New Every Morning~May 5

[Etta Sue]

 

Wisdom in scripture is,
broadly speaking,
the knowledge of God's world
and the knack of fitting oneself into it.

Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

PLEASE...[/b]

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Morning Devotional...

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
1 Kings 10:1-13  NLT

     1When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's reputation, which brought honor to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. 2She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, huge quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, they talked about everything she had on her mind. 3Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4When the queen of Sheba realized how wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, 5she was breathless. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers and their robes, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD.

    6She exclaimed to the king, "Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! 7I didn't believe it until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. Truly I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far greater than what I was told. 8How happy these people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! 9The LORD your God is great indeed! He delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because the LORD loves Israel with an eternal love, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness."

    10Then she gave the king a gift of nine thousand pounds of gold, and great quantities of spices and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to Solomon.

    11(When Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir, they also brought rich cargoes of almug wood and precious jewels. 12The king used the almug wood to make railings for the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and to construct harps and lyres for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of beautiful almug wood.)

    13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the other customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants left and returned to their own land.
When are you tempted to try to impress people?[/size][/color]

    Because of Solomon's wisdom, the people were happy and the palace servants content.  Wisdom's quality is shown by how well it works.  In James 3:17 we learn that wisdom is peaceable. 
    Are you seeking the kind of wisdom that establishes peace in your relationships?
The Best of the Bible--365 Must-Read Bible Passages[/i]

[Etta Sue]

T2T

[Etta Sue]

Lee

[Etta Sue]

I am hoping that all of you looked at the greenery above to see what is lurking.  Haha!

What wonderful days I had the last couple of days.  Now I wonder what is ahead?  Well, today I have to go to the church this afternoon to get my image taken...mainly for the church directory.  Hope I can get some work done on printing of some labels for the tapes.  I doubt if the church is locked after the office people leave so surely I can get some work done. 

Talk to you all later!!!  Have a God Blessed Day!

[Nita]

Good early morning.  I couldn't sleep, so here I am.

Wisdom in scripture is,broadly speaking,
the knowledge of God's world
and the knack of fitting oneself into it.


Etta Sue, I like that very much.  If I could only remember this every single day.  God has planned this day and all I have to do is seek His Face, surrender to His will, and fit into it.  How fitting.

I'm still plunking away on the guitar, remembering and relearning forgotten chords and strum patterns.  I really want to get another one.  Actually I want to get one for Kyle (maybe a graduation present from myself and my daughter), and THEN I want to get one for me.  I can't afford what I want.  I can't afford what I don't want. haha
The Lord will provide if He thinks I need it.  I feel really good when I play.  My sisters, brothers and I used to all sit around the camp fire and play guitars.  And before that, my dad did.  I guess I've already told you this, but tonight...I was just remembering.

Etta Sue, I'm so happy that you are having good days.  God is blessing you with peace, isn't He? 

g'night everyone.  I guess I'll get to bed and try, again, to sleep.

[karmat]

Nita -- You go girl.  Hang in there.  Have you checked pawn/second hand shops and stuff?  Soemtimes you can get really good stuff, at a better price.

Etta -- Glad you had a good day or two.  You must be exhausted after the emotional two months or so this has bound to have been for you.

Welcome T2T adn Lee.  Jump in and let us get ot know you!

The Shuford's are going to Pigeon Forge tomorrow for the weekend (combo Mother's Day and Anniversary treat) so we won't be around.  Hopefully we can take lots of pics.  I hope there are more trees with leaves there than here.   Gotta get the house clean -- I hate coming home to a messy house, though I can't prove that statement based on past habit.  <grin>

Anyways, maybe I can at least get the laundry done!

Take care and have an awesome, Jesus filled day!

[karmat]

happy cinco de mayo!

There are many stories related to the sinking of the "Titanic". Some have just come to light due to the success of the recent movie. For example, most people don't know that back in 1912 Hellman's mayonnaise was manufactured in England.

The "Titanic" was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after New York City.

The Mexican people were eagerly awaiting delivery and were disconsolate at the loss. So much so that they declared a National day of mourning which they still observe today.

It is known, of course, as... Sinko de Mayo.

[Al Moak]

Nita - as soon as I get my first million, you've GOT your guitar!  Please note that it's from the FIRST million - you are highly favored!
It raineth here in McKinleyville, CA.  It's also turned a bit cooler again.  Probably the prelude to a hot summer.

Karma, when one provides such stories, one has actually provided "stinko de mayo."

[Samantha]

Karmat,

That was a good one!

I had a wonderful day yesterday.  My husband took me and the kids to lunch at our favorite place - steak, baked pot. and salad, with diet coke, of course.  Then we came back home for some more work to do.( we are self employed, lots of buying and selling on computer at home), and then a delivery came:  a bakers dozen yellow roses, my absolute favorites!  We don't know why there were 13, other than maybe they were running behind so they threw an extra one in!  If only I didn't have a cold, I could smell them!  Doesn't matter, they are sooo pretty!  I have loved yellow roses my whole life, but I think this is the first time he got them for me.  Always red ones,( he never thinks ahead to order them for me). I was so shocked.

He also bought me a new wedding ring, but I got that about 2 months ago.  He had always wanted to get me something really nice, I mean REALLY nice, but we never had that much money to spend.  A few years ago, he had started praying about maybe someone who wanted to sell theirs, (divorce, or money tight) I told Terry, you can't pray for someone to get a divorce so you can buy their ring cheap!  He said he knew that, just if someone already did and wanted to part with theirs, for them to come to him.  Well, back in March, one of our customers was in a money crunch, but needed more merchandise, her ex husband had bought her a ring and she had been keeping it all this time, (He didn't treat her very good, and then left her) Well, would he be interested in trading merchandise for a ring?  Well he made the mistake of bringing it home for me to see!  It is a golly whopper!  Never in my life would I have ever thought I would have anything like this!  He took it to the jewelry store for quick appraisal, and told her he would trade it out for her.  Anyway, we could sell this ring, and double our investment in it.  Terry had forgot about his prayer, but I didn't, and he told me God was watching out for me, because there was NO WAY he could see spending that much on jewelry, even for me!  God is in the small stuff we pray for just as much as in the big stuff.

Now when we married 20 yrs ago, we had nothing, I mean nothing, no car, no house, no money, nothing. We lived with his parents the first year.  He wanted to spend a lot for a ring back then and I told him no, I didn't need anything really expensive.  So my twenty year investment has paid off!

Gosh, I've rambled on, didn't I.  Thanks to all for the well wishes yesterday, I truly did have a happy day!

Bless you all
Samantha

[Marilyn]

Father to Son to Grandson

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged" (Deuteronomy 6:2).

The Lord often has emphasized in His Word the vital importance of not only obeying His commands but also of diligently instructing our children therein-and so on from generation to generation. "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (v.7).

These instructions were given originally to the children of Israel, but can surely be applied also in our day. To carry them out requires real dedication and discipline in their own lives on the part of fathers. "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget . . . but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons" (4:9).

The Israelites did forget all too often, but so do many Christian fathers today. Our specific command today is: "And, ye fathers . . . bring [your children] up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Our whole American culture once was structured on Biblical principles, but no more. We can blame the schools and activist courts, but a more basic cause is parental (especially paternal) failure. We again need to remember and apply in our own homes God's testimony to ancient Israel.

"For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them . . . and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments" (Psalm 78:5-7). HMM

[WinterRose]

OK LADIES ... I am here but not for long as I have things to do before tonight. My husband has told me that we are going to the OLD HOUSE to do some work so I need to get caught up here in this house & then be ready to head over there to work ... ( UGH ) so I wanted to share something cute that was in our MID - WEEK WEDNESDAY PAPER - AT CHURCH & so I think that you will all enjoy this ... so take care & see you all soon !![/color][/size]

SONGS FROM THE PAST

[/size]

It was fun being a baby boomer - but now some of the artists of the 60's & 70's are revising their BIG HITS w/ new lyrics & titles to accommodate aging baby boomers so take a look & see if you see any songs that you remember growing up ...[/color]

HERMAN'S HERMITS - Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Walker
THE BEE GEES - How Can You Mend A Broken Hip
BOBBY DARRIN - Splish Splash I Was Havin A Hot Flash
RINGO STAR - I Get By With A Little Help From Depends
ROBERTA FLACK - The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face
JOHNNY NASH - I Can't See Clearly Now
PAUL SIMON - Fifty Ways to Loose Your Lives
COMMODORES - Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom
MARVIN GAYE - Heard It Through the Grape Nuts
PROCOL HAREM - A Whiter Shade of Hair
LEO SAYER - You Make Me Feel Like Napping
THE TEMPTATIONS - Papa's Got A Kidney Stone
ABBA - Denture Queen
TONY ORLANDO & DAWN - Knock 3 Times on the Ceiling if You Can Hear Me
HELEN REDDY - I am Woman, Hear Me Snore
WILLIE NELSON - On The Throne Again
LESLIE GORE - It's My Procedure & I'll Cry If I Want to[/b]

[/color][/size]

[Marilyn]

Good Morning> Thank  you Etta Sue for the devotion on Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

Not much to say this morning. It is still raining. I guess that was something to say.

TTYL

[Janet]

Hi, everybody!  I am rushing today from one thing to the next!  My Sis in Nebraska called and we had such a nice visit, now I need to call and order Mom a corsage for Mother's Day.  Tonight at the care home, they are having a group of high school kids to model their Prom finery, and have asked the Red Hatters to come and model our regalia for them, too.  I have to get packed for my trip up to Salina and Manhattan with Mark, as we are leaving EARLY in the morning. 

I want to go to the Sr. Center for lunch because they are having an observance of the National Day of Prayer.  And I'd like to remind all of you to please pray today for our country, our troops, our President and other leaders, our school, our children----so many things to pray about!  Thank God for a president who believes in prayer!  And especially in the God Who answers prayers.

Samantha, so niced to hear about your lovely anniversary!  God bless you!

Now, back to my rushing around................

[joyce robson]

I received this email and I wanted to share.

All of you wonderful women out there going about your active lives; I wanted you
to learn some of these safety tips that were emailed to me.

Hope they are helpful:


  Over 35 years, I have seen many women who would still be with us if they had known.   Two residents of Parkchester, Bx., N.Y.C.,  A female Professor at St. John's U. never knew this and she is gone from a street actor who commited one of these that follows.   

After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.


5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably ! in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP. It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

**** Here it is *******
9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her "Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door."

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ----This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it's better to be safe than sorry.

[Ruth Ann Bice]

Hi, friends,

I'm here for a moment on my lunch hour. Doggies and kitties are now fed and walked (dogs, that is), and I quickly microwaved some fresh cauliflower and a garnish of shredded cheese for lunch.

Y'all have a good day. I'll try to return tonight.

Much love to all,

Ruth Ann

[Chris & Margit Saunders]

The famous radio commentator, Paul Harvey, often said, "and THAT'S the REST of the story," when telling interesting or little known anecdotes about famous people or events in history.  Another of his pet phrases was, "Page two."  Well, on Tuesday this week I got "page two" with "the rest of the story," concerning information related to my own personal story.  The story of my heart transplant and the events surrounding the death of my donor.

It started with an Email from a man named Barry who had heard about the book I wrote a couple of years ago, Through The Fire, in which I detailed the account of my journey through many years of suffering with severe heart disease.  I went through six major heart attacks and many more attacks or episodes of what doctors now call Acute Coronary Syndrome and had to have Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery on three separate occasions over a period of about fifteen years.  During the course of all that I was clinically dead on at least four occasions and finally reached the stage where the physicians advised me that I could not possibly survive more than another four to six months without replacing my old diseased heart with a new one ... a heart transplant.  The writer of the Email was asking if I was, indeed, the author of that book because if he had located the right person then his brother had been the husband of my heart donor and he was hoping to find out where he could get a copy of the book. In addition to that he informed me that another brother and his mother were currently visiting my donor's former husband here in Florida and they were hoping to be able to make contact with me while they were in the area. 

In the five years since my transplant my wife and I have corresponded with the donor's mother and subsequently met her along with her husband who was Teresa's (that was the donor's name) stepfather.  I have also corresponded with Teresa's eldest son.  So it was not as surprising as it might otherwise have been to hear from other members of the family.  I responded to the Email and told Barry how he could get a copy of the book and purposely did not answer the question about contacting the other family members.  I didn't mean to be unkind or impolite I just thought that perhaps if I did not respond directly to the question then he would not pursue it further.  Meeting Teresa's mother was an unimaginably emotional event for my wife and me.  It was very rewarding and we are glad that we did it ... but it was difficult nonetheless.  I was just not going to rush into that again.

About an hour later my telephone rang.  The caller introduced herself and said that she had been Teresa's mother-in-law.  She apologized for intruding and asked if I minded talking with her for a few minutes.  We talked and she told me about how special Teresa had been to her and to her late husband.  Her husband had in fact written a poem that was read at Teresa's memorial service.  A copy of the poem had been given to me by Teresa's mother, at the request of Teresa's husband, Steve, and I included it in my book as part of my tribute to her.  Then I spoke with her son, Kevin, (Steve's brother) who was travelling with her as they had driven down from Wisconsin to visit her grand children and her son Steve, who had been Teresa's husband. 

The brother, Kevin, was very kind and spoke of all the lives that had been changed by the donation of Teresa's organs and tissues ... perhaps as many as 100 different individuals in all, including me.  He asked if there was any way we could get together that day because they were scheduled to return on Wednesday.  Because of the distances and the timing involved it was just not possible and by this time we both regretted that they had not been able to locate me earlier in their visit..  Then he told me a part of the story surrounding the death of Teresa that I had not heard before ... a part of the story that, again, made the unselfishness of Teresa's family stand out so vividly -- so real and personal.

I knew that a medical procedure had gone wrong in a doctor's office in a very small town and that Teresa had to be rushed by ambulance to the closest major hospital in a large city which was many miles away.  I knew that she was kept alive on a ventilator in that hospital and that subsequent tests revealed that all brain function had ceased and that she her body was only being kept alive by the mechanical devices in the ICU.  Kevin told me how that she had actually stopped breathing and her heart had stopped in the doctor's office and that the doctor told Steve there was nothing more he could do.  He had watched his wife die in the doctor's office.  But rather than simply accept what seemed to be the end of it all, Steve began CPR and insisted that the doctor call an ambulance.  It was he, not the doctor, who resuscitated her and kept up CPR during the long wait for the ambulance.  He simply would not give up.  Ultimately, he would be unable to save the life of the wife that he loved ... the mother of his three sons ... but had he not done what he did at that moment the donation of her organs and tissues later would not have been possible. My life would not have been spared and the lives of all the others who were saved or changed for the better would not have been possible.  His act of love for her impacted scores of other lives.  His actions at that critical moment in time made all the difference.

But his ordeal was not yet over.  He had stood there in the doctor's office and watched while a simple, routine procedure went horribly wrong and watched his wife die.  Then in a split-second of decision and action he did what had to be done and there was hope again.  But just a few days later, after being told all the tests revealed that she could not survive without the machines and that her brain had already ceased to function ... he had to make another decision. He had to make the decision to turn off the machines and watch her die ... again.  Yet, under the stress and burden of grief and emotions that are beyond anything most of us can begin to comprehend or appreciate -- when reminded by his young son of Teresa's expressed desire to be an organ donor he was still able to make that life giving decision and grant the necessary permissions which were at that time required by law of the next of kin.  Try to imagine what you or I might have done in his place - under such circumstances. 

Think for a moment of the consequences for me, for my family and for countless others if he had not started CPR when the doctor said nothing could be done.  What if he had succumbed to his own grief and crumbled under his own burdens with no thought of what others were suffering at that moment when the pen was placed in his had to sign the necessary documents for organ and tissue donation?  I don't know how he did all that.   When he looks back on it, he probably does not know himself how he got through it all.  But he did ... and there are so many of us alive and well today who are so very grateful that this man ... who could be any one of us and any given moment in time ... somehow, by the grace of God, did what had to be done in the right way, at the right time. 

I've never met Steve but I hope to do so one day.  I'm not sure how I'll react when I do.  I know for certain the first words out of my mouth will be, "Thank you.  Thank you, Steve," just as I have said to each member of his family whom I have met or with whom I have spoken or corresponded -- all of whom stood by him and with him and encouraged and supported him during those critical days and moments when so many "little" things were coming together to create so many huge, life-changing miracles for so many of us.

And THAT'S the REST of the story.   

~~    jww   ~~
John W. Watts   "Through The Fire"    HeartTransplantBook.com

[Chris & Margit Saunders]

May 5   

Preaching: Great Preachers

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has
chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and
God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the
things which are mighty. 
--1 Corinthians 1:26-27

I'm against the idea of putting the "big preachers" on tape and
playing them back to the congregations that feel they are being
starved by listening to "little preachers."

Fallacy, brethren--a thousand times, fallacy!

If we could have the Apostle Paul on tape recordings and let him
stand here and preach, he could do no more for you than the Holy
Ghost can do, with The Book and the human conscience....

Oh, brethren, I would not detract from God's great men, but I can
safely say that that's not what the church needs.

The church needs to listen to the inner voice and do something
about it!  The Tozer Pulpit, Volume 1, 108-109.

"Lord, we're inundated today with 'big preachers.' And while we
appreciate their gifts and ministries, I pray today for all of
my brothers who are 'little preachers.' Help them not to be
discouraged by their seeming smallness but to be faithful
servants of Yours, declaring with great passion the message of
the Book, in the power of the Holy Spirit. That's what the
church needs! Amen."

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[Judy McKenna]

Getting caught up in postings.

Some terrific devotionals in here - a few a bit too long , but worth reading anyway.

TBear - Those songs of the 70's were so funny!  I'm going to write a few of those down!

[WinterRose]

HELLO JUDY & OTHERS ... BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE PHOTOGRAHS HERE  THREAD ... AND THERE IS A NEW POST * NEW FRIENDSHIPS OUR STORY * ... BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT ... PICTURES OF ETTA & I & OUR MEETING THIS WEEK !!  ENJOY & SEE YOU ALL SOON !!

[Janet]

Good tips, Joyce!  I received those also from my Alaskan friend.

Hi, Ruth Ann!  Always good to see you!

I went to the National Day of Prayer Observance at the Sr. Center, where they read the prayer written for today by this year's Chairman of the NDofP, Max Lucado.  I asked for a copy of it so I could share it here.

Prayer for the Nation 2005[/b]

                             

Dear God,
Not to us, O Lord, but to You goes all the glory.

We depend on you.  You give birth and breath and determine our days. 
You make every nation and set every boundary.  We exist by Your power.

We exist for Your glory.  Showcase Your power throughout this land.
Display your justice in our courts, wisdom in our governments, guidance in our schools
and love in our homes.

Have mercy upon our sins.
We have disrespected your Word,
disregarded your gifts, discarded your children.
We are sorry.  Forgive us, dear Father.

Grant strength to all our leaders.
May they serve you first and honor you most.
Remind us of the brevity of this life and the beauty of the next.
Prepare our souls for the day we meet you in Eternity.

This we pray in your Holy Name.
Amen

[Al Moak]

1.  Dear brother Chris - thank you for the Tozer devotional.  It's always true that the only effective Preacher is God the Holy Spirit working in our hearts via even the simplest of words by the simplest of preachers.  Oh may we pray before ANY preacher begins to preach - pray that our - and other - hearts will hear and respond approptiately.  Oh may we also pray for ourselves and others AFTER every sermon.  Beg God to remove these "sermon-proof vests" we wear!

2.  Wonderful prayer for our nation, Janet.  I prayed as I read.  Amen.

3.  By the way, speaking of heart transplants - we all need one, and we are invited to call upon our Lord Jesus Christ that He may implant His loving heart into us!

[Larry Hanna]

Hi everyone.  I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or anything but have been extremely busy the last couple of days.  Yesterday I spent from 9:30 am until about 3 pm getting my Saturn fixed.  In a previous oil change (not at the Saturn dealer) they had ruined the filter canister and put the cap on it so tightly that they had to break through it with an air hammer to get leverage to remove it.  The seal was broken and the whole unit had to be replaced.  It ended up costing me over $180.  This was why they had labored so long at Wal-Mart in trying to remove the cap without success.  Then last night I had choir practice.  By the time I got home I was beat and didn't try to get here. 

Today hasn't been much better as was getting groceries, picking up the other car (for which they found no problem for the problems we experienced on the road last week), returned some things and finally this afternoon went to Calvin Cove.  When I got home from the church I was going to lay down and listen to some streaming audio on the computer.  I had no more laid down than the computer crashed.  I think my power supply may have gone bad.  My friend will come over Saturday and check it out for me.  Fortunately he is an electrical engineer and knows all about things like this.  This is my friend Rod.

This evening Pat helped me put together a breakfast casserole to take to the senior center in the morning.  Saturday is Rod's birthday so I wanted something special to surprise him with.  He had brought in a cake on my birthday.  This casserole has 16 slices of bread, 2 pounds of cheese, a pound of ham, 6 eggs and 3 cups of milk plus a couple of spices.  In the morning I will take it out of the refrigerator and put buttered corn flakes on it and bake it and take it fresh to the senior center in honor of his birthday, which is Saturday.  Tomorrow evening we are taking he and his wife out to eat for his birthday.  He and I have become very close friends and I feel like I have known him for years. 

I had to go yesterday and have another blood test to be sure my hepititis c has not become active again.  They picked up the inidcation of it in the other blood tests last week and my doctor thought the panel evaluating my case for the heart transplant would need this information. 

I have read all the messages but was so far behind that I am not going to address individuals this evening.  I do want to go and look at the photos from Etta Sue's trip to visit Tbear.  Janet, do hope you have a nice weekend with your grandson.  I appreciated the devotional thoughts and all of the other postings.  Of yes, Karmat, it sounds like you all have a fun weekend planned at Pigeon Forge.  We drove through there last fall and my how that area has grown.

[Nita]

Al said: Nita - as soon as I get my first million, you've GOT your guitar!  Please note that it's from the FIRST million - you are highly favored!

That's so sweet of you, brother Al.  And you know what?  I believe you meant that with all your heart. I guess I'll look around at the second hand stores around here, just in case it takes awhile for you to get your first million.  But I'll be thinking Gibson Dove. ok?

It raineth here also.  A lot.  At least we don't have snow like Pat. 

I get my car Monday!!!   I've been without a car, waiting for my son in law to fix it (he volunteered)but he is so busy it just sat in his garage.  I took it to a mechanic yesterday and he did the tests to confirm what Paul said, it's the fuel pump.  The pump will be in Saturday or Monday and he said it takes about an hour to put the new one in.  It will cost more than having Paul do it, but I'll feel better knowing he isn't overloaded.  He already works 12 hour days, 6 days a week.    My daughter has been taking me everywhere, but it'll be so nice to be independent again.

Larry your casserole sounds very hearty.  I bet your friend will be impressed and pleased.  I've been thinking, off and on for over a year, of joining the senior center here in town.  Jane and I used to have lunch there sometimes, but stopped.  Lots of nice people there, and I know if I could ever get past the initial nervousness of new people, I'd really enjoy it.

Karma, thanks for the "go girl".  I've looked online and found lots of songs and chords.  My fingers are callousing fast.  I was surprised.  I remember when I learned, long ago, my fingers would bleed before they calloused over.   That was determination!  I wrote songs back then, and took my guitar everywhere.  Then I ended up giving it away to my husband's nephew thinking I'd never play again.  I'm using my son's old Lyle now.  It doesn't sound great, let me tell ya. Nothing sweet about it. lol  But for now.....it will do.

Joyce, I sent your safety tips on in an email.  They have probably circled everywhere by now, but just in case.....I wanted the women in my family to be reminded.

Chris, as always, brother Tozer is so very right on.

ok.....gonna go visit a bit with my daughter, Kim.  She's in the living room playing with Tyson and Rocko.  They adore her.

God bless,  nita

[Pat]

It's been so good to read your posts from today.

I was paged earlier by Janet and she was just going out to see her mother and then my MSN stopped working!  So, that's why I didn't get to speak with you when you got home, Janet.  Today, I've been using quite a few ice packs and staying away from the computer and visiting with a couple of surprise visitors (which was so nice).

Now it's time to lock the door on NEM and open another for you all...

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