BOY HOWDY

Boy howdy, do I remember making those hand imprints for my parents when I was a little girl.
I bet we all had those red and blue hand prints posted on our refrigerators of our children at some time or another. In fact, that's what Kelly sent me for my birthday.....Emery's first hand print!
In our minds, though, we usually don't think that our hands really look like this. We think they should look another way.
We need to remember that God is the Master Outliner and will fill in all those spaces of our outline, in due time. If we will "trust and obey", we will see that there is "no other way".
We might not come out with an outline of a hand, but if our outline is the imprint of His godly picture, then that's fine by me!
Becky

HIS MASTER PLAN

You know, my God simply amazes me!
He comes up with this "stuff" that is so creative and unreal, all to accomplish His purpose! He may use a talking donkey, or He might tell a prophet like Hosea to go marry a prostitute, named Gomer! What a sense of humor He has! It's even funnier, when we say, "No way!" He will hound us until we give in and allow Him to do what He wants with us, and after we say" okay I'm yours," He tends to reveal the reason because of our obedience and trust.
As soon as Abraham proved his devotion to God, by being willing to sacrifice his only son on the alter, God staid his hand from the sacrifice, because He had Abraham's obedience.
What a fragrant aroma that must have been to God!
By earthly standards I don't understand why my son died so early. It's much easier to explain God's Sovereignty. I think that by trusting God, I was able to meet other Mom's who also lost children, and who also needed a place to come together and have help in healing. God gave me that vision, because He knew......
He used this to accomplish His purpose for these Mom's, and I just happen to be part of that purpose! He knew they would need encouragement, and I could do that!
He gives us an outline for our lives and we have to fill it out. We don't always see what He has in mind, but that's where the trust comes in.
At least His outlines don't contain conjugating verbs!
Becky

JESUS!

Chip and Danny asked each one of us, now that we've been to Israel, just what we are going to do with it? What a profound question!
It got me to thinking, though, as much as I loved Israel, and as much as I will tell people that I loved Israel, how much more should I be telling them about the love that I have for Jesus!
Sounds good to me! How about you?
What are you gonna do with Jesus?
Becky

I HAVE LEARNED

I have learned in my brief lifetime, that I can't worry about yesterday, and all the things that have happened. Like the sped arrow, yesterday can never be retrieved. I can't concern myself about tomorrow either. I can prepare for it, but not worry, because scripture says: "for who be being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?" That's just it.....we can't! So, why spend time worrying, when we could be trusting!
Until God gives me the morning sun to announce the day's arrival, there is no need for me to get uptight about what kind of day it will be!
When you lose a loved one, the days sort of disappear from your calendar, and they all run into a blur! You never again feel the same way about yesterday or tomorrow. However, you do have a passion for today! I choose not to be upset about what I forgot to do yesterday, or something that I don't want to do tomorrow. Instead, I am choosing to live passionately for my Lord today! It's amazing that I learned this lesson at age 61 and am truly enjoying it at age 64!
I'm up for learning more of this kind of lesson, as long as I'm learning it at the feet of Jesus!
But that lesson's for tomorrow, and I'm not worrying about tomorrow right now!
Becky

BREAKER! BREAKER!

I had the sweetest nugget from God today, and something that I have needed to help me in learning to live better by myself. David was always the one who lit our little free standing fireplace, as I was never sure how to light the pilot light or where to turn it up and down.(Much less know where it was) He was also the one who knew where the switches were in the breaker box and what to do with them.
Today, I was cleaning some shelves in the back bedroom closet, and found some old boxes with junk in them, so I sat down and started going through them. In one of the boxes, I found a sheet of paper with a small diagram on it, describing where the pilot light was, for the free standing fire place, and which direction to turn, make it light. It also had directions drawn for the breaker box switches too!
I could have cried! That was a gift from God from my sweetheart, to make things easier for me in this house. I stand amazed at all He has done for me, but I don't know why, because He said He would never leave us or forsake us!
Becky

A GIFT

I've been asked what my most memorable experience was on the trip to Israel, and it would be hard for me to explain, to where most folks would understand.
I have witnessed some pretty remarkable things and I will never be the same again. I have seen the actual face on the rock, that looks like the place of the skull. I have met a holocaust survivor at the holocaust museum and was humbled. I have had communion in the Garden of Gethsemane, and seen the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with the tomb of our Savior, but what touched me the most, was when Chip; John; Austin, and Gary, had a devotional in the early mornings where scripture was read, and a face was put on where we were going that day, and then after our tour, Carl read scripture again, to tie it all together! One such time, we had communion in the garden, and I was moved to tears! When you read scripture it comes alive like never before, when you actually walk where you are reading about!
To think we were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, where the storm arose so fiercely and almost capsized the boat that Jesus was in, and Peter had to awake him to rebuke the waves, and He told him, "Didn't I tell you we would go to the other side?".......Oh how wonderful to be on that same water!
By nature, I am a person who likes mental pictures! I can see a picture when I hear a description, so hearing God's word and seeing where it took place will leave a lasting impression in this ole gal's mind forever!
God's word is sharper than any two edged sword, which must mean it's right to the point and very descriptive!
Becky

ISRAEL......DAY 8

We had what they call in Holland, our "Gallows meal" last night. That's the last meal you have before you are leaving for somewhere else. We presented Chip and Jude with an olive wood Creche from the Holy Land, as a symbol of our thanks and appreciation for all they have done in putting this trip together! It was very moving and sad to have to say "goodbye" to our bus driver, Manachem, and our tour guide, Danny, but we managed to get through it, and Danny did promised to come visit CBC one day!
Wake up call, at 4:30 am was going to come early for us!
As I was leaving, I managed to spot Dr. Erwin Lutzer and a contingent from Moody Bible Church at the table right next to us, so with all the gusto I could muster, I sauntered right up to him, and introduced myself, and told him how much I appreciated what Mike Kellogg had done for me in the healing process by his reading of the Real Christmas Story, back on Christmas night!
I'm pretty sure he wondered what watermelon truck I was thrown off of, when I was through babbling!
What a blessing God had given me! In fact, God has been giving me blessings this whole time......
To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
Becky

ISRAEL.....DAY 7

Father, I lost it when I arrived at the Western Wall, that was once called the Wailing Wall. I found a small polished stone that had a cross implanted on its surface, and Arnette and I placed it at the women's section of the Western Wall, in memory of the children, that the Mom's have given back to God. We both had a prayer of thanksgiving for them and to celebrate their lives, while giving all the glory and praise to our Savior, Jesus Christ, for keeping them until we meet again!
This was a very touching time for me!
Becky

ISRAEL....DAY 5

I have never been so moved, as I was, when I entered the city of Jerusalem tonight! The city lights had just come on, and as we drove into town, Danny, who was our tour guide, had Manachem, the bus driver, pull over so we could all step outside and see the sun set over Jerusalem.....
My! My! My!
Carl read scripture for what we were about to embark on, and we held communion, given in Hebrew by Danny. My heart was touched to tears.
I felt as if I had been given a gift from both God, and my sweet David in coming to Israel.
I wept tears of joy, because "weeping endureth for a night but joy cometh in the morning", and I knew the joy I was going to see in the morning in Israel!
Becky

ISRAEL.....DAY 3

I have been unable to sleep, since getting to Israel, and the one night I finally slept, they celebrated the beginning of their Sabbath! Wouldn't you know it?
Becky slept right through their singing and praising!
We journeyed to the ruins of Korazem today and Danny told us that the base of the pillars would withstand an earthquake, even though the tops often blew off of them. The base is sound and stable.
God's word is the same way.....
All around us may blow away, but the word of the Lord stands forever!
Upon getting ready to leave, Danny told us that the temple was destroyed and was replaced by a synagogue.
It's nice to know that God's temple will never be destroyed or replaced by anyone or anything!
Becky

ISRAEL.....DAY 2

Arriving in Israel, I found this event to be the most humbling of moments for me, as we took off in an olden times boat, fashioned as it would have been in Peter's day, and the crew playing "The Star Spangled Banner" for us, as we started across the Sea Of Galilee! With tears in our eyes and hands to our hearts, we all stood and sang to our country and to the land of our Savior's birth! I don't think I have ever been so touched and humbled in my life!
Becky

FLEEING EGYPT

I had a hard time getting myself ready for this trip to Israel, because this was the sort of thing that David would help me get ready for. He was great at packing things using the least amount of space, and boy did I need that for this trip!
God is faithful and just and won't allow us to bear more than we can, but will give us a way to hold up under the circumstances, and He always comes through for His children! Just before the trip, He provided me with prayers from Beth, for strength and to keep my priorities straight. He gave me a call from Theresa, who walked me through what to do next in the packing process, and how to lay out my clothes when packing.
He's provided strength, and provision for keeping my priorities straight. He's provided help in packing and laying out my clothes to pack.
Now I wonder if I could get Him to help me figure out what clothes to take too?
I think the Israelites had the right idea when they fled Egypt, with only the clothes on their backs!
Becky

SAFE & SECURE

When I was growing up, Mount Dora was a very small town filled with people who shared the same values. It didn't matter if your Father was a banker or a builder; if he was black or white; if he was rich or poor....
There was something about growing up in Mount Dora and the people that I grew up with that molded my character so much. It's a trait that the generation today has missed out on.
I could be picked up from school by someone other than my Mother, "without a note"; I could be punished by the school without them getting in trouble; I could go home with someone else and eventually end up at my own home, without anyone worrying......all because Mount Dora was a safe and secure place to grow up! It was a time before computers an cell phones; locked doors; integration, and lap tops, and everything we did involved each other; church, and out of doors activities. Watching television didn't happen until television came into the homes in the fifties, and then it was test pattern and the picture of the old Indian chief! There was a section in Mount Dora, where most of the black folks lived that was called "East Town." My family felt so close to many of these folks, so that if any of us ran out of gas in the middle of East Town on a Saturday night, and we introduced ourselves as children of JG Ray Jr, they would take us in and get us home. The character of a family growing up in Mount Dora spoke volumes to people.
It's the same way with the character of those people who are followers of Jesus Christ! His character is perfect. When we follow Christ, we can be transformed into His image. People will be changed by our character, because, it's Christ working through us. The nice thing about being a follower of Christ, is that you can be anywhere, and you don't need a lap top; cell phone or a TV!
You just need Jesus!
Becky

IMITATION VALIUM

I have two prescription bottles on my shelf. One is Aricept, that I take everyday, and the other is one Valium, left over from when I had an MRI. The first four letters of their generic names are almost identical. They look almost alike too, so this morning, when I thought I was taking my Aricept, I took a second glance, a suddenly realized that the Valium bottle had been moved next to my Aricept bottle, and I had taken the valium tablet instead! I(I had started a new cleaning lady, and she was unfamiliar with why I kept those meds apart, and she placed the bottles next to each other on the counter.) The Valium looked the same, but was actually an imitator of what I thought I was getting and it surely didn't have the same results!
In the same way after the believers have been raptured, the antichrist will come and try to imitate what the real Christ is like.
He may seem the same, but will actually be an imitator of what the people think they are getting too! They definitely won't get the same results either, and because there won't be any of the followers of Christ to correct their thinking, many will be deceived by his actions and words.
That kind of "imitating Valium" could give you a prescription for a sleepless hell in eternity too!
Becky

HABANEROS

My brother, Michael, loves Habanero pepper's! He will eat them with sweat dripping off his forehead, and tell me that they are the best things he has ever eaten, and yet the expression on his face tells me another story! There is an anguish expression of pain written all over his face, which denounces his love for those "horrible things."
His words tell me one thing, while his face tells me something else!
Our Christian expression for God is the same way too!
How many people have you met that proclaim their love for the Lord, with all their heart, and then wear an expression on their face, that looks like they are the saddest people in the world?
Scripture says that pleasant words are as good medicine, and healing to the bones, and I can't think of any more pleasant words, than God's words, and if anything could bring a smile to a sour expression, it would certainly be God's words, so go figure why they don't get it?
In my opinion, God's word surely beats a Habanero too!
Becky

ISRAEL TO AIKEN

I had to go to Aiken this past Tuesday, to be the installing officer for my garden club. I also had to make an extra fun stop by Sissy's house for her to give me some extra tips for traveling in Israel. She also loaned me her back pack to take along on the trip too. I visited with Leslie for awhile and then drove out to Pat's, where I got ready for the installation. I've been a member of Sunshine Garden Club for 28 years, and when I moved to Beaufort, they made me a lifetime honorary member, so these ladies have meant alot to me!
I was to install the treasurer that night, but was told that she had undergone surgery that morning for Ovarian Cancer, so she wouldn't be there for the installation. However, just before I began, the outgoing President told us that she had received word that Kay had come through the surgery and the doctors said that had no clue what she had, but it wasn't Ovarian Cancer!
Praise the Lord and pass the butterbeans!
God was with me all the way on this one, but then, isn't He always?
From Beaufort to Aiken to Israel.....What next?
Maybe something called the Rapture?
Becky