Dogs Days!

Two of our dogs usually have brown noses, reason being, because they dig in our yard a lot.

Our older Lab, Buck keeps his nose clean because he usually watches; and when the other two discover a mole, old Buck grabs it right quick.

One day recently, my husband, Bob heard a great big commotion, and taking a paper towel he was hoping to retrieve what ever it was. There was Old Buck carrying this mole in his mouth. Buck was not about to give it up, and soon it disappeared from sight. Uggg, but that is the way it is with dogs.

This morning, our dogs were again having another hullabaloo, so out went my husband to investigate what all the fuss was about.

My husband, discovered an injured small hawk hopping around in our yard.  Old dog Buck went to the bird and almost tenderly put it into his mouth.  Bob was there in time to rescue it, and place it on the other side of our fence.  Off it went, hopefully to recover and get better.

This time of year, we are to think of others, those who are hurting, the poor, and afflicted.

There are agencies in each of our neighborhoods that can use volunteers, either as helpers or making contributions with money or supplies.

Your church or organization may be one that helps others. Do get involved in some way, always remembering the Bible story of the good man who stopped in the road to help a wounded person, someone he did not know and was not of his race and religion.

Luke 10:34 And the Good Samaritan went to the injured man, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Love the Lord.  Love your fellow man, and do not forget to even love yourself.

Luke 10:27 And Jesus answered and said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself.”

After School Treats

My elementary school was on the same street that we lived on, and although it was a long block, but we did not need to cross any streets.

When school was over, we would rush home to see what Mother had prepared for our after school treat.

I remember one day, it was fresh hot home made cinnamon rolls, but usually it was a cookie with a glass of milk.

These treats reminded me of my Mother’s love and her concern that we not famish and waste away between after school and dinner time.

I believe God is that way too, because every now and then he gives us a little taste of His Glory and our memory is jogged to understand His love for us.

Today we can sit at his table and drink of his life giving water, as we read and study His Word. We are conscious of the fact that someday we will be with Him in heaven at the Grand Supper that He will prepare for those who love Him.

God has special treats for his children, and they are not allotted to simply “After School.”

We can partake of his Holy love, by spending time with him any day of the week, and not just on Sundays or school days.

One of Mothers favorite treats was her special Apple Cake and I share the recipe with you.

This has also been entered in Food on Fridays at: http://annkroeker.com/ and at EKats Kitchen: http://www.ekatskitchen.com/ Do check out these sites and enjoy the recipes you will find there.

Perhaps some will be an after school treat for you!

Apple Cake

3 cups chopped or sliced apples, 2 cups sugar
Cover the apples with the sugar and set for 10 minutes.

2 eggs, 1 cup oil, 1 tsp vanilla
Mix eggs, oil and vanilla and add to the apples

2 cups flour, 1 tsp soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup chopped walnuts.
Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the above. Add nuts. Mix with a wooden spoon.

Oil a 13x18 pan or an angel food pan, or bunt cake pan and bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.



Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com

No Mom Does Not Speak Spanish

Visiting my mother at her Assisted Living care Home, is often an experience that seems futile.

Some visits Mother speaks fluently saying such things as “Your hands are so cold, let me pray for you.” Other times, her speech is mumbled and not recognizable. She seems to float in and out of reality, most days not certain who I am, or who is her grandchild that I bring with me.

One day, my daughter and I took with us some old photo albums and positioned my mother with us at a table in a quiet spot. I turned each page, repeating the names of the persons in view. She was very interested in each photo, but she said, not a word. When we finished she spoke the words, “Love shown,” and repeated the words again. We were thankful that she appreciated the love that we had shone and let shine on her that day.

As we were ready to leave, one of the aides asked me if my mother spoke Spanish?

I told her, no, my mother only speaks English. The young care giver said, “When Mrs. Bermudez was here with the music, she prayed with your mother and I thought they were both speaking Spanish.”

Hiding a smile, I explained, “Oh no, that wasn’t Spanish, it was their prayer language.” They were speaking directly to God about his will.”

I continued to explain; “The Holy Spirit will give Christians a prayer language when they are Baptized in the Holy Spirit. This praying is in sort of a secret code direct to God, and no one else knows what they are saying, and especially the devil does not have a clue.”

The second helper who was standing by, spoke up, “I know about that, because they do that at my Church.”

I was so blessed to know that this Assisted Living Home is filled with Christian helpers who give loving and kind care to my mother and to the other residents.

I was also blessed to know that there are still Churches and Christians who pray in the Holy Ghost prayer language, for this is a blessing that all may receive.

Yes, there is MORE in the Christian life that many are not aware of, and some do not accept. Studying the Bible especially in the book of Acts will reveal that this gift is one that is for all believers who will seek for it.

Paul said in Corinthians; that he spoke in tongues more than you all, and he continued by saying, do not forbid to speak in tongues for there is power in this type of praying.

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost - - -

Jail – Do not Pass Go

For many years, my mother’s mom and dad traveled each Sunday to the local jail to minister. The men looked forward to the visits by my grandparents who showered them with the Love of the Lord, and shared scriptures from the Bible with them.

Grandma’s sermon was simple: “Get rid of Self and put Jesus there instead.”

I never understood her message until years later, when I realized she meant the “To get rid of the old sinful man, and receive the new creation.” Jesus was always her answer to every problem.

Grandma told me to always love the sinner, and only to hate the sin, and she put that into practice.

My husband went with my grandparents a few times to the jail, but he did not like the gates that opened, clanged shut and locked as they passed from one area to another.  He told me that he could see in the eyes of the prisoner’s only glaring hate. There were no friends there in that prison.

There was no escape from that jail until the prisoner’s sentence was completed, and they were released.

As I think about sinners who do not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I am not considering only people in jail. Instead I refer to average persons, friends and neighbors, who will be locked away in Hell where there is no escape if they fail to receive Jesus.

One day I talked to a loud mouthed young man, and he told me he wanted to go to hell, because all his friends would be there. Can you consider how stupid that answer was?

I told him in Hell, no one is your friend, and those he once knew would be cursing him for not telling them about Jesus the only Way to Heaven.

We have no idea of the torments that await those without Jesus, but the other choice is so simple and that is to avoid Hell, by asking Jesus into your heart.

If hell was only a small cage where a person was locked up in total darkness for eternity, that would be bad enough, but it will be much worse than that. Hell will not be a big party!

Some would say, ‘How can a Loving God send persons to Hell?”

The answer to that question is simple too. Because He is a Loving God, He sent his only Son to die in our place, so that our sins could be forgiven and we could make Heaven our eternal home.

We have a choice and we can choose now to receive His life. 
Come into my Heart Lord Jesus.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AC0FaTxeJ4

Volunteers for The Lord

Our musical friends requested that we join them for a mixed quartet to sing at our church, and to also sing for other occasions. We volunteered. Then our musical friend heard of a minister who needed some live music for his radio broadcast. We volunteered.

Both of our families lived 20 miles from our church, and we both had 3 small children each, so you might say this was a hardship, but we were happy to do this. It meant our families needed to stay all day in the city with our church as our base.

We did not ask the radio preacher for payment and were not offered any, because this was out of the goodness of our hearts. So on Sundays, we would stay after church bring a pot luck in the church kitchen, and then go to our friends Radio service; then back to our church for evening worship.

As time went on, our children, and our adult flesh began to weary. After many months of our “giving graciously,” we finally told the preacher that we were sorry but we could no longer sing at his radio broadcast.

His remark was NOT, thank you for all your sacrificial giving to my ministry, but instead we heard the words, “Well, you just can’t depend on anybody these days!”

I suppose it was a flat way of the preacher certainly letting the air out of our tires!!

I am wondering if all the volunteers at your ministry and/or church are appreciated for all of their hard work. Often we take for granted those who labor without pay, and they willingly do so as a gift unto the Lord.

There are Sunday School teachers, the choir, worship team, the band, the board members, those who head up committees, workers who bring flowers to the Sunday services, those who set up tables for fellowship time, and not to be forgotten, and those who tend to the babies in the nursery. I know there are others, because some churches depend on volunteers to clean the church, to count the offerings, to manage the books, tend to the landscaping, set up communion, and other work all given freely as unto the Lord.

Just because someone does a job well, does not mean that it is a life time commitment. There is a season when it is time for a break, and someone else needs to volunteer. And when the volunteers decline, give them the gratitude they deserve and let them know they have been appreciated.

I am not saying that all volunteer workers should be paid a salary, but a word of gratitude given from time to time, would be like jewels of gold being offered.

Now it is my time to say an enthusiastic, “Thank you, thank you, readers who volunteer to keep coming back to read my stories.”

Double thank you to all those who leave comments, and to those who click “Like” on Face-book. I appreciate you all, and my heartfelt thanks to you for reading and for sharing my blog with your friends.

Burnt toast and Curly Hair

My Dad insisted that he was born with straight black hair, but always wished for curls.

As he tells it, his sister Blanch told him that if he really wanted black curly hair that he must eat lots of burnt toast. My dad believed her, and each morning he would burn his toast to a crisp and enjoy the flavor.

Some say this is a myth, but I wonder, because after many months it began to work, for his black hair began to curl.  All the days that I knew my dad he sported black curly hair.

I don’t know if this was a story to get me to eat my burnt toast, and I don’t mind toast that is a bit burnt, but my blond hair never did turn black with curls.

Many of us are not satisfied with our hair, our shape, and our nose; because we have this tendency to always want to be something different than the way God made us.

Let me diverse here and apply this toward a spiritual subject.  God has a plan where we can be changed into a New Creation, to never be the same again.

Isn’t it wonderful that you do not need to eat burnt toast to become this new person?  Simply invite Jesus into your heart and he does the changing on the inside of us, by his Holy Spirit.

2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, new things have come.

Submitted to Food on Fridays at http://annkroeker.com/ and to Friday Pot Luck at: http://www.ekatskitchen.com/ 

Corn Bread (Southern Style)
1 ½ cups yellow corn meal
½ cup flour
1 Tb baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
Optional: add one small chopped onion in the mix.

Sift dry ingredients. Add oil, egg and milk and blend well. Pour into an 8 inch square pan (or 12 muffin pan.) Bake in hot oven at 400 degrees 25 minutes, or until done. Serve warm with butter, or serve cold crumbled in milk or butter milk.

My Selfish Puppy

Our older Lab, Buck loves to retrieve. He will return a ball or a toy and lay at my feet for another go around.

When I tossed the ball on the garage roof, and allowed it to roll down, he loved to catch the ball before it hit the ground.

Then one day we got a new puppy, Luke also a Lab. We purchased some dog toys with squeakers and how the new puppy enjoyed playing with his toys. Our older dog, Buck wanted the toys too, but the puppy would pull and tug until he had the toy in his grasp.

If I would put down two toys, one for each dog, the puppy would run and grab until both toys were in his mouth.

Our puppy was utterly selfish!! No sharing for this little one.

Two years have passed, and although Luke is no longer a pup, he is still as selfish as ever and will not allow old Buck to play with a ball, or toy.

I have observed small children at play and everything is “Mine.” None for you, only for me!

Sharing and giving can be learned and it is a gratifying experience to impart to others.

At this time of year as we reflect on all the blessings of God, it is the season to share with those who are less fortunate.

Even persons with little, actually have much, compared to many who have nothing.

Research your local Rescue Mission or Food bank and make some donations not just now, but also during the year. There is always a need and you can have a part.

If you believe you have nothing to give, consider volunteering your help in a tangible way

Share and give, from a good and willing heart. No selfishness allowed here.

Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Take That Back Now!

Grandma had recently been moved into a care home, and she was experiencing memory problems. Perhaps I was worried, and was not feeling too well myself.

So when my daughter came for a visit, and she asked me, “How is Grandma doing?”  I heaved a sigh and made an off handed remark, “Well, as things are, I may go before she does.”

My daughter sat up straight, glared at me and shocked me as she said, “Mother, take that back, take that back right now.”

I could tell she was very serious, and I knew I had spoken carelessly. Sheepishly I blurted out, Yes, I take it back, and I take it back right now. Then I made a positive statement, “I shall live and not die!”

She continued to teach me things that I had often said myself; all that the Bible says about life and death are in the power of the tongue, and we should be careful with our words.  As I listened, I knew she was telling me the truth and I was entirely focused on her words.

How often we make casual comments tossing our words carelessly when we actually do not mean what we are saying. Phrases such as: “I am tickled to death!” “You are such an idiot!” Let’s go home to the poor house.” “You will be the ruin of me yet.”

I know that children can be molded by always telling them that they are no good, and that they will never amount to anything. Also saying those same things about ourselves can be damaging to our own flesh and soul.

I understand that children can be encouraged to excel by choosing positive words, such as, “You are so special to me, I am so proud of you, what a good job, and I really like what you have done.” Again, as we think on and repeat with our mouth, the scriptures of what God says about us, it is health to our body and to our spirit.

Reading our Bible, as if God is speaking to ME, reminds us that God loves us unconditionally, and we are special in His sight, and that He desires only good for us.

At times we need to be reminded, to watch our talk, our walk and to be all that God intends us to be. It is a wonderful thing when our own children can be our teacher.

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live:

Joshua 1:8-9 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you where ever you go.

Little Things Cause me to be Grateful

Some silly little things still give me a thrill, for instance when I finally balance my check book, or observing the flowers I planted peek through, and begin to bud and bloom.

From the sun rise, to the sun set, viewing the moon and the stars, the first gentle rain, a babies smile, the smell of fresh bread baking are things that cause me to be thankful.

My husband still enchantments me as I see him each day. He remains to me as the 20 year old man that I married many years ago, with only a few physical changes here and there.

I especially enjoy my dogs as they play, and they beg me to join in with a game of fetch.

Working at my computer is of great satisfaction to me and to relax, I benefit from some of the online games, because they cause me to think and to exercise my mind.

Finding a genuine bargain, if at a local store, online, or at a yard sale is exciting to me. I am reminded to say “Thank you Lord, for all of your blessings, large or small.”

It is also good to verbally share with others how much you love and appreciate them. Your voice of affection will cause them to be happy! Finding contentment and satisfaction in our work, rejoicing in our friends and family brings health to our bones!

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.

Lest I forget, there is one more thing that delights and makes me happy, and that is when you lead a person in the sinner’s prayer, and they receive Jesus into their heart. Vicariously you experience their spark of new life and it is almost like you yourself are being born again at the same time as they encounter God.

Yes, serving Jesus makes me happy, and He brings me joy and gratitude in my day.

Psalms 144:15 Happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

Entered into the “One Word at a Time Carnival.” The Word is: Gratitude.
Please check out the other great entries at: http://www.bridgetchumbley.com/

Absolutely NONE

One of my former Pastors thought I was too assertive, and at one time he told me I was rebellious.

I believe this was because, each time he finished his Sunday sermon, and he shook hands with members as we left, I would give him something else to think about on his subject. He would retreat to his study books and come out usually glowing, and sometimes growling.

One mother’s day, he preached about women in the Bible, and according to what he implied, he forcefully put women in their PLACE. As I left that day and shook his hand, I told him that I could hardly wait for Father’s day to see what he would come up to set all the men down. It was about that time he said I was rebellious.

One morning after our women’s missionary meeting, I sat in his office with him and his wife, and he asked me if I ever had doubts that I might not make it into heaven.

I sat up straight, looked him in the eye, and with an emphatic voice, I told him, “No doubts, absolutely NONE!”

Puzzled a bit, but I wondered; why would he ask me such a question unless he had doubts about his own salvation?

I honestly believe he read more books and study books instead of the Bible, and he wondered if he sinned every day like some say we all do.

If you read your Bible, and study along as you are reading it, you will discover that if you are walking in the Light of His Word, then you do not have to worry that you need to balance short accounts at the end of the day. Keep your mind on the Lord, and your feet planted and there is no need to sin each day as some say we all do.

There is a song that says, I have decided to follow Jesus, NO turning back.

Once you have made that quality decision, your job is to stay on track, and not make provision to fall away. If you do fall and you realize it, then quickly get up repent and go on. Don’t wait for night to do your catching up!

God’s part is to keep you safe in His hand, and to provide you with daily instructions from the Holy Spirit.

Listen to that still small voice and obey. Then you will be able to say with me - - -

I have NO doubts that I will make it in. I have No fears - - No doubts - - Absolutely NONE.

This post was shared at: PlayDates with God: http://www.lauraboggess.com/2011/08/white-elephant-mural-and-patrons-at.html  Do visit and enjoy other excellent posts you will discover there.