iona's blog

Happy Birthday, America

2009-07-04T00:18:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday, America!

This is my birthday tribute to our nation, I pray you are moved and blessed by it:

The Born Again American

And this is a amazing production that will bring tears of love and pride to your eyes and quicken your spirit...

God's Word says:

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none" (Ezek. 22:30).

Will you talk with the Lord daily on behalf of our nation?

That's my most important message of the day. My plans for the 4th include volunteering at the Holy Land Experience, as I do most Saturdays. After that, Richard and I will probably drive to a vantage point outside the Magic Kingdom to view their spectacular pyrotechnic tribute to the USA. The park itself will be far too crowded for us.

We did have an enjoyable afternoon at Animal Kingdom today, even though the parks are always incredibly full over the 4th of July weekend. We didn't start our visit until after Richard got off work at 5:00, so many folks had already left. We rode several rides and never waited more than 10 minutes to get in.

One ride, however was a mistake for me. The roller coaster like ride in Dinosaur Land really hurt my neck. I should have heeded the warning to those with neck and back problems, but the ride looked pretty tame from the outside. Silly me!

PTing Awaaaay

2009-05-14T10:56:00.005-04:00

I began a new medication today. Spiriva. I do pray it helps regain the energy I have lost. My pep slipped away gradually, and I really thought it was my fault... gaining weight, not active enough, yet not being able to get enough air just doing normal activities. In a way, the problem is my fault over the long run because I smoked for so many years.

I've always been a goer and a doer, and I do need exercise to stay healthy, so I am looking forward to good results with this med. They also gave me an "emergency inhaler," like I needed that?!

So, now that I am the typical Florida retiree with a little pill minder divided into daily compartments, I'm gearing up to go see my grandkids, my kids, some kin folk even older than me. And just as we finalized our travel plans, we find out we'll have company. Stephanie, who we have not seen since she returned from Afghanistan will be in Sanford Saturday night. We are full glee and plan to make complete fools of ourselves. We will be gone Sunday, so I need to find folks for my ministries. God works these things out, I've found... usually better than I ever cout

The biggest issue we've been in prayer about is the money. Taking this trip, even avoiding hotels and restaurants, is going to cost more than we will have when it's time to go. We will have some pay deposits from Disney drop into the coffers from time to time, however.

Gleefully Alive

2009-05-12T22:14:00.002-04:00

My day started with a doctor's visit to review some test results. I am thankful for health insurance but discouraged that they will not cover the medication I need and there is no generic. I'll call tomorrow to talk with the insurance company. God will work it all out one way or another.

The true burden on my heart today is concern for my friends who are struggling with the news of five tumors invading his brain. Metastatic cancer. I have prayed most of last night and much of today but have not yet been led to fast.

My Tall Man was off work today. He has Mondays through Wednesdays off but is trying to pick up some extra hours. He is on the pick up list for tomorrow. We leave for our trip next Monday and we don't yet really have enough money. This graduation and the wedding of another grandchild in September are deeply important to us. We continue in prayer, trusting God will make a way.

My new Bank of America card came today. At first, we were hesitant to bank with such a large institution, always before having banked with small, home town banks with people we knew, but when we came to Florida a combination of circumstances led us to open an account at the B of A. Anyway, when I called to activate my new card, I spoke to a lady in Maine. We talked almost 45 minutes. I was able to share the Lord with her and, although she has not accepted Him yet, the seeds are planted and the lady is coming to Florida in July. She may look me up at the Holy Land Experience. God is so amazing!

I visited with son David, daughter-in-law Taunya and granddaughter Trudy this afternoon. What a blessing!

We had a beautiful, drenching rain this evening. We were at the Dollar Tree and the rain came, so glorious to see and smell. I was so happy with it, I walked about in it for a bit.

I am gleefully thankful for a wonderful day of life.

Ups and Downs

2009-05-11T23:38:00.004-04:00

Mother's Day was wonderful. Church blessed me as always. I have been praying for and with four special young men at The Vine who God has laid on my heart, showing me, I believe, a bit of His call for them and leading me to pray earnestly for their protection, development and spiritual growth.

I was so pleased with Anthony's sermon. This was his best one yet, and I see several answers to prayer exhibited in his presentation, willingness to challenge the faith of his hearers rather than seek their approval, and his overall comfort in the pulpit.

I have been nudged by the Holy Spirit to speak with each of these four servants of God about what God is showing me. Two of them already know God awakens me at night to pray for them and discuss their lives and callings and situations. We'll see where all this leads.

As I waited at the church to meet up with Richard and go to Athena and Brian's for dinner, a man showed up saying he had just been burned out of his house. He looked familiar but I have been unable to place him. Richard and I don't carry money, so I had none to give him but did provide some phone numbers and prayed with him. I still pray he received help.

All but one of our children called to wish me Happy Mother's Day, and I had good visits with each one. I discovered Julia had been in an auto accident and has a "mild concussion" I am praying diligently for her, since my first brain injury was also called a "mild concussion," but the next day I was in a coma and then lived the following five years in a wheelchair. Brain trauma is tricky and often misdiagnosed.

Dinner prepared by Athena and dessert created by Brian were superb, as always. They are both gifted chefs by avocation. We didn't stay late. Brian didn't feel well and Richard had been up since the wee hours and was tired.

Today was a day of spiritual and emotional highs and lows...

Long before we moved to Florid, during one of our visits here, I took a photo of Mr. Maynard, the man who played Moses at the Holy Land Experience, telling him I wanted to paint him and promising to bring him a copy of the finished work. I did, indeed, do the painting, but never got around to taking him a copy until recently. But Mr. Maynard was no longer Moses, no longer employed at the Holy Land Experience.

We found Mr. Maynard, now 88, in a nursing home not far from where we live. We delivered his painting today and had a good visit with him. Tomorrow, his kin folks are coming to move him out of state, so I we were just in time! God is SO cool!!

We enjoyed our Small Groups study. Our group is indeed small, but precious and we learn from one another. The fellowship is always sweet.

I just learned that our friend Stan, who is fighting stage four cancer, has five new tumors in his brain. He had been doing SO well. I am calling for prayer, for the Body of Christ to don the full armor of God and follow Him into battle. The victory is His. Even so, my heart aches, a deep wrenching pain fills my spirit and the hot flow of my tears will not be stemmed.

Just as Jesus wept over a friend He knew He would call back to life, so I grieve over my friend for whom I know the Lord has already provided healing... either by curing the cancer here or by providing a perfect body for eternity.

Immigrant's Lament?

2009-05-05T21:25:00.003-04:00

Richard and I spent all day doing little chores. We closed our Kissimmee safe deposit box and will move the contents to our Haines City box. We scoured the second hand shops for props for our Nat'l Day of Prayer stations. We picked up NDP sign money from a generous donor. We took supplies to the church, moved chairs, found a globe, etc., etc., etc.

We knew we were too tired to cook, so we ate at Golden Corral which is quite a bargain for folks our age. Now, home, full and pleasantly tired, I share this excellent "Letter to the Editor" supposedly sent to an Orange County, California newspaper. My grandfather was an immigrant, I'm proud to say, and I can relate to much of what this lady writes, BUT I believe there are many honest, hard-working immigrants who love and honor this country every bit as much as I do. Sadly, though, there are many who do not, so have a read...

Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France, and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people.

When we liberated France, no one in those villages was looking for the French-American or the German-American or the Irish-American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are in 2008 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges, only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags..

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.

(signed) Rosemary LaBonte

Dreaming

2009-05-05T00:27:00.003-04:00

It's been a good day spent mostly just hanging out with Richard. We worked on a jig-saw puzzle, drove around Haines City looking at the construction, trying to visit a little coffee house we like (it was closed), reading and just enjoying being together. We were supposed to attend Small Group tonight, but children were sick at our host home, so we shopped at Sam's for books and jeans, drove around Kissimmee, grabbed cheap food at Wendy's and went to look at a cool house we like.

This house is way below what it would normally be. When we were house hunting in this area in 2007, houses were going for 400,000 and up, and they were not right on the lake. I do love a bargain! Okay, I know that we could probably not sell the house we're in for enough to pay off the mortgage now with the drop in property values, but it was fun to look. We've checked this place out several times now. I am asking the Lord to provide a way if it is His will, but to turn my eyes from this place if it isn't.

Well, it's late and I'm a bit goofy, so I'll head off to bed.

The Master's Master

2009-04-26T23:14:00.003-04:00

God is always teaching me old truths in new lessons. Reminding me to walk in total peace of mind and spirit because he is in control and know the beginning and the end of all things. I had a new lesson this morning... and several throughout the day.

I always prepare the Weekly Prayer Focus late Saturday night so as to include everything that might come in before Sunday. This week, I also needed to prepare a flyer with The Vine's National Day of Prayer details. I print the masters at home and make copies at church before the service.

So, this morning, I decided to print the flyers first because I would need to cut them in half, they were made two to a sheet. After printing, cutting and setting them out, I went back to the copier to print out the Weekly Prayer Focus, proud that I had plenty of time to do a thorough prayer walk before meeting with Jared to pray and prepare the communion.

But the Prayer Focus master was not by the copier where I thought I had left it. Thinking, I may have absent mindedly carried it with me to the office or the foyer, I retraced every step I had made since entering the building. Not there. I prayed. I asked others to pray. And I kept retracing my steps, wasting time I could be spending in my prayer walk. Obviously, if it wasn't in a particular place when I first looked, it wouldn't be there in the second, third, fifth or any subsequent visit.

Finally, I heeded the nudge of the Holy Spirit and did my prayer walk. After all, this was the master's master and He would have to find it, I sure couldn't. God would have to work this out His way. Well, duh! I should have known that from the start!

As I was finishing up my prayer walk in the main children's church room (where the copier lives) I was prompted to look behind the copier... again. This time, however, my gaze was drawn to the thin slit between the desk and the wall. Of course, you have guessed by now. There was my master page!

All my worry and fretting were for naught, but when I placed it in God's hands and left it there, going about the business He has called me to (prayer) He led me right to what I needed... and in plenty of time to make my copies. I just love how He works in my life... and all life.

No One's laughing Now!

2009-04-19T23:50:00.003-04:00

Their Cinderella stories are not connected, but quite alike.

She's and out of work spinster who lives a quiet, humble life in a small Scottish village. Childhood wasn't easy for Susan. She struggled with learning disabilities and endured the ridicule of her classmates. She never married, indeed has never even been kissed. Having devoted her younger years to caring for her siblings and her parents, she now lives alone with her cat Pebbles. Many have labeled her "frumpy."

Quiet and easily embarrassed, Paul is a 38-year old cell phone salesman with a baby face and bad teeth. They both grew up lonely, taunted by others, looked down upon, and taking secret refuge in music, for they each have an incredible, yet undiscovered voice. His appearance, like Susan's, is rather ordinary. They are not among the "beautiful people" at all and are, for most part, unappreciated on all levels.

Somehow, in spite of long histories of rejection, each found the courage to try out in the Britain's Got Talent show similar to American Idol. They were not esteemed. One look and everyone was ready for a laugh at their expense. In fact, both of these unassuming, unbeautiful people were almost ridiculed by their judges and audiences... until they opened their mouths and began to sing!

How fulfilling it was for me to watch their vindication! It is always uplifting and somehow, at least for a small time, life-changing to see the underdog exalted. Christ said the first shall be last and the last shall be first... and even nonbelievers love it when that actually happens in a dramatic way. You'll have to see it to believe it.

I love it that God placed such fantastic (not a strong enough word) gifts in such unfantastic packages! It is a reminder that God has given every person He created a precious and special gift, and only a fool tries to judge by the sight alone. Check this out...

I am not a big UTube fan because it draws me in and I end up on there for hours when I have other things to do, but I have been compulsively visiting these two videos that have so amazed me. Knowing, you, too, will be drawn in, I nonetheless shamelessly urge you to experience these. I promise, you will not get enough!

Here is Susan Boyle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

And now for Paul Potts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

Crisis of Faith

2009-04-16T14:53:00.004-04:00

Like individuals, churches don't often stride boldly away from Bible based truth. They edge away, taking barely perceptible baby steps, only to later find they have strayed so far they no longer think turning back is even needed.

A while back, some churches began the use of "forgiver and leader" instead of the traditional (and Biblical) "Savior and Lord." Words ARE important, and I find that forgiver and leader are so watered down as to render Christ's roles as Savior and Lord impotent. Our lost condition, our need of a Savior as well as Christ's absolute sovereignty are simply not conveyed in the bland wording of forgiver and leader.

When I asked why the new verbiage was coming from so many church leaders, I was truthfully told that many churches have gone to that terminology since today's people don't understand what a Lord is, and that even Rick Warren uses these more modern terms.

I agree people today don't understand Lordship any more than they comprehend their need of a Savior, and they never will unless they are taught. Also, let us not forget the role of the Holy Spirit. We don't have to help God by watering down or dumbing down His word! All we need do is what He has told us to do: pray and preach His Word (the Bible).

Whether it is a matter of important wording, or the lack of Bible teaching, or any other area where your church or its leaders are taking baby steps away from the truth of God's Holy Word, we need to pray, pray, pray. We need to make ourselves familiar with the statement of belief (tenets) of our church. Are they Biblical? Of course, we must also speak with church leadership about any such issue.

A word about Rick Warren. Pray for him, he needs it. Any of us could fall prey to the thrill of fame and the applause of men. I have had deep concerns about his loose play with scripture since I led 40-Days of Purpose small groups (we tested all his statements and scripture quotes using NIV, NASB and King James and found almost a fourth of his text seriously misleading).

But now, as his fame grows, his baby steps away from truth have become bold strides into outright lies and a public acceptance of homosexual life styles and agendas. These two short videos say it all:

Rick Warren in support of Proposition 8:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o4QqGbQmU0

On Larry King Live, Rick Warren denies support of Proposition 8, apologizes to gay friends:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYIWSyMrhRA

My heart is heavy that the potential of so many mega churches is lost because the focus is on numbers at any cost, rather than having people counting the costs as Jesus admonished in Luke 14:25-35. Jesus' teachings were "hard to swallow" even to the people of his day, yet He never watered them down. Neither should we. He is still Savior and Lord!

____________________________________

And my day was like this...

I had a 9:45 doctor's appointment this morning and didn't get home until after 2:00! True, I had to wait a while, and true, I spend about 20 minutes with the new nurse practitioner, but the bulk of my time was wasted on trying to electronically coordinate between doctor, pharmacy and insurance carrier about a new medication I need. Funny, long ago when I was in high school, we all believed the "computer age" would bring about a time of increased efficiency and added hours of leisure each day. Sometimes I think our advances technology has lost more time that it's worth.

On the other side of the coin, preparing and filing income taxes is tons easier now. We e-filed our returns last night. Quick and easy and we have a receipt that the IRS has them, proof we filed.

I had planned to go to the local Tea Party on the steps of City Hall, but decided to have a scheduled lunch with my Red Hat Society group instead. I protest the insanity coming from Washington by writing, emailing and phoning my representatives and the White House often. And I pray, which is the most powerful thing I can do.

To Go or Not to Go

2009-04-14T01:47:00.003-04:00

We are tentatively planning a road trip for late May, We've been talking about this trip since last year when hopes for the 2009 annual reunion faded, so we decided on a country-wide road trip to see our kids, grandkids, great. grandkids, etc. Now two important dates are taking place: In May, the lovely Bethany is graduating in Denver and will head off to boot camp soon thereafter; and in September, the handsome Darel will wed the damsel Morgan whether she's in distress or not. Problem is they are in different paces at far apart times. We cannot logically combine the trips, and to go on either entails taking on some credit card debt.

We had our first meeting of our new small group series tonight, Topic: Christian Finances. Maybe this study will help us hear what God would have us decide about our trips.

Easter

2009-04-12T21:06:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter!

A busy but beautiful Easter for me. Of course, I was a t church this morning. It was packed! More people than I had ever seen in that space. I cleaned as quickly as possible when the service was over, then went on over the The Holy Land Experience to serve. I have been serving there every day and evening of the Easter days celebration. The crowds have been large and I've met and prayed with many wonderful people.

But for now, a headache has overtaken me and I am going to close up shop for my brain until tomorrow.

The Last Adam

2009-04-09T23:41:00.000-04:00

The Last Adam was amazing! It's a Broadway style "fully staged, fully costumed, full-length production" offered free to the public by The Holy Land Experience. I'm a Holy Land volunteer so I see their high quality productions all the time, but this was over the top, as they say.

If you live in the Orlando area, you are never lacking for something to do, and much of it is free or at least affordable. We find annual passes make sense. Even the higher priced ones like Disney World are a great buy. You get tons of top quality entertainment in this area, lots of bang for your buck.

There are the theme parks and I already wrote about out excursion on Tuesday, when we went on a luncheon cruise aboard the Rivership Romance. We have discovered mural towns, secret nature hireaways, all sorts of great places to explore and enjoy.

Well, before my brain just quits and you get gibberish like yesterday, actually, I am deleting the gibberish. Good night and God bless!

Wonders in the Wind

2009-04-07T23:08:00.004-04:00

Last Christmas, Athena bought us a gift card for a 4-hour river cruise on which lunch was served. Hoping for warmer weather, we opted to reserve out cruise in April, little knowing our date would be in a cold snap.

Leaving from Sanford, The Rivership Romance takes a four-hour trek up the St. John river, then returns to port in Sanford. A surprisingly delicious luncheon is served during this trip, and live entertainment adds enjoyment and interest, but my favorite feature of this excursion was the river itself with its abundant wildlife and Florida flora all along the banks.

Blustery winds and unseasonably low temperatures (for Florida) were no problem since we dined in a cozy booth by a large window and later gathered on an enclosed upper deck for live music and comic banter.

After our cruise, we headed east looking for back roads to explore as we made our way toward the Atlantic Ocean. Once there, we found a lonely stretch of white sand beach and walked in the wind until we were both convinced it was time to settle onto our beach towel and just enjoy each other and the special sights, sounds and scents of the sea.

My heart has been heavy these past few days over issues and people very dear to me, so today's outing was especially welcome. It gave Richard and I a chance to pray about and discuss these situations in settings that reminded us continually of God's ever-present care and the fact He will work things out IF we trust Him and follow HIS plans rather than trying to manipulate people and circumstances toward a specific outcome.

2009-04-06T00:36:00.003-04:00

Our pastor, Mike, does an amazing job of presenting Biblical Truth in a way that reaches the mind, emotions and spirit of his hearers. He did it again today leading us into the difficult links between suffering and growth and salvation.

It was good to see God's House so clean, the grounds looking so well groomed. We had a Spring Cleaning workday Saturday. It was such a blessing to work with those who came and have freedom to clean whatever I wanted. I am normally not supposed the clean the areas the paid cleaner does.

Good Stuff

2009-04-04T23:08:00.000-04:00

Rain! We needed it. We've prayed for it. We finally got it. Of course, we need more.

The only downside to this mornings rain besides of course, that we need more, is that our Bible class was cancelled. I went over to the church anyway. The weather has never stopped me from trying to go. I've gotten myself in trouble a few times over that, but that's for another blog on another day.

I cleaned at the church and planned to clean at home, too, but by the time I had my lunch with the Lord (I do my Bible study and prayer with lunch) I was sleepy and napped away for about two hours.

One of the highlights of my day was discovering http://www.macheist.com/bundle/u/315105/ where I found some great solutions for managing my iPhone apart from iTunes and recording my old tapes into MP3, Quicktime or any other format I want. I was able to solve some other problems, too, plus there were some cool Mac aps and games I really liked. All for $39! NOW THAT I'VE TRIED THEM, I CAN RECOMMEND THEM TO YOU. If you have a Mac, I sincerely suggest you check this out.

Speaking of good deals, am I the only one on the planet that didn't know about the 49¢ hamburger Wednesdays at McDonald's? We were on one of our wandering around adventures last Wednesday and stopped at McDonalds to grab a quick bite. Wow! What a great deal!

The best deal of all, though, was the manna-like provision of God. Here's the story... a after driving all sorts of wilderness roads like we do, we discovered it was late and we were virtually out of gas. We usually both watch the gauge as we drive, but HE didn't notice until the low fuel light came on. We asked the Garmin to find the closest gas station. It wasn't close and before we got to it, our car switched from telling us how many miles before Empty to flashing the LOW FUEL light. We prayed we would make the station 42 miles away... and we made it!

But when we got to the station, it was closed. We prayed and kept driving. Finally, after even more miles, we found an open station. All the time we drove, we saw only one other car. It took 15.7 gallons to fill the tank, which the manual says holds about 15 gallons but not all can be drawn from the tank. In effect, considering how far we drove after each of the warnings kicked in, we should have run out of gas long before we made it to the station.

Good stuff!

God and Country?

2009-03-31T00:39:00.007-04:00

A lazy Monday. It is Richard's day off after his work week, so we treat it like a Saturday. He mowed and I worked on some computer things, then we played a borrowed board game, Ticket to Ride. Good game, I beat the Tall Man both times we played.

Not much exciting to write about. We had a cheap but very good Boston butt pork roast meal. I only paid $2.39/lb. for it. I baked an angel food cake yesterday and we had it with strawberries and whipped cream. Now,. since the most stimulating thing I can think to write about is dinner, perhaps we should look at this:

Some say it came from Andy Rooney, I don't know, but here it is. I may put it up on my web site.

GOD & COUNTRY
There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.

As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view. It is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see on the wall right above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments!

James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement:" We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."

Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said:
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777.

Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies.

Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law . An oligarchy, the rule of few over many.

The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said:
"Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."

How, then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 220 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional? How can we justify imprisoning a paster for denouncing the new policy of silencing the Christians while giving preferential voice to all other religious and/or ethnic views and doctrines?

Religion as a Hobby?

2009-03-16T17:50:00.002-04:00

Recently USA Today ran a front page story on the changing religious face of America as they perceive it. Sadly, the polls were unscientific and skewed and the interviews focused on people who would reinforce the author's spin on the story, which made the whole piece so far off base that it was uninteresting as well as uninformative. The article did do one thing, though, it led to a particularly shocking comment from daughter Athena.

Athena, an agnostic, seems to think that religion is one of my hobbies. As my daughter, I thought she would know me better than that, but then she explained her assumption. A hobby is what interests you, she says, it is what you spend your time, energy and money on. A hobby is something you are enthusiastic about and pour yourself into. Okay, I can see how a nonbeliever might make such a statement. Without an understanding of the terms, the uninitiated assume Christianity and religion are somehow closely related when, in fact, they are almost always at opposite poles.

Religion is man trying to work his way to, reach, please, impress or in any way influence God. True Christianity is God doing all the "work," reaching out to man who has to do nothing except receive the gift offered Him... pure Grace.

Then, in relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Trinity), man is drawn through love to do things pleasing to God. Such works are not self-serving but a natural outpouring of God's love for man acting through the believer.

A misunderstanding of this concept is what leads people to believe they have to "get good" to "get God." Nothing could be more false. The same misconception also leads to a misguided understanding of salvation, Christianity and the personhood of God. People fail to realize they HAVE to do something with Jesus. They can reject Him in any number of ways, including ignoring Him, or they accept Him as Savior and Lord. In the end, it falls one way or the other. All will have a chance to choose, and all will be responsible for their choice.

My faith is not a hobby; it is not something I DO, rather it is WHO I AM. I am a child of God and will live eternally. When God looks at me, He no longer sees my sin; He sees only the righteousness of Jesus who, in a single transaction paid the full debt for all my pas, present and future sins. Nothing about that could remotely be as mundane as a hobby.

I've Got Mail

2009-03-14T22:23:00.004-04:00

Richard called in sick for about the 5th time in 35 years. He was hot and feverish all day but plans to work tomorrow. I wish he would take the time to get well, even though he usually recovers almost immediately on the rare occasion he gets ill. I also pray I don't get what he has because I seem to catch every bug that comes down the pike.

For a change, I was off the computer nearly all day. I hopped online to do the Weekly Prayer Focus for church tomorrow but didn't even pick through my personal email. I get many emails daily because of http://ionanet.com and other web sites I do, so just "checking my mail" can turn into a three hour chore and I get nothing done. Either that or I am on it all day as each new message comes in.

The best way for me to deal with email is to direct all except the church mail to one place then read/answer each segment with a modified form letter. A lot of my mail is from folks with similar issues/questions/problems, so I can add a personal touch to the same list of links or scripture quotes or encouraging statements, etc.

But sometimes, like today, I am just too involved with other things to get into any but the most urgent mail. The exception, of course, is church prayer request mail. So, my mail will wait until after church tomorrow.

Trippin'

2009-03-13T15:07:00.003-04:00

I've been at the Sandestin Hilton with three of my beautiful daughters and my precocious and darling grandbaby, Peyton. The time was glorious and all these young ladies gorgeous, and I am so very thankful to have been part of it all. Here are some select photos of the trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ionaruth/sets/72157615201662780/

All my girls are witty and bright, so when any of them are together, the give and take is brisk, full of satire and humor... often too much for me to follow. I must admit I have trouble keeping track of all their conversations even though I love being included.

Athena and I left after a second visit (this time with Kim, Tami and Peyton) to Senor Mojitos Waterfront Grill. I chose a wild and funky chicken sandwich with pineapple and outrageous sauce. On our first visit when we stopped here on our way to the Hilton, Athena and I shared a bucket of blue crabs and I had it all over myself.

Well, I am out of time, out of energy and out of words, so will sign off. Don't forget to check out the pictures.

Girls Week Out

2009-03-10T23:17:00.002-04:00

I am in Sandestin, FL with three of my daughters and my youngest granddaughter. We are at the Hilton with the Colorado National Guard paying for the room. Kim is a Lt. Colonel in the Guard and is here for s conference. She came to a similar conference here last year and I joined her then also. This year Tami and Athena are also sharing in this mini-vacation.

The beach is wonderful, and we hope to spend some more time out there tomorrow. Today, Athena and I went to the spa and were pampered royally. She had a facial and I indulged in a "Serenity Massage" that lasted 50 minutes. Ahhhh. Thanks, Kim!!

This evening, they had a "Social" on the expansive deck with lots of great food. The was a rather cool breeze, but the event was quite enjoyable anyway. We were chilly enough to get excited about the hot tub where we spent an hour before retiring to our room.

Athena and I will head back home tomorrow after dinner since she needs to be back at work Thursday morning. The best part of the whole thing has been spending time with my wonderful daughters and Peyton, who could melt any heart.

What a blessing this time has been!

Nothing in Secret

2009-03-03T23:49:00.002-05:00

It has long been my goal to live in such a way that the only secrets I need to keep are the fun ones like a birthday surprise or coordinating a special outing with a twist. I long to make my loved ones proud of me and to bring joy to the Lord. Of course, I fall far short of these goals, but as I become ever more committed to a life of transparency, I see that it has indeed been changing me all along.

Except as it pertains to spreading the Gospel, I find I care less and less about what others think. I am not here to please or impress anyone except God. If possible, I want to avoid offending anyone, yet all the while knowing my stand for Christ is, by definition, a stand against abortion, homosexuality and other practices God has clearly denounced as sin.

Someone I love dearly once said of me, "She's always trying to shove Jesus down our throats." I was confused since I had said little to her about her faith, and I had not pushed her about hers. In fact I had thought her to be a believer as she had once claimed to be. What came about was this: Yes, she's a Christian, but thinks I get too carried away with it. Hmmm.

I am still praying about the letter I wrote to Scott's parole board. I have not yet sent it but it needs to go out this week.

Tomorrow, Crystal has no military duties and we will spend the day together, Richard, Crystal and I. I have a 10:00 am appointment with someone at the Holy Land Experience and then the day is ours! I need to get some sleep but am wide awake, excited as a four-year old about tomorrow.

Dinner with Friends, Drugs, too!

2009-03-02T23:42:00.005-05:00

Crystal is in town! She's here for a National Guard conference they send her to every year at this time. We met her this afternoon and drove over to Athena's, but Athena and Brian were still at work so we browsed around Goodwill for a while.

Athena and Brian can turn anything into a feast fit for royalty with almost no notice. Tonight, Athena was the chef and we indulged in great appetizers to rev up our taste buds for buffalo/hamburger patties specially seasoned and cooked on cast iron over an open wood fire and served on fresh baked French buns. Crystal, Athena and I stood around the fire before and after our meal. There's something primitively satisfying about an open fire and a chilly night. People open up and talk. We had a good visit.

Had a great day but am tired and have never finished my paper piles yet. Time with by honey and my girls is much more important. I'm doubly blessed because they're more than family, they're my friends, too!
__________________________________

Drug Cost Shocker!
Excerpted from a magazine article:
Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the active ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must cost a lot, since many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA. As we have revealed in past issues of Life Extension, a significant percentage of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made in other countries. In our independent investigation of how much profit drug companies really make, we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some of the most popular drugs sold in America.

The data below speaks for itself:

Celebrex: 100 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $ 0.60

Claritin: 10 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71

Keflex: 250 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88

Lipitor: 20 mg
Consumer Price (100 tab lets): $272.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80

Paxil: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60

Prevacid: 30 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01

Prilosec: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
Cost of general active ingredients $0.52

Prozac: 20 mg (After reading this, you'll need some Prozac)
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11

Tenormin: 50 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13

Vasotec: 10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20

Xanax: 1 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024

Zestril: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89
Cost of general active ingredients $3.20

Zithromax: 600 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19
Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78

Zocor: /B 40 mg
Co nsumer price (100 tablets): $350.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63

Zoloft: 50 mg
Consumer price: $206.87
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75

Price Gouging by Pharmacies
Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, people opt for generics when possible. This helps to solve the mystery as to why they can afford to put a Walgreen's on every corner. Several years ago, Steve Wilson, an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in Detroit, did a story on generic drug price gouging by pharmacies. He found in his investigation, that some of these generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more. Yes, that's not a typo - three thousand percent! So often, we blame the drug companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in this case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves. For example, if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you think you are 'saving' $20. What the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only cost him $10!

At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr. Wilson whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over their cost for the generic drugs.

I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug and get its online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent with the online prices. I was appalled.
http://www.costco.com/Pharmacy/frameset.asp?
I checked on the drug Compazine which helps prevent nausea. I checked the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100 pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I could have got 150 at Costco for $28.08.

I would like to mention, that although Costco is a 'membership' type store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there. You just tell them at the door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in. (this is true)

This can be verified by clicking on the following link:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/generic.asp

Terrific Tuesday

2009-02-24T23:52:00.000-05:00

We had a great Tuesday. Richard dropped me off at the Holy Land Experience and drove over to the mall to wait until I was finished with an appointment. The lady I was to see was busy, so I had an hour to be blessed in other ways. I went to the play depicting Jesus' ministry... very accurate presentation! Then the Holy Spirit led me away quickly down a path to where a woman sat weeping on a bench. There was no one else in that area. She needed to talk with someone and also needed prayer. I was humbled and honored to be the one God sent to her.

After my meeting, Richard and I went to Circuit City to check out their Going Out of Business Sale. We were not impressed. Most of the items could be bought cheaper at Sam's Club, and the sales staff were overtly rude! Also, they claimed they had no working restrooms. I suggested they fix at least one or close the store. Of course, they just didn't want anyone in the back area where the restrooms are.

Next, we had lunch at Red Lobster using a gift card we got for Christmas from our friend Sam. Lunch is really a value compared to their dinner menu. I had a huge, shrimp laden lunch for $9.50.

Scott called from prison, but the call wasn't the usual blessing his calls have been. This time we discussed his upcoming parole hearing and his plans after release (if he is released). He plans to return to where he lived when he committed his crimes, which I feel is a dangerous mistake. He doesn't see that being around the same people (drinking buddies, etc.) is a problem, nor does he believe drinking is a problem for him. I am praying for the Lord to open his eyes, also that the parole hearing go in the direction of God's perfect will. I admit I don't know what I hope for about parole.

Richard and I spent a lazy and pleasant afternoon. I napped a while, Richard got out a jigsaw puzzle, a good, hard one, and we worked on it much of the evening. Now, I leave you with this fun solution to the onslaught of sales pushers.

Tips for Handling Telemarketers & Junk Mail

(1) Say, 'Hold On, Please...' Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt. Then when you eventually hear the phone company's 'beep-beep-beep' tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task.

(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end? This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone. This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a 'real' sales person to call back and get someone at home.

What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times as quickly as possible. This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer!!!

(3) Junk Mail Help:
When you get 'ads' enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these 'ads' with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail away..

When you get those 'pre-approved' letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope. Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them more postage 'IF' and when they receive them back. Why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little, postage-paid return envelopes.

One of Andy Rooney's (60 minutes) ideas.
Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express . Send a pizza coupon to Citibank. If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their blank application back! If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anythin g you send them. You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just to keep them guessing! It still costs them postage.

The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks, we need to OVERWHELM them. Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all they're paying for it... Twice!

Let's help keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits, and that's why they need to increase postage costs again You get the idea!

Take Up Your Cross

2009-02-23T23:44:00.003-05:00

We have fantastic news. Our oldest daughter Stephanie is back in the states after spending a very long time in Afghanistan. We are so thankful she is safe and that we will probably see her in just a short while along with two of her sisters, also in the military, I will soon be spending several days in Destin, FL with Kim, Tami and (I hope) Stephanie. Granddaughter Peyton will be there, too! I have begun an online family album. You can see some pictures of my family there.

I just saw an interview with Arthur Blessitt on TBN. Blessitt is the man who carried a cross all around the world. He walked with his 12-foot cross for 40 years! He is the subject of the movie The Cross, due out March 27. His web site includes a clickable list of all the nations he went through and his own commentaries about each, often written at the time. I have enjoyed it greatly, and plan to spend more time reading of his cross-bearing journeys.

In Matt. 16:24, Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." This calls us to be God-centered rather than self-centered; to live for Christ instead of ourselves; and to accept the rejection of the world because we have chosen to follow Jesus.

And in Matt. 11:30, He said, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Yoke here means, "the service of God as I teach it," and it is light in comparison to the yokes of religiosity and those we place on ourselves. There is also the Lord's promise to be always with us, helping us bear our cross. He is an ever present help.

I am so easily drawn to all the distractions of this world and am prone to overindulge even in the things God placed here for our benefit and enjoyment... like food. My recent prayer focus has been to be more filled with the Holy Spirit, or I should say more able to know His leading and follow it, no matter what or where or when... that I would indeed take up my cross and follow Jesus.

I Lost It Again

2009-02-21T17:29:00.003-05:00

What a day it's been. On Saturdays, I try to get prayer and praise updates for Sunday's Prayer Focus. I spent most of today looking for a paper from Wednesday night on which were written prayer requests. I prayed as I looked everywhere, and I even asked the Lord if He was going to lead me to another snake before my quest was done. Well, He led me to a snake the other day when I lost my teeth.

So now I have wasted the whole day and still cannot find the paper. I so hate to let people down. God deserves my best... but then, the Holy Spirit reminds me that He already knows I have tried with all my might... He may be leading me to learn better strategies. One strategy is to prepare a three-ring binder and place all prayer stuff in it in reverse chronological order. I did that this afternoon, and I am now leaving the problem at the cross.

My friend Marie-Terese always adds the most marvelous blessings to her emails, and I wanted to pass them on to you. I love and pray for all my readers, everyone who takes the time to share my thoughts and my life via this blog. So, here are MT's blessings passed to you with an added prayer from me:

Hope your day is shinning. Brimming with laughter and joy.
Hope your day is still smiling and the gift is our present.
My Happy and Smiling Praying Friend, Enjoy the rest of the day and into the quietness of the night.
Hope you are smiling with your day.
You are the best for being your wonderful self.

So, you get the idea. She just radiates joy, and I am so blessed to have her as a friend.

SOME NOTES ON PRAYER
I have seen God do marvelous things over the years, and I'm sure you have, too... but I am equally certain that the workings of God we notice are just the tip of the iceberg. Scripture tells us, and our own lives bears it out, that God delights in giving His children good gifts. He has made great promises to those who love Him and are "called according to his purpose." Who? All followers of Christ Jesus, all who claim Jesus as Savior and Lord.

What about the struggles, the times of illness, pain and even death... where is God then? Right there with you... longing for you to talk over with Him your fears, doubts, pain, broken heart. He is right in the thick of it reaching out for you to take His hand, ready to lovingly lead you to the paths of peace. This isn't a sweet sounding, idle promise. Consider this:

The creator and sustainer of the universe wants to be your most intimate friend. He is not a genie in a bottle, but He is Jehovah Jira, the God who provides, who meets our needs... and He wants you to share your day with Him, spend some time just chatting, getting to know Him. Prayer is like that. Talking to someone who thinks you are marvelous, wonderful and exciting... One who loves you more completely than anyone else.

Start right now to spend more time with your Biggest Fan. Whisper to Him all through your daily activities, make little comments to Him as you shop or work. Sing a prayer to Him while you drive or shower. The Bible makes two interesting promises. 1) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 2) Resist the Devil and he will flee.

Then, when trouble rides in on one giant wave after another, you'll realize your "friend that's closer than a brother" is right there with you and has promised to never let you be tested or troubled beyond endurance. He has also promised to work ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD for you (Rom 8:28-29). Your faith will have grown as you developed a habit of prayer, and with it your peace, that peace surpassing understanding, will be greater than you could imagine. It's true, 'cause it's in the BOOK!