Saturday, December 10, 2011

Saturday Sunshine


It's a beautiful Saturday morning! Cold, but beautiful. I hope you're all enjoying this day.

We had a great time with Stephanie and her husband Don yesterday. It was so good getting to know new friends, and to find we have much in common. And when I think of how we met ... just goes to show me once again, how God orders our steps when we least expect it. I was a patient, Stephanie was one of my nurses and that led to a friendship that goes beyond hospital walls. I'm so thankful.

We also went to the Library yesterday afternoon and I picked up 4 books to read...I started my first one last nite and it's called The Walk by Richard Evans. Already I can tell it's going to be a good book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading.

What are YOU doing today? Christmas shopping? Working? Resting? Whatever it is, may your day be blessed and may you know the peace that only God can give.


Blessings to you all!
Love,
Louise

Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas!


Good Friday morning Family!

Isn't it good to be alive? Yep, I think so! Life, even with its problems, is so precious and I sincerely hope each person reading this, knows first-hand this truth.  I love each of you and sincerely hope and pray that this Christmas is a blessed one for you!

Clyde and I are having lunch today with a new friend and her husband. Stephanie was one of my nurses while I was in the hospital this last time. She is a sweet lady who also lives close to us and attends the same church as Darrel Manuel, Clyde's cousin. What a small world we live in. And what a blessing to know her.

While I was in the hospital, they were able to diagnose what is wrong with my feet. Finally! It's a condition called Erythromelalgia and is quite rare....what else would I have, right? They researched and consulted and came to the conclusion that plain old aspirin is the best course of therapy (and inexpensive too) and it has helped a great deal. Thank the Lord for good doctors!  It seems I will always have pain, but for the most part, it's manageable. Just knowing what this condition is, is a blessing.

Don't forget to pray for Tony B....he's having heart surgery this Monday, Dec.

That's about all for now, take care!

Love to all,
Louise



Monday, August 15, 2011

Pineapple Pie

Easy Summer Ice Box Pie


1 Large Box Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained
8 ounce container of sour cream
Large cool whip
Graham Cracker Pie Crust

In bowl, mix the Vanilla pudding with the pineapple and sourcream. Stir well.

Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and put into refrigerator for about 2 hours or until
well chilled. Top with cool whip and serve.

This is really good!




Just checking....

I'm just checking to see if anyone reads this blog. If you do, how about giving us your favorite recipe(s) to share with those who do read this?

All you have to do is comment at the end of this post, or send me an email.

Hope you're all doing well and enjoying the Summer, or what's left of it!

Happy Birthday one day late to Lukas...he's 16 yrs old.



Christian Faith

"The Christian faith is about a relationship with Someone who loves you and who has given you the freedom to be His friend. The further we get from that freedom, the further we get from New Testament Christianity and the more our Christianity resembles every other religion, merely a system for keeping the baser instincts of human nature in check. In other words, Christianity becomes a system of rules and regulations. If we live by them, our Christianity becomes pure drudgery with a vague hope that God will reward us in heaven for the drudgery. If we don't live by them, we either lie about it or give up altogether."


Steve Brown

Monday, August 8, 2011

Something to ponder....

"You know,"  Liesl said now, tucking a hand in my arm as we walked. "I have to tell you something I have been thinking about for a long time, ever since Uncle Abe died."

"Yes?"

"I notice that the English are always saying, 'I'm sorry for your loss, so sorry for your loss.' It is an appropriate expression, I suppose."

"I nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"But for me," she continued, "what I realized is that at other times when things are going well and a person is finding herself to be quite successful and affluent, earning and achieving and expanding, what I would like to say is 'I am sorry for your gain.'

I couldn't help but laugh, asking what on earth she meant.

"Just that the ways of God's people are not the ways of this world. Success and money and achievement can be a terrible hindrance to one's spiritual life. At least at times of loss, we are reminded of our priorities, of our many blessings. In times of gain, we can so often lose our way. This is why the Amish stress simplicity in all things at all times, because nothing should ever be allowed to turn our eyes away from what is truly important, from the cross."

Excerpt from Secrets of Harmony Grove, pgs 361, 362
by  Mindy Clark Starns

Monday, July 18, 2011

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Miss Paizley

Isn't she adorable?
She's the daughter of Melissa Jent.

Summer in the City...

Think our firemen have it easy? Look below...
On one of the hottest days we've had this Summer,
July 11, after really bad storms, this
is a part of what Jamie has to do.


Thank the Lord for firemen!
Thank you Jamie! Jeremy too!

Monday, July 4, 2011

July 4th


A happy July 4th to you, wherever you may be today.






I read this on another blog and thought it fitting for all to read...


In God We Trust: Happy 4th of July!

As you listen to our National Anthem consider the 4th and final verse and pray for our poor country. We will only continue to be the "land of the free and home of the brave" to the degree that we honor the "Power" that has "preserved us a nation." Pray that all patriots put their trust in God and obey his laws which were made for our happiness. When we throw out the laws of God, we guarantee the misery of our country and our people.


Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

 by Mary Ann Kreitzer




Christians...


"Christians no longer need to pretend to be better than anyone else. We don't have to put on any show of being good, for we know we are not. We are not good, we are forgiven; and so we are free to be honest before God and before others. We are free to be ourselves. We have given up trying to be good little boys and girls, and whenever we catch ourselves striving to please either God or others by dint of moral effort, we are the sort of people who react to this danger signal by falling on our faces before the Lord. For one of the secret privileges of being His child is knowing that it is all right to fail. It is all right to get tired, as His followers we know that if we are ever truly to reflect His goodness or His power, it will not be by human effort by only by grace."


Author Unknown

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Stephanie






8th Grade Graduation...where has the time gone?

Perri


Perri's play at school. She was the reporter.

Erica


Erica's dance recital

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Father's Day, 2011


My Dad. Amigo. Schmeeg. So many memories, so many good times I had with the man that I was blessed to call my Father. I loved the relationship him and I shared. All the dinners, all the donuts, all the thrift stores, all the yard sales, all the talks on his swing, or in our yards, or on the phone. He was my soft place to fall, the one who I always looked up to, the one I admired beyond words, the one I loved with all of my heart. I love you, Dad, and miss you so much. Happy Fathers Day !!




Mike. My husband, the father of my children, my friend, my protector. I thank you for sharing life with me, for giving me our two beautiful children, for taking such good care of us, for being such a hard worker, for never giving up on me, for never giving up on us. I look forward to spending the rest of our lives together, to making new memories, to continue to grow old together. I can't picture my life without you. I love you for everything you are, for all the goodness you possess, for loving me even thru the hard times....you are lifelong love...Happy Fathers Day !!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Perri Rae

Congratulations to our Granddaughter
Perri Rae Moore



This was her last year at grade school and she was
voted Citizen of the Year
and made the Principal's List.

We are so proud of you and we love you!
Gram & Papa Moore

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Are you an enemy?




Are You an Enemy of God?

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God. (James 4:4)

For good or ill, without question our children imitate us. What they see in us — our values, actions, and speech — significantly influence them. After giving four reasons for the quarrels and conflicts we face in our families and communities, James the apostle summarizes his words with a stinging indictment. He calls his audience — the converted Jews, the twelve tribes dispersed abroad — adulteresses. This is not the first time God refers to his covenant people with such disdain (see also Isa. 1:21, Jer. 3:3-10). This term is a common prophetic portrayal of faithless Israel. In Deuteronomy 31:16, as Moses is facing death and Israel is soon to enter into the Promised Land, Yahweh tells him that his people will play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, that they will forsake him and break his covenant which he had made with them. He vividly portrays this in Ezekiel 16:23-26 after reporting how he had rescued his people from helplessness as new born infants, cleansing them, taking them into his care. They rewarded his faithfulness by whoring after other gods in a most horrid and lascivious manner. And we see how God punished his servant Solomon who began his kingly reign as one who loved God (1 Kings 3:1ff) and soon enough 'loved foreign women,' going after the wicked gods of Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom (1 Kings 11:1ff). James says that friendship with the world is proof of hostility toward God. What does he mean by 'friendship with the world?' John addresses the issue (1 John 2:15-17), saying that one who loves the world does not have the love of God in him. Jesus says that the coming of the Son of Man is like the days of Noah, when men were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away (Matt. 24:37-38). In other words Noah was warning people of the coming judgment of God but they continued living as they always had, totally oblivious to their peril.

Recently our house was without hot water on a Sunday morning so I went to my local workout facility to shave and shower. I was amazed at how Sunday was 'just another day' to so many people. They were 'eating and drinking', apparently giving no thought whatsoever to their souls, preferring instead to feed their flesh on the Lord’s Day while their souls languished. Thus friendship with the world is thinking, valuing, or acting in ways contrary to God’s law. It means living as though one is not accountable to the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. This hostility toward God reveals itself in numerous ways. Some mock God, saying, 'Let us tear their fetters apart, let us cast away their cords from us' (Psa. 1:1-2). In other words, 'Why should we be restricted by God! We will do as we please.' Others are enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things (Phil. 3:18-19). That is, they do not see the centrality of the cross for personal, familial, ecclesiastical, or national living. They go first to the latest studies on how to rear children or how to solve our economic problems, without realizing that man’s greatest and most foundational need is to be in right relationship with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In summary James is saying that one who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

This begs at least two questions — are you an enemy of God and what does this do to your children? While the blood of Christ removes the wrath and condemnation of God from the true follower of Jesus (Rom. 3:24-26, 1 John 2:2, 4:10) some want to push this further by saying that God is never angry with the Christian. This is both dangerous and unbiblical. We are told that God can be pleased with our actions (1 John 3:22, Col. 1:10, 3:20, Heb. 13:16). If he can be pleased then he conversely can be displeased (Hos. 9:4, Isa. 1:14, Jer. 6:20). Further, we are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30), and we know that Jesus wondered or marvelled at the unbelief of those in his home town (Mark 6:6). Clearly Jesus was angry with Peter when Peter told him that he would not allow Jesus to be arrested. Jesus rebuked him by saying, 'Get behind Me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s' (Matt. 16:21-25).

It’s like this — a father, walking hand in hand with his four year old, finding his child breaking free from his grasp and venturing into a street of heavy traffic, watches helplessly as he narrowly escapes being hit by a car that comes to a screeching halt. The first emotion of the father is relief, but the second will likely be anger. Why? Because he loves his son and does not want him needlessly to suffer! Likewise, to be sure the wrath of God is removed by Christ’s atoning or propitiating death, but he still is angry with his people who persist in sinful rebellion against him.

So, one way you know you love the world and consequently are an enemy of God is when your values are contrary to the six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13). As a baptized and professing follower of the Lord Jesus you ought to be all about hallowing God’s name, seeking his glory above everything else in your life. You ought to be all about the salvation of sinners in all the nations of the world. You ought to be zealous in submitting joyfully to God in every circumstance of life, of being content with your daily bread, of being able to forgive others who have wronged you, of being so zealous for holiness that you are careful to avoid temptation that could plunge you into eternal ruin (Heb. 10:26-31). If you are not 'all about' these things then you are an enemy of God. And on the other hand, if you are 'all about' seeking first the kingdom of heaven, of earnestly praying for, labouring for, and delighting in the six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, then you are a friend of God. His smile is on your life. He is pleased with you.

Your children are watching you. What are they seeing? Do they see a parent who says he loves Jesus but who exhibits a love for the world, whose life is set on mammon, who lives contrary to the Lord’s Prayer? Surely we all fail in this to some degree, but we must repent. How? Get a fresh glimpse of the beauty and loveliness of Jesus, remembering how you were an enemy of God, how you were without hope and without God, how you were headed to perdition. Then remember God’s mercy to you in Christ. Dwell on his glory and power. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir within you a love for the things he loves and a hatred for the things he hates. The only way to get it is to go daily into the 'sanctuary' (Psa. 63:1-2, 73:15-20), to spend long periods of time in sweet communion with him.


This article by
Rev. Allen M Baker, Pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

If cats could use computers...

Family...

Worry

This from Randy Alcorn:

Worry is momentary atheism crying out for correction by trust in a good and sovereign God. Paul, whom we seldom think of as vulnerable, wrote, “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. … But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” God uses suffering to break us of self-dependence and bring us to rely on him.




http://ref.ly/2Co1.8f

Friday, April 22, 2011

The Crucifixion of Jesus



Crucifixion


A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died
By Dr. C. Truman Davis*

A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion.
From New Wine Magazine, April 1982.
Originally published in Arizona Medicine,
March 1965, Arizona Medical Association.

Several years ago I became interested in the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ when I read an account of the crucifixion in Jim Bishop's book, The Day Christ Died. I suddenly realized that I had taken the crucifixion more or less for granted all these years - that I had grown callous to its horror by a too-easy familiarity with the grim details. It finally occurred to me that, as a physician, I did not even know the actual immediate cause of Christ's death. The gospel writers do not help much on this point. Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, they undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified ... and they crucified Him."

Despite the gospel accounts silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. In my personal study of the event from a medical viewpoint, I am indebted especially to Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who did exhaustive historical and experimental research and wrote extensively on the topic.

An attempt to examine the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate1 God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion we can examine in some detail. What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture?

Gethsemane

The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV).

Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock.

Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face.

Before Pilate

In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion.

Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.

The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped.

Mockery

The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited into the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed.

Golgotha

In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa.

In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed the Jews.

The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes, and the titulus reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place.

The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified.

On the Cross

As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of this feet.

At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided.

The Last Words

Spasmodically, He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded.

The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice6 for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do."

The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."

The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John , the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother."

The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart.

The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels."

The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV).

A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had been completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."

Death

The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary.

Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.

Resurrection

In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward his fellow man and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed.

But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man--the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning.

*Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Smile...

Easter

Easter is almost here...what are some of your favorite memories of this time of year? What does Easter mean to you? I'd like to hear from you and if it's okay, I'd like to post them here.

Also, how will you celebrate this Easter? I'd like to hear about that also. 

My email is cmoore2659@wowway.com

Thanks in advance,
Louise

Thursday, April 7, 2011

No Hypocrites!


In reading the devotional, Pearls of Great Price, I came upon this just this morning:



"One of the goals of my life is exactly the same as yours. I don't want to be a hypocrite. Every day I want to shorten the distance between that which I profess and that which I actually live. I want no gaps between my "talk" and my "walk".

It's why I like to repeat every day for the next month, this "Text for Self-Evaluation," proposed by John Wesley. The questions reflect the heart of Scripture, so every morning we should ask ourselves:

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I'm a better person that I really am?

Do I laugh at the mistakes of others, reveling in their errors and misfortunes?

Do I insist on having my own way?

Is there a tendency for me to put others down so that I'll be thought of more highly?

Do I pass on to others what is told to me in confidence?

Am I thoughtful in expressing 'thanks' to people for what they've done for me, no matter how insignificant it seems?

Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?

Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?

Did the Bible live in me yesterday?

Did I disobey God in anything yesterday?

Did I insist on doing something about which Whenmy conscience was uneasy?

Did I handle discouragement well or did I have to be coddled?

Am I enjoying prayer?

When did I last speak to someone about Christ?

Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, or hold resentment toward? If so, what am I doing about it?

Is Christ real to me?


I was convicted as I read these questions...what about you?

Blessings!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:17

When I saw the movie The Passion of the Christ, I was struck by the brute cruelty with which the soldiers treated Jesus. Like a bunch of poorly paid drunken legionnaires, they couldn't wait to take out all their frustrations on who they thought was a stupid, luckless Jew. They beat and abused him mercilessly.

The face that Moses had begged to see - was forbidden to see - was slapped bloody (Exodus 33:19-20). The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth's rebellion now twisted around his brow. The back of Jesus' legs felt the whip - soon the body of the Savior would look like a plowed Judean field. By the time the spitting is through, more saliva is on Jesus than in him. When the soldiers raised the mallet to sink the spikes into Jesus' hands, it occurred to me that the Son of God whom they were crucifying was the very One sustaining their lives! Someone must sustain their lives minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own. Who supplies breath to his lungs? Who gives energy to his cells? Who holds a man's molecules together? Only by the Son do "all things hold together" Colossians 1:17. How amazing, how incomprensible that the Son, the victim, is granting breath and being to his own executioners!

Close your eyes and think deeply on the things you just read. Consider so great a Savior who would submit himself to such torture ... for your salvation. Think of the cost and sacrifice involved in Jesus' crucifixion. Then, commit afresh and anew to live on a higher, more sanctified level as you trust and obey him with new resolve. Praise your Savior for granting you breath and being, as well as life eternal.

Dear Savior, I am awestruck that you did not turn away from the cross, but traveled the road to Calvary for me. May my life today reflect my love and devotion to you.

From The Pearl of Great Price by Joni Eareckson Tada, April 1

What the Son Endured


What the Son Endured

"Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse."
Deuteronomy 21:23


The pain and humility Jesus physical suffered leading up to his death was a mere warm-up to the read dread he faced. As he hung on the cross, he began to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during those hours that his body was impaled, an earthly, foul odor must have wafted, not around his nose, but in his heart. He felt dirty. Human wickedness began to crawl upon his spotless being - the living excrement from our souls. The apple of the Father's eye began to turn brown with the rot of our sin.

From heaven, the Father roused himself like a lion disturbed, shook his mane, and must have roared against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of His hot breath. It was the wrath of God being poured our like hot oil on the wounded heart of the Son of Man. And the Father watched as his heart's treasure, the mirror-image of himself sank drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah's stored rage against humankind exploded in a single direction. The Trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved; the God-man from Nazareth, perished.

This is who asks you to trust him when he calls you to suffer. This is the One who asks you to obey him when it's hard, when your flesh is itching to have a little worldly candy. This is the One who asks you to honor him when you face tough choices. Jesus Christ bore the wrath of hell so that you might enjoy a home in heaven with him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Celebrate this marvelous gift as you reflect on Easter Sunday.

Father, thank you for giving me the gift of your Son. May my life be to the praise of Your glory!

From the devotional Pearls of Great Price, by Joni Eareckson Tada, April 2

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Kill Your Sins...



"In April, 1983, Robert Vierling of Winchester, Missouri, was found on his bed, crushed to death by his sixteen-foot, one-hundred-pound, per Burmese python. Vierling's wife said he had complete trust in the snake and often played with it on the bed. Each of us lives with many unseen snakes, all more deadly than a Burmese python. These snakes, which are constantly with us, are called 'sins' in the Bible. The process of killing them is called mortification. The doctrine of mortification is seldom heard today, partly because the word mortify is a King James term that's rendered 'put to death' in modern translations. But mortification is absolutely critical, for the Bible says that even though killing the snakes of sin in our lives won't get us to Heaven - only the life and death of Jesus Christ can do that - unless we bring deadly violence against them all our lives, we've never experienced the saving work of Christ.

God's Word teaches this in Romans 8:12-13: "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors - not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." In other words, if we complacently live by the deeds and desires God calls sinful, we will suffer certain spiritual death and its eternal consequences. But if, by the Holy Spirit, we constantly struggle to kill these sinful deeds and desires, we show that we really possess and will forever enjoy eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Mortification of sin is extremely important, but why mention it in a book on simplifying our spirituality? It's here because mortification does simplify the spiritual life by telling us clearly what we must do with the single most complicating factor in our lives - sin - and why. The Bible says we must kill our sins, not tolerate or expose them in the name of grace, or they will kill us.

In our ongoing war with our sins, we should also remember other Bible truths that complement our understanding and practice of mortification. These include the eternal forgiveness of all the sins of all believers through the cross of Jesus, the grace of God preserving His people to the end, and the truth that in this life we'll never experience the permanent removal of all sin or the desire to sin. Consistent with them all is this teaching in Romans 8:12-13 that, regardless of our professed beliefs, one evidence that Christ has truly saved us is a lethal, lifelong fight against every sin we commit.

In January, 2001, the Reuters news network reported the story of South African Lucas Sibanda, who was attacked by a python. Trapped in the snake's constricting coil, Sibanda bit the reptile below the head and kicked and punched until it released its grip. Then he killed the python with a stick.

Pythons of sin will attack and fight against us all our lives. Unless by the Holy Spirit we fight back like Lucas Sibanda, we show that there is spiritual life in us.

Get deadly with your sins."


Donald S. Whitney, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, pg. 128-19

Friday, March 18, 2011

Our quilt...


As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls. Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all. I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air. Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth.

The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life.. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me. And now, I had to face the truth.. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was. I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes. Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ.

Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, 'Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.'

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through!

God determines who walks into your life...it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay and who you refuse to let go.'

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Father, bless all my family and friends in whatever it is that you know they may need this day! And may their life be full of your peace, and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Something to think about...


"I want God and spirituality, but not the church."

More people say this today than ever. Spirituality is in; church is out. Why? For some, the painful memories of previous church experiences keep them away. For others, church problems aren't worth the hassle. For many, church just  "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren."  A sacrificial love for Christian brothers and sisters is one of the first, best, and more reliable evidences of having passed from spiritual death into eternal life through Christ.    Anyone who claims to possess this love for God's people. but avoids their regular gatherings, needs to reexamine his relationship with the Father of this family.

Second, anyone who calls Jesus "Lord" must submit to the authority of His Word when it warns against "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some" (Hebrews 10:25).  The New Testament knows nothing of the individualized spirituality of today and nothing of a Christianity that exists apart from the local church.

Remember too that the church is Jesus' idea, not man's. More than that, the church is His body. The apostle Paul reminds us, "Christ is the head of the church; and He is Savior of the body," and "we are members of His body" (Ephesians 5:23,30). Even though it may sometimes appear otherwise, the body of Christ has not been severed from its Head; Jesus is still the Head of the church. Why wouldn't anyone want to actively participate in the only organization on earth where Jesus Christ is the Head? When one of His earliest promises was, "I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18), why wouldn't anyone want a part in what Jesus Himself is building?

Look at Jesus' own example. He wasn't a spiritual loner. Twelve disciples always traveled with Him, often teaching and ministering as well. Furthermore, Luke 4:16 reminds us that, "as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day."  Why did Jesus make it His custom to go to the synagogue every Sabbath? Because He would hear the Word of God, worship God, and fellowship with His people there.

That's how participation in congregational spirituality builds our individual spirituality. When we're fed by the preaching and teaching of Scripture, receive the Lord's Supper, sing praises and pray with Christ's people, and talk about the things of God together, the Spirit strengthens us in ways that do not occur when we're alone.

So attend, join, worship in, learn in, give to, fellowship with, and spiritually thrive in a local body of
Christ that's faithful to God's Word.  Find teachers and models there who can help with simplifying your spiritual life. Failing this, consider starting some type of small group in the church to discuss or study a book on the subject.

Christian spirituality is not an isolationist, self-absorbed spirituality.  True spirituality is relational - not only toward God, but also with the people of God. Proverbs 18:1 teaches, "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment."  Don't isolate yourself from the people of God.  Take God, spirituality, and the church. That's God's plan. His ways are simpler and healthier for our souls than any we contrive on our own."

Excerpt taken from Simplify Your Spiritual Life by Donald S.Whitney, pages 35-36

Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Gospel & Prayer



The Gospel and Prayer


"Because I teach and write about spirituality, occasionally I'm asked to comment on scientific studies about the efficacy of prayer. The research always seems to include the assumption that one person's prayers are essentially as acceptable as another's. One of the flaws with such studies is that they do not associate prayer with the gospel. No one can begin to understand prayer until he grasps what the gospel teaches us about prayer.

The Bible, rather than assuring everyone that God hears their prayers, slams heaven's door against all who think God will hear them despite their sins: 'But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear' (Isaiah 59:2). In one sense, of course, God hears everything. But in this text we're told that God does not hear with a view to answering those who sin against Him. And, of course, since every person except Jesus has sinned against God, the hopes of are dashed of everyone who thinks all it takes for God to hear is for them to pray.

In fact, the Bible is even more shockingly counterintuitive in Proverbs 15:8: 'The sacrifice (which includes the prayer) of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.' Many people seem to think, 'It's true, I'm not a dedicated Christian; but if I get into a difficult situation and humble myself to pray, and I'm really sincere, surely God will accept my prayer.' Or they believe, 'Even though I'm not really a follower of Jesus, if God is merciful and loving, He will look favorably on the prayers of those who come to Him when they're in real need and pray hard enough.'

But this text tells us that, instead of being impressed, the Lord actually abominates these prayers. Why? Because such people believe God should hear their prayers based upon their temporary humility and piety. In other words, they believe their own righteousness - in this case, expressed in a short-lived acknowledgement that they need God's help - obligates God to answer.

Instead of being honored to receive the momentary sincerity of those who want something from Him, God is insulted by their prayers, for they imply that the work of Jesus wasn't necessary. It's as though they're saying, 'The life and death of Your Son weren't needed in my case; it was all a big mistake. I believe You should hear me based upon what I have done - especially in these prayers - and I don't need what Jesus did in order to be heard by You.' Could anything be more offensive to God?

When it comes to knowing God and being heard by Him, Jesus was unequivocal: 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me' (John 14:6). Confidence that our prayers are heard cannot come from our sincerity, humility, or need; rather, 'we have confidence to enter the holy places (the presence of God) by the blood of Jesus' (Hebrews 10:19). Until people come in repentance to God through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ - who alone can remove the sin that separates us from God - their prayers will not be answered.

Does God ever answer the prayer of a non-Christian? Many stories claim that He does. In reality, are these 'answered prayers' simply God doing in His providence what He was going to do regardless of the prayers? The clearest ground biblically is this: except for those prayers leading to salvation, we can give no assurance to anyone outside of Christ that God will answer his prayer. It is only through the gospel that we truly begin to pray for only then - after Jesus has made us and our prayers acceptable to the Father - do the promises of prayer in the Bible apply to us.

Once we respond to the gospel in repentance and faith and are adopted into God's family, our newly begun relationship with our heavenly Father becomes markedly prayerful. No longer is prayer just an obligation or a hoop to jump through to get what we want, for the gospel makes prayer a desire and not a mere duty. Through the gospel we receive the Spirit who causes us to cry, 'Abba! Father! (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6) with a new heavenward, Fatherward orientation. In other words, the Spirit of God causes us to want to talk to God.

Prayer should still remain a discipline, for even with the God-given desire to pray, it's easy to be distracted from habits of prayer by the crush of the responsibilities. But thanks to the grace of God in the gospel, our prayers are always welcome."

Article taken from Tabletalk Magazine, March, 2011
Written by Donald S. Whitney, senior associate dean of the school of theology and professor of biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Bill Elliott's Death

We heard early this week that Bill had died ... we remember him today, and always.


Bill Elliott with nieces Joyce & Brenda
July, 2004


March 1, 2011


William M. Elliott

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — William “Bill” McKinley Elliott, age 78, of Circleville, passed away on Monday, Feb. 28, 2011.

He was born in McDowell, Ky., on Dec. 28, 1932, to the late Mines and Birdie (Bentley) Elliott.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his step-mother, Gerla (Hamilton) Elliott, and a baby brother and sister.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Jeanette (Hall) Elliott; children, Barbara Lynne (Paul) Ford of Ashtabula, William Mines Elliott of Waverly, Ohio, Allen Michael (Debra) Elliott of Kingston, Ohio, Beverly Jane (JT) McLeod of Dothan, Ala., and John Francis Elliott, Sandra Kay Elliott and Susan May Schaffner, all of Circleville; 17 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister, Launa Leonard, and several nieces and nephews.

A Veteran, Bill served in the United States Air Force for 4 years and was the owner and operator of Hall Movers and Riggers in Ashtabula for 20 years and The Matchbox in Circleville for 13 years.

He was the Secretary Treasurer of the Eagles in Circleville. Bill was very involved with coaching Little League throughout his children’s life. He enjoyed hunting, farming, bluegrass music and being outdoors. He was also an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A Memorial Service will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s honor may be made to the American Cancer Society, 870 Michigan Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43215.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the DEFENBAUGH-WISE-SCHOEDINGER FUNERAL HOME, (740) 474-3750. To share a favorite memory of Bill visit www.schoedinger.com and starbeacon.com.

Friday, February 4, 2011

An Application...



Application To Date My Daughter



1. Name_________________________     Date of Birth____________

2. Height _________ Weight________ IQ________       GPA________

3. Social Security # ______________ Driver’s licence #__________

4. Boy Scout Rank_____________________________________

5. Home Address_____________ City/State ____________ Zip____

6. Do you have one male and one female parent? ____________

If no, explain answer _________________________________

7. Number of years parents married ________________________

8. Do you own a van? _______ A truck with oversized tires?______ Do you have an earring, nose ring, or belly button ring? _______
 (If you answered yes to any of #8, discontinue application and leave the premises! Now!)

9. In 50 words or less, what does LATE mean to you? ____________ ____________________________________________________.

10. In 50 words or less, what does “DON’T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!” mean to you? __________________________________________________________.

11. Church you attend _______________ How often do you attend? ______________________

12. When is the best time to interview you father, mother, and pastor? Father ____________ Mother___________ Pastor__________

13. Answer by filling in the blank:  please answer all questions freely, all answers are confidential (that means I won’t tell anyone ever — promise)

A. If I were shot, the last place I would want to be wounded is in the __________________

B. If I were beaten, the last bone I would want broken is my ____________

C. A woman’s place is in the _________________________

D. The one thing I hope this application doesn’t ask is________________________________________

E. When I first meet a girl, the thing I notice about her first is ______________

14. What do you want to be “if” you grow up? ________________

15. Are you willing to wear an electronic tracking device? _______

16. What type of car do you drive? Ford ______ Chevy ________ Chrysler ______

I swear all information supplied above is true and correct to the best of my knowledge under penalty of death, dismemberment, crucifixion, electrocution, Chinese water torture, and red hot pokers.

Signature ________________________

Thank-you for your interest. Please allow four to six years for processing. You will be contacted in writing if you are approved. Please do not try to call or write (since you probably can’t, and it would cause you injury). If your application is rejected, you will be notified by two gentlemen wearing white ties carrying violin cases.

Pictures of Mason

Recent pictures of Mason Moore Piscura....


With his Mom, Samantha...

With Gramma Cindy...

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Please pray...

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011

Please be praying for Glenda Faye, she's in the hospital and has had to begin dialysis. They have put in a temporary port and she will have two more treatments, one today and another tomorrow, before putting in the permanent port.

Glenda has been ill for the past few months. Glen is Mom to Edward  & Renea, and sister to Kenny, Randy, Shirl, Venda, & Gleema.

Snow

And we think we've had snow here in Michigan...










Monday, January 31, 2011

Monday, Jan. 31

This is Buddy, Bobby's dog and he loves being outside. I don't, especially on days like today. It's cold and expected to get colder, and snow is coming in tonight and more tomorrow night.

We did grocery shopping this morning, so did most of Taylor by the looks of the store. My Fred doesn't do well in crowds and there were crowds today. All the 'old people' (ha) stocking up before the storm hits. I gently reminded that him "We" are some of the old people!

See what I mean?

I hope you'll all be safe in this storm. If you must be out in it, be as safe as you know how to be. Will check in tomorrow, Lord willing.   Love to all.