Tonight’s Thoughts

Will there ever be a day that I will not think about you Michelle? I think not and not sure I want to. I miss you so much.  I’m sorry you aren’t here for Jamie’s birthday, but on the other hand I remember how thrilled you were when you became a Grandmother. When God blessed you with three grandsons you were in awe and I think you learned a new kind of lov.. God is good.

I remember all the trips to the hospital and all the pain you were in your last few years. I can hear you say God has a plan. I remember one of your favorite things to do was to lay across my lap and have me rub your back even when you were a teenager.

I can see your big blue eyes and hear you laugh at the top of your lungs You had a wonderful sense of humor and I’m so grateful that you did some writing because I got to see a whole new side of you.

Because of you my relationship with God was enhanced and I thank the Lord for our time together on this earth and I praise Him because I know someday I’ll see you again. I can see you dancing in the clouds and hear you singing now.

I love you.

Mom

DO YOU & YOUR GRANDCHILDREN KNOW ABOUT THE DOLLAR BILL???

ABOUT THE DOLLAR BILL.I thought this information I recieved in an e-mail was too good to just let it pass......I confirmed the information through Wikipedia...

Who Was Haym Solomon?

Read this fascinating history of the $1 bill –

all the way to the bottom to know about Haym Solomon.

You may be in for quite a surprise!

On the rear of the One Dollar bill, you will see two circles. Together, they comprise the Great Seal of the United States.The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.
If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a Pyramid.




Notice the face is lighted, and the western side is dark. This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore the west or decided what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished. Inside the Capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin 's belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything.


'IN GOD WE TRUST' is on this currency.




The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, 'God has favored our undertaking.'

The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, 'a new order has begun.'

At the base of the pyramid is the Roman numeral for 1776. (MDCCLXXVI)

If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States .

It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery , and is the centerpiece of most heroes' monuments.

Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States , and it is always visible whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what the symbols mean.



The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons:

First, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong, and he is smart enough to soar above it.

Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England .

Also, notice the shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own.

At the top of that shield there is a white bar signifying congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one nation.

In the Eagle's beak you will read, ' E PLURIBUS UNUM' meaning, 'from many - one.'

Above the Eagle, we have the thirteen stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one.
Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows.


An (untrue) old-fashioned belief says that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide belief. You will almost never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a 13th floor. But think about this:

America, which relies on God (not a number) to direct and lead, boldly chose:

13 original colonies,
13 signers of the Declaration of Independence ,
13 stripes on our flag,
13 steps on the pyramid,

13 letters in 'Annuit Coeptis',

13 letters in ' E Pluribus Unum,'
13 stars above the eagle,
13 bars on that shield,
13 leaves on the olive branch,

13 fruits, and if you look closely,

13 arrows.

And finally, notice the arrangement of the 13 stars in the right-hand circle.

You will see that they are arranged as a

Star of David.

This was ordered byGeorge Washington who, when he asked Haym Solomon, a wealthy Philadelphia Jew, what he would like as a personal reward for his services to the Continental Army. Solomon said he wanted nothing for himself, but he would like something for his people.The Star of David was the result. Few people know it was Solomon who saved the Army through his financial contributions...then died a pauper. Haym Solomon gave $25 million to save the Continental Army, money that was sorely needed to help realize America’s –our- freedom and independence from England .

Therein lies America’s Judeo-Christian beginning.

Most American children do NOT know any of this.

They are not taught because their history teachers do NOT know this.

[They were not taught!]

On America’s Freedom:

Too many veterans gave up too much to let the meaning fade.

Many veterans came home to an America that did not care.

Too many veterans never came home at all.

They served, they died for you … for me.

I hope you will share this page with many-so they can learn about the UNITED STATES DOLLAR BILL, and what it stands for.

America is at a critical juncture.

Let's do whatever we can to save her

while never, ever forgetting:

It is God in whom we put our trust!

May the Lord be magnified,

Will You Have a Ride?

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Mark 8:36

Have you ever desired something so much that you didn’t real­ize what you would be giving up in order to gain this prize?
In Des Moines, Iowa, a group of young men were arrested for trespassing and attempted burglary. The foursome had driven to a car lot late at night and removed a set of tires from a vehi­cle there. Unbeknownst to them, the owner of the lot had seen them on a closed circuit camera. So, while they were busy try­ing to steal his tires . . . he picked up their vehicle with his fork­lift and hid it inside a building. When they had finished their dirty work and were ready to leave; they had no transportation.
In much the same way, many people spend their lives striving to get all of the things that should make them happy, but they never devel­op a personal relationship with God. And it’s that relationship which will provide the transportation when the time comes to leave this life.
I challenge you to evaluate your personal relationship with God. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? Someday, you will have to leave this earth. When that day comes, will you have a ride?

“I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”
- Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)

None Are So Deep In Sin That Christ Can’t Save Them & Restore Their Lives Ten Fold!!!!

This is a true story but the names have been changed to protect their anonymity.

Marion’s children were busy helping her prepare dinner as they eagerly awaited their dad’s arrival home from work. Their family had so much love you could see an aura shining off each of the family members.  When they walked down the street together they would remind me of a rainbow with their auras.

The children were well behaved, excellent students in school. All the neighbors liked having them around because they were always quick to help someone out if they were in need. Their parents had taught them well about showing respect for others.

One day the children came home from school and there was a silence they had never experienced before. Their dad was at work but there was no sign of their mom. She was usually in the kitchen preparing dinner and setting out a little snack for them.  They didn’t know what to do so they got a snack, sat down at the table and started on their homework; they knew mom would be home soon.  

Time went by and dad came home from work but still no mom. Dad panicked and started calling around to the police station to see if maybe she had been in an accident, but to no avail. He called the hospital, still nothing. Being at a loss as what to do, he decided to feed the children and just wait. He was afraid to leave the house in the event something bad did happen.

Marion appeared a couple of days later, reeking of booze and looking like a trollop who came from the streets of who knows where. She had fallen in love with Jack Daniels the day she disappeared and he became number one in her life.  She walked away from her family; booze controlled her life for many years and took her too many places she never would have gone, leading her to do many things she never would have done if she were sober. She now lived on the evil side of life, a life filled with pain and a loneliness she had never known.

After many years of beating her head against the wall and crying out to God for help, the Lord answered her prayers. She wound up going to a meeting at the local Salvation Army where some of the people grabbed her by the arm and took her to a 12 step meeting and they never let go of her. Day after day the old Marion started to return, the part with the beautiful smile, the kind and loving soul, the shining eyes. The more she worked the steps the more her insides were cleaned out, the more the beauty from within came through.

She worked hard to change her life and God rewarded her greatly. It took a many years of sobriety for her children to come back into her life.  Today she gets to spend time with her children and grandchildren. To her that was the greatest gift ever, and I would have to agree.

She finds peace in her simplistic life today. Her happiness comes from serving God and serving others on a daily basis. Today her first love is the Lord Jesus Christ. If your life is like Marion’s was call upon the Lord and he will show you the way to a new life.

Study the book of John in the New Testament and find out how much God loves you. Give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ and let Him love you back to health.

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Tags: God, alcoholism, healing,recovery, solutions

Laughter, Hugs, Giving to Others, Gifts My Friend Andrew Shared Even in Rough Times

She sat in the big vacant building alone, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her friend Andrew had just left and had told her the bad news that he didn’t have much longer to live, that he had cancer.

She knew better than to ask the Lord why. She trusted the Lord and knew that he always worked all things out for the good of all his children that loved Him even though it didn’t always appear that way. At least there was a tinge of peace because she knew Andrew felt the same way she did.

Andrew was a big man with a gentle spirit. He had a wonderful warm smile and hugs for all. I guess if you knew him you would just have to call him a cuddly bear. When someone was in pain he would tell them to give it to Jesus and then send them off to help someone else, which was exactly what he would do when he was hurting and in pain, in fact he was on his way to help someone now.

The reason he had come to talk to me that morning is because he was struggling about telling his son about the cancer.  They had just gotten back together after years of separation due to alcohol and drug abuse by both Andrew and his ex wife. Andrew and I prayed together and he knew he had to tell his son because he didn’t know how many days he had left and we concluded they should have as much quality time as possible.

Andrew and his son were both hit hard at the news of the cancer, but Andrew was grateful that he was sober and was able to see that his son was placed in a good home that was not drug filled but had a spiritual environment.  They both spent Andrew’s last days living them to the fullest, doing things they wanted to do, playing, laughing a lot but mostly they were on the front lines helping others because that brought them both the most peace and joy.

When Andrew went home to be with his Father the church was packed with people. Andrew was just one of God’s street people that did his very best to serve the Lord to the fullest in his recovery. He touched so many lives people were amazed. I am sure if Andrew would have known how many lives he had touched, he would have said it was not me but it was the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise Him.

Andrew, you are loved and you are missed. 

How To Consummate A Relationship With God—Easier, Softer Way to Sobriety

Are you one of those dysfunctional people trying to live a new way of life i.e., alcoholic, druggie, etc. Are you in a twelve step program because you’ve tried everything else and now you’re at the bottom of the barrel? You go to this meeting and this really big person tells you that you got to not drink for one day and you’ve got to turn your life over to God. The end of the line folks, nothing left, either a spiritual way of life or go on living they way you are living now.

Do you struggle with trusting God? Are you afraid to turn your will and your life over to Him? Why? I’ll tell you what I was told. You damn well better turn your will and your life over to the care of God because no one else wants the will and the life of a drunk.

What is the real problem? It is not that we can’t turn our will and life over to the care of God, it’s because we are so full of fear that we don’t know how to consummate a relationship with God and we don’t know how to trust him.

How many times do we hear people say I don’t know how to consummate a relationship? Well I’ll tell you what I was told. You know how to consummate a relationship with a man, no problem there so it shouldn’t be too hard to consummate one with God. Put Him first and put all other things aside. Go back through your life and write down all the things you went through and survived that was not humanly possible, things that you know only God could have brought you through.

I’ll guarantee you when do that, you will start realizing how much God loves you; you can’t help but fall in love with Him. It will be so easy to turn your will and your life over to God you will begin to wonder what you were afraid of.

Lack of knowledge always keeps us bound. Don’t ever give up on your spiritual growth. Have strong mentors around you that know have been successful in their own lives so that they can give you healthy spiritual and moral direction.

Don’t try to do these things alone because you will create and vacuum and God abhors a vacuum. There is strength in numbers.

May God Bless and keep you on your journey. I’ve been on a journey with the Lord in sobriety for thirty four continuous years and I have a wonderful life that I never would have dreamed of. All things are possible with Him.

My Friend Taught Me Every Day is a Day to Celebrate Life

This poem is a tribute to my friend Maxine.

Today you are holding God’s hand,

You no longer are tied to this land.

I know you walked through heaven’s gates,

Because when it comes to the way people rate

You were no doubt a perfect ten,

You were a gift from God for me my friend.

I was blessed to know Maxine because she was one of the most beautiful people I have known both inside and out. She loved living life to the fullest. She loved her family and friends as much as any one person I know.

I first met Maxine when she moved back to her hometown of Prineville to care for her Mom who had dementia. Maxine took care of her Mom till the day she died. She thanked God for the opportunity to be able to be there for her Mom and to be able to give to her just a little of what she had given to Maxine.

Gratitude was what Maxine’s life was all about. She had a thankful heart even when she first contracted cancer. She believed that her attitude and God’s grace is what gave her an extra five years to live after she first contracted cancer.

She didn’t take time out to dwell on her problems; she was always too busy doing for others. Taking her friends shopping, to church or the doctors or whatever they needed that she could do for them. She loved to take them shopping at the thrift stores because that was one of her favorite things.

She and I spent hours walking and talking, sipping tea at her kitchen table. She shared much of her life story with me and one more time God blessed me with another great friendship. Thank you Maxine for reminding me that it is in God that we live, move, breathe and have our being and that every day is a day to celebrate life. Because of you I shall remember to give flowers before people pass away.

Her theme in life was Celebrate life and now in her passing that is still her theme. She wants us to celebrate her life because she believes she is in a far better place and I believe she is too.

Maxine my friend, you are missed.

May we all learn to celebrate life every day and learn of the joy it can bring.