Golden Years

This is Bouguereau's Admiration Maternelle from ARC (link to side). I just really like this painting. His work is very nice if you've the time to check it out.

I found a video from my old church from I reckon 10 years ago. It can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzdSETw9VKA
I have no idea why our family left early. Husband must've been sick again or something. That caused us to have to leave early a few times. And, the platinum blonde hair was his idea. My Grandfather Carl Drexler is buried at that church.

Man, I miss that place! I was going through one of my old hymnbooks and highlighting the songs we sang there. There was this song that really drove me crazy for some reason: Honey in the Rock. I was thinking what I'd give to just be able to hear everyone singing it together again. But, alas. We are scattered, moved away. One day in heaven, we'll all sing in joy and worship together once more. But, you know- in these dark times I really, really wish I had that stability again. It's mur-der being without a church family. I am thankful for the Christians God has blessed us to know and fellowship with, but it's not the same. Most of them are disenfranchised, too. However, the need is not enough for any of them to do more than talk about maybe having a Bible study someday. I reckon I just need to pray harder.

I think that tonight I'll put a list of the good old hymns up. You can probably find midis of any of them on http://www.cyberhymnal.com
A Child of the King.......................All I Need.................Amazing Grace.............An Old Account Settled.............Are You Washed in the Blood.............At Calvary..........At the Cross........Glory to His Name...............He Leadeth Me (the ladies used to sing this one).......He Set Me Free.........Heavenly Sunlight............I Feel like Traveling On...........I Know my Name is There........I Love to tell the Story...........I Shall not be Moved.........I Want to Know more About my Lord..........I'll Fly Away.........I'm Going that Way.........I'm Living in Canaan Now........It's a Grand and Glorious Feeling.............I've Never been Sorry............Jesus Hold my Hand..........Jesus Paid it All.........Just over in the Glory Land........Keep on the Firing Line........Leaning on the Everlasting Arms..........Lift me up above the Shadows............Living by Faith...........My Hope is Built
I may list the rest of the songs tomorrow, but lest this become tedious, I'll tell a little about why this place meant so much to us.

The YouTube link tells the name of the church, and the recording does not do it justice. There were a lot of talented musicians there during the Golden Years. Pastor Garry and his wife Denise used to sing The Lamb's Book, sometimes my dad would join them (tenor) on Lighthouse and Love Lifted Me. Services that were dedicated to praise could last long into the night and nobody would mind. It didn't seem like any time at all. But, it was like that for all the services.
Well, let me correct- on days when meals were brought, we did like a time out for the food. ;-) But, it was no bother if the service continued after. Most Sundays, it was the evening service that lasted a long time- Wednesdays, too- and it was okay.
Why? Because it was a seeking church. Those folks could not get enough of God. Praying for others, learning about God, praising God, and testifying. It was not for show- it was real, genuine love. We used a real river for baptisms. And all the guys who were called to preach had an opportunity to do so. Other guys would lead Bible studies. And there were other studies that would be held on different nights for those who desired to attend. The kids stayed in the services, special kids things were held on different days because it was important for all of us to hear God's word.
I am not doing a very good job of explaining. They also had a Bible college that was free for all who wanted to learn all they could about the Bible. How great is that? Also, after services were over, it was nothing to have folks talking and fellowshipping together until the wee hours of the morning. It was really like a first century church. Sure, some people came and went. Sure, some sneaky sowers of discord got in- BUT the church folks had such a real relationship with their Saviour that they weathered all the storms with patience, joy, faith, hope, and love.

Some of the Folks:
Brother Garry was an amazing musician. He was the pastor there and he had a true Southern style of preaching. But you could bank on his doctrine being straight from the Bible. He always told us to check any preacher's words against God's Word, with God's Word being the standard. All men make mistakes, so be Bereans and see if these things be so.

Brother Ernie was the Associate Pastor. He had an expository style very much like my Grandfather's. He actually was a lot like my Grampa. He taught in the Bible college and was very thorough in all he presented. He was fond of rabbit trails, but would always get back to the main point. We didn't mind, the rabbit trails were really interesting! He was a gentle soul, for all the guys picked on him for being a buzzard. (The church had a lively sense of humour. There was a great deal of smiling and laughing there). His brothers Mike and Slim were great guys. Slim used to do the Sunday School intro message and Mike had the most amazing singing voice and a heart as big as Texas.

Brother Don'L was one of the Deacons. He played guitar and had a very sweet preaching style. It was Honest. And he would bring a message that would bless one all week long. His sermons were among the shortest, but they were packed full of useful things to draw one closer to Jesus. His family was and still is a real blessing. They have 5 precious children.

Brother Terry W. was also one of the Deacons and the song leader. He and his wife have four beautiful daughters. His wife, along with Brother Garry's wife, and Brother Ernie mentored me when I was coming to the Messiah and while I was a young Christian. Brother Terry reminded me of the Apostle Paul. He mentored my younger brother. His lessons and workshops were very thorough and he used no special materials- just the Bible. He had a great amount of faith. I hope he and his family are doing well.

Well, that's just a little bit. My Gramma Betty never understood the attachment we had for that place. She wasn't saved there, nurtured there, or discipled there but, she was loved there. So was my Grampa Carl. They truly loved them as if they were their own grandparents.
I don't know where they all are now. I don't know even how to find most of them. But, God knows just where they are and tonight I pray that He will send a special blessing to all of the families that grew in Him at the old Church.

An addendum: God is so good, folks. Never give up on Him. Never stop praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ. He hears our prayers and He is working on our behalf all the time.

Broccoli Wars. Is there such a thing as Neutrality?

(picture is Aramanth, Princess of Shadows from deviantart.com. They have some nice stuff over there, just be careful.)

Ok, first of all to answer comments- Amy, you are brave and appreciated. God bless you and your little ones and your sweetie.
"J", I do not think that remaining neutral puts me in the "lying lips" category.

Ok, I do like broccoli. Sometimes I even crave it. My son tried to block the freezer case at Sam's tonight so I wouldn't buy any, but I muscled him out of the way and bought it anyway (he's bigger than me). I put 7 sprigs of it in the fried rice, large enough so the two BMBD members in the house would not accidentally get any. And they were okay with that once I explained.

When my husband had cancer, I used to blend up the broccoli and sneak it in things like very spicy chili and spaghetti sauce. When he found out, he did not eat my cooking unless it was obviously meat or potatoes (fried or baked, he didn't trust the mashed since he busted me putting a turnip in the blender). BUT, I did not tell him about it until the cancer was gone. And it did go away. Did God use the broccoli to help heal him? Does it need hot spices, oregano and garlic to work? I know not, but for that reason I'll eat it and keep it around.
It did not come up in the garden, or if it did, the bunnies ate it. So, I'll stick with the frozen kind.

So, I have a very special prayer request. Please help me pray about it. And it has nothing to do with broccoli, though if it works, I'll be trying to eat more of it for health reasons.

So, am I now like the Princess of Shadows at the top of the page? Outcast? I reckon it's the nature of broccoli to demand one take sides. It apparently will not abide indifference. But, as a mom with children split into two camps, I feel like I must remain neutral. Would I cry if there was no broccoli? Probably not. Would I eat it in rebellion if it was made illegal? Probably so; I don't like dumb laws very much. (Smart laws= good. Dumb laws= unnecessary and often bad.)

Now, on to other things. Ray Comfort Ministries http://www.livingwaters.com has some really good stuff. You should check it out. Also, if you're curious about the Bible, here's another good site: http://www.carm.org/christianity/bible
I don't know why, but links don't underline in blue anymore. It's annoying.

Well, the church search goes on. We attended a really nice little one nestled in the mountains the other day. It's worth a second go. We're just looking for a church that resembles the first century churches. Fine if it's in a house or if it's in a building. But, we seek one that is Bible believing, loving, seeking God, learning, mentoring/discipling, full of the fruit of the Spirit (faith, hope, love, joy, temperance, longsuffering, etc.). That sort of thing is what I mean by 1st century. And I'll be honest, I think those churches were so great because of the Jewish believers there. We really messed up on that deal. I am not looking for sign gifts or wacky stuff, and I know it's out there. I hope I'll find it and be able to be a part of it again. Yes, once before I found a church like that, but the devil destroyed it to smithereens. It took awhile to find, so I know to be patient and diligent. Even if I have to wait for God to build one, no problem. He has no trouble bringing believers together when they are praying and seeking His face.

Now, I know, all believers are the Church. It doesn't take a special building or denomination. We're to let God shine through us whether or not we have a building to meet in. Bloom where we're planted and remember that every day is a mission field. Remember why we're saved. Gee, why would that be? Well, because if we've broken just one of God's laws (lying, cheating, stealing, dishonouring our parents, taken God's name in vain, to name a bare few) then we have a crime against our record. we're guilty before a holy God and guess what the sentence is? Yep, eternity in Hell. ETERNITY. FOREVER. Torment, suffering, blackness, alone, no escape. It's justice. And since God is not willing that ANY should perish, He sent His only begotten Son to bear our punishment- and He (Yeshua or Jesus) bore it willingly out of love for us. Then He rose from the dead to show us that we, too will have glorified bodies and can live forever (that's right- immortals! how cool is that?) if we accept that payment He made in our behalf.
That's what Christ means- Messiah- SAVIOUR. Not a cuss word. Not a mean thing to shout at someone. That is what we need to remember. We're not better than anyone. We are ALL sinners. We have ALL broken God's laws. We ALL deserve hell for breaking God's laws. Jesus' death and resurrection put us in a saveable position. If ANYONE seeks Him, He will give you the faith to accept that gift of salvation. Salvation= SAVED from eternity in Hell as just punishment for breaking God's laws.
And does keeping the law save you? NO. Because none of us DO. But, if we are saved, we should do our best to follow His rules if for no other reason than that of GRATITUDE.

Ok, that part's done. Here are the Ten Commandments that are so controversial these days.

I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19 Neither shalt thou steal.

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

(These are out of Deuteronomy, the restatement of those in Exodus.)

They seem to make a lot of sense, and really our consciences let us know the same things.

Well, I'm off. Going to spend some time with the kids.

ttfn

Anti-Broccoli Warrior

Photo of the Dead Sea in Israel.

Just real quick tonight...

So, my Aunt was here recruiting for her "Support the King of Vegetables: Broccoli" club. My daughter and I were thinking about joining, but a requirement was to put it in writing... well, we're just not that committed to the Broccoli cause. Mom was thinking of joining, too. My husband arrived home with the mail just after the two ladies left and what do you suppose he had? My son's "I hate broccoli fan club" official T-shirt. Now, the name has been changed to "Broccoli Must Be Destroyed, Inc.", but my son still sticks to the original name. After reading aloud the wonderful literature that came with the shirt, my daughter and I thought about joining. My husband wants to officially join.

My son wore his shirt proudly to the grocery store, getting thumbs-up from most of the kids and several of the adults. Continuing his experiment and recruitment drive, he wore his shirt to NC and several family members now want their own T-shirts. Everywhere we went, the shirt was noticed and commented upon.

So, Lori- your campaign is working. My second daughter wants one for herself and so does my granddaughter- I'll send the dues up to you as soon as I am able. My son who is in the army said he would join if you added peas to the list, but he's sorry to say he kind of likes brocolli as long as it has no cheese. He thought the club was a great idea. My grandson will probably be an anit-broccoli kid, too. Do you have baby-size shirts? And my daughter who heretofore has been in the support broccoli camp says that if you add cabbage to the list she might be won over.

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Personally, all the veggie members of the broccoli family are pretty nasty- they're just supposed to be soooo nutritious that most of us who eat them force ourselves to do so out of health concerns. Thus why we tend to smother them in dip, cheese, salad dressing, soy sauce, or blend them into cole-slaw.

Some Broccoli Family Members: cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and the head of the group- broccoli.

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So, Lori- be not discouraged by overwhelming odds! The grass-roots movement has started! You impacted 4 states (Texas, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina) with ONE T-shirt and one devoted member of your club. I'm thinking they'll make good Christmas presents for all the broccoli haters on my gift list. You maybe should put a link on your blog for T-shirt orders... you never know- soon all America will get the message!

Note to self: have husband hook up scanner to post letter from club and post picture of the T-shirt which is quite tasteful in green and black.

I just wonder what would have happened if we had checked the mail sooner...

*****

Ok- also, we really had a delightful visit with my Aunt J (mom's side) and with Mama. All sorts of wonderful topics discussed. Mama brought some wonderful produce from Cana with her. THANKS!!!! That plus the BMBD package and it was a near perfect day :-).

We got a call at 2:30 in the morning inviting us to breakfast at an horrible time of day (allergic to mornings), but we went. It was our Army son and his fiancee- we were to meet them at the Wagon Wheel (I had mashed potatoes and gravy and fried okra, everyone else had breakfast). The rest of the family showed up, but the happy couple didn't. Too funny :-) So, after they got their heads together, they met us at my mother-in-law's. It was a really nice day. Nanny now has some live flowers out front again. :-) And my nephews are really sprucing her yard up for her. Most of the family came to Nanny's, including the youngest grandchild who is ever so sweet. It's probably the last time we'll see our son before he goes overseas again. :-( But, it was a happy day.

I tell ya this, folks: Today we have peace. Today we are not persecuted. Today we have food and shelter. Today we were safe. Leave tomorrow in God's hands. Trust Him with it, and enjoy the peace only He can give.

Pray, certainly- pray for the state of things. Pray for the protection of the innocents. The Bible says to pray without ceasing- and rightly so. In the dark days, we must cling to God or we will feel undone.

And please, do not pull down the blackout curtains and hide your light! Let Him shine through you; just like in a blackout, those houses that have lights in the windows are so comforting in the creepy darkness. The best way to do that? By our love. Share a smile or an encouraging word. Be nice to cashiers and waitresses. The economy is not their fault! But when everyone else is worried and grouchy, that's when the peace and joy that we have from God is so important. And think about it- if one T-shirt could make so much of an impact, just think what the love of God shining through you will do.

You may not know it until you get to heaven, but your smile could lift someone up who was about to give up. Kindness, gentleness, meekness, temperance (self-control), love, peace, joy, faith, hope- all these things are given to us. Are they gathering dust in the back of our closets or are we using them and sharing them with others? They're the kind of gifts that grow with use and sharing.

God, please help America. And Israel, and Australia (way to go, guys, BTW on hanging on to your heritage!!!), and all the former British colonies.

Rose

Dorkiness

Image courtesy of Yahoo! Images.

So, I was wondering... as we travel through life, do we ever get past having moments of extreme dorkiness? "Pride cometh before a fall" and the bad thing is that it so easily sneaks up on one. It's not until one lands in a mud puddle (or in a corner with a dunce cap on) that one realizes that there was a pride issue even there. ICK.

So, I won't bore you with the details about just how I've been a dork. I'll just ask all of you delightful folks to please pray for me and mine. We truly desire to follow God's will for our lives. I as the wife and mum am supposed to be guiding the home as my husband leads it. Yea, well, I don't do such a great job of that most times. I forget my gear (including navigational charts and that thing that checks for reefs). But, each new day is a new chance to let the good Lord guide me aright- a new day to listen to Him instead of my own flawed equipment.

I agree with the Apostle Paul that it'll be a good day when we're in heaven and do not have to worry any longer about our flesh getting in our way. (our flesh being our flawed humanity, FYI.)

Heaven's going to be good for so many reasons- and it'll be better than the best thing we can imagine. And I can imagine quite a bit of good. :-) "Oh, happy day," as my Grampa Carl used to say.

God bless all of His people everywhere and their respective lands with revival and awakening.

Rose

***

After reading the Thoene's blog, I realized I'd forgotten something. http://biblegateway.com will be added to my links list and here's something to think about:

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Jeremiah 15:19-21
19Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.
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20And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

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21And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

Special thanks to the Thoenes for all the bravery they have in putting God's word out there. They are truly salt and light in this world. Our prayers are with them and Sarah Palin.

Independence Day

Painting by Albert Goodwin, courtesy of Art Renewal Online.

So, after a very busy week of visiting and visitors (I LOVE y'all!!!), we and our company took a drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. And we watched folks celebrating our nation's independence both in Virginia and North Carolina. There were many people who had the same idea. From up on the parkway, there are spots where you can see for miles and the fireworks this year were so great. Veterans' Park in Mount Airy (Mayberry) had a spectacular show and their finale looked like a fireworks volcano from up where we were. It was really an amazing thing, one I haven't done in years. See, Surry County is like a bowl surrounded by mountains. And all around the ridges and all through the valleys, the folks were celebrating with fireworks. It was a very happy experience. We sang the Star Spangled Banner, couldn't help it- and my husband said that everyone got quiet and just listened like a spell was over them. I didn't know, I was just singing. But after, we laughed with all the other watchers and enjoyed the late shows.

For the first time in who knows how long, there were no parades in Wythe County. And, for the first time in 40 years, Galax didn't have their usual 4th of July carnival. I'm just glad we were able to experience it with the kids. And my husband was such a good sport about it all. I didn't know till after everyone went home that he had a terrible migraine.

Mama and my oldest brother had a trip to NC's Stone Mountain today. It's a great site, and one that I used to enjoy hiking very much. But, I tell ya, it felt so good to be on the parkway again.

There's this really sweet Christian lady who's been a real paragon of the faith who now has alsheimers, please pray for her.

Well, I reckon that's all for now. God Bless America!