unFISHING

Yes, this made me laugh, Mary, and thanks for sending it.

I've been reading, reading, reading, and not blogging, but I could not resist sharing this one.

Something Old and Something New

This blog features at least 5 or 6 books I’ve read, which shows that I’ve had more time to read since retirement, and I’m enjoying it immensely. In the past I have not been much of a reader and did not make time for it. Now I’m trying to catch up, which is silly, because I’ll never have enough time to read all the books I want to read for the first time and several I’d like to read again.

My reading of this book came about because I’m participating in a discussion study at Marlow United Methodist Church on Wednesday evenings that uses this book.

Confession time calls for me to tell you that I looked at this study as a way to become better acquainted with the minister, The Reverend Jake Brady, and some of the people at Marlow.

I really want to recommend this book to you for reading. It’s a very short book with a very important purpose – to give the true meaning of a parable most Christians have heard of from The Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 15.

Quoting from the book's jacket:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Newsweek called New York Times bestselling author, Timothy Keller a "C. S. Lewis for the twenty-first century" in a feature on his first book, The Reason for God. In that book, he offered a rational explanation of why we should believe in God. Now, in The Prodigal God, he uses one of the best-known Christian parables to reveal an unexpected message of hope and salvation.

Taking his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity, Keller uncovers the essential message of Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable. Within that parable Jesus reveals God's prodigal grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic. This book will challenge both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole new way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have already heard of Timothy Keller, I do not need to tell you anything more. In fact, you have probably already read this book. If you haven't, here's a video to help you become somewhat acquainted with him:
The Prodigal God Trailer.

GoD and DoG

Wendy and Caspian



Written, recorded and animated by By Wendy Francisco

I look up and I see God
I look down and see my dog
Simple spelling G-o-d
Same word backwards D-o-g
They would stay with me all day
I’m the one who walks away
But both of them just wait for me
And dance at my return with glee
Both love me no matter what
Divine God and canine mutt
I take it hard each time I fail
But God forgives and dog wags his tail
God thought up and made the dog
Dog reflects a part of God
I’ve seen love from both sides now
It’s everywhere Amen Bow wow
I look up and I see God
I look down and see my dog
And in my human frailty
I can’t match this love for me.

Let’s see now, how did I find out about GoD and DoG. Someone sent me a video attached to an email. People who have read my blog have seen that I have a theory about beloved pets who have gone home. Back on January 1 of 2008, in Pets’ Spirits I shared my thoughts, and this video reflects similar thoughts. I could even go further in my jumbled up thinking and reflect on lots of happenings in my life and what lessons were there for me as I looked back on them. Perhaps I’ll get to those in another blog post.

I enjoyed reading information on Wendy Francisco on her website and on her blog. I can remember being in a quandary as to how to start my blog. I wanted to include my autobiography sketch I had written for inclusion in a book that was never published, and the sad part is I lost the copy of that autobiography and really would like to see it again because I remember very little of how I wrote it. I liked Wendy Francisco’s first blog post at Here’s me learning to blog… You may want to check out her newer posts as well.

As long as I can remember, I have been a copycat, and finding this video on YouTube was another opportunity I could not resist.

Deer in the meadow

Deer in the meadow
Originally uploaded by rruff67

This is almost like a puzzle for my blog readers. I suggest you pull up this photo in the original size and look in the left center and you can see in the shadows the deer blending in.

DEATH

~DEATH~
WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, 'Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.'

Very quietly, the doctor said, 'I don't know..'

'You don't know? You're, a Christian man, and don't know what's on the other side?'

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, 'Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.

I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing...

I know my Master is there and that is enough.'

May today there be peace within you.
May you trust God that you are exactly
Where you are meant to be.

I believe that friends are quiet angels
Who lift us to our feet when our wings
Have trouble remembering how to fly. (Author Unknown)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My hubby and I were having a discussion over breakfast this morning, and we concluded there were lots more things we did not know than things we do know.

Thanks to Bill and Deede for sending us the above inspiring email!

09-09-09

I would guess I'm not the only person that reads this little book just about every day. I recommend it to anyone, even though the title indicates it is for women. Its author, Rita F. Snowden, wrote 68 books in her lifetime that were published. I believe it was someone from England who recommended this little book, and I had to go through quite a process to get the one I have been reading for years, which is the seventeenth impression April 1983. Now that I realize she wrote so many books, I want to read all of them

Today's devotional reading is based on my absolutely favorite scripture of Jesus' words to his disciples at the Last Supper:






NINTH DAY
In the Morning

My first thoughts, O God, are of wonder that you have fashioned me for life here--and for fulfilment beyond this earthly life that is mine.
Quicken the hearts of all dear to me, some of whom have forgotten their divine destiny.

Let me live today in the reality of Christ's life here, his death and trimphant resurrection that transforms everything I know:
Let me hold fast to his challenging words;
Let me hold fast to his comforting words;
Let me hold fast to his promised presence, now and till the end of the world.

Bless especially, this day, all who will come to the close of life here; and
All who are closest to them;
All who minister to them, pastors, priests, doctors, nurses, friends;
All at a distance, who receive their news with deep concern.

I rejoice that in your holy purpose life is all of a piece--here and there.
AMEN

In the Evening

O God, I bless You for all those who have helped me on my way today:
Members of my family-----and-----
My loyal friends-----and-----
People I scarcely know-----and-----

Forgive me, if today, I have been only interested in my own affairs, and unmindful of others.
Forgive me, if I have taken things too seriously and forgotten fun and laughter.
Forgive me if I have allowed myself to be over-busy, with no time to 'stand and stare'.

I pray now, for any who have lacked joy this day;
Any who have been without friendship;
Any who have missed the common decencies;
Any who have been without work;
Any blind, deaf, or crippled;
Any without strength of body;
Any wanting the mind's clear light;
Any without a sense of your presence;
Any who look into the future without expectancy.
We are your children amidst the immensities of time, and eternity. Hold us in your keeping.
AMEN

Daily Reading
John 14:1-6 (English Standard Version)
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepared a place for you? And if I go and prepared a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Cool Bird Loves Ray Charles

Thanks, Barb and Lyn. This made my day!

Retrieving a Toy

Apparently it is okay with Carla if I put her video up on my blog, so here 'tis.

What is the wind trying to tell us?

What is CHAOS versus FRACTAL?

Better yet, what’s the Creator trying to tell us?

As long as I can remember, I have been a seeker of truth.

To help you understand more truth, I recommend The Shack. It is one of the books published by Windblown Media for the “spiritually curious.”

I decided I could not live the righteousness of God on my own when I was seven-years-old. That made all the difference. From that date forward, although the decision was made out of fear, I have come to know that God is Love.

This book can be quite educational (was for me) if you look up every word you do not understand.

This paragraph on page 201 got my attention:

"Anyway, we all like to cook," added Jesus. "And I enjoy food--a lot. Nothing like a little shaomai, ugali, nipla, or kori bananje to make your taste buds happy. Follow that with some sticky toffee pudding or a tiramisu and hot tea. Yum! It doesn't get any better than that."

I tried to teach kindergartners what the Trinity was one time. Seems like I used a river that could be named as the Trinity River because it is a river made of three rivers coming together. I'm sure they did not understand it, but all kindergartners like to play in water.

There are those who are not sold at all on this book. I didn't say this was a book of true facts, but I do believe it has a message to consider.

Some of my appreciation of this book cannot be explained in so many words, but I really did feel much of it had the ring of truth to me personally and also even agreed with some of my own personal experiences. Read it and see if some of what you read has you wanting to respond, "YES!" or "AMEN!

The Destroyer!

The only way we'll have a fire in July in Alabama

Only Way We'll Have A Fire in July in Alabama
Originally uploaded by LIVING... MAEDEANS STYLE

A Flickr friend took a photo of a warm fire in the fireplace in Minnesota in July.

I like photos like these and even did another blog post about a similar fireplace in Texas in December of 2007 at Toast your toes.

The Moon

Google reminded us today that it is the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

It would be impossible to bring up all the references to the moon, so I won't try.

I have chosen one from my youth from the movie, "Picnic."

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

The Psalms and The Gospel of John contain some of my favorite scriptures.

Psalm 29:1-2.
Psalm 95:6-7.
John 4:23-24.

In Chapter 25 of "Fix Your Eyes on Jesus" by Anne Ortlund, she describes the Glory of God by comparing it to a Kaleidoscope.

Hebrews 12:2.

Happy Birthday, Maggie

Maggie was one year old on June 25, 2009. She had a late celebration of this milestone with her paternal grandparents and other relatives in Mamou, Louisiana on July 7.

Happy Birthday America!

I wanted to save this for myself so I could look at it from time to time.

Just click here and enjoy My Beautiful America.

Happy 4th of July!

Gonna Show You How To Walk The Dog

Roger gave me one of Run C&W's music CDs, and I was so pleased this morning to find them on YouTube.

Enjoy their silliness.

May You Be Blessed

The email I received from my cousin, Billy Walton, a few days ago caused me to think of many people I wanted to see this and be blessed by it also.

Here's what that email said:

You are about to see something beautiful!

A few years ago Kate Nowak awoke one morning and felt compelled to write the words of a special blessing that she wanted to share with others.
The rest, as they say, is history!

Kate's beautiful words are now shown in this inspirational movie (below). It is not about religious beliefs - it is about joy, gratitude, kindness and love. And it has inspired millions of people around the world.

Igor Stravinsky 1882~1971

Google reminded me today that it is Stravinsky's birthday, and I'm so glad they did. It was very interesting to read about his life and I even found a very special 9 minute video that any music lover will enjoy. It is one of those rare videos where the great Stravinsky conducts his own Firebird ..the Lullaby suite at the age of 82. He lived to the age of 88. What I read on his long and very talented and creative life was found on Stravinsky’s Basic Repertoire List on Classical.Net and much more information on Wikipedia’s article on Stravinsky.



Wendell shares a birthday with Stravinsky. Today was his 74th birthday.

Time for a Laugh

Thanks for this, Denny.