Christian Photographers Community

We arrived back last evening from Ohio.  We had a lovely few days since we left here last Thursday and headed for Windsor, Ontario where we visited with really good friends.  Then we crossed over into Detroit and headed down to the Toledo area and then east to Ashtabula, Ohio where we were till last evening with Paul's daughter.  Samuel, Paul's grandson, graduated from Home Schooling high school and they had a lovely Open House on Saturday. 

I had a wonderful two day birthday and now a third day reading all of your lovely messages to me.

So, a BIG THANK YOU for them!

Pat, I see that, however breifly, you were in my neck of the woods (S.E. Michigan). Glad you had a good time on your trip!

Pat:  It sounds like you had a great birthday or rather two day birthday. 

Janet:  Not breathing dirt but we do have smoke and so glad we are closed up with air on right now.  Coughing smoke and that one in Black Forest, Monument and now Colorado Springs is out of control.  The cabin is fine and that fire is in a place where we watch elk herds & listen to them bugle in the fall.  About 10 miles away from our place.  Still, very frightful to smell smoke with all the trees.  They have evacuated 1,000 Scouts from a camp in the Black Forest. 

More and more neighbors are having to leave their homes here and going into some kind of assisted living - two more houses for sale.   

Yes, Carol, it is sad to see our friends growing older and having to give up their independence.  But life marches on, for all of us.  Saw reports on the Colorado fires on TV tonight--scary, and so very sad to see lovely homes going up in smoke. 

Praise the Lord!!  We didn't have wind today!!

Wish I had known where you are, Smokey and maybe we could have met for a coffee. 

Yes, Carol, had a lovely two day even and then home to read over 200 messages (birthday messages) on my wall on Facebook!!!  So nice to see.

Hi everyone ... it's been a while ...

Aunt Pat, I hope you had an amazing birthday.  I didn't forget, I was just traveling back from North Bay. 

Mom (JudyB) ... I understand what you are saying about the exam.  I can give you a little bit of comfort in that you know everything you need to know to do your exam.  He's been teaching you all semester what his test writing is all about and this exam is no different.  Mr. G is great that way.  I don't think he will have changed the exam from last year either, so I can tell you it is fairly easy.  Don't forget to breathe when you sit down for it, a tip you gave me when I sat down for it ... ... in the next week, I have several tests/midterms and a final coming up, so I totally get it!

I hope everyone is well.  I check in often, however I don't often comment (as you know).  But please know that your prayer requests are being remembered, and you are often thought of.

Hugs
Heather

Thanks Heather, it is the brain fog that concerns me.  I now understand why I struggled in school the way I did, my mind would blank and there was/is nothing I can do to bring back the rememberer!

Have a restful night everyone.

Hi, friends,

What a wonderful time I've had getting caught up on everyone.

Smokey, it's so good to see you here again. Please keep coming back - we miss you and all our other friends who peek in occasionally. (Hmmm - seems I'm becoming one of those occasional posters.   ) I've gotta do better about posting, too.

Life has been so very busy the past few weeks. My trucker son is here this week, and son #1 has had a guest, also. I most likely will have news from son #1 in the next few days.

Love to all of you everywhere.

Ruth Ann

Quote from: JudyB on June 12, 2013, 11:41:55 PM

Thanks Heather, it is the brain fog that concerns me.  I now understand why I struggled in school the way I did, my mind would blank and there was/is nothing I can do to bring back the rememberer!

Have a restful night everyone.

Of course there's something you can do, Judy.  You can PRAY - and request prayers from us!  (Which will be rising from Corinth)

Jeanne is right, Judy---GOD is greater than any brain fog!!  That is only caused because you doubt your ability to recall the information you have worked so hard to learn.  Now, take all the good advice you've been given in here:  Take deep breaths, relax, confess God's favor, ask for supernatural recall...and then ACE THAT TEST!!  We know you can do it!!

We are ready to go to the gym.  I went back yesterday, first time since before we left.  Darrel is going today, too.

I just got an email notice--John is coming!!  Beth will be SOO happy!  Yesterday she told me he hadn't called her in five days, not like him at all.  But they changed his working hours, and that's the reason, at least that's what Beth thought.  I'm always glad when he comes, he is so good for Beth.

I finished writing about our trip, so will be contacting you, Jeanne, for help with the photos.  First half is to be in our local paper today, I am anxious to see it.

Pat, I need to talk to you.  When would be a good time to call?  Let me know, also the correct number to use.  Thanks. 

Hi everyone on a hot and sunny June day here in Georgia.  According to the weather map we may be getting some of that bad weather that is now hitting the NE.  The weather sounds dire and I sure hope all of our cyber friends who live in the NE will be OK as well as all that live there.  I just took out the trash and made a trip to our mailbox and came back in feeling the effort.  So I plan to stay in today as I don't have anything on the schedule.  Pat will leave in a little bit to have a mammogram done at our mail Kaiser facility here in our county. 

Janet, they are telling us this morning that the little 12 year old who so needed new lungs got them yesterday.  Her parents never gave up when the system said no.  I hope she will have a normal life.  My blood tests from yesterday came back fine with no highs or lows noted. 

Jeanne, Amen on the "so little stamina" as I fight that everyday even when I don't do much of anything.

Judy, sure wouldn't care to be on a boat or ship in such a storm as your picture shows us. 

Pat, sounds like you and Paul had a lovely trip to Ohio.  A two day birthday celebration, now that is really big time.

Carol, glad your cabin is safe from the fires.  So sorry to read of the loss of homes of so many and the fires still continuing. 

Smokey, nice to see your posting.  Come back more often. 

Heather, good advice you offered your mother on taking that exam.  Also nice to see you posting. 

Ruth Ann, it sounds like some exciting times may be coming in your family.

Janet, so happy to see that John will soon be visiting Beth as know that brings such joy into her life. 

I thought some of you might enjoy this story.  It is a bit long but carries quite a message:

Magnolias

  I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away.   As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle . . So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!
  To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy- white blooms and slick green leaves& nbsp;would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church.
  After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her
bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiancé Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot ai r, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black.  Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on  that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our home town, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding.
  Tim turned to me. "Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements."

I mumbled, "Sure," as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. "Lord," I prayed, "please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!" I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolia as ,&nbs p;courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance.    I approached a house... No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered.
So far so good . . . No shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, "I'd be happy to!"

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, "Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today."

"No, M a'am," he said. "You don't understand what's happening here."

"What?" I asked.

"You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. "On Wednesday I buried her."; He looked away. "On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left."

  I nodded.

"This morning," he continued, "I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she  needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, "Sir, I need you."

I stood with my mouth open.

He asked, "Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room..."

I assured him I was no angel.

He smiled. "Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?"

"No."

"I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why,  I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!"

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, "Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today."

But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference."

What a beautiful story, Larry.  Thank you so much for sharing it with us. 

Beautiful Story Larry!!!  Puts perspective on everything in our lives.

Lovely story, Larry.  God always finds a way, when there seems to be no way!

Larry:  Wonderful and such a thoughtful story.  Everyone is needed for something.

I heard on CNN today that all of Colorado Springs has been force evacuated.  Not good news for those folks, Focus on the family is in Colorado springs, as well there is a camp in that area for underprivileged children that is occupied with children. I am praying for these folks praying that their lives will be spared. Their lives are more important than possessions.  It is so hard though to loose all your possessions.

This has been a long day trying. Spent the day in North Bay, sitting in hospital with a friend..  All turned out well nevertheless it has been long and tiring.  Now back to finishing off my last assignment.  Have a great evening everyone, and a restful night's sleep!

Hi everyone on another hot and sunny Georgia day.  It got into the mid 90's yesterday and we had some more rain during the early evening.  Pat and I had a very enjoyable dinner out last night with our friends.  The steaks at Appleby's were very good.  We haven't had a steak for a long time so really enjoyed it.  Today is coffee at the Senior Center.  Then we need to leave again about 10:30 as Pat has a meeting and at 11:30 I have the ROMEO's luncheon.  Today we are meeting at Longhorn's.  I think I will drop her off and go on to the Barnes and Noble store that is in the same shopping center as where we are eating.  That will be it for day.  My energy level isn't very high and the heat doesn't help. 

Glad you all liked the story.  Jeanne, it is a joy to share this special things I am blessed to receive in emails with you all.  Judy, I agree it does put things back into perspective and demonstrates that our lives have value even when we think they don't.  Janet, God has a way for all of us even if we don't understand it at the time. Carol, you are so right, we all are needed.

Judy, there is something about being in a hospital waiting that is very tiring.  Nice of you to be there for your friend. 

\We are leaving for Sun river ear;y tomorrow morning, I have already delivered the Dogs to the pet sitter and Harry (my cat) is at S/Nipped (the clinic where I work). I am relaxing for a bit as it has been hectic and busy so far today.  At the last minute today I've had to wash, dry and probably have to iron two of Keith's dress shirts. Just what I wanted to do NOT!!!

I haven't checked the news - there are wonderful stories of good Samaritans in the area.  Some are taking in animals or people and a lot of restaurants are passing out free food and beverage - some are letting people camp on their property and so on it goes.  The couple who did not survive were making phone calls at the last minute and that may have been their demise but who can tell what happened.  With these winds (again, today) it is really tough on the firefighters.   

The fire area is north of Colorado Springs but they did have some issues with the northern part of the city.  I have been to a weekend camp for the church and have not heard if that old wooden building has been touched or not.  They evacuate people because the winds are changing and such a fast fire - they knock on every door and sometimes just tell them to "Get out now!".  There are pictures of people running - police running and you just can't imagine the stress.  Bless our firefighters and all who are in there doing their best. 

I rode with Don to the VA for his blood draw this morning - he has a CT scan scheduled next week.  We had stopped at the cafeteria for him to have a light breakfast afterwards and found the building was in a lock down when we tried to go to the garage.  Will never know the reason.  I knit for awhile and he read his book. 

Our pastor's grandchild (five months old) living in Wisconsin is paralyzed and they don't know the reason - the father is a doctor - this would be a crisis for any parent.  My neighbor & good friend brought me up to date on the prayer list. 

One son is coming tonight to check out a backpack we have that is light - he is hiking a mountain near Vail tomorrow.  Not for us, we can barely make our own walks anymore.   

I just had my chuckle for today.  I an dog sitting until the 21st of the month.  I have the TV on in the background.  Sue Thomas FBI was on.  Levi the wonderdog  had a new toy given to him. He barked, and caught the new toy and started squeaking the toy.  Autumn jumped up and ran to the TV to watch what Levi was doing.... My guys totally ignore the TV whether dogs bark (Cesar Milan) or not.  I couldn't help laughing at Autumn!!!

I am nearly done my assignment, it will be turned in done or not, balanced or not before bed tonight.

Happy Birthday

                                      Ruth V       




Goodnight all. 

Thank you for your kind greetings!!

JudyB and I were talking last night and encouraged me to come on today.

I have been very busy for quite a time with traveling (weddings and doctor appointments), work (bookkeeping and taxes) and other necessary tasks to help keep us, as a family, functioning.

I'll not catch up today as my daughter and three of my grandchildren will be here to visit for the day.

God Bless you all today!!

Hi everyone on another lovely day in Georgia.  I enjoyed my ROMEO's lunch yesterday at Longhorn Steak House.  Later this afternoon we are going over to friends to play domino's and then all of us will go out to eat this evening.  I expect it will be Mexican.  I went to coffee this morning but will stay home now until we go this afternoon as don't want to be too tired to enjoy the time with friends. 

Happy Birthday RuthV.  It looks like I may be a day behind in offering my best wishes but better late than never.  It sounds like you have really been busy with work and family events. 

Judy, hope you have now finished up on your lesson.  Animals each have a personality of their own.  Our pets never seemed to pay attention to televison.

Carol, in times of disaster the best in people seem to come forward.  Unfortunately it also often brings out the worst in some when their is looting.  I heard last evening that the fire situation may be better in your state now and saw there was some rain.  Certainly frightening news concerning your pastor's grandchild.  I don't think I ever heard of such a thing in such a young child. 

I guess Marilyn is either now or soon will be on her vacation to Sun River.  Hope she has a wonderful vacation.

Yes Larry it is finally done and submitted.  Not necessarily all correct, but it is in.  Now to study for the exam.  I am not going to over do it, just review rules, and that will be about it.  Read over my notes to refresh my mind, and praying for peace.

Today I am going shopping, mowing the lawns, and meeting up with John.

I pray all have a great day, and God blesses each of you.

Judy, I have the date and time for your exam marked on my calendar so that I'll be sure to remember that's when you need extra prayers.

A lovely day here in northern New York.  A perfect day for drying the laundry - sunny and mild with a good breeze to take out the wrinkles.  And since my washer just shut off I guess I'd better get to it.