My Dancing Turtle

This morning as I was watching my turtle from across the room all of a sudden her front legs began to lift one at time to the music that was being played. It was so funny to watch. She does this often, but this morning what made it even more funny was that when the music stopped she stopped also.  Her neck and head came out of the water and she had this look on her face as if she wanted to say, "What, it's over--oh no--I like that piece of music play some more."  And then she went back to being quiet again. If felt sorry for her, but it was time for me to go to work so didn't have any more time to play any more music.

I am so God made all kinds of animals and creatures. They are so much fun to watch and to enjoy.

We Tell All

I find those who take a stand on what they believe in, rather it be right or wrong do something about it. In todays news there is an article that tells about another plot to blow up one of our buildings and other places in one of our cities. The problem for me is that they give detailed for each step that was going to happen. To me this could give other people the same idea and try it. Which in this case is not a good thing.

What would be great is if we were allowed to share the gospel with those in our country. Instead--Christ and God are taken out of our schools and government and in a lot of other areas and where are we as a nation? We are getting deeper and deeper in a generation that no longer believes in God or moral rights. Our children and grandchildren have nothing to hold on to. As each generation passes God fades away and we are turning into a nation like Israel was in the Old Testament.

Prayer
Our Father please help us to look to You no matter what comes and if need be that we will lose our lives in order to take a stand in like Stephen did in the New Testament and others who are being killed for your sake. In Jesus Name I ask this.

But one thing we can count on is that God is patient. It is a good thing or we would be out of this world very fast and a lot of people would be left behind and face what is to be one of the worse times in history. Even worse than now.

In Psalm 51:1-4 it reads as follows: "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly form mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: my sin is ever before me. Agains thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."

Let our prayer me that we as believers will take a stand and do what the Lord wants us to do and that is to honor Him.

Bored!

Have you ever been bored? I woke up this morning and I was grouchy and felt bored. Another day, same old thing. Then I felt ashamed. I looked out my front window and starting to think.

I have a home that I am safe and warm in. In my community and surrounding areas there are thousands of people who have all the belongings on the curb waiting to be picked up. Why? Because they no longer have a home, or anything that belonged in their home because of flooding.

Next, I thought about work. I have a job. It is just the right amount of hours, I receive enough money to help pay for food and gas for my car and just a little extra if I want to help someone else out.

And I have no lack of things to do at home. Cleaning, I have stained glass pieces, branches, beeswax, all kinds of tools to make all kinds of gifts and things to make cards to encourage others who are going through rough times' Being creative in the form of art is very relaxing and fun for me so I am also able to do something for myself.

Books--working in a library for me is like working in a candy store for others. I see all kinds of books to read and projects to do.

So, I thought instead of being bored, I would be thankful for all the blessings I have. I would enjoy each one and put my whole heart in doing what the Lord wants me to do and that is sharing my life with others through words, gifts,  and a good testimony. So I am no longer bored but a very thankful child of God, and now am ready to see what is planned out for me today.

A Little Prayer
Thank you my Father for creating me just the way I am. And Holy Spirit guide me today.

Looking Back

I grew up as an only child and so when my parents became ill it was a very busy time as they both had lung diseases and both were in hospice at the same time. But the Lord was good and they both improved enough to be off hospice and my father lived one more year and my mother lived another two before she had to go back on it.

But the one time I remember very well, was when my mother was put in the hospital. She had to stay for a few days and then it was time for her to go home.

I rode in the medical van with my mother and my father came home in his car. The van arrived at my parent's home and stopped in front of the house. I opened the door, and just about the time I was going  to put my foot down onto the sidewalk I saw it. Just below my foot was a snake curled up.

I shut the van door and ask the driver if he could move the van forward a little. I turned around and looked at my mother as she was sitting in the back seat and she said, "You saw a snake didn't you?" I had to admitt to her that I did. She was deathly afraid of snakes. And then the driver of the van said, "Lady, I don't do reptiles."  So he gladly drove the van forward and we got my mother in a wheelchair and went across the lawn and up the steps and into the house.

In the meantime, my father arrived home and he was so worried about my mother that he just stepped right over that snake and didn't even see it. I yelled snake! But he first went in and checked on my mother to make sure she was ok and then he came back out and killed the snake.

Of course the verse that came to my mind as I was typing this post was Genesis 3:1: "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

It is a good thing my mother didn't live during the time of Adam and Eve for she would not only would see a snake but would be able to talk to one. Not a good thing.

A Good Book

Being that my husband and I only have four channels to watch on TV, since we gave up cable when he retired, there is not much to watch even if the stations do came in good. So we have taken up reading.

I just finished a great book titled Bamboo & Lace by Lori Wick. I was waiting for my husband to finish cleaning the church and I was in their library and I found this book on their shelf. Since I had gotten some for myself to read from a book sale I thought I would read this one while I was waiting for him.

Well, it was so good I had to bring it home and I just finished it this morning. I like a good book don't you?

It is the same way with the Bible. Some people think it is a dry and an uneventful book, but if you really read it and allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart as your read it, you can always find something new and just what you need at the time you are ready it.

So the Bible comes first then I think Lori Wick, who is a Christian writer, would come next. Both hard to put down once I get started.

Death Of A Child-Time Heals

I was reminded of the heartbreak of one losing a child through death as I was reading my e-mail this morning.

I lost a child through a miscarriage, but the doctor could tell that this special child was deformed, so it was best that the baby went to be with the Lord. This child would be thirty-seven now.

Then in 1994 our first grandchild was born to our son's wife and he also was deformed and we lost him. He would be seventeen now. Then in 2009 another grandchild was born, this time to our daughter.  Our daughter and son-in-law knew in August of 1999 that their daughter might not be born alive, but they decided that God was in control and so our daughter carried her to her due date which was scheduled for December 29th.

She was born alive and was normal until you came to her forehead and then she had no brain. But she did well. She ate, she had her diaper changed, she weighted in at eight pounds, she didn't like her bath, and she could follow movement. She lived for fourteen hours. Remarkable! We all got to say hello to her and tell her we loved her. Then she too went to be with the Lord.  She would be twelve now.

As time goes by it is easier and they are all remembered and we will see them in heaven when we get there along with our precious Jesus.

The verse that came to my mind when I read this woman's story was: "I Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

So if you have lost a child through death my heart goes out to you.

Exercising

My husband and I went to a garage sale and I bought a second hand bicycle which is stationary and so when I ride it I can get my exercise without falling off the bike. As I rode the bike inbetween the sqeeking of the wheel I just pray and listen to God speak to me. It is such a relaxing time and a fun way to do excercise.

This morning the phrase that kept going through my mind is living through Christ. I am doing a Bible Study and we are talking about Christ and what the gospel story means to us.

So I came to my computer and looked up living through Christ. I was surprise when I came across a whole different verse but it was just what I needed to answer my question about living the gospel daily. Here is the verse.

Hebrew 9:14

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

I then looked up the word purge and this is what I found the Hebrew word to mean:

Purge

1. to make clean, cleanse
2. from physical stains and dirt
   1. utensils, food
   2. a leper, to cleanse by curing
   3. to remove by cleansing
3. in a moral sense
   1. to free from defilement of sin and from faults
   2. to purify from wickedness
   3. to free from guilt of sin, to purify
   4. to consecrate by cleansing or purifying
   5. to consecrate, dedicate
4. to pronounce clean in a levitical sense

Christ's blood frees me from fefilement of sin and faults. Frees me the guilt of sin. Cleans me and therefore I am consecrated and dedicated to God.

Then I looked up the word dead.

Dead

1. spiritually dead
2. destitute of a life that recognises and is devoted to God, because given up to trespasses and sins
3. inactive as respects doing right

By being dead to self I can then serve the living God through Christ.

I get so excited when I really understand something. Now I just have to remember what I learned and do it.