THOROUGHLY EXPOSED!

When I wash my hair, I find that I wash off all that spray and my scalp is exposed, and I have these little tiny bumps on my scalp! I think they have popped up due to stress and nerves! If my hair is fixed, you won't see them, but when it's wet or exposed, you can feel them and even see them.
When we are seeking after God, we have to allow ourselves to become exposed at the very head of our lives. We must become vulnerable to Him, and become exposed in our thoughts, so that He can reveal Himself to us.
......and yes, sometime this does hurt! Covering up our bumps and hurts won't get us any closer on our walk to the Lord, and it often times hinders it. Humility seems to be the best route to take. For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
A thorough a good washing many times during the week, helps keep my scalp clean. A daily washing of God's word will thoroughly cleanse you of all dirt and grime. Don't forget to add in a good amount of humility when rinsing, so you can portray a beautiful picture of Christian beauty!
Becky

THE THRONE

We will all stand before the Throne of God someday....

Some of us will stand before that awesome Great and Holy Throne of Grace.
where we will spend Eternity with our Lord and Savior.

Others will stand before that awful Great White throne Judgement.
where they will be judged and find that they spend Eternity in hell!

Two thrones....
Two outcomes....
Two decisions....

The first throne is easy, you can make that decision today!
The second one is already made for you, and is out of your hands,if you say "No"!

But God is merciful and wishes for none to perish, so choose wisely,friends....
Becky

THE BANQUET

As Cathy and I drove to Aiken today, we drove right passed a group of vultures as they feasted on the carcass of a dead animal. As awful as that sight was to me, my mind immediately went to the book of Revelation, where we are told that at the end times, God will announce a great banquet for all the creatures of the air and the earth! He will let them feast off the remains of all the Kings; Princes, and everyone who chooses NOT to worship the living God!
I love banquets, but this is one banquet I am definitely glad to not be attending!
Becky

FRIENDS LIKE THESE

This touched my heart so very much today, that I just had to share it with you. Allen and Theresa stopped by today after church, on their way back to Aiken. Theresa had been on their boat over at Hilton Head this weekend and was cooking for my sweetie, the entire time that Allen was working on their boat. She baked him custards;brought him meals from What's Cooking in Aiken and fixed several meals on the boat so he would have some things he "might" be able to eat.
Allen is David's best friend, and every August we drive to Cherokee, NC and camp for a week with them at Indian Creek Campground. We've been doing this for about five or six years and love it! They sleep in a tent and we sleep in a tiny cabin on single beds with our sleeping bags! That's the elderly style of camping!(lol) I fix the lunches and Theresa does the suppers, and we usually eat at our picnic table.
This year, however was going to be a challenge for me, because it looked as if I would be doing the driving there and all the packing up of the gear.
For me to do that by myself, will be very hard!Anyhoo, Allen told Theresa that he had invited our son George; Melissa and the kids to come up this fall to be with their Daddy, and he would rent them a cabin up the road from us. He also volunteered to drive to Beaufort and pick David up and take him to Cherokee.
If that isn't friendship in its fullest form, I don't know what is!
Naturally I cried when she told me!
These two buds have been best friends since Allen started helping David with scouts in the early 70's, and they have done everything together ever since.
Allen won't talk about David leaving this world....yet! It's too hard for him, but he will do everything in his power to make things easier for him right now.
I thank my God for friends like this. Friends who will think what you need, and do what you need, without you having to ask for help.
I am so blessed with friends like these and you my journey friends, and a God like ours.
What more could I want?(Well, maybe a healthy hubby!)
Becky

POWER OF THE BLOOD

I have just witnessed the miracle of answered prayer, as when the body of Christ comes together from all over and begins praying for you and you receive the power of that prayer!
As most of you know, I have been staying home to take care of David during this recent bout of chemo. It hasn't been a pretty, or an easy sight either. He has been weak and unable to eat much at all. Besides this breaking my heart, it has drained my strength. Almost everything I fix for him has been met by an unacceptable attitude. Yesterday, at noon, I finally went to my private fb site for my "Mom's Who Lost Children", and asked them to please pray hard for me. I was spent and worn to a frazzle. I told them, that I had so much to do, because company was coming in today, and I couldn't get David to eat, and I was hitting a brick wall! I needed their prayers for strength in a big way! Well, it wasn't too long before I could feel the "power in the blood"! Those prayers went up before the throne of Grace and God honored their obedience to pray!
The energy I had that afternoon was nothing short of a miracle and all due to God's energy!
I fixed a casserole! Made fried corn! Fixed a fruit compote! Set the table for Sunday! Made Spanish Flan! Washed; dried and folded two loads of clothes! Wrapped Theresa's birthday gift! Washed my car! Made cookies for David! Made custard for David! Made iced mint tea! Grocery shopped!
Gave David a back rub!
Today, I was worn out until I got to church, and then the music and the message renewed me again!
Isn't God faithful to hear the prayers of the saints and to always answer them? Those Mom's knew I needed to be lifted up for strength to make it through, and so they prayed. They did their part, and God is faithful to do His part!
Sometimes we don't remember to tell others when these types of prayers are answered, so that's why I chose to tell you this today. There are no situations that are too difficult for any of us, to NOT go to God in prayer, but when two or more are gathered in His name, there will He be also, and I like that even more!
Becky

SCRABBLE

When I am playing Scrabble online with Jenn; Nellah and Ramelle, there are certain letters that we can use when we get down to the very end and have only a few letters left, that can be placed together and the Scrabble board will take them as a word and give you a score!
(Beats having to pass when you don't know any better that's for sure!)
It doesn't look very challenging, but it does use up all the letters. I don't win very often, but it does challenge my brain, and that's why I'm doing it. When you're are in the body of Christ, you can often come up short when doing certain functions .If you're paired up with somebody you might not "think" will work, you might be surprised! Sometimes, the least of those who are paired together make a great combination! Paul reminded us that the eyes had a different function than the hands, but that one was equally as important as the other! We need to remember that each individual letter stands alone, but together, each one can make up a word, and each individual part of the body of Christ can also stand alone, but words work beautifully togethe! This can only happen because Christ is the head, and acts as the connecting force!
Becky

CALLING ALL MEN

My dear journey friends,
These are some thoughts that have been on my mind, and have been there for maybe some twenty years, but have recently resurfaced with David going through this chemo. When I lived in Aiken, I saw many folks going through chemo and the likes, and so many times the women reached out beyond measure to the families with love; support and the ever familiar "casseroles"! I guess this is a female thing! (lol) For some reason, it is just harder for the men to reach out and talk and just open up with someone who is in pain. This is such a shame.....
There are so many times, as the Apostle Paul taught us, when we need to come along side our brothers and encourage them. For some reason, it just is hard for men to do in these situations. I am not coming down on our wonderful men but want them to think about this......
No! I am encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones and to make a conscientious effort to do some very simple things when their fellow men are hurting. There are men out there who perhaps don't know Christ, and your small act of a visit to just say "Hi", or maybe a phone call to say "Hi" would speak volumes! I saw the body of Christ in action when Edie's husband ,Paul, was dying. Male friends came by everyday, all the time, and read to him; took him places; visited with him, and just let him know that he wasn't forgotten! It's not as easy, I know when the person isn't a believer, but the testimony that you give them by just stopping by and checking on them, will speak volumes to their heart! I don't get on my bandwagon much, except for my Mom's and my Lord and His word, but this is one area that I think we fall very short in. The men need to step up to the plate and let these men know that they aren't forgotten. The godly men of the church might be the only Bible that some of these other men ever see.
What a commission the Lord has given them.Please know I am not fussing at our wonderful men.
Personally, I know how much my own sweetie could have used just a few folks to stop by and visit with him just this week, just for a few minutes. He has had more of the neighbors stop by and those who work with him in scouts to check on him, and they aren't the saved ones!~~~~
Now that's a pitiful example for the body of Christ to see!
Even if my wonderful men get upset with me for writing this, if it makes them do something about it, then it was well worth writing.
I love you all anyway.
Becky

THAT IS GOOD!

When you have film developed, it has to be placed in a darkroom, in a tank of liquid to be processed. It looks as if it is doing nothing too, until it begins to slowly emerge as a picture! There's a treatment going on in this process that we can't see, but is necessary for the final product!
The same thing holds true when a woman gets a permanent. She must go through the process of having a neutralizer placed on the curler rods, and she will go through a waiting period. This stinks too! It is necessary for the neutralizer to control the wave of the curl.
God takes each of us through our own process, so He can control our actions. Whether He places us in the water to be neutralized,or in the dark to be developed, He will work on our emotions and actions so that we will process out to be more like Him!, and that is good!
Even if we think it stinks, we can know that" all things work together for good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose."
Becky

LEFTOVERS!

WE ARE LEFTOVERS IN THE HANDS OF THE MASTER!

NO FAIRYTALES

Cinderella found herself in a bad situation, but as fairytales would have it, she was transported to the ball and fell in love with the prince! Alas, at the stroke of midnight, she found herself back in her circumstances at home. The prince, though, was so in love with Cinderella, that he sought after her and brought her back home to be with him, where they lived happily ever after!
Just think, here we are in our circumstances today, and we have fallen in love with the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ! Someday soon, He is going to return to this earth and bring us back Home to be with Him, where we can live happily ever after!
And that's not a fairy tale either!
Becky

LIFTED UP

You know if I didn't fully understand that my God was in control and knew some 2000 years ago, that all these floods, earthquakes and tornadoes were going to happen, it would send me into a tailspin! I just heard that there was another earthquake up in Canada today, which doesn't surprise me.These events are coming in a quicker frequency every day, and will continue until our Lord is ready to come back and gather His church back up to Him!
The folks who don't have this assurance must be stumped as to what's going on. They are blaming it on everything they can.Everything from the atmosphere becoming to hot and it's sparking the flames, to our negligence! They don't get it! It's all in the plan of God, and was foretold some 500 years before Christ ever appeared on the scene! The only negligence that I can spot is man's negligence in acknowledging God as his leader in this world! Why, even the rocks cry out! The whole earth knows that it isn't right, the way things are now. Even they know that the God of the Universe needs to be back in control!
The birth pains have started folks, and it's up to us to hold fast and keep the faith!
Our God will lift us up!
Becky

LIFTED UP!

When you are down in the body of Christ, and your strength is zapped, that's the best place to be. It's as if you are plugged into your very own recharging system. One that not only recharges you, but that renews and refreshes you as well. To be in the body of Christ and be spent, is to be lifted up higher than you will ever be lifted up before. You will be placed before the Throne Of Grace, and The King Of Kings, and He will personally lift you up with His Righteous Right Hand! If that isn't enough, when He is finished with you, He will send you His "angels unaware" to minister to you!
Never have I seen the likes or joy of it! Your strength will be renewed and the bones will come alive! You just can't stay down in the body of Christ. The body won't let you!~~~
Not when they all lift you up!
Becky

A CHILD OF THE KING

My senior year in high school, I was the most decorated senior gir,l as far as awards went! I was stunned! I knew I did a lot of things, but I had no idea that I would have received so many honors. I have a little bracelet that I wear sometimes that has two of those awards hanging from it. One is the Babe Ruth Foundation Sportsmanship Award, and the other is the Activities Award. To the best of my memory, that's when you are involved in a lot of activities(lol). As many of you know, character and sportsmanship are the two most important qualities to me! In fact, I was even awarded the Honor Society's character award in the month of April, that year! When I think of those charms on my bracelet that I enjoy wearing, I know I won't be able to take them with me when I leave this world. The only thing that will go with me is my character, and what makes me up as a person. That's why it is so important for me to keep my character worthy of how God would deem me to portray myself!
I am a child of the King and that's the best award yet!
Becky

LEST WE FORGET

"Where have all the flowers gone.... long time passing; Where have all the flowers gone.... long time ago" Listening to those words sung by the Kingston Trio brought back memories of things from long ago that have since passed away. So many things were a given when I was growing up and they just aren't around anymore.....Why? Because we've forgotten to teach them to the next generation. Think about these things.....
How many young men open the door for lady anymore?
How many men still take their caps off when eating in a restaurant or at a dinner table?
How many folks still thank the hostess after a meal?
How many of us write a thank you note anymore?
How many children asked to be excused from the table after a meal?
How many gentlemen walk on the outside of a lady when walking down the street?
How many people know the art of introducing someone?
Interesting thoughts, aren't they? We're losing our markers for the next generation and if it's that easy to do with something like these things, then how much more important is it that we not forget to share the plan of salvation with others!......Lest we forget!
Becky

BIRTH PAINS

I love the study of prophecy, and especially that regarding the signs to look for when our Lord and Savior returns for us! He gives us the neatest picture when he painted the picture of childbirth as pertaining to the signs to look for, before His coming. He refers to it as the beginning of birth pains, and we will see the intensity of events building, like earthquakes; floods; fires; famines, etc; as they build in intensity. Things we have never seen before, in such magnitude proportions , that we won't believe it! It's only going to get worse too, because scripture has told us it would, and every prophecy in scripture has come true! The natural man cannot understand these things, though, because they are spiritually appraised, and it's foolishness to him, and he will disregard all we say.
If we are in the beginning of labor pains right now in the world, awaiting the Rapture....and then the return of our Lord, I wonder how many centimeters along the way, we are, before we are delivered?
Becky

THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!

God is so good to give us a glimpse of His glory every day!
We may have a touch of rain falling down one day, and then the next, we will witness the brilliance of a sunny day.
Can you imagine what went into creating just these two events?
Or perhaps the painting of a rainbow in the sky..... Where did He find the colors?
And Old Faithful?~~~~ My goodness He is creative with something like that!How about His design for the ever funny Zebra or the Giraffe! Then there's the detail and exact timing of a baby's birth.It's all in the awesome ability of this God we worship and adore, and only He could fathom any of this from before the foundation of the world.
He was!~~~~~And Is!~~~~~~~And will be!~~~~~ Forevermore
And that's good enough for me!
Becky

HE HOLY

When I think of going into battle, I think of gearing myself up with battle armor, and being equipped to fight off the enemy, but I don't often think of going into mental battle too, and that's a shame!
However, Christ refers to this one particular thing many times in scripture, when He tells us to "prepare our minds" for certain things. It is so important for us to protect our minds, that he even tells us to put on the Helmet of Salvation as part of our armor!If I'm to face my adversary, my mind needs to focus on Jesus Christ!
Scripture tells me that I'm to be sober in spirit, while fixing my hope completely on the grace to be brought to me by the revelation of Jesus Christ! His word tells me to be Holy, because He is Holy, and that in itself is good enough for me! That kind of mental armor will give my brain a clear; concise and pure way of thinking that can soundly defeat the enemy. Not because I'm doing it, but because the One who is Holy has prepared my mind for battle!
Becky

AIR CONDITIONING

I grew up without air conditioning, and was use to not having it.Then after we got it, I became use to it and couldn't live without out it, and after not having it this past week, I thought I would almost die!
Those folks who are without Christ are use to not having Him, but when they receive Him into their lives, they become use to Him, and they can't live without Him in it either!
One minute;one day, much less a week without Him, and they will die!
For those who choose to live without Him, they won't ever have an air conditioner again!
Becky

I CAN

Kind and Loving Father, as the saints call out to You in time of need, we are calling out to You, to restore our land to us. Father, I do not recognize this land anymore, and am saddened by the condition it is in. May the plans of those in office that might be of evil intent, be thwarted O Magnificent Lord, and may those of evil intent, who are in office and returning, be removed. Help those in higher authority be surrounded by wise and godly leadership, and counsel. Give us a change of heart O Lord so that we desire You in the workings of our land. It all begins with us as we vote and in those we elect to our offices. Help us to stand for what being an American is all about. Father, the last four letters of American spell "I can", and through You, all things are possible ,if we don't forget You in our land.....
Amen.

THE BEST REUNION

I surely do love going to my high school class reunions! My senior class had only 59 graduates, and 21 of them started out in the first grade together, so our class was exceptionally fun!Infact, the last reunion was our 40th and was the best one yet! Jeannie coordinated it from South Florida, and did a splendid job. Del, lives in Mount Dora, and hosted all of us for a drop in on Friday night. We even had Jim and Lynn come from as far as Nevada to this, so it's not just special to me. Several of us put together a small pontoon boat cruise on the Dora Canal, and another group took us on a tour of our old Roseborough Elementary School, which has now been turned into this elegant high school. I provided them with some fifty questions that brought back memories of "do you remember way back when?" I'm not sure they ever did come up with the answer to "Who was caught kissing in the cloak room in Mrs. Maglauthlin's 3rd grade" though, and I'm surely not tellin'!..... Oh well! Reunion's can be fun, if the people you remember are fun and you have something in common!
As fun as this reunion was, it won't hold a candle to the reunion all the believers will attend one day! God has prepared a place for us, and a huge banquet table for us to enjoy !We are to be reunited with Him, and all the fellow believers in Christ in Heaven above! I usually have to send my response back in, as to whether I am going to the next reunion or not, but since there is only ONE of these reunion's, I would suggest that you get your RSVP in as soon as possible. You simply have to accept Christ, and you are guaranteed a reservation at this reunion!
The master of ceremonies won't wait forever, but oh, what a reunion He has planned for all of us!
I graduated from high school in 1965, and from college in 1969.
I have no idea when I will attend this Heavenly reunion, but my reservation is in, and I'm ready to go when He schedules it, but thank goodness I don't ever have to graduate from it!
Becky

HOPE

After David junior died, I was fortunate enough to hear Barbara Johnson talk at a" Women to Women Conference". It touched my heart so much, because she had gone through so much herself, with the death of two sons and one turning to a gay life style. In her message, she chose a phrase that has forever been instilled in my heart, and seems to make sense to those who have given a child back to God, and even to those who have lost a very dear member of their family.
She chose to say that God trusted me enough with my faith, to give me this hurt in my life, knowing that I would hold on to Him and cling to Him, and not give into despair over the loss. He knew I would realize the faith I had in Him, and that knowing this, would bring about hope, and that wouldn't disappoint!
Words I have never forgotten, but then God has a way of giving people the right words to say, now, doesn't He?
Becky

WHATSOEVER

My brother Jeff and I were talking on the phone this morning about what it was like growing up in Mount Dora in the 50's. Now, he is probably ten years older than I am, and has a tender heart. I never could tell you how old my brothers were for sure, but I knew my sister was the oldest and she was thirteen years older than me! Then came Jeff; Michael, and Chris. The Ray children grew up in a family with parents that somehow taught us the concept of always giving love! That's why it was so hard for me to conceive of the stories I heard later on of children growing up in families where the Daddy left the home or wouldn't take care of his children....or would even beat the children .Why, to the Ray children, this would have been unimaginable! So, this was what Jeff and I were talking about on the phone today. He asked his grandchildren where they wanted to go over the summer for their vacation.(They live all over the country!)Every single one of them said they wanted to come to "Sweet Potato", which is what Jeff and Pam call their home! They live in a one bedroom home on Lake Dorr, outside of Mount Dora in Umatill.It has a cottage out back, where the grands can come and stay. They live close to some natural springs(Rock;Sanlando & Juniper Springs, to name a few) If you've never been in a cold Florida natural spring, it is the coldest water you will ever step into.....and out of in seconds!It's also naturally delightful! They are twenty eight miles from Daytona Beach; Sea World, and many other attractions, but these kids would rather ski on Jeff's lake; mow with him on his mower; listen to him read and tell stories, and bake with Grandmama Lala.(Pame"lala")
They are learning what I, and my entire family learned. How to be content wherever you are. When Mama and Daddy went to play cards with friends, the Ray kids went along and spent the latter part of the evening sleeping at that house with their kids, until it was time to go home. We laugh about this, because all of us have slept with members of the opposite sex before we were married and didn't even know it!......(lol)
All in all, Jeff said it spoke volumes to him of how our culture have changed, and how so many of the kids today don't have these markers to point them to what is good, and pure and true.
Someday, if we aren't careful, our basic spiritual marker, the Bible may be taken from us too, so we need to be a constant reminder to the next generation to think" of whatsoever things are pure; lovely, and true. For if there be anything of good report, let us think on these things, for as a man thinkketh in his heart, so is he".
Something tells me we are gonna need it!
Becky

STAYING CLOSE

Let me explain something to you, my friends. I have had several emails from friends wondering why I chose the comments I did concerning the present administration. I guess this came about from my prayer when I said I chose not to respond to all those emails.~~~~ This is why, folks!
I have a much higher authority who has deemed me responsible to Him and Him alone. I choose to keep my thoughts as clean and as pure as possible so that I can be as close to Him as I can. "Your work of righteousness will be peace O Lord and the service of Your righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."....I don't always succeed, but I try. Not a lot of folks understand this, but that's okay too. I'm not responsible for them. I am only responsible to God and how I interact with Him for my behavior. I have no view point but His view point, and when the Holy Spirit leads me, than I will stand up, but not before. That's the beautiful thing about being so close to God that you don't have to get all worked up about these things because He's got it under control anyway.You can pray about it and let your requests be made known to Him, and He will take your requests under consideration, but then He'll do what He deems best!
So, please know I will never try to supersede the word of God, in anything I do or say. I will quietly sit by and listen to His counsel, but never purposely go against what His word says to do. If it says to be under those in authority, then I must be, and if I am not in agreement with them, or if I am,~~~I am called to pray for them, and I will!
I hope this has helped some of you understand my thoughts on these things and to not think I am completely giving my allegience away!
Always, to God be the Glory!
Becky

EQUAL & OPPOSITE REACTION

One of the theories in Physical Education, is "for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction"!
This means that for everything you do, there is an opposite reaction that is just as great. For me, I spent years and years doing tumbling; gymnastics and cheerleading, and was good at both. I never gave my arms and shoulders a thought because I was enjoying what I was doing. Later on in life though, my shoulders reacted to those good times, and I had to have a total shoulder replacement because of the wear and tear on my shoulders. That was my opposite reaction to my actions!
Someday, there will be some who will make a choice not for Heaven, and that choice will bring an equal and opposite reaction too, but it won't be just wear and tear on any shoulder that they will face. They will be facing the wear and tear on their soul for eternity! Yes, for every action, there is a reaction. Some will choose Heaven and that action will be awesome, for Eternal Life awaits with all its beauty! The reaction of those who don't choose it, will be Hell, and there is not one thing nice I can say about that place!
Becky

BECKY ON HER BANDWAGON

Don't know if any of you have ever thought about this, or not, but these are some things my grandmother told me many years ago. They were her words of wisdom given to her from her Mother. Actually, they were words from her Mother on how we as young men; women, and children should conduct our speech in a depraved world!(Not my words but hers!) I didn't quite understand all of them then, but looking around today, I surely do now!
Some of the things said are even hard for me to write down, because I don't like to say them, much less to write, but for the sake of those folks who have never heard these things, I will write them.
Many times we get caught up saying phrases and don't have a clue where those phrases come from, or why our Mothers didn't want us to say them. Here are a few that my Grandmother's Mother forbade her from saying and why, and yet we still hear them everyday!

1.) dad gummit!.....This meant God dammit
2.) Jeez..................This was taking the name of Jesus in vain!
3.) Ga....................Same as saying God!
4.) gall durn..........same as saying #1
5.) golly; gosh; gosh durn;......any of these gave a bad reference to God!

If you think of it, you might even come up with some of your own, or some you have heard. Most people will just say them, and not even think about what they meant at one time. At one time though, they were indeed, a direct affront to the Living God, and we have lost that awareness somewhere in our culture today! It even saddened me today, when a man at church walked in and jokingly said "good Lord," to which I replied...."Yes, He is!" The surprised look on his face told me all I needed to know. We have lost our awareness for what these words mean! ~~~~~What a shame!
Anything so close to the name of "God" doesn't need to be spoken casually. He is a reverent and very Holy God, and needs to be treated as such!
Holy! Holy! Holy!....Is the Lord God Almighty! He definitely does not need a reference to being called "golly" or "gosh", that's for sure!
Becky

THERE IS NO STING!

A friend of mine, from Aiken, is one of the rector's at St. Helena's Episcopal Church, here in Beaufort, and Mark is really grounded in the word of God.
Anyone who hears him preach will be convicted!
In a message that he gave last week at a funeral, he mentioned that so much emphases is given to the part death plays in a funeral. He stated that after the funeral, the cars always stop for the funeral procession, but when death meets life head on, death is the one that moves over, because Jesus Christ has made that possible, by death dying on that cross, and life being raised into eternal life!
Death, where is your sting?~~~~There is none!
Move over death,~~~~ and let life by!
Victory in Jesus has won!
Becky

THE BRIAR PATCH

When 'Brer Rabbit was thrown in the briar patch with all those briars and thorns that hurt, he didn't even cry out! Why?~~~~
Because he knew the secret!
He had come home!
His secret was his protection and safety, and this was something that 'Brer Fox just couldn't understand. We don't have to be like the natural man, who cannot understand the things of God, because they are spiritually appraised and it's foolishness to him. When we land in the briars or thorns of our own personal briar patch, we can either cry out in pain, like 'Brer Fox, or cry out to be lifted up into the loving arms of our Father above and ask His help!
God wishes none to perish and has made a way for all to come into His Briar Patch of Eternal Life in Heaven Above.
Becky

SO WHY?

We warn our children not to run out into the street, or to talk to strangers.
We tell them not to put their hands on a hot burner,or to play with knives.
We even tell them not to drive while drinking.
We tell them all kinds of things to keep them out of harms way, so why are we so hesitant about telling them about staying out of hell?
Becky

YES,I WILL!

I can still remember taking my final exam for Physiology, in college!
There were areas of examples that I had to explain, which included things like what the inside of a body looked like, when the extra cellular fluid content had over reacted to eating a ham and then over-exercising! (Go figure that I would remember that!) I was prepared though, because Dr. Olewine had gone over everything that I needed to study for the exam. Whether I failed or passed was up to me! I studied the material and understood its meaning, but the exam was a whole different ballgame!
God's exam is no different~~~~
His final exam is Eternal Life, so the stakes are a lot higher. The material for our preparation for getting there, is in the Bible. From it, we learn that Jesus is the only way~~~~that's it!
If you study for this exam, you will find it's a breeze! All you do, is accept Jesus as your Savior, and He will pass you right on through!
By the way, the question on the test is:
Will you accept Jesus as your Savior?
Becky

COMMUNITY

I grew up in a small town~~~~I mean a very small town!
The kind of small town, that if you did something wrong at a friend's house, their parents would scold you~~~~I mean really scold you, and then you had to face another dressing down from your parents, not only because of what you did, but because their friends had to fuss at you too!
That was horrible! It wasn't so bad if one parent did this, but their entire circle of friends was in a conspiracy against the Ray children to do this too!
Actually the entire town did this to every child, because this was Mount Dora!
They banded together, and meted out fair punishment(although we didn't think it was fair then) and you didn't get away with a thing! No sir......!By the time you had committed your deed, Reid's Service Station had found out about it; then it was all over the Dixie Drive Inn and Gladys, somehow or another got wind of it!..... It just wasn't fair!!!
The worst thing was, they made you feel like you had let everyone down, because they told you that they expected so much more out of you.Ofcourse, then you had to face your parents, and that was worse than facing Hitler himself, because if there was one thing you did NOT want to do, was to let your parents down!
When I think back on those days, I am so blessed to have had such a wonderful childhood. If I needed a ride home from school when Mother couldn't pick me up, Mother would ask a friend to pick me up, and I would stay at her house until Mama could get me. If it was Martha, we would decorate miniature sugar cubes until Mother picked me up. If it was Mary Lib, I would learn about flower arranging, and if it was at Jewel's, I would sometimes help eat her yummy Pecan Pie's or maybe play with her daughter Janice, who is one of my dearest friends today! I can look back on this whole episode with fondness because Mount Dora knew the secret. They knew the secret of community! That's what it's all about when making lasting friendships! They knew the secret started at the very beginning and bonded itself together in love with God at the helm! It just won't last any other way.
Mount Dora knew the secret was community and our parents held onto the key that unlocked that secret. Before they died, they willed that key to Tara; Janice and me.
I guess we will leave it to our generation too. I can think of no better gift after the gift of salvation, to leave someone, can you?
Becky

DON'T LOOK

Helping you focus on God amidst distractions and temptations, is a lot like driving next to an 18 wheeler on a narrow road. You know your suppose to keep your eyes straight ahead, but your tempted to look over to the side to make sure your alright. If you do, though, you will be in big trouble, cause you can be drawn right into that truck!
On the narrow path to God, we too, need to stay focused on God. When those temptations come close, we don't need to take a second look to make sure we are okay, because we will be drawn right in, and we will be messed up for life if we do!
Always keep your eyes focused on the Lord and not on the temptation for a smoother drive in life!
Becky

MOM'S

Even though I have posted some of these thoughts before, I will post them again, as I have been asked by newer journey friends what to say and do when a child dies, or for that matter, when anyone dies.
So here is some of the list to the best of my remembrance!
1.)When someone dies, and you need to go visit the remaining spouse or family member, don't hesitate for fear of what to say! You don't actually need to say a thing. A hug is the biggest form of support you could ever give a grieving person! They need the compassion and hugs like never before, but at that time, especially!
Probably the biggest hinderance for folks going to people in a funeral line, is that they "DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY".......
2)Please don't be afraid of mentioning the child's name for fear of making them cry .
Trust me on this!
You could never hurt a Mother any more than she's already been hurt, when she's given a child back to God, if you think you're gonna hurt her by mentioning her child's name again.
Actually, when you mention that child's name, you will bring the biggest smile to her face ever! Bring up funny things about the child that died and remembrances, and little things you remember about that child, and it will make them feel such a bond of love between the two of you.
It's a funny thing about a Mother, when a complete stranger.....or even a friend, starts talking about their child, even the whole world could fall apart, and it wouldn't matter! But...... when someone is talking about her child in a loving way, and she is loving it, that's a whole new ballgame!
3)Remember to keep in touch with those who have lost someone several weeks and months after the death, so they realize the depth of your love.
4)Offer a scholarship or a memorial of some type in their memory to be given to that Mom.That will really honor their child's memory. A scholarship was given in my son's memory 14 years ago, and it is still going on today.....What a living tribute to his memory!
5)You will also come in contact with those who offer meaningless words that will somehow crush you.~~~~Remember Jobs friends!
My "Mom's" always say to "Forgive Jobs friends".....and you must do this too, with those who say the wrong thing and unintentionally hurt you.
I hope these few words will help along the way. There are many, many more, and if this ole brain thinks of them, I will pass them along.
Giving a child back to God is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but when you realize that before the foundation of the earth, God knew that my son was only gonna live for those twenty years, and equipped me to live and deal with understanding that, it makes it so much easier!
Isn't our God great to do this?
Becky

THAT'S MY GOD

People are always so surprised when I say I am content! Then, when I tell them I was content when Kelly told me to leave during the delivery of Emery, they are amazed!
There are two different types of contentment though, folks. There is a contentment that you have a little bit of control over, and one where you play an active part in being content with whatever circumstances you are given. This is usually what people see. Then there is a contentment that comes from within that comes directly from God's thoughts to yours. The best example I can give you, is when I was suppose to be in the delivery room with Kelly, but when she was in the middle of a contraction, she "saw" her Mommie, and couldn't stand having her Mommie in the delivery room with her, so she said,"Mom, I don't want you in here....out!" Oh that absolutely crushed me, but you don't argue with a woman going through a contraction, so I left!
~~~~and went straight to the bathroom and cried like a baby!
The next thing I did was to call Nellah and have her pray for me!
Then, it was as if God was just waiting for me to stop and wait for Him to speak to me, and "if" He could have had an audible voice, this is what He would have said to me~~~~"Becky, I know how much you wanted to be in there, but for some reason you aren't suppose to be in there. You don't know the reason, and I do, and if it's okay with me that you're not in there, then it will be okay with you, won't it?" I looked up and smiled and said,"Ofcourse, Lord!" ~~~~~ And that was all I needed!
I had a chance to share this with Kelly the next morning as I was holding Emery, and she was shocked! She had no idea I was so crushed, but I felt like she needed to know my feelings, but more importantly, she needed to know how God will revive a wounded heart~~~~~even her Mother's!
That's being so close to God, that He will give you a passive, laid back kind of contentment in the middle of a rainstorm of tears.
My God is an Awesome God, and He reigns!
Woo Hoo!
Becky

GOD'S WORD

When there is anyone, who comes along, who is in authority, and has the gift of persuasive speech, and can motivate people into believing almost anything, that can be good~~~~~or it can be bad!It can be a great motivator~~~yes! On the other hand, if you motivate someone into doing something harmful, or something they don't necessarily want to do, it can be bad! Sometimes, when the bad comes, it can overrule your common sense and you will still trust and believe in this person.
(On my own personal note, I think that's what is happening to our country right now, and I think God is giving us this glimpse ahead of time~~~)
On a more important note, however, there will one day come one who will be a smooth talker and will be able to persuade many people to do things we never thought would ever happen~~~~and we won't even realize it before it's too late, because it will happen so gradually and smoothly!~~~~
This will be the anti-christ!
As God does so many times in scripture, He presents a precursor to what is going to happen in the future, and" I think" He has done it in America today! Of course my thoughts don't mean a thing, so line your thinking up with scripture and let scripture interpret scripture and check it out yourself! God's word is sharper than any two edged sword and can rightly divide the word of God, so I'm counting on Him dividing the good from the bad, as well as the goats from the sheep!
Becky

WHAT A BLESSING

Folks, if I get through writing this without weeping, it will be a miracle! As you know, I drove to Aiken Thursday to see how much Project Graduation had grown in the fourteen years since I started it in Aiken. For those of you who aren't familiar with this project, it is an all night alcohol celebration for seniors the night that they graduate from high school! It is a nationwide program and absolutely wonderful. When I started it in 1996, I did so as a tribute to our son David after he died ,because he had told me that it was something that I needed to do! Well, when I started it, we did so on a budget of maybe $2000.00, if we were doing good! This past year's budget was up to $30,000! I met up with the Donna that I wrote you about, and she took me up to O'Dell Weeks around 7:15 Thursday night, where a young man from WRDW, Channel 12, in Augusta was waiting to interview me on what I thought of all the changes. They were still using some of the same props from fourteen years ago~~~~only refreshed! I couldn't believe it!(O'Dell Weeks has two gyms and every room was filled with bugee runs;jousting;casino room with play money;money booth;WII room;food cafe'; sitting massage room;photography~~~Every grad took home cash and/or prizes. Incredible music, and decorations too!
What sent my heart into tears though, was when I sat near the entrance to watch the some 600 grads as they came in. None of these people knew me or knew who I was, but as they came in the two ladies on both sides of me were asking each student to place their smaller ticket into the "David Lock Scholarship Fund" bucket. When I heard them both say this several times, I asked them what this was, and they said it was they David Lock Scholarship Fund. I asked again what it was for, to which they replied:" It's in memory of the son of the lady who started this. Did you know him?"
I almost lost it!~~~~~ I said "yes! He's my son!"
Oh was God ever gracious to me Thursday night. Some of the students; the police officers; and the parents all thanked me for starting it and one Mom said she wanted to go back to Newbern, NC and start it there!
You have no idea how this touched my heart to know that the folks in Aiken are still supporting this event, and that so many young folks are off the roads and that other Mothers will not have to go through what I went through on April 29th, 1995. Oh, how God is faithful to His own~~~~
Plus, He little me see my little Emery too, and she smiled at me!
Becky