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  • What my mind looks like just now...

    The class I am taking is overwhelming in it's complexity
    and this really is about what my
    brain is looking like right now as I saturate myself in concepts.  :/

    I love it! lol

    George Bernard Shaw said, "There are two sources of unhappiness in life. One is not getting what you want; The other is in getting it."

    The apostle Paul declared, "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content...I have learned the secret" (Philippians 4:11-12). He was under house arrest, chained to a Roman guard, awaiting a decision on whether he would be executed when he wrote, "I rejoice in the Lord," and admonished other beleivers to "Rejoice in the Lord always."  ...read Philippians for more of the same...

    ...Blessings!...

  • scandal abounds

    I loved the words on this song... The Scandal of Grace by Hillsong United

    The words are in the video...

    The story of Scandal....Romans 3:23,24,25,26....

  • my friend is special

    It is so awesome to be able to say this. :)

    Blessings and safety and all good things
    come down from an all-wise God.
    I love you!

    Rhonda

  • A special List...

    Things that I love...a list for list-lovers out there.... lol

    I love a rainy day that is grey and misty...
    I love a sunny day that is so hot you have to wear sunglasses and find shade and a VERY cold drink...
    I love the deepest, glimmeriest shade of blue....
    I love deep, true, emerald green....
    I love Sparkles!!!!!!!! anytime!!! **<3**    :)
    I love knowing how things work...
    I love puzzles that you have to figure out because they're not immediately obvious...
    I love friends who are there, always, who never change...
    I love  C*H*O*C*O*L*A*T*E
    I love roses with velvety red petals....
    I love velvety ears and noses on puppies.
    I love the color red in combination with dark blue or black or silver or white or PINK....
    I love the sound of water bubbling over rocks and birds singing in the trees.
    I love the sound of the wind blowing through the tops of pine trees...
    I love the sound that the mountains make when a thunderstorm wanders across them...
    I love the sound of babies laughing, giggling, cooing...
    I love music that cheers me up and makes me move...
    I love the combination of piano and flute - it's awesome!
    I love the sound of a well played cello!!!
    I love the mournful, haunting sound of an oboe...
    I love the God Who made all these things...!! <3

    For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him. Psalm 103:11

    Blessings!



  • It's February!

     

     I thank my God in all my remembrance of you all...  phil 1:3

  • A cheerful heart does good like medicine...

     
    An Elementary School Teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you.
    While reading, keep in mind that these are first-graders, 6-year-olds.

    1. Don't change horses ---- until they stop running.

    2. Strike while the --- bug is close.

    3. It's always darkest before -- Daylight Saving Time.

    4. Never underestimate ---- the power of termites.

    5. You can lead a horse to water but --- how?

    6. Don't bite the hand that -- looks dirty.

    7. No news is -- impossible.

    8. A miss is as good as a -- Mr.

    9. You can't teach an old dog new -- math.

    10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll -- stink in the morning.

    11. Love all, trust -- me.

    12. The pen is mightier than the -- pigs.

    13. An idle mind is -- the best way to relax.

    14. Where there's smoke there's -- pollution.

    15. Happy the bride who -- gets all the presents.

    16. A penny saved is -- not much.

    17. Two's company, three's -- the Musketeers.

    18. Don't put off till tomorrow what -- you put on to go to bed.

    19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and -- you have to blow your nose.

    20. There are none so blind as -- Stevie Wonder.

    21. Children should be seen and not -- spanked or grounded.

    22. If at first you don't succeed -- get new batteries.

    23. You get out of something only what you -- see in the picture on the box.

    24. When the blind lead the blind -- get out of the way.

    25. A bird in the hand -- is going to poop on you.

    And the WINNER and last one!

    26. Better late than --- pregnant.

    I hope you have a good laugh! :)




  • Dare questions ...

    1. What do you consider your first spiritual experience to be? Good News Club (done by the ministry CEF) that I attended when I was six.

    1. What is the most religious thing you’ve ever worn in public? I wear modest, feminine clothing and I don't consider it to be religious. But I started wearing a scarf or hat to church 15 or 16 years ago and I still do that. It's not really religious, just my response to what my conscience said to me during teaching in church.

    1. What is the kindest act you’ve ever done for someone? To love someone who is acting unloving is the kindest thing that I have ever done and hopefully, will continue to do.

    1. What is your favorite story from the Gospel or a religious movie? The wedding at Cana is special to me. Jesus and His mother and their interaction there. "Do whatever He tells you to do"... :)

    2. Have you ever prayed with someone from a different religion? Not that I recall.
    3. Have you ever prayed in a public place? I pray all the times, that includes in public and populated places. I don't necessarily pray out loud in those places.

    4. Have you ever participated in a religious service other than your own? Yes, I've attended a Catholic church and a Messianic Jewish service. I may have attended others, but they're not coming to mind at the moment.

    5. Have you ever gone outside your spiritual comfort zone in order to move closer to God? Yes, I am doing that this week and it's a very scary feeling and yet I know that it's the right thing to do. God will uphold me. A song I am listening to saying "The God of Angel armies is always by my side." !!! and it's true. Bless the Lord.
    6. Are you in a good relationship with God right now? He is a good God and He has said that I am forgiven, justified and righteous in Him. Can't be much better than that! :)
    7. What do think God’s wish is for you? To love Him better and be with Him always.

    8. Whose desires come first in your life: yours or God's?  When I let my desires come first, my life is very shallow and lonely. But when I put His desires first everything becomes very vibrant and joyful. His ways are SO much better than my ways could ever be!! I love His imagination and creativity!!
    9. Do you struggle with selfishness? What helps you overcome this?  Everyone in the whole world struggles with this. If they say they don't, they are just deceiving themselves. We are made to automatically take care of ourselves and to do that we must be fairly selfish. Like a baby selfishly is only aware of their own needs.  We only overcome that when we spend time with the Creator of the universe. Then our perspective becomes His and we come out of ourselves and have His selflessness.

    1. Do you struggle with false or empty relationships that distract you from your relationship with God? What relationships help you stay close to God?  Those relationships with people that are deep and caring. Where the other person is as fully interested in pleasing God as I am, the relationship becomes a true fellowship of hearts. There are not a huge number of these but I have a few. They bless me almost every day.
    2. When you pray, what is your image of God? What do you think of? When I am praying I usually first think of Scripture and I pray that back to God. As I start thinking of the Creator and His power and other attributes, then I am reminded of so many things He does and ways He shows me His incorruptible love. It's kind of a spacey feeling but not really attached to a face at the moment. But I have hopes of seeing the face of Jesus one day. Ask me then. :)

    1. What is on your “spiritual bucket list?”

    -To have my ten children all have a special relationship with God and be grounded in His Word and able to defend their faith.  That is close to being a reality already.

    -To be a good housekeeper. (this probably requires a miracle). 

    -To be useful to others, a minister of grace to anyone I come into contact with. Still working on it.

    -To maybe have a grandchild or two....eventually. :) and many spiritual children!!!

    I do realize that the numbers are messed up here. Sorry about that. If you want to see the neat and tidy arrangement of this go to @BigToePeople or @Ancient_Scribe 's sites.

    Also I would like to tag @TrainTrack, @WildWomanOfTheWest, @Saintvi, @Evangelist_Guy, @Songoftheheart, @andreas_d, and anyone else who'd like to play.

    Blessings!  :)

  • Snowbirds!!

    It was snowing when we  got up this morning...
    It took my husband 45 minutes to get to work this morning, usually takes 10 minutes...
    By noon it was melting enough to make the roads safer to drive on, but if it goes back to 32 at dark they will become icy surfaces.
    This bird is in my back flowerbeds. He is a weatherbird. :)

  • ...a burning flame! AND a pearly globe...

    Real love stands out in this world of ours.....    like a banner.

    Happy and prosperous new year to you all!

    Enjoy!

    Banner Of Love   by Luminate....



    oh and PS:  my family still has the flu. Some of the older kids are starting to get around but the little ones still have fever and coughs.   Me and dh still have heavy coughs and are just praying we don't come down with pneumonia as a little bonus....!!!   prayers and sympathy are always welcome! lol  be grateful I can't give this to you over Xanga! lol


    Blessings!


     
     I tried another permutation of the clownfish pic I
    posted a little while back.

    A fisheye app put these clownfish in a globe!!!

    like it??      :)

  • Merry Christmas!!!!!

    The wise men worshipped him.....

    let us be wise! :)

  • My only comment on the Newtown tragedy

    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

    Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

    The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

    The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

    The best lack all conviction, while the worst

    Are full of passionate intensity. (by Yeats, The Second Coming)

    This blog post by John Eldridge is worth reading:

     Why Newtown is More Important Than We Think...

    If you have time to read this, it states the position that Christianity ought to hold.... imho.

    Ransomed heart ministries has a lot of wonderful advice on marriage and family issues.

    Blessings and may you have much wisdom!

  • Delightful December anniversary...


    Colorful chairs to sit and admire the view in....

    There IS water out there.... :)

     

     
    Pretty night view too.

  • Delightful December memories

    I love the colors in these tank pics.... Clown fish especially
    We stopped at SeaWorld on our trip... :)

    Delightful December #10 for @BohemianLotus and her challenge...

  • Decembrial Delights...

    My 30th anniversary is this month. We celebrated by going on a long road trip and spending time at the beach. It was really nice. We don't often get pictures of us together as a couple, but this time we took a moment to grab a shot in the garden of one of the hotels we stayed in. I photoshopped it a ...little bit...

    So here we are. This is my dh Russell! And this is my "December Delights" post for @BohemiumLotus 's challenge. :)

  • Delightful December continues....

    Thinking about the things I've been happy about in the last few days.   I just recently visited an island in south Texas for my anniversary.   It makes me happy every time I look at these pictures.

    So for days #2, 3 and 4:


    Everything was falling uphill......lol


    I was startled by this large prickly pear which looked like a small tree!!
    It almost reaches the overhang of this one story building!


    They were adding sand at one end of the beach. My husband was fascinated by the big Tonka Toys scattered everywhere. I liked the sandy tracks. :)

    Be blessed!! and remember to get that sand between your toes as often as possible! :)



    This is for Delightful December started by @bohemianLotus, check her out for more links to others posting these too.

  • Delightful December!

    Something that made me happy this morning
    was @TrainTrack  posts. 
    Lists as they should have been or never
    thought to be until now. :) Check him out!

    Happy December Xanga!

    If you want to join us, "Delightful December" is a project of @BohemianLotus and you can read about this project Here.

  • Happy Thanksgiving blessings...

    The first post was the blonde twin showing me her fav rock to stand on...
    This is the brunette twin showing me a little chair in her Mommom's garden. : )

  • T Riddle?

    What contains sliced turkey,
    Homemade gravy,
    Dressing,
    Strawberries and cream,
    Mashed potatoes and an inordinate amount of butter,
    .....and pie?

    A little girl on her fav rock!!

  • Edited: What I did with my Saturday morning...

    my friend wanted some peppers for her salad and for making jalepeno jelly.... :)

    Edit:  Added the Recipe for those who wondered.....
    This is from the Texas Homesteader

    Jalapeno Jelly

    3/4 lb of jalapenos, cored and seeded
    2 cups apple-cider vinegar
    6 cups sugar
    2 pouches liquid pectin
    3 drops of green food coloring (optional)

    Wearing gloves, wash, seed, and core the jalapenos.  Puree them in a food processor with 1 cup of vinegar.  Pour into a medium sized pot.  Add the other cup of vinegar and all the sugar.  Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.  Allow to boil for 10 minutes.  Add the pectin and let it rapidly boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and skim the top if needed.  If desired, you can add food coloring.

    Ladle jelly into clean, warm canning jars leaving a 1/4″ head space.  Wipe the rim of the jar and put on sterile lid.  Screw on the top.  Put in water bath for 10 minutes.  Remove, let cool, and check for good seal.

    Serve with crackers and/or cream cheese.

    The jelly itself is gluten-free.  My mother-in-law found some great gluten-free crackers for us to eat with the jelly.  They are Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers.  The jelly is excellent on just a plain cracker.  Enjoy!


  • Mercy reaching to save me

    Beautiful, beautiful.....by Francesca Battistelli

    Don't know how it is,
    You looked at me...
    And saw the person that I could be.

    Awakening my heart,
    Breaking through the dark;
    Suddenly, Your Grace...

    Like sunlight burning at midnight,
    Making my life something so
    Beautiful, beautiful...

    Mercy reaching to save me...

    All that I need.
    You are so
    Beautiful, beautiful...

    Now theres a Joy inside I cant contain...
    But even perfect days can end in rain.
    And through its pouring down,
    I see You through the clouds...
    Shining on my face...

    Like sunlight burning at midnight,
    Making my life something so
    Beautiful, beautiful...

    Mercy reaching to Save me...
    All that I need.
    You are so
    Beautiful, beautiful...

    I have come undone,
    But I have just begun
    Changing by Your Grace!

    ....

    Like sunlight burning at midnight,
    Making my life something so
    Beautiful, beautiful...

    Mercy reaching to save me...
    All that I need.
    You are so beautiful...

    Like sunlight burning at midnight,
    Making my life something so
    Beautiful, beautiful...
    Mercy reaching to save me...
    All that I need.


    You are so
    Beautiful, beautiful.
    Beautiful, Beautiful!



  • ...and the seasons change

                                                                     

    ...Even in Texas.... :)

  • Time rolls by.... 50 years of thoughts.

    So I decided to post this, but I'll only post it once for a short while
    so don't blink and miss it!!!


    In case you were desperately wondering
    WHO is GUESTBRIEF???


    Here are some brief descriptions of my life. In honor of my 50 years.

    I graduated from High School in Missouri and
    left immediately for an engineering college in Tx. This is me at 18:


    The Army wanted me for a mechanical position
    but I turned them down bc I didn't want to shower with a crowd! lol




                     
    I got married and had seven children.
    We were taking a picture with my sister and I trimmed the pic
    and used it for a facebook profile and got this shot.

                                       
    For our 25th wedding anniversary, my husband and I went on a cruise.
    This pic was taken at the turtle farm in the Caymen Islands.

                                                               
                                                             Another facebook profile a few years later....
                                                             And three more children later!

                                                                               

    At my second son's graduation in Pennsylvania.
    It was an outdoor shot and looked greyer than I was then. 
    But I am about that grey now...... :}
    And I am still working on that engineering degree....

    There you have it. More than you ever wanted to know about
    me.  Hope your day is blessed.

  • ...still floating on a memory...

    Still pondering on the wonderful getaway we had  a couple weeks ago...

    Here are a few more highlights.... only the Best of the Best of course! lol

     



    ...DID you see the DOLPHINS!!!!  wooohoooo! :)


                                        ...blessings!

  • It's over....

    Goodbye beach.... it was wonderful...

    Now we can go on to school time again.... :)

  • Was 103 here today, and 106 tomorrow???

    This atmosphere of chilliness shown in my backyard is brought to you
    by the letter S ...for snow and C ...for cold!!!


    Enjoy!!   :)

  • These words.....

    ...blessed me this morning.   When I am depressed, Jesus sends me little notes like these:  pay attention to the bold-ed words. :)





    How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
    Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
    What more can He say than to you He hath said—
    To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

    “Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
    For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
    I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
    Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.

    “When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
    The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
    For I will be with thee thy trouble to bless,
    And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

    “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
    My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
    The flame shall not harm thee; I only design
    Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

    “The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose,
    I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
    That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
    I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”


    Well, maybe the whole song needs to be bold. It was a message and I was encouraged. So you should be too.

    Blessings!!!

    This speaks about that too.....     :)

  • Xanga Trend: If I Were...

    Started by @myxldove  here.  You can join in too....

     If I were a month, I would be July...because I like the heat.

    If I were a time of the day, I'd be a Pink Dawn... just too gorgeous!

    If I were a planet, I would be Pluto...bc I know what it is to feel unwanted, lol.

    If I were a sea animal, I would be a Coral...and precious.

    If I were a direction, I would be up....always encouraging

    If I were a liquid, I would be Mercury...love the silver flash and the paradox.

    If I were a gemstone, I would be blue sapphire...soooo pretty deep blue.

    If I were a tree, I would be an Olive tree...they live thousands of years.

    If I were a tool, I would be a Leatherman... useful miniature toolbox.

    If I were a flower, I would be a Rose with satin petals.

    If I were a kind of weather, I would be Mountain thunderstorm.

    If I were a musical instrument, I would be a Oboe....haunting and minor key.

    If I were a color, I would be deep emerald green.

    If I were an emotion, I would be gratefulness...we need more of it.

    If I were a fruit, I would be a Grape...with many uses.

    If I were a sound, I would be babies laughing!!

    If I were an element, I would be Earth...good for growing things.

    If I were a car, I would be a Jaguar XJ12...with an engine you can hardly hear ...it's so smoooth!!!!.

    If I were a place, I would be on the porch in the mountains listening to the wind in the pines.

    If I were a material, I would be slubby woven silk.

    If I were a scent, I would be jasmine.

    If I were an animal, I would be a black panther....so velvety.

    If I were an object, I would be Kitchen table...so friendly.

    If I were a body part, I would be the eyes... the window of the soul.

    If I were a facial expression, I would be  a laughing smile.

    If I were a pair of shoes, I would be a flip flops worn in summer.

    If I were a movie genre, I would be a gentle comedy.

    If I were a font, I would be Comic Sans.....lol


    Blessings!

  • update: West Nile Virus, what you can do....For my Texas friends and visitors

    Some Health information from my friend the Eye Surgeon to her family and friends.

    Edit::      City of Carrolton, Tx has established a West Nile Hotline:  972-466-3202

    I have her permission to pass this on.  If you live in NE, Ncentral, or E TX, or SE OK, this may be important information for you because this is the area that is being talked about here and WEST NILE VIRUS EPIDEMIC is the topic...

     News article on West Nile, Another news article about combating West Nile...

    Dallas County declares state of emergency due to West Nile


    -----------------------------------------------------------
        I wanted to bring to your attention something I do not think is getting the attention it deserves and consequently you may not realize the real risk it is posing for all of us in  Texas, especially evidently here in North Texas. I gave a Safety Briefing  to my Civil Air Patrol Squadron tonight and felt strongly to pass this on to you, in case you had not heard of it.
     .
     As of  5: 30 pm Yesterday , this disease , transmitted by  a strain of vigorous mosquito common in Texas has been pronounced an official epidemic in North Texas/ Dallas County..  We have had a death in Hunt county ,and 2 in Rockwall , and 11 in Dallas, 4 in Denton .

     The serious problem  that should make us all proactive. According to the CDC, is that the infected mosquito population unfortunately almost impossible to control and stop- and is only expected to get worse in the years ahead. It may be exponential.

     You may do your own research , But here are some quick details:

     1) It came to this country in 1999, worse in 2004, and now  2012 is the first year worse since then- because of our mild warm winter, wet spring and hot summer . August and September are the peak months, and it will peak in 2 weeks. The virus in infected birds and Mosquitos is all over the US , but worse now in Texas, Okla, and Mississippi. Sparrows and  Robins and hawks carry the virus in this area most commonly , maybe continually as carriers  and may not appear and may be spared, providing more chances for biting mosquitos to get the virus from them . The most common birds to get sick  and die are crows and Blue jays.  Mosquitoes transmit  viral disease to humans and of animals, horses are the most vulnerable.  There is a vaccine for them , but it does not always work.. 

    The mosquito breeds in standing, non - chlorinated water, growing from eggs to mosquitos  in as little as  4- days in this hot weather , to up to a month in cooler weather.

      2) The incubation period  in a human before one sees disease varies according to immune status ,and may be 3-15 days. Out of 150 people bitten with an infected mosquito, only 20 will have a disease they recognize as a disease-  This  most common illness is called  West Nile Fever , with fever, headache, bodyaches and tiredness as the predominant symptoms . They may, in addition, have lymph node swelling and body rash. this may last a few days to weeks to rarely, months.

       3)1 out of 100- 150 will develop  West Nile Encephalisitis or meningitis -  young children and babies, people over 50, and those with poor immune systems from a variety of causes are the most vulnerable .  This is a neuroinvasive disease with encephalitis and / or meningitis - paralysis, seizures, etc and 1 of 6  with this form  die. The 5 out of 6 who do not, are often left with severe neurological deficits and paralysis .
       4)Since it is a virus, there is no medicine , However ,there are reports of High dose Vit C ( 50-100 Gm a day)stopping the progression and cure in 2-3 days , as in many viral illnesses-  Reference the book by Dr. Thomas Levy ,  Curing the Incurable. 


     What can you do ? Do something , and do what you Can .

     1) get rid - today, of  all standing water around your house .Empty Bird baths, old tires, ceramic pots or trays, etc. Use fish in tanks that you can ( non - chlorinated ones  or the mosquito torpedos or mosquito dunks that have BTI ( a type of bacteria like probiotics that discourage maturity of larval forms. Leave No puddles , an inch of water can breed mosquitos, and attract them. Landscape around your home in the fall to help keep standing water away next year.

     2) for outside waterers for your animals , empty them and refill if possible every day or every 2 day and scrub out to kill new larval hatch.  Use the BTI in horse troughs, or other helps ( research this for yourself and your situation)

    3) Do not go out at dawn or dusk when mosquito activity is at its highest. ( I would not go out at night until October unless you have to do so , and then only with repellent of some kind)

     4) wear long sleeved shirts tucked in and long pants and wear strong mosquito repellent of your choice - DEET is the best commercial , longest acting , but be careful with children under 2 ,  There are other more  natural products , but need reapplication often . Keep them readily available at all of your doors and in all of your bathrooms , so it is easy to use and find.

    5) keep ceiling fans going in houses - mosquitos hate wind . If you hear them buzz, turn off the light and they will land on the wall or ceiling and you can kill them better or vacuum them up .

    6) do not leave lights on around your doors - they are attracted to them

    7_Blue is their favorite color and floral prints . Do not start a slapping frenzy if they bite, you will have 2 times as much be attracted by it .

    8) Have a  family Discussion/ " safety  briefing " about this , and discuss together the steps all of you can take to eradicate breeding places around your home. Ask every one to repeat the information to be sure they understand what they need to be doing . Assign your children a sibling buddy to help them remember dressing and repellant guidelines as well as your help , etc Pray about it , and ask the Lord to protect your family as you seek to do what is right . "  The Horse is prepared for battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord " " commit your plans to the Lord and He will make your paths straight" . Psalm 91.

    9)  Take 4-5 Grams of Vit. C daily and other anti- viral  supplements  and a healthy diet to boost your immune system  - Zinc, Elderberry,D , E and K , Minerals  Etc,  But do not rely on this - do all of 1-7 above ....

      Research the  use of IV Vitamin C , and prepare yourself with a document that  requests it if you are emergently hospitalized for this or any serious viral illness . Find a Doctor who knows about this. Unfortunately, since big pharma makes no money on this , it is little known. I use Abrams Royal Pharmacy to supply me with non- corn derived ( not GMO grown in China ) Vit. C. You could mention this to your family doctor and perhaps help them learn something if they do not(  Dr. Levy and Abrams Royal )


     Please do not rely on this short and abbreviated information , research your self and inform your family members. Please do not be the one , even out of 100 and 150 to contract this serious disease that is causing more problems than polio did.
    --------------------------------------------------

    If these notes are any help to you, I'm glad.

    Blessings!   :)




  • Yeah!

    Thinking about how God loves us this morning......

    Oh how!

    And how many reasons can I find to rejoice in such a love??

    many blessings to all of you!  :)