Blog Archives

SHOULDER TOUCHING RAINBOWS

11/29/2013

SHOULDER TOUCHING RAINBOWS

Many years ago, one of Donna's sisters
sent us a greeting card that remained
on our bookshelves until it was lost
while making one of our numerous
moves around the country.

The outside cover depicted two small
Indian children, each with a single feather
in their headbands, standing on a frozen
snowbank, facing each other.

Their gentle moccasin prints marked the
path from whence they came. Below them
was written this salutation...

"May your moccasins make happy tracks
in many snows and the rainbow always
touch your shoulder."
And inside, was this friendly invitation...

"Come and hunt dinosaurs with us."

This night and always, may your life be
filled with many happy tracks and shoulder
touching rainbows.

OUR MISTAKE

11/29/2013

OUR MISTAKE

An unknown author has suggested
a few ways we may recognize others'
faults while rationalizing our own...

"When the other fellow takes a long time
to do something, he is slow.
When we take a long time, we are thorough.

When the other fellow doesn't do it, he's lazy.
When we don't do it, we're too busy.

When someone else goes and does something
without being told, he's overstepping.
When we do it, we're exerting initiative.

When the other fellow strongly states his side
of a question, he's being bullheaded.
When we do it, we're being firm.

When the other fellow overlooks a few rules
of etiquette, he's being rude.
When we do it we are being original.

When the other fellow makes a mistake, he
sure had it coming to him.
When we make a mistake, wow what bad luck.

Funny isn't it, that it is so hard to correct our
own faults. Maybe it's just because we don't
recognize them except in others."

THANKSGIVING (1976)

11/27/2013

THANKSGIVING (1976)

Dear Heavenly Father,

Once again we gather with family
and friends to honor thee and give
thee thanks...

For this past year in which...

Many hearts have been healed
Many minds have been refreshed
Many souls have been uplifted
Many lives have been changed

For the coming year in which...

New friends shall be acquired
New covenants shall be honored
New powers shall be released
New faith shall be desired

For this present moment in which...

We may glorify thy holy name
We may gather loved ones home
We may kneel and pray and love
We may live and breathe for thee

In the name of the lamb of life,
even Jesus Christ. Amen.

SPIRITUAL Rx (THOUGHT ONE)

11/23/2013

SPIRITUAL Rx #1

If you will incorporate the following
scriptures into your mental, emotional
and spiritual systems at the rate of one
new verse per week for ten weeks, we
believe your life shall never be the same
again...

1. Psalm 1:1 ...Blessed is the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way
of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat
of the scornful.

2. Psalm 14:1 ...The fool hath said in his
heart, There is no God.

3. Psalm 18:1 ...I will love thee, O Lord,
my strength.

4. Psalm 23:1 ...The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

5. Psalm 27:1 ...The Lord is my light and
my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Oh whom shall I be afraid?

6. Psalm 34:1 ...I will bless the Lord at
all times: his praise shall continually be
in my mouth.

7. Psalm 41:1 ...Blessed is he that considereth
the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of
trouble.

8. Psalm 42:1 ...As the hart panteth after the
water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee,
O God.

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

10. Psalm 103:1 ...Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

A PRAYER ANSWERED

11/20/2013

  A PRAYER ANSWERED

Many years ago, when our oldest daughter,
  Tammy, was nine, she somehow managed
  to lose her gold watch which she had received
for her eighth birthday.The whole family earnestly
prayed that Heavenly Father would help us find
that valued timepiece.

But, alas, our prayers appeared to go unanswered.
We tried, as best we could, to explain to Tammy
that God sometimes delays the answers to our prayers,
that we may learn lessonsin he areas of faith and patience.

A few weeks later, Tammy stayed home from school
with a slight cold. While she convalescing, her mother
was cleaning out some old boxes in a downstairs closet,
and guess what...
Yes, you guessed it.
And a little girl's eyes brightened.
And a tiny heart was warmed
And a family prayer was answered.

And we are still learning that God is
Lord...of the little things.

COUNTING PUMPKINS

11/16/2013

COUNTING PUMPKINS

Back in October, with frost and a smidgen
of snow on the ground, as we put the lawn
mower away in our shed, we realized that
fall and winter were now well on the way.

And one night as we laid in our bed trying
to go to sleep and keep warm at the same
time, we tried going to sleep by counting...
pumpkins. Wow, talk about orange.
Too much orange, not enough sleep.
So, as we laid there, these thoughts came
to mind...

God will help me
because he can
The more we learn about
purity, the wider and deeper
it becomes
Let us stay awake in Christ,
and go to sleep in Him as well

AT THE FIRESIDE

11/13/2013

                                         AT THE FIRESIDE

         "The real empire," proposed Cicero,
                                   "is at the fireside."

                                   Would you have an empire
                                   More valuable than silver
         or gold?

                                  Would you have your chambers
        Contain innumerable riches
         untold?

         Would you have a life filled
        with fond memories as you
        grow old?

        Would you have an empire
         Not for a day, but for ages
         untold?

        Then start now, today, to build
                                   for all eternity.
           For the wealth of a nation,
         or of a family, shall always reside
                                   at the fireside.

SIMPLICITY

11/13/2013

            SIMPLICITY

                               Wrote Sir John Reynolds, "Simplicity is an
                               exact medium between too little and too
       much."

                               Perhaps under this definition, simplicity could
                              also be designed as the middle ground between
                               too much-too soon, and too little-too late.
      This is particularly true when raising children.

                               To stay within the bounds between over and
       under indulgence is often a difficult task. When
     to reign in and when to let go, who knows?
       Boundary decisions are often arduous. Common
       sense is often developed or improved as we
        form boundaries and set or widen limits. And
    often we learn by making mistakes.

         When and where possible, draw your children
         close to you while they are young. If you
         become too strict or use too much force when
       your children are young, you may lose their
        companionship when they are older.

LORD OF THE LITTLE THINGS

11/9/2013

LORD OF THE LITTLE THINGS

We are happy to report that God...
Ruler of the Universe
Creator of worlds untold
Molder of mountains
Organizer of valleys and seas
Is still vitally concerned about...
Flat tires
Burnt suppers
Report cards
Scratched knees
Restless nights
Endless days
Troubled minds
Broken hearts

Yes, we worship a big God,
who is still...Lord of the little things.

THE ANSWER

11/6/2013

THE ANSWER

If ever there was a fellow who deserved
to give himself a pity party, it would have
to have been our Old Testament friend, Job.

The devil worked on Job so much that during
one moment of despair he exclaimed, "My days
are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent
without hope." (Job 7:6)

If we, like Job, have been despairing too much,
there is, fortunately, an answer to our lament...

"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)