Terrific Tuesday

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

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

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

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

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

Tips for Handling Telemarketers & Junk Mail

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take Up Your Cross

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

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

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

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

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

I Lost It Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Short Blog

I had a meeting with Pastor Mike this morning before Bible Class. We discussed some leadership issues at The Vine and examined the concept of women as church elders and deacons. This was not our first venture into those deep waters, not will it be our last.

Notwithstanding gender, we need to follow our written constitution and set in a place a Body of Elders and rotate in a new Deacon body. I believe these issues should be addressed quickly. They have been allowed to drag on way to long.

It was great to have Sally back in class. She's been ill but looked chipper today even though her voice still is croaky.

As usual, I did a bit of cleaning. My phone was in the foyer and I in the children's area. My conference call came and went without me hearing it... I had reschedule. Although I feel bad for letting them down, not joining on the call and generally wasting their time, I trust God to use my shortcomings for His glory. He has a plan and it is ever exciting to see the wonderful way He works it out without ever once violating our free will. Did I mention how absolutely cool God is.

We got an engagement announcement today from our Great or Grand Niece. I am always thrilled to have such romantic news...
Brings out the cupid in me. Wedding details were not included and Get the idea they are in the looking stage. I hope they pick a wedding date near to the time of our preplanned, month-Long trip... We already have a wedding in September and a graduation in May slated for this year. Silly folks that we are, we actually planned a month-long genealogy vacation.

Of Teeth and Snakes and God

Only God would do this, and I think He so cool! Here's how it went:
I had a special meeting today with someone I had never met before, and because this meeting related to my serving Christ, Satan was doing his best to delay and distract me. Finally, however, I was all gathered and organized, dressed and coiffed - ready to go... except for one very important thing; I could not find my lower dentures.

Like many, I have trouble wearing my lower plate and remove it when I am in the privacy of my home or car. Experience has taught me to put these dentures in prearranged places so I can find them, but this morning they were in none of their customary places. Now, I am conscious of how like a hag I look without my teeth, so was prayerfully searching everywhere... under the bed, in my sox drawer, everywhere and anywhere. No dentures were found.

Finally, continuing to pray, I decided to lay pride aside and go to my meeting half toothless. I loaded the car then made one last loop around the house. I even decided to check Richard's nightstand and drawer, but what I found on his side of the room was not plastic, no, not at all!

Looped along one side of our bedroom recliner was a large corn snake who had recently ingested a mouse or other critter similar in size. The meal had probably been taken in earlier this morning because the bulge was not far back from the snake's head. Lethargic and sleepy after its meal, the snake offered no protest as I scooped it into a box and took it out to the back yard. I was surprised at how long this snake was when uncoiled. I estimate it was between four and five feet long.

Almost immediately after releasing Mr. or Ms. Corn Snake, I found my lower dentures. They were just inside my purse, right where they should have been, right where I had already looked!

Praise God that He didn't reveal where my teeth were until after I discovered the beautifully marked corn snake. I am not afraid of or repulsed by snakes, but Richard, who sits in that recliner wearing only his briefs, has a strong aversion to snakes. Had he sat down there to relax and read before bed, he would have had a very unpleasant surprise and perhaps been bitten by the startled reptile. Like I said, God is way cool!

So, off I went to my meeting and to spend the rest of the day at the Holy Land Experience. Did I mention I love that place? Yesterday I wrote about it as if comparing it to theme parks, but my true passion and present focus is on the ministry. I cannot praise the founders enough and TBN has taken it to even greater heights as an outreach for Christ... as a way of praising and honoring God... as a teaching ministry... and even as a wonderful and wholesome form of entertainment.

Today I spent time in the priceless Scriptorium plus various prayer gardens and really came to appreciate the many new designs and upgrades all the more. I also went to the Prayer and Praise service and, of course, the Passion presentation. I visited with several people after the final scene but did not have an open door for prayer with anyone. I always wait on the Holy Spirit's lead. I will be going back again Tuesday.

HLE

The Holy Land Experience is one of my favorite places to go in Orlando. I've been going there since it first opened.

I recently wrote a candid review of the Holy Land Experience for http://www.tripadvisor.com It went something like this...

Our first visit to The Holy Land Experience was not long after it opened and we continued to visit the park every time we came to Florida. Now, we live near Orlando and visit even more often. Obviously, there is much we like about spending our time and money there.

We were not at first pleased with the changes TBN made after they bought the park in 2007. We had loved the "authentic" feel of the pre-TBN park and were somewhat put off by the "show biz" atmosphere they brought in.

On the other hand, they also poured millions into upgrading and promoting the park and the performances and attendance has gone up. Still, we have never had to fight the crowds, even though seating is at a premium for the shows. I often have to stand or sit on the ground.

We are warming up to TBN's changes and actually beginning to applaud them. The dancing water is lovely and the landscaping is restored. There are more attractions, shows and people to help you with anything from prayer to finding what you want to eat.

The main cafe is quite small, but the line moves quickly, the food is good and the portions large. We have not eaten at any of the stands, but have enjoyed drinks and fantastic desserts at the coffee shop.

Plan to arrive early to take in the morning performances, and be sure to find a seat over by the Garden Tomb well in advance of the Crucifixion/Resurrection because that is always the highlight of the day and draws a crowd.

All in all, we feel the Holy Land Experience is worth your time and money, is educational, inspirational and entertaining. Now that we're locals, we bring visiting friends and relatives to the park as well as Disney, considering these our favorite Orlando attractions. Don't miss either of them!!
________________________________

There was a tendency for Christian reviewers to extoll the park without reservation, but I prefer to give an unbiased report as I felt about it. Of course, the evangelistic outreach is the best part of it all.

Topics

FAMILY
My nephew Ed and his delightful wife Pam arrived on the 9th. We did the theme parks and they took a short cruise, then we spent some quality family dining and board gaming time with Athena and Brian at their house. We were so blessed by all this! Finally and reluctantly we delivered our California kin folk to the airport this morning for their long flight home.

INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER
This is a video I found amazing. A form of breast cancer not detected because there is no lump. Please see the video and pass along the info. I could save you life or theirs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s9_UrVtc6c

BRAIN INJURY
As most readers know, I have had three brain injuries, all significant. I get snail mail, email and phone calls from TBI survivors and their families. I am webmaster (but not author) of http://orlandobraininjurysupport.org

Almost any brain injury is life changing... It is the hidden handicap. Behavioral changes, memory problems, misreading situations, emotional hair triggers to anger or tears, fish-brain (inability to process when overwhelmed) and so much more are all misread by others as personality problems, mental illness, or "retardation" because they can't "see" the injury that spawns these things. Then, of course, there is the fatigue. It comes like a thief, unexpected and swift and unmerciful, robbing us of our intellectual prowess and sapping our physical strength. My husband and I could not cope without Jesus!

BLOGGING and TWEETING
It's the same old poor time management song with me. I love to blog but often don't. I love Twitter but forget to Tweet. I am at http://twitter.com/ionaruthPerhaps I will be reformed and keep up... Come around and see!

In Praise of Problems

I am recovering from a Mac meltdown. I knew things were getting worse each day for my iMac, so I backed up all my files and settings. Finally, the fateful day arrived when my cluttered hard drive could take no more and I had no choice but to wipe it all away and start fresh.

I made sure I had backed up everything, then reformatted my hard drive, confident I would lose no data. When all was reinstalled, I prepared to move my files back onto the iMac. Imagine my dismay when a dialogue box popped up and informed me I did not have permission to copy, open, or even look at the contents of my backup folder! This digital dictator will also not let me access my Mail, Address Book and other applications with personal info.

So, while I have a properly operating computer that is not crashing and doing the schizoid antics of its wayward past, I am now considered the enemy and this paranoid machine is defending itself from my every attempt to access the very files I created. Grrrr!

But, of course God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (that;s me!) just as His Word says in Romans 8:28. Praise Him for this problem! Why?...

Because now I am forced to actually learn to use this powerful tool God has placed in my hand. I bought a book and am learning things about my Mac I never knew - and I've been a Mac addict for years! Painful as it is, this computer struggle is actually good for me.

Church was a blessing. I thought I would be really dragged out because I was up most of the night learning to use Pages, a Mac word processing, page layout program I finally broke down and bought. I didn't get the Weekly Prayer Focus finished until almost 5 am. But Anthony preached a great sermon and Mike and the band stirred my soul to praises and song, and I simply did not feel tired until I got home after cleaning at the church and stopping by Tijuana Flats for a Mexican feast.

God sent many wonderful folks my way today. He spoke His love to me through their hugs and words, lifting me up and encouraging me. I cannot even describe how loved I felt, and how honored. I pray He will use me to bless others in the same way.