. That's what I'm doing -- I'm boasting about what I'm doing." It was obvious that the Holy Spirit had touched his mind and heart. I said,
"Would you like to pray that prayer right now and receive Christ?" And he said, "Yes, I would." We bowed and prayed, and at the conclusion of our prayer, in which he received Christ, he embraced me and then he embraced me again, and he kept turning back to Ephesians 2:8-9, saying "Not by works, lest any man should boast." He would laugh, and he would read it again, and laugh, as he realized what a great discovery he had made.
He had made an incredible discovery -- for by grace are you saved through faith. Before I left, he must have given me ten hugs because he was so excited. It was the joy of the Lord, of a man set free.
Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright.
Copyright (c) 2003, Bill Bright. All rights reserved. However, readers may copy and distribute this message as desired, without restrictions in number, as long as the content is not altered.

How Will You Vote

"When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan." (Proverbs 29:2)

At this link in Live it! an article on "How Will You Vote" by Kay Arthur is well written. I highly suggest reading it. It explains the verse above along with:

Proverbs 28:2 "By the transgression of a land many are its princes, but by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures."

There are other verses as well. These two set the stage for the article. Kay Arthur is a wise Pastor of Precept Ministries. She has done plenty of travels and research.

Max Lucado's Wkly. Devotional: Martha

In today's Upwords with Max Lucado he talks of Martha and her importance and learning, and how every church needs Martha. The following is just the first paragraph of what he wrote. The in his story goes on to explain what he means. We women need to stop and think and remember this. It's a great reminder and learning piece. You can go here to read the full article. This comes from weekly e-mail devotionals. If the link does not work for you. Got to this click on the search button, type in Martha, then click on the weekly devotional and it will say about Martha which will take you to it.

If Humans Were This Adaptable!

Isn't this just the sweetest. A mom and her pups take in a baby squirrel. They act as though the squirrel is just another one of them. The squirrel appears to just be thankful for having someone to take care of it. Unfortunately I had not finished this post when I had received it, so do not know who had sent this, but it was received through an e-mail. Had to share it. Goes to show how smart animals are when it comes to kindness and accepting no matter who or what you are. Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from this.

Golfisms

This is for all you golfers out there. Could resist putting out a few laughs. ;)


ONLY A TRUE GOLFER WILL UNDERSTAND THIS:
Don't buy a putter until you've had a chance to throw it.
Never try to keep more than 30 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.
When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit onemore club or two more balls.
If you're afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead of you is still putting out, you have two options: you can immediately shank a lay-up or you can wait until the green is clear andtop a ball halfway there.
The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about the golf swing.
No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.
The inevitable result of any golf lesson is the instant elimination of the one critical unconscious motion that allowed you to compensate for all of your many other errors.
Everyone replaces his divot after a perfect approach shot.
A golf match is a test of your skill against your opponents' luck.
It is surprisingly easy to hole a fifty foot putt .. for a 10.
Counting on your opponent to inform you when he breaks a rule is like expecting him to make fun of his own haircut.
Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts.
It's not a gimme if you're still away.
The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree.
You can hit a two acre fairway 10% of the time and a two inch branch 90% of the time.
If you really want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.
Since bad shots come in groups of three, a fourth bad shot is actually the beginning of the next group of three.
When you look up, causing an awful shot, you will always look down again at exactly the moment when you ought to start watching the ball if you ever want to see it again.
Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe.
If you want to hit a 7 iron as far as Tiger Woods does, simply try to lay up just short of a water hazard.
To calculate the speed of a player's downswing, multiply the speed of his back-swing by his handicap; i. e., back-swing 20 mph, handicap 15, downswing = 300 mph.
There are two things you can learn by stopping your back-swing at the top and checking the position of your hands: how many hands you have, and which one is wearing the glove.
Hazards attract; fairways repel.
A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is not yours.
If there is a ball on the fringe and a ball in the bunker, your ball is in the bunker. If both balls are in the bunker, yours is in the footprint.
It's easier to get up at 6:00 AM to play golf than at 10:00 to mow the yard.
A good drive on the 18th hole has stopped many a golfer from giving up the game.
Golf is the perfect thing to do on Sunday because you always end up having to pray a lot.
A good golf partner is one who's always slightly worse than you are....that's why I get so many calls to play with friends.
If there's a storm rolling in, you'll l be having the game of your life.
Golf balls are like eggs. They're white. They're sold by the dozen. And you need to buy fresh ones each week.
It's amazing how a golfer who never helps out around the house will replace his divots, repair his ball marks, and rake his sand traps.
If your opponent has trouble remembering whether he shot a six or a seven, put down an eight (or worse).
It takes longer to learn to be a good golfer than it does to become a brain surgeon.
On the other hand, you don't get to ride around on a cart, drink beer, eat hot dogs and fart if you are performing Brain Surgery

Prayer and Meaning

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

I asked God for water, He gave me an ocean.

I asked God for a flower, He gave me garden.

I asked God for a friend, He gave me all of YOU...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.

Quiet moments, worship God Painful moments, trust God.

Every moment, thank God.

The Empty Chair

I've always loved this one and came across it once again. Very special event.

The Empty Chair

A woman's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her mother. When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed with her head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside her bed.

The minister assumed that the woman had been informed of his visit. "'I guess you were expecting me," he said. "No, who are you'" said the mother. The minister told her his name and then remarked, "I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up."

"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden woman. "Would you mind closing the door?"

Puzzled, the minister shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the woman. 'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.

"I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the woman continued, "until one day four years ago; my best friend said to me, 'Betty, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'.

Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now."

"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the woman to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil, and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mother had died that afternoon.

"Did she die in peace?" he asked. "Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, she called me over to her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her. But there was something strange about her death. Apparently, just before Mother died, She leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."

Removal from Politics

I have decided to remove all political postings of my comments. I've realized that what I was doing was not a very Christian thing to do. I believe we all need to pray that the right person is voted into office and listen for the direction we are to follow.
I pray the right people for office are elected. I pray for righteous leaders to be placed in the seats being voted on.

The Mom Test

The Mom Test...
I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something offthe ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from herand I asked her not to do that. “Why?” my daughter asked. “Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it'sdirty, and probably has germs” I replied. At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, “Momma, how do you know all this stuff, you are so smart.”
I was thinking quickly. “All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mom Test. Youhave to know it, or they don't let you be a Mom.” We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidentlypondering this new information. “OH...I get it!” she beamed, “So if youdon't pass the test you have to be the dad.” “Exactly” I replied back with a big smile on my face. When you're finished laughing, share this with another Mom. J

Teeny Tiny Deer

Photo #1: This tiny deer was delivered by Caesarean section at a wildlife hospital after his mother
was killed by a car. Little Rupert, who is so small he can fit in an adult's hand, was born
after vets failed in their battle to save his mother.

Photo #2: At just six inches tall and weighing just over a pound, he is now in an incubator
in the intensive care unit at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire.
He has only recently opened his eyes.
Les Stocker, founder of Tiggywinkles, said: 'Rupert's mother had very severe injuries.
We brought him out and got him breathing and then he went into an incubator on oxygen.
He is now being fed by a tube.'

Photo # 3: Tucked up: Rupert in an incubator

Photo # 4: Rupert pulls a striking pose for the camera
Staff are optimistic Rupert, now five days old, will make a full recovery.
'Deer are very, very tricky but this one has spirit. He's an extremely feisty
little guy and quite pushy,' Mr Stocker said.

Photo # 5: Asleep: Rupert takes 40 winks

I recieved this in an e-mail and just had to share it. Go little Rupert! We are praying for you little one. The miracle's of life! God is Good!!!

Special Song

Today, just after leaving group and a prayer meet; I was sitting in the car and heard the song, "What I'm Fighting For," by Steven Curtis Chapman. The following is what came to me while listening to the song.

People, think about who you are voting for. Our troops are fighting for us, for freedom of the people in the East. They believe in what they are fighting for. Don't walk out on them. Pray for them. Do the righteous thing, pray about who to vote into office and the Presidency. Vote for righteous people. Show our troops we support them!

The words to the song are very effective, holding great meaning. If you have not heard it or never really listened to the words; I highly recommend that you do.

Today's Prayer

The following prayer comes from Prime Time With God. It is an excellant prayer for all.

Dear God, Today I feel led to pray for Christians to stand up for their beliefs when confronted with moral issues. I pray that we will know when, where, and what to say and do to let our voices be heard. I pray that we will be involved in our communities, schools, governments as possible. I
pray that we will have the courage and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to do what is right, what is biblical, and what honors you. Thank you for the guidelines you have given us through the Holy Bible. Thank you for the leaders you have provided to inspire, teach, and guide us. Thank you for all of your provisions and blessings. With love and appreciation I come to you, Father. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Laughter

I'm sure you have all heard the saying, "Laughter is the best medicine." Well I found a quote about laughter while reading a book tonight and want to share it with you all.

Laugh! It’s an Energizing Exercise!

“As with aerobic exercise, laughter temporarily accelerates the heart rate,
increases blood pressure and breathing, enlarges circulation and enhances the flow of oxygen in and out of the body. A hearty belly laugh also exercises the upper torso, lungs, heart, shoulders, arms, abdomen, diaphragm and legs. Laughing 100 to 200 times a day is equivalent to ten minutes of rowing or jogging.
…Belly laughter is the most therapeutic form of laughter, and that
is the reason I recommend ten belly laughs a day to all of my patients. Ten
belly laughs are roughly equivalent to thirty minutes of aerobic
exercise.”
Don Colbert, M.D.

My grandmother had told me that someone who can make you have a good belly laugh was a special person. I always wondered just what she meant by that, and would tell people that could really get me to let loose and have a good belly laugh was special, as to me they were. Now I realize that they are special indeed, as they are adding years to our lives. J Just think, someone gets you to have a good hearty laugh, you are burning calories. Burning calories is good for the heart, lungs, oxygen level etc.

So the next time you feel like laughing, let it out, and look for more laughter in your life. Above all, try to bring laughter into other people’s life as well. The more we laugh, the better we feel. Happy laughing all!

Reference
Bevere, L. 2008. Nurture. Workbook p 53. Messenger International, Inc.

Children

I love children and their ability to be little sponges when it comes to learning. Yet there are times when it can take a lot of persuasion to get them to take time out of their busy play time to learn new things. Everyone seems to have different, very interesting ideas as to how to draw children to the table to work on education. Would love for this blog to be the discussion table for great ideas to share.

One way I catch my grand daughters attention is by speaking in German when I know the words. They will instantly stop what they are doing, look at me and either say, "What?" or "What did you say Omah?" or "Omah, that's not right!" I get a chuckle out of it everytime. So I explain that I gave them two language versions, one in English, the other in German; oh, and I occasionally throw in Spanish, which I know very little of.

The great part of it is they will then ask what I said and either shake their heads and say, "I can't say that. I try to encourage them to try to say it. I'll give them the meaning when I don't use the English version with the German and/or Spanish. I think it's good for kids to experience different languages and life styles of others. I know our kids sure appreciate the fact that they were able to experience other countries. We too are thankful for that.

Right now it is hard to work with the 4 year old, as I have her 4 mo. old brother to care for as well, who is apparently teething and is very demanding of constant attention, although he is getting better. This is mostly due to mommy holding him most the time that she is with him. Aughhh! :) But when we do get the time, she is starting to give in to the learning process. Yesterday, I had a hard time getting her to quit! That was exciting. We kept going as long as she had the desire. The more she learned, the more excited she became.

I'm even doing flash cards with the baby. So far I only have numbers and letters. I plan on making some from material so that he can also use the touch method of different textures. This will mainly be done with shapes and colors. I figure they are never too young to start learning. There are some great work books out there for the children to use. I have some for each category. We also have fun doing arts and crafts. Sometimes it is hard to hold their attention through it though. When they finish a project it is so neat to see their excitement!

Kids are sponges. They love to learn. They love to be challenged, some more than others. Never hold them back from those opportunities. Get them away from the T.V. and video games. Get them up to the table or sitting in chairs or on couches or what ever and learn with you. Take them on excursions to learn about the great outdoors, or museums. They'll love you for it, and you will be grateful when you see the results. I'm kicking myself for not having kept up with my oldest grand daughter. We started out great, but then fell backwards with all the learning processes. Now she is struggling a little in school. Don't let this happen to you.

By all means, please share your thoughts and ideas. I know there are many talented people out there that have a love for children as well, and have great teaching abilities. Thanks and have a wonderful week!

1-1-1

Correction: My mistake. This article has been posted for a full day and I just now realized I had placed the wrong pod cast. It should read Focus on the Family instead of Charles Stanley. Sorry! I've been listening to both pod casts often and get the two mixed up.

Today while listening to Charles Stanleys pod cast titled "If God Lived in my House," by Lee Strobel. Wow! What a powerful message he has. I've only gotten through part one and can't wait to listen to part two.

Any way, I wanted to share a part of the message that sounds like a great idea! Lee talked about a special function to do in the church. It is called, 1-1-1. This is what you do; The Pastor asks everyone to come to agreement to chose one person in their life that is heading for a Christ-less eternity. Each person of the church will pray for that person everday at one o'clock for one minute until Christmas. Then each person is to invite that person that they prayed for to service in hopes they will come to Christ.

What Lee had done at Willow Creek Church was handed out business type cards that could fit in their wallets as reminders with just 1-1-1 on them and a line for them to write the name of the person on it that they were praying for. Of course this was not for showing to the person you were praying for. I would imagine it was to be kept personal no matter what.

Lee did say that one lady had taken her card to the person she was praying for and said, "Look, I'm praying for one person, that's you for one minute a day at one o'clock, so that you may come to Christ and enjoy it as much as I." (this isn't the exact words). The woman just laughed and said okay. Two weeks later while the woman being prayed for was taking a shower getting ready for work; she was hit by the Holy Spirit. She dropped to her knees and started praying right there in her shower and received Christ.

A funny comment was made by some people of his congregation that there was a conversion and a Baptism at one time! Hee hee. But think about how awesome that would be. Think of the many people that could be saved by performing one simple act. Lee also stated that someone asked if they could pray for 2 people at two o'clock instead. Lee said, "No!" This had to be done the same way with everyone. After all that is how when all comes into agreement that it works. Something to consider and perhaps mention to your Pastors as well.

Have a beautiful day, and God Bless!

Revelation

I have to post this, as the Lord is speaking to me strong and loud right now. He told me to get the word out as He feels some are faltering worrying over the election.

People, we have to remember that God is always there through thick and thin. Sometimes bad times come to wake others up. If the election turns sour, remember that events can be turned around. If the President elect causes trouble and the nation cries out; this is when we as Christians have to be strong and take a stand. If we balk and say, I can't believe this and dwell on the negative, we are only giving into the enemy. We can't let that happen. We all know the enemy is hard at work right now. But the Alpha Omega is much stronger and He shall overcome!

I'm believing that with all the prayers going out throughtout the nation that change is coming and the right President is elected. But if not; it's not the end per se'. Of course none of us knows for sure when that is to happen; but what I'm saying is; we can not give up. This is a time when we have to be stronger. Maybe it is in the plan.

Think of it this way. Should the wrong person be elected into the Presidency, times will get worse. The nation will cry out. This is when people will be more willing to listen and think of the many we can save if that time should come. Let's pray it doesn't; but instead pray that many more are saved because the right man was chosen. This is the word I was given though, to be stronger than ever, never give up hope, wrong choices can be turned around, we can overcome.

Bare with me here, as so many scriptures are coming to me that deals with the election and strength of which I am going to share with you.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NKJV)
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.
From the (NIV)
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

James 1:5-6 (NKJV)
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
From the (NIV)
If any of you lacks widsom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea.

Job 12:22-25 (NKJV)
He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings the shadow of death to light.
He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.
He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and makes them wander in a pathless wildnerness.
They grope in the dark without light, and He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
From the (NIV)
He reveals the deep things of the darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.
He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and disperses them.
He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he sends them wandering through a trackless waste.
They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards.

Luke 1:79 (NKJV)
...to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
From the (NIV)
...to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.

Romans 12: 21 (NKJV) & (NIV)
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
From the (NIV)
...for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Matthew 6:10 (NKJV) & (NIV)
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.

That was the message. Hope it makes sense. I tried to write it out as close to the exact words as I was recieving the message. I love those enlightening moments when He speaks to us. Sometimes it may not be what we want to hear, but "Father really does know best."

Book Ratings

I found another interesting blog who was one of the Blog of the day sites. Alice has listed the Finalists for the National Book Awards. She also has a link on her page to visit the book site. Very interesting. Let me know what you think of the books selected and whether or not you think the covers and titles are a bit on the dark depressing side.

Our nation is in turmoil and we really need to be coming together to turn that around. Maybe this is a kick off of how many are feeling these days. The sad thing is; we forget to look on the bright side. We can either let the bad times drag us down, or we can look for any hint of positive and work off of it. In dark times why not write and publish something light. Lift spirits instead of bringing them down. After all, the enemy wants us in that dark moment. So lets say no and put some light back into the dark. After all, isn't that what is wanted for us?

So have a great weekend all and put a smile on and look for the good in life instead of dwelling on the negative. Much happiness to each of you.

Cool Site

While checking out the blogs of note blog of the day, I came across this site
For those who like high speed photography, architecture, are the ones that caught my interest, and I plan on going back to check out others. There is a list of things to look at. Very interesting blog and well worth the visit. Highly suggest checking it out.

Judging

Today's small group opened up some doors for me today. It was a powerful meeting with many words of wisdom and of testimony. Then the prayer meet afterwards was awesome. The presence of the Lord was so strong.

When we are going through a dark period in our lives, we need to stop and remember that God is there. He doesn't leave us. We need to hold on to that and not give up.

For those of us that grow up with a lot of ugliness in our child hood, do not hold grudges, do not judge, as we don' t know what the whole story is. Instead of blame, learn from their mistakes. We are to honor our father and mother. We are to love our brothers and sisters.

When we feel like giving up, ask the Lord for help. Remember, taking our own lives when we are in our right frame of mind will keep us from seeing our Great Father.

Grandparents, if we see our grand children acting out, do not label them as bad children--this goes for teachers etc. as well--as you do not know their home situation. The home environment may be full of sin. These are the people that need us more than ever. They need kind, caring heats so that they have someone in life to talk to and learn from.

Last but not least, "do not judge one another." When someone stops going to church due to others judging them, making comments about something they had done years ago is sad. We don't know their lives. Our words can hurt. Granted we are suppose to let what others think flow off of us, but we all know how hard that can be.

A wise person told me, "If you don't haven any thing nice to say, then don't say it at all. Very simple. Think of how great that would be if we all started working together, how great and strong we would become! There is more power in numbers. Let's come together and become one voice.

Self Discipline

Rick Warren has another great piece on Purpose Driven Life about self discipline. This is the verse he has at the beginning:

How to Develop Self-Discipline
by Rick Warren

God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love
and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NCV).

The article is very good and helpful. You can go to the site by clicking on the link on the left side where I have my favorite sites listed. Have a great day!

Arthritis

Due to having rheumatoid arthritis, I decided to answer a question that was posed to me, but was not sure if it was spam or not, so denied the comment. I apologize if you were somebody seriously looking for an answer. I know your pain and will tell you what I’ve learned.

I do not take any prescribed medication thus far, but will when the pain gets bad enough. I’ve learned not to baby it. Exercise the areas to the best of your ability. Stay fit mentally and physically. Eat healthy. Avoid a lot of salt, as this will cause more discomfort. Of course weather changes do affect it, and there is nothing we can do about that.

I highly recommend going to web sites such as the Mayo Clinic and Web MD and learn about which ever arthritis you have and you will see what you can do for treatment. Believe it or not, I take Tylenol arthritis when I get bad flare ups. I recently had arthroscopic knee surgery due to arthritis, so it’s not a mild case of it. My left hand gets really swollen and there are times when it is very difficult to use my hands, but I keep working it and it really does help. The worst thing you can do is to avoid using body parts that hurt from it.

Hope this helps with anyone just finding out or struggling with arthritis. If it is real bad, see a good Rheumatologist. It will pay off.

Golf

For those who golf will appreciat the following joke. I had to share it. The joke came from Pastor Tim at this link The joke goes like this:

*Lost Ball*

My job as a land surveyor took me to a golf course that was expanding from 9 holes to 18 holes.

Using a machete to clear thick brush in an area I was mapping, I came upon a golf club that an irate player must have tossed away. It was in good condition, so I picked it up and continued on.

When I broke out of the brush onto a putting green, two golfers stared at me in awe. I had a machete in one hand, a golf club in the other, and behind me was a clear-cut swath leading out of the woods.

"There," said one of the golfers, "is a guy who hates to lose his ball!"

Words of Wisdom

During this election year let's be reminded of these wise words:

* You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

* You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

* You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

* You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

* You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

* You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.

* You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could, and should, do for themselves.

Do you recognize the author?

Abraham Lincoln...... Very wise words written years ago, and we still don't get it.

Prayer Schedule

Ken Wilde has posted the prayer schedule on the following site This is the prayer schedule for the individual states with 3 states per day. One at 6 am, then noon, then 6 pm. The site has links to each state for the seats and the nominees running for election this year. I hope you all will follow this as we really need to be praying for this years election.

You can also go to and listen to any of Pastor Ken's sermons. The last one talks about the election process and how he came up with the 21 day prayer schedule. It is very interesting.

While driving to pick my daughter up from work today, I saw church signs with the talk of Daniels Fast. This makes one aware of how God is working and talking to many, trying to warn us. We need to take heed and listen to His messages to us. On iwantrealchange.com Pastor Ken has a piece on David's Fast. I for one plan on following it. I've needed to get in shape, healthy and eat better anyhow. What better way and time to make it happen; while at the same time coming closer to the Lord and learning to become more faithful.

Today's Prayer

Have you ever had those days where nothing seems to be going right. Or you are down and just can't get out of it. Well today's prayer found at the following link covers your down day. It's a calming prayer that will help you get through your moment, day or what ever the case may be. Remember, He is always with us through thick and thin.

Today's prayer that comes from:

Dear God, Thank you for this day. Sometimes my world just seems dark; problems abound, stress creeps in, I can't seem to see "the light at the end of the tunnel." But I know you are there to carry me through. Your Word tells me (Psalm 30:5) that "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning," so I have hope and your promise of joy. Please continue to lift me up, give me strength, and carry me when necessary, so that I may emerge victorious over the darkness and continually be filled with joy and praise. Thank You in Jesus' name, amen.

Encouragement Today

Today's Encouragement Today has a great article on the Fruits of the Spirit. It is different from the last one I had posted. It is a good read that we can all use. We can all use some encouragement and reminders in our lives. Have a great Blessed God week!

Bio Part II

To start off, in case you can't tell, I love playing with the colors and fonts. If this is annoying, please let me know. Now a bit more about who I am.

In November 1978, I left for the United States Air Force. I had signed up to become a fire fire fighter. When signing on, I told the recruiter that I wanted to be doing something where I could be outdoors and helping people. My options were security police or firefighter. They let me watch some videos. One was working with the dogs. But unfortunately this was not open to women just yet. That was my first choice. But the good Lord had other ideas in mind for me. I chose firefighting as my next selection and was very excited about it.

I went to Lackland AFB, TX. for Basic Training. Whew, was that ever an eye opener. The first night there, I cried myself to sleep along with several others. But it turned out to be one of the most important experiences in my life. Personally, I think everyone should have to go through Basic Training. It's great! You learn respect, which is something many of us needs. But beyond that, you learn to take pride in your country. Something that seems to be lacking a lot these days.

I'll admit, the first week I didn't think I was going to make it. Being a farm girl, I figured hey, I can handle this stuff. Well the one thing I was lacking was not being athletic. I wanted to be, but stunk at it all. :( I gave it my all, but never succeeded. Gymnastics was a big dream along with figure skating. Once we moved from the lake, I had no more places to practice which was a big let down. But any way, we had to work hard at the physical aspects. It got easy after a while though. Actually enjoyed getting up at 5 am and going out to do stretching and what not, then running the mile and a half. I never felt better!

I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas there at good ole Lackland. That was very hard, as this was the first time ever being away from home for the holidays. Christmas we spent waxing our barracks floor. Believe it or not, we had a blast! Some of us took turns running the thing, while others went for rides on the buffer. We had some great women that new how to turn difficult times into great times. We also were allowed passes for the base for two days and on in San Antonio. That was a trip in itself. We spent a day at the roller rink one of those days. Great memories that will never be forgotten.

From Lackland, I went to Chanute AFB, IL. (Air Force Base) to tech. school where I recieved my fire fighter training. What an experience this was. See I was one of the first group of women to join the fire department. So of course, the instructors were only all too willing to prove we could not handle the job and were tough on us. But that was good. Those of us that really wanted to be there were out to prove we could do it. It made us all that more willing to try. Was it pride, no! We wanted to do the job as we knew we could handle it and didn't appreciate the biases that were being handed out. Most of us worked hard, and earned some respect. It was a tough gruling experience at times, but very worth while and an experience I'll never forget.

One of those experiences was going on a mock crash. My room mate and I went into the mock plane and when we came out, the guys on the trucks doused us with foam. We couldn't see a thing. Thankfully we kept our cool and stopped until we could see. We were commended for not freaking out, as we couldn't have walked ourselves into a hot spot, or fallen and gotten fuel up our suits and down our boots which could have been deadly. At first we were peturbed, then laughed about it.

Another experience was going to our first mock fire. We had to make sure our air tanks were working before leaving to go to the training sight. The down fall is we didn't end up with our own tanks. I ended up with one not properly checked. I had an empty tank. I got reemed for it, and just dealt with it. I was given a full tank and went off to the fire. When getting inside the building, my mask fogged up and I could barely see, so I grabbed my room mates arm and followed her. We put the fire out and then someone shut my tank off on me. At first I panicked then remembered the safety features and all came out well. Were we being tested? Oh yeah, but you know, I'm glad they did, as that is what saves lives, being prepared!

So from there I get orders to Scott AFB, IL. which was a MAC base. Their main mission was C-9's which was medical flights. MAC stood for Military Air Command. Talk about having to prove oneself and earn respect and being put to the test. Wow! I had no idea what I was getting into. We had several civilians at our base. Some were older and were very set in their ways. They did not want women in their fire station and were determined to see us fail. Well for someone that came from a family that had a dad that always wanted a son, we learned to be stubborn and for someone to tell us girls we couldn't do something because we were female lit a fire under us.

The main argument; and this one came mostly from my supervisor, who was a civilian and fairly young was; "can you lift a 300 lb man and carry him out of a burning building or air craft?" I replied, "no; can you?" They would tell me that was besides the point. The point was women could not do it. I would then ask them what the difference was. If they couldn't do it, why should we be expected to? Their comments were always the same, "That's not the point, the point is you can not do it." I would counteract with, "It doesn't make any difference. If a man can not do it, a woman should not be expected to either. Besides, if there was a 300 lb. man that needed saving, I sure as heck would find some way to get him out." Well that never satisfied them.

Another major obstacle was the wives. Now I can understand where they were coming from, but they could have given us a chance at least. We were labled sluts that were there for one thing, and one thing only. Of course this gave us all the more determination to prove we could do the job. It made me angry, as I had one intention, and one intention only. That was to become the best firefighter I could possibly be. I spent many hours of down time--we worked 24 on, 24 off-- studying and learning the trucks and firefighting techniques. I would also spend down time working on keeping my truck clean.

We did sleep in open bunkrooms. There was no seperate rooms for women. This is part of what created animosity with the wives. Well, we never did undress in front of one another, we had to sleep with some clothes on as we never did know when we would be called out on a run, and everyone respected one anothers privacy. We did have our own bathroom thank heavens, but the showers were in the mens. The good thing is we had a sign on the door so everyone knew when one of us gals was in there, plus they would announce it over the intercom.

Needless to say, after much work we gained recognition all the way around. Men and wives a like. It turned out to be a great lesson in life and a great experience. I learned a lot from that place, made many a good friend, and finally gained some self respect. The down fall was drinking. I got into the drinking scene at tech school. It became much worse at Scott. I even experimented and almost died because I listened to some fool when I was drunk. He offered some stuff to a couple of the guys, and they convinced me it was harmless to just try a little. Big mistake. It was a life altering situation.

Shortly after the experiment, I went bonkers. I tried to fly off of a three story balcony that had concrete below. Thank heavens someone caught me just in time. Eventually they got me to a room and I passed out, or should I say I died. I literally saw myself floating above myself watching everyone trying to get me to breathe, freaking out, wondering what to do. They couldn't find a pulse, no heart beat, could not feel or see me breathing. I was motionless. I could't blink, wiggle a finger or nothing to say I was still alive. Talk about a freaky experience. Needless to say, I never experimented after that.

I also had someone slip something into my drink one time while at a party. That night I jumped out of a moving vehicle and ran to my dorm then stood in the bathroom beating my head on a concrete wall. The police were called, but thankfully a couple of my cop friends came walking through and kept me out of trouble. One of them sat with me all night to make sure I was okay.

Okay, why bring this ugly stuff up. Simply to say, don't give into peer pressure. Experimenting is only going to lead to trouble. It's not worth it believe me. Also, it doesn't matter if you drink or if it's water, etc. never let your glass out of your sight when with people you don't know or maybe don't trust. You never know. I was amongst what I thought was friends, but turned out wrong. My main point here is to show the Lord is always with us. He never gives up on us. Had it not been for Him, I would not be here today. He has saved my life so many times. I mean you think about it. I should be dead.

This assignment was about a year and a half long. My next assignment had me going to Shemya Air Base, Alaska! I had no idea what I was in for on this assignment either. It turned out to be a 2x4 island out at the end of the alleutian chain. I wanted to cry. What it the world was I being sent to now? Ha ha. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. There was so much to do there. And, a base that had seperate quarters for women! Although we did not want to be treated special. The bathroom was co-ed though, so of course we had to announce it every time we used the bathroom.

We done a lot of beach combing while there. This consisted of walking the island on our days off looking for old coke and 7-up bottles and prayed we would find the crates as well. I never did come up with any of the crates, but plenty of bottles. We also would find old fishing nets and floats (mainly styrofaom), but on occasion someone would bet lucky and find the old glass floats. Of course I never had the pleasure of finding one of those either. Of course the whole time I was there it was winter. I left again in November :( ; man they loved keeping me from family over the holidays.

We found old WWII bunkers and explored those. We did find old shells that had never exploded and were all rusted. We started a club house in one of the old bunkers. It was well set up for one. There was an old rusted ship that was partially on shore that we climbed around on, but it was well picked over. All this stuff we found on the beach was from the Japanese fishing boats. Occasoionally we would discover old C-rations too. Ewwwww! Let me tell you, opening up some of that old stuff was mighty gross. Some of it was still in tack though, and no, none of us had the guts to try it.

We had one bad experience while I was there. It was my day off and we were all over at the guys dorm partying--a normal pass time when we weren't at one of the two clubs--when we were notified of a plane crash. It was a complete white out. The base had been shut down outside of emergencies. Talk about sobering up fast and being scared. We had a plane go off the runway--the one we had based there--as it could not see the runway. It went off the side of a cliff, but thankfully not far down, as it landed on a shelf. This was my first real experience. It wasn't a nice one either. I ended up not being of much help, as my sliver hood would not stay in place and half the time I couldn't see where I was going. I did see a couple of the crew in bad shape. One was completely burned. I ran to get a truck to haul him to the makeshift hospital in the hanger. Another was laying on the ground with blood seeping from his mouth. He never made it.

There was worse that some of the guys on their first tour witnessed. It was not a pretty sight, but amazingly lives were saved. Unfortunatley one body was not found until late the next day. The crash happened at night. That is an experience that never leaves you. You train and train and train, but nothing prepares you for burnt bodies, dead bodies and what ever else one may come upon. It never leaves you. There are incidents that will happen to bring it to mind whether during the day or while sleeping. But you know, it sure makes one very thankful for all they have. We never did hear whether the charred man made it or not. We kept in contact with the medical team as to how the survivors were doing. The charred man had severe smoke inhilation. The prognosis was somewhat good though. The last we had heard, there was promise and hope that he would survive, although it sounded like it was going to be a rough rode for him the rest of his life.

We did have an earthquake out there at one point. I didn't feel it. I rarely do feel them which is odd. Then came the word that we had a sunami headed our way. The guys dorm was the place where we all had to go to, as they were on the highest point of the island. Thank the Lord it never happened. There was no sunami, but it was thought that there would be one, as with that size of an earthquake, one usually occurs out in the ocean. If it had happened as predicted, we probably would have been wiped off the island. But all was well. That was another sobering episode.

Okay, now for the good and bad of the assignment. You see, I'm not proud to admit it, but I was very premiscous after leaving home. I wanted to find me a man. Pretty sad, I know. I was raised that our bodies are dirty and disgusting and all. So after my first experience, I felt dirty, ashamed and worthless. I figured I had already blown it. I was determined and swore I would never give myself to anyone until I was married. Drinking, what a curse. I gave in way to easy to the enemy. Way too easy. I was unfortunately a follower. Why? I do not know. I was raised better than that. The only thing was I was forever put down and called a loser. So I wanted someone to love me. Was that rational thinking? Yeah right, not hardly.

But here is the good side. This is where I met my dear sweet hubby, that ended all premiscuity. I do believe in love at first sight. Hubby was not there when I arrived. He was on leave. One day someone showed me a picture of him. I knew the moment I saw his picture, and no it wasn't looks alone, I just knew. I knew he was the one. When I met him, I thought what an idiot, he won't have anything to do with you, but I still knew he was the one. We hit it off shortly after he came back from leave. I fell head over heals in love with him. He proposed to me, and I said yes. This is where it gets good.

Our assistant chief was a sweet heart. He was old fashioned too which is how I was brought up. He told hubby to call my parents and ask for my hand in marriage as that is the proper thing to do. Poor hubby was so nervous I couldn't help but laugh. I was so proud of him though. I knew if he was able to do that, then we were meant to be together. We had a blast for the most part. Drinking caused problems occasionally though. And then, well another problem, I became sick, and found out I was pregnant. Oh yeah. Great one huh? I called my poor parents and let them know. I was scared to death, as hubby and I weren't married yet, and we were having problems with our relation. Needless to say, hubby was on cloud nine and so excited!

Any way, calling the parents wasn't so much fun. Oh my gosh, they were upset! Can't blame them. I felt bad, as they spent many a night not sleeping worrying over what was going to happen to me. This was the last thing they expected from me. Well this had me leaving the island early as there was only an infermary (sp?) there. Hubby was sent to Castle AFB, CA. and luckily a friend at Shemya pulled some strings and got me sent there as well. Hubby left in Jun. and I left in Jul. We actually had a day of sun which meant a base down day. That was the ONLY day I had seen the sun there. And yes, it is true, there is a period of time when it never gets dark. That really stinks. Most of us put foil over the windows during that time. Thankfully the rooms had heavy curtians as well.

Well this is where I end another segga of the lifes and times of emwah. I led a very interesting life, but also a sinful life which I am not proud of. But you will find out in a couple more segments down the line as to what I've done to change all that. God Bless!
P.S. I apologize if there are a lot of typos in here, as it is getting late andhave to be up very early. So I didn't not proff read any of this. :( I'll make sure I do better next time. Until then, ta ta.