HELL ON EARTH

During what quiet time I could steal away today, I began to ponder these thoughts.....
As I understand them......
When we are taken up in the Rapture, and all of God's children leave this earth, there will be no more Holy Spirit to convict people of right or wrong. There will be no radio station's broadcasting wonderful music, like "The Light," because people won't feel the need for it.There won't be any wonderful gospel singers like the Gaithers, because they will all be gone; People like Franklin Graham won't be allowed to preach, because the atmosphere in our country will be against it; curse words will be as prevalent, as "thank you" and "please" are today; manners will be non existent, because the Holy Spirit won't be here to convict us of good behavior.
I may be wrong in all my suppositions, but to the best of my understanding, I thing the niceties of this world, as we know them are in direct proportion to how much we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.
So, when the Holy Spirit leaves planet earth for His Home above, all "hell" is gonna break out on the earth as we know it!
Becky

AMAZING GRACE

I'm always amazed at God's Grace, and when He gives it!
When the song, "Amazing Grace" was written in 1773, by John Newton, it didn't sound a thing like it does today! It wasn't until some two hundred years later, when another "unknown" composer found some words from Harriett Beecher Stow's book, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", and wrote them as the last verse of that song,and Judy Collins sang it a'cappella, that it became famous! You remember the lines...."when we've been there ten thousand years"......That verse was from from "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and yet God has taken all these lyrics and so richly blessed us with this song and the words!
God took a song about Grace and 2000 years later profoundly spoke to the hearts of men and women, and when they heard that song, they have never been the same!
In that manner, we have all been able to say that this is what is so amazing about God's Grace!
Becky

STEPS

Forty one years ago, man walked on the face of the moon
and changed the course of history for all mankind!
Two thousand years ago, Christ walked on the face of the earth
and changed the course of mankind for all eternity!
Becky

SLEEPING BABIES

When I was first expecting, I was told to never wake a sleeping baby. That was just something you didn't want to do! Let that peaceful baby lie still, and don't allow them to become agitated by waking them from a deep slumber.
In the same way, if we don't want to wake a sleeping nation nation from its lethargy, and tell it about Jesus, it will never learn the steps to take in order to walk in an upright manner before the Lord!
Becky

SETTLE IN

When a nursing Mother takes a newborn baby to her breast, the baby might flail some when it doesn't get what it wants, and it isn't getting the nourishment. Even though the Mother is right there, and doing everything she can!
Isn't this just like us, when we don't get what we want? We flail, and wonder where God is, and we wonder why we aren't being delivered?
Where is our spiritual nourishment?
In actuality, though, He's right there, holding us in His arms waiting for us to settle in, so He can feed us His word!
Becky

A NEW VENTURE

When my Mom's come together, we all find a common bond, as we gather together. We have noticed that more people tend to dwell on how the Mother is handling it and how "she" is taking everything .As Mothers, we are always concerned with how our husband's and family members are coping in this horrible storm. The husbands are our nights in shining armor, that have fixed everything and been able to solve every problem for us, and yet this was one problem, that they weren't able to fix, so it was imperative to all of us to help them, in their journey through this time, to find the healing that we have.
This is one of the reasons, we decided to try and come together as a family unit and spend time together doing what we do on our beach weekends, in the hopes that it will help in the healing process as a family unit too.
We have watched Dennis Swannberg, and Ken Davis DVD's, that have helped us laugh, and in the process, heal!
We found a wonderful DVD called "Stone Soup", that describes the grieving process, perfectly!
We spend time walking on the beach, and sharing our thoughts; personal stories with one another, and watching the sunset!.
We discovered that you don't need a beach or a sunset to heal, or even a DVD, but that this helped us get started!
We learned that by opening up to each other and making ourselves available and vulnerable, God would use us, and He did!
We wanted to honor our children without airing dirty laundry, and we wanted to glorify God in the process, so we established a set of rules based on Christian principles and common sense.
We allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, and when do, we can't go wrong!
When you open the door to come into the beach house, you enter as a stranger, but by the time you cross the room, you are family, and that's the way we would like this new venture to be too, with God's help!
A family in need of healing and being put back together again, by the Grace of God!
Becky

FAMILY

Everytime I turned around as a little girl one of my parents was telling me that they loved me! Daddy would say something like "Olive you", or "Isle of View" along with a picture of an island with sea gulls flying above.
(He was Heathcliffe and I was Gertrude!)
Mama was more of the disciplinarian in our family, but all in all, love seemed to be the thread that held all of us together. We were a family that did things together and went places together with each other, and with other families too. It wasn't unusual to find us on the shore of Lake Gertrude with the Reid; Travers; Simpson; Swartsel, and Eichelberger families on any given weekend, and then on Sunday afternoon, we would go boating with the Bakers on Lake Dora, and have sundaes at their house afterwards. Family was big with the Ray household, and love personified it! Daddy and Mama taught all of us, at an early age, that race; age, or background didn't matter to us. It was your character that God instilled in you that mattered. Infact, Daddy had a young black man, named Ned, who worked for him, whom I dearly adored, and when it was time for him to go off to college, he couldn't afford it, so Daddy put him through college at University of Florida. Whenever I drive home, I stop off and see Ned and his wife, as he is a retired shop teacher in Palatka, and when Daddy died, he was right there at the funeral, with a hug for me!
Mama and Daddy wanted the Ray kids to always show respect and love for the elderly and others, and felt very much as if this was what God intended for His children to also do, when He told us to love Your neighbor as yourself. Love came first in the Ray household, and I'm reminded, that if you tell and show your children this, they, in turn will tell and show others this also!
Isn't God good to give us these markers?
And if you didn't have these markers as a child, God is still good, and can be your Father and love you too!
Becky

DADS

I am writing this from being a Mom who has given back to God, a son, at the age of twenty, some fourteen years ago.
Nonetheless, I can still remember that pain, as if it were yesterday, and I am using the knowledge and the wisdom from my weekends with my "Mom's Who Lost Children" to write this letter. When we come together, we are presented with a variety of situations and are faced with how to deal with them. One of the things we have discovered is that we are much easier at talking about what we face. It's easier for women to talk! I think we were born with this trait. We love community and God programmed us this way. We love bringing casseroles; notes, and visiting, whereas it's harder for a man to do those things, because he's not programmed this way. My Mom's all have felt strongly about this and feel that the men get short changed here quite a lot.
They usually don't have that group of people that come along side and minister directly to them, so that's why I felt compelled to write this letter. Please take it in the sense it was written, and with the heart of love that I say this.
When a child dies in a family, the emotion all seems to be placed on the Mom, but deep down inside, that Dad is crushed. He is the provider, and this was something he couldn't fix! We Mom's have felt that hopefully some of the other Dad's would reach way down inside themselves and come alongside these Dads during this time, and remember to call them; go work on a car together; take them out for coffee every few days; go by and just talk; give them a chance to just vent their feelings if they want; go fishing or play a game of basketball.....These are just some things that the Mom's talked about. It's important to keep doing this every few days, so they won't feel forgotten. It's nice to call, once a week, and let them know you are thinking about them, and please try not to say for them to call if they need you. Take it from me, a person who has lost a child, almost never wants to ask anyone for anything, much less call them for anything. I don't know why, but it's true with almost all of us, that I know. You make the effort and call them, or just go by.
I hope my thoughts have not offended anyone, but I know that all my Mom's are concerned about the lack of support for the Dad's, after a child dies.......... They hurt too.
Thanks for listening, and I hope these have helped.
Becky

PROVERBS

A Chinese proverb says:" If we want happiness for an hour we are to take a nap! If we want it for a day; we are to go fishing. If we are to have it for a year, we should inherit a fortune, but if we want happiness for a lifetime, we are to help somebody."
I like the nap for an hour!
I like to fish for a day!
I wouldn't mind a fortune for a year either....
But......
If I'm gonna help somebody for a lifetime, I'd best help them know how to get into the Kingdom of God!
Becky

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

"Pretty is as pretty does". That was one of those sayings that we all heard back in the fifties and sixties; one that our Mothers said over and over, and one that we got tired of hearing! When you think about it though, there is a lot of wisdom in that statement. You never look twice at a person who slovenly dresses and speaks foul language in public, do you? It speaks volumes of what makes them up on the inside. Just as my okra seed became wonderful okra, by being fertilized, so will we, by the renewing of our minds, by Gods word, on a daily basis.
His word is one fertilizer that will guarantee a beautiful bloom now, and a perfect bloom in Eternity!
Becky

WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE SON MAKES

When I planted my Texas Longhorn Okra last Spring, John Baker made sure that I fertilized it before I put it in the ground. He said that this was such an important step for me to put this in first, that he even gave me a small container of fertilizer!.......... It was that important!
If I didn't put anything in ahead of time, I probably wouldn't get a very good yield, and I love my okra too much not to do this!
Before you grow in spiritual maturity, you have to spread the fertilizer of God's word into the foundation of your life, where you will be able to watch it grow with amazing results! New shoots of growth can sprout forth, but watch out, because those "suckers" can zap your strength if you aren't grounded in God's word. Water your life daily with His living water and He will supply your strength for daily nourishment. God is your tap root for a godly life, so "tap" into Him as you grow and watch what a difference the "Son" makes!
Becky

I AM

I AM is an incomplete sentence,...... unless You are God!
Becky

THE SAME GOSPEL

The same gospel that sends someone to Heaven, also sends someone to hell!
Becky

I'LL BE FINE!

When, and if the time comes and I must decide whether to stay here or move into an assisted living facility; or if I need to stay in this house or move to a smaller one; or even if I need to stay in a home at all, may I be of such sound mind that I can rely on spiritual guidance and wise counsel to guide my thoughts and actions. Help me to understand that this home that I have been given is just a temporary dwelling place on this earth, and that my permanent Home is much grander. Help me, too, to remember that the things I have around here, are just that...."things", and You have told me not to place my treasure here, but in Heaven above!
Father, if You will be my Strong Tower, when I am weak, and my portion, when I am empty, I will be fine! If you will be my shield, when arrows are coming and my defender when the battles are fierce, I will be fine, and if You will be my comforter, when I am weary, and my El Shaddai, when I am insufficient, I will be fine too. Please just be my all in all, Lord Jesus, and remain by my side in all things. Surround every room of my house, no matter where I am, or what I am doing, for as long as You are by my side, I will be fine!
Becky

WHY NOT GOD?

When a police officer stops someone for violating a rule, and they become offended, the officer can become angry.
When a parent stops a child from doing something they shouldn't be doing, and the child rebels, the parent can become angry.
Why, then, is it any different for God to become angry when His children rebel against being disciplined?
Becky

SERVICE

Sometimes when men and women are trying to communicate their love, the women will want the men to talk to them, or dialogue, while the men's way of showing that they care, will be their gift of service, as in their mowing the yard or taking out the trash. Even Jesus used the gift of service when He washed the disciples feet! The gift of service is an exemplary act of humbly giving,to others when it is done with the love of Christ.
The morning after David junior died, I received a call from a friend, whose son had also died, and while I was talking to Lea on the phone, Carmen came into the living room and gently began to wash and massage my feet.
I have never been so touched in all my life, folks. I felt as if my Lord had placed me right next to Him and said "it's okay, Becky". I can't explain what that gift did to me at that moment, but it touched me fourteen years ago, like nothing ever has, and I will forever be grateful to Carmen for her gift of service and love.
That was the gift of service, wrapped in Jesus!
Becky

M&M REUNION

God gave me one of His wonderful nuggets again this morning!
I think many of you remember me telling you about my three wonderful little ladies that use to go over to Edisto with me.....Margaret; Mary, and May. I called them my "M & M's", and how Margaret went home to be with the Lord and it nearly devastated Mary because that was her best friend.
Well, this past weekend, Mary's daughter Kay, held a reunion at her house in Aiken, and all of the family came. Mary even got into the pool and delighted the little grands with splashing and playing, which was hard for a 94 year old to do, who hasn't been feeling good. Kay told me today, that Mary didn't feel good last night after all of that, so Kay put her to bed about 7:15 last night, and when she went in to check on her about 9:15, she had gone Home to the Lord!
What a way to go!
Now she gets to have a reunion with her pal, Margaret too!
Wasn't that an exciting nugget for God to give Kay and her Mama?
To have a reunion here on earth that afternoon, and be with Jesus the next morning!
Now, that's some reunion!
Becky

THE CROSS!

Gaze upon the cross and think about this!

The top of the cross is pointing towards Heaven!

The bottom of the cross is standing on the Earth!

The sides of the cross are reaching out to all mankind!
Becky

QUIET TIME

Oh, goodie, I get to sit out on the deck again! It's just what this 'ole tired girl needed too. The Katydids are clackin' away and the leaves in the trees are swaying. It's low tide and the mud flats are showing, but it's still beautiful to me. Oh, how I love this time of day.....This is when God speaks to my soul, and says "Be still and know that I am God", and yes, how I love to be still and be here with Him! It has been a hectic week, but Edie reminded me today on the phone, to keep my focus on Jesus and I would be fine! He will give me strength for every moment that I need it, and not a minute before. Isn't it nice to have friends like that? "There is a friend that is closer than a brother".....Wise counsel!
There's a boat now, that is going down the river, so life's still going on.
The American flag's still waving from the dock, so our country still here.
The sounds and sights of nature are still moving, so all is right with God's creation. The oil spill has been temporarily contained, and I'm doing all I can for the one I love.
The best thought, though, is that God is in control through all of this; in everything, yesterday; today; tomorrow and will be forever.....and God didn't have to count on me for any of it. He did it all Himself!
Becky

THE LAST DANCE

Shortly after David jr died, David and I were asked to do a video for the EMT's, concerning the youth and preventing them from not drinking and driving. We sat in our living room as they interviewed us about what David was like as a young boy and what happened on the night of April 29th, 1995.
The video started with scenes of ambulances driving from accidents along the roads in SC, and told all the facts of the different deaths. The narrator told us that if the young folks didn't turn around, and stop drinking and driving, that they were going to continue on the road to destruction.
It was a powerful video, and it broke my heart to have my son be a part of it. What really breaks my heart though, is that in life, we have been given a bigger video from scripture. God has given us His video of what our life will be like if we don't stop our reckless behavior .It may not be drinking and driving, but if it takes us away from God, then it's unacceptable and reckless behavior, and this kind of reckless behavior will take you on the road to destruction too!
Only this road of destruction isn't on video, and has no turn around place!
Becky

ALL SUFFICIENT

The body of Christ as been so evident this week....
Several of God's choicest friends have chosen to give of themselves to come and mow for David, and to take our trash to the dump.(That's a huge help for me too!) Several of my "Mom's" and my neighbors, along with friends from church, have brought some meals by, and believe me, that has spoken volumes to me. I guess I thought I had ten arms and legs to do everything, but quickly found out I am only one person! God has given me strength daily for things I thought impossible, clearly indicating that "all things are possible with God".
I've not had to walk this walk before, and one dear friend, who has gone through this twice, has given me much comfort with her counsel and wise words. The Search and Rescue team is even bringing some meals out to us, and I know when I can't get David to an appointment, I can call on any of the men in the church and they will come along side and help."There is a friend who is closer than a brother"......and yes, I think I have met some here on earth who exemplify this attribute, but I definitely know the One true Friend who is my constant and True companion who gets me through, and that is Jesus Christ!
He is my Strong Tower, and my El Shaddai!
Strength and All sufficient....isn't that comforting?
Becky

EQUAL & OPPOSITE REACTIONS

One of the theories in physical education is "for every action, there is and equal and opposite reaction." It proved itself true when I was doing gymnastics too.
If there is something going on in your life, that is nice and calm, there will usually be something disruptive that will follow it. Usually, it's God's goodness, followed by satan attempting to thwart what He just did!
Just as there will be a wonderful Heaven one day, their will also be a horrid place called hell too!
Heaven's one wonderful place of "action" can be followed by a very opposite and very horrible "reaction" called hell....
If you choose the right action, God will take care of the reaction!
Becky

COUNTERFEIT

The destiny of a counterfeit dollar bill, is to be burned up!
How sad, when the real thing is so good!
Unfortunately, there will be some counterfeit Christians who will also be burned up one day too!
How sad, when this real thing is so wonderful!
Becky

WELLSPRING OF WATER

In Mount Dora, there was a rock fountain in the downtown area by the tennis courts, that had a sign over it that said "The best people in town drink at this fountain." Of course as a child, I just knew I had to drink from that fountain! It also had the coldest water and it was so refreshing and rejuvenated you after you were worn down on a hot day, from playing tennis or just playing in the park.
When we are worn down and depleted, we can go to God's spiritual well, and be replenished with His well stream of living water. His word, The Bible, is a well of living words, sharper than any two edged sword, and you can draw from it daily and won't get depleted.It is a wellspring of living water that will last forever, and it's quite refreshing too!
(Plus you don't get wet, either!)
Becky

ENDURANCE

When I first went off to my freshman year of college in NC, I got so homesick for home, that I called Daddy and told him that I wanted to come back home to Florida. Daddy, however, told me to stay for one semester and endure it for that long, and then we would see how I felt after that!
As it turned out, those two years at Montreat, were two of the best years of my life , and I am so thankful, that Daddy taught me the lesson of endurance through those months.
Another man, who endured, was Horatio Spafford! After his daughters died at sea, he and his wife had other children, but their son died of Scarlet Fever. They both moved to Jerusalem, where they started the Jerusalem School for Children. This past year, David Jeremiah was over in China, and ate lunch with the 93 year old grandaughter of Horatio Spafford !
She is the direct benefactor of one who overcame tragedy by enduring, with God's help!
~~~And look how much we benefit from the words of his music!
Becky

YES, I WILL!

I can still remember taking my final exam in Physiology for Physical Education in college. There were examples I had to draw which represented the extra cellular fluid content in a body during certain situations! I had to remember how the body reacted to different situations under different circumstances. I wouldn't have been prepared, had Dr. Olewine not briefed us in class ahead of time. I had been given "mock" situations to study before hand, and was well prepared. Whether I passed or failed, was pre-determined on whether I studied the material given to me!
God's entrance exam is no different! His final exam is Eternal Life, and the material that will prepare us for this "exam" is the Bible. It's an easy exam, with only one question too.....He makes it so easy that He even tells us the question ahead of time, so we can think about the answer if we want.....
He simply asks us will you take Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
That's it!....No A,B,C, or D! No fill in the blanks! No multiple choice!
Infact, there is only one answer in order to pass, and that's YES!!!
He can prepare us ahead of time, but if we don't answer yes, it won't matter. All the preparation in the world won't help that answer!
Becky

BE PREPARED

I took 4H in junior high school and one of the things they emphasized, was to always place your ingredients out on the counter before hand, so you would be prepared before you began cooking! This made it so much easier on you when the time came for you to begin.
In the same way, when you prepare for battle with the evil one, you need to put on your "spiritual" armor ahead of time too.Set out your shield of faith,the very first thing in the morning, followed by your helmet of salvation, and you will be ready to button up your breastplate of righteousness! Step into your shoes of the gospel of peace and put on your girdle of faith, and when you pick up the sword of the spirit, you will be ready ahead of time for anything, because you're in the Lord's army and with Him as Your battalion captain, you can't go wrong!
Becky

THE WASHER

The little washing area behind Grandmother Bouterse's little trailer was very small, and had maybe two of those old fashioned washer type tubs in it. Grandmother was always so scared that I would get my fingers caught in the roller bars that the clothes were wrung through before they could be hung out to dry. Those bars pressed together with such force that they squeezed every bit of excess water out of the clothes every time, and the only water left, was in the wash tub!
(I can just imagine my fingers being squeezed that hard!)
Those clothes had to be pressed hard together to get the water out, and in the same manner, we are hard pressed on every side, but not forsaken, because the God of Glory will never leave us, nor will He forsake us when we are going through a trial!
We might sweat bullets going through that trial, but we can sweat the small stuff, when the God of Glory handles the big stuff!
Becky

START YOUR ENGINES

When I drove over to the Lady's Island Shell station to fill up with gas, the tank where I stopped, wouldn't show the gallons I was filling up with. I couldn't see the numbers at all, but just had to listen for the sound of the tank cutting off, to know it was finished filling up.
God's word is the same way! You can't always see what's ahead, but you can know that He will fill you with His word, and when He does, He will fill you with His truth, and that will start your engine for an eternity!
Becky

STAND UP FOR JESUS!

When I get up in the morning, I am so stiff, that I can't even stand up straight, and I have to make a consciencious effort to straighten myself upright. If I don't stand tall, I will eventually stay in that bent over position!
It's the same way with God's word. You can study His word, in the manner it was intended to be read, but if you begin to bend His word to suit your purposes, then you will not be keeping it true, and you won't be righly dividing the word of God. God didn't give us His word with bendable clauses,or floating fragments! He made them to stand straight and tall,and to rightly divide the word of God....., not to bend it!
Just as with my stooping over, though, we have to make a conscientious effort to keep His laws straight and to NOT bend them to suit our own purposes.
This might be the only time I will be a "stiff necked people", because I do not want to bend His laws!
Becky

I HOPE THESE HELP

I was talking with Mar the other day and we were discussing some things that folks with Alzheimers were going through. Since my Mother went through the latter stages of Dementia, I had a pretty good idea of some of the characteristics that made these folks more comfortable, and thought I would share some of them with you, in the hopes that it might help you. If you can keep a picture in your mind of a person going through this stage as the same as a baby coming out of the womb, you might have a good picture. Remember the little baby who has been so tightly snug in that space for nine months and when they come out, their arms flailing, and they become startled? That's kinda the way a person is when they have Dementia or the beginning stages of Alzheimers. They feel insecure, and not safe. They want their surroundings to remain familiar. I told Mar, that when Mama went through these stages in Dementia, anything we could do to help her stay in those familiar areas helped her keep herself calm. I know it doesn't sound like much, but for those of you who might be care givers or friends of care givers, these are really helpful hints. They may not want to move from their homes into an easier facility....not because they don't want to, but because it involves a change, and change scares them. Take it from me too. I don't do change well. Even a person with a brain injury can relate to someone in this condition, because we fully understand the incapable ability of being able to fathom how we will do it! It's inconceivable how you will dispose of all your past belongings and move into a smaller abode. They just can't see how they will do it, and then their children become frustrated with them, because it's so easy for them to do these simple things.......
Sounding familiar?
This is when they will withdraw into that womb position where they feel safe and secure! Just love them, inspite of everything and assure them of their safety! Sometimes you will find that they find relief in reading the Bible.......That's because it still familiar to them, and holds true as it did long before this disease ever overtook them! God told us in the very beginning that His word was sharper than a two edged sword, and it can even cut through the effects of these diseases and penetrate the marrow of the mind and enter their inner most thoughts when nothing else will! What a comforting thought to know that when we can't reach them......God can!
When Mama was ready to move into assisted living, Tara and I took her to get her hair washed and fixed. Then we took her out to eat. We killed so much time,that by the time we took her to her new "home" in the assisted living complex, my brothers had completely moved every single thing she was going to take with her, and had set it up! All she had to do, was walk in and sit down!
Even the beds were made! This made everything so much easier for her, but it did take alot of pre-planning on all their parts, but the confusion for Mama was at a minimum, and that's what counted!
Isn't God good?
I hope some of these things have helped some.~~~~
Becky

HAPPY 4TH

A long time ago, there were a group of people who lived in a foreign country and their ruler was very strict and would not allow them to worship or believe they way they wanted. They rebelled and fought hard for their freedoms, but it was a stiff necked ruler, and many things had to happen before freedom came!
Sounds as if I could be talking about our own country when it started out from England, doesn't it? When in all actuality, we know that this was the Israelites as they left Pharoah and followed Moses as he guided them through the Red Sea.
They trusted and then they complained!
We trust and then we complain!
They followed; complained, and then wanted to go back!
We follow; complain and talk about how things use to be!
When it came down to it, they wouldn't follow God's laws or obey Him!
When it comes to us, do we do any better?
The Israelites wanted their independence, but they paid a dear price for it.
We also paid a dear price for ours too.
If prophecy holds true, Israel will once again pay a dear price for independence!
Only this time, the price they pay, will carry them into Eternity!
This July 4th, 2010, may we find ourselves looking expectantly towards that day when our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, comes back and give us true independence from sin on this earth!
Until then~~~~Happy 4th of July, my Journey Friends!
Becky

FRIED GREEN BANANAS

I tried to fix some Fried Bananas this afternoon, but I used green bananas instead of Plantains or really ripe bananas! They looked good, but they weren't ripe enough and just weren't soft enough to swallow.They needed more time to mellow before they could be of good use.
In the same way, God can use all the believers in the body of Christ, but the most benefit will come from those believers who have aged or mellowed in their walk with the Lord! A "green" Christian might not hold up under fire, because of their their lack of experience in God's word!
"Test and show yourself approved..." and when you know and really digest God's word, you will use it and you will live it everyday, and under any circumstance!
Unlike my Fried Bananas, when a difficult situation arises, you will be able to serve up a platter of the solid word of God's truth that you will be able to digest and that will fortify you forever!
Becky

THE BEST ROCK

Two of the top insurance companies have slogans that say "You're In Good Hands With_____" if you go with them, and "Get A Piece Of The Rock" if you go with the other one!
I don't know about you, but the insurance man I go with is "The Rock" while am In His Good Hands", and you can't beat that!
Becky

MY RUGGED CROSS!

I was upstairs cleaning out some things in the closet, and looking for some pictures I had painted for Kelly. One was a batik of Noah's Ark, and the other was of some children playing. I was having some much fun remembering all the things my children did when they were little, when I noticed a small little jeweled cross..... You know the kind that they have been advertising on TV that have the Lord's Prayer in the center of the stones! When I was about seven years old, my Grandmother decided that I needed something like that to remind me of the Lord all the time, so she ordered one for me off of the first television commercial for them! Mama and Daddy were so upset with her, because she wrote to the company and spent the small amount of money that she had, for her "dear Becky" to have that "gaudy" neclace! Oh, how precious it was to me! Bright; huge turquoise stones too, but I wore it with pride, none the less! When I saw it today, the stones had all fallen out , but you know what was still in tact?
The Lord's Prayer!
It was a little watered down and wavy, but it was still legible and in tact! God's word still stands and never changes....
Even in a weathered cross!
Becky