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Thank you Etta Sue.  Some really thought provoking questions there!

Etta Sue:  Interesting questions in the devotions.  Thank you.

We had  a really interesting sermon this morning as well and all gave thanks for air conditioning.  I remember going to an afternoon wedding in a little old church in Minnesota where several were carried out - the heat and no air were oppressive that day.

Well, it had to happen.  After the horrible tragedy in Norway, they are calling the shooter a Christian - right wing Christian.  This just burns me when true Christians are attacked & so blatant in our secular media.  No  true Christian would even have an evil thought like the shooter. 

Carol, I have noticed that often those who accuse are the guilty ones.  They said something in the first report I heard about "right wing extremists" and I thought, watch out!  The media is so corrupt it is awful......

SHIRLEY IS HOME!!!  And she called me last night!  I was SO happy to hear her voice!  She said her experience in the Johannesburg hospital was really bad....good doc tor but terrible nurses.  She is more than happy to be home, but is very glad she went, and can't wait to tell us all about her time in Malawi.  If you have a bit of time, look up Malawi riots on Google.  Very interesting.  I'm so glad Shirley got out of there before the riots started!

The fair is over, now I can rest and read a bit today.  Work tomorrow, then judge at Hugoton on Tuesday.  I don't yet know about the rest of the week, but am sure there will be something to do!

I went and got Beth after Sunday School and brought her to church.  She has expressed a desire to come every Sunday now that we have a pastor who talks to her and shows that he cares about her.  This is an answer to prayer!  And it is good for her to get out more.  Pastor Kris sat beside her and prayed for her after the service.  Good man!

It isn't quite as hot today, at least not yet.  We got about a half inch of rain last night, praise God.

I hope everyone is praying for Israel, God's chosen people, and for the peace of Jerusalem, that no plot to divide the Holy City will be allowed to succeed.

Etta Sue, thank you for that wonderful devotion today.  The questions really make one stop and closely examine our actions and intentions!

Janet, praise God that Shirley is safely home.  Any more news yet from Eli?

Yes!  Eli and the rest of the team are in Rome and will be heading home tomorrow, I think.  God is good!

And, all of us said in reply to Janet:

ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD

This has been such a surprising weekend. I NEVER dreamed a birthday could be so nice.

Dinner last evening at a great Italian restaurant with my daughter and son-in-law. They gave me a cute card and inside was a shopping card with $1 for each year of my life, and a cute little note from my SIL saying have a wonderful year from "your favorite son-in-law" -- my ONLY son-in law! 

Then lunch with my church friends today, and while there, they kept up so many quips and laughs that at times people were wiping tears from their eyes.

How refreshing to come through a harrowing time of emotional stress, to learn that people reall do love and care.

Yes,
God is good - all the time.

Our pastor's sermon this morning was about how, when the times are so difficult, yet there is still a way we can praise THROUGH our tears.

I truly hope his sermon is on our church's website so that I can listen to it again and again.

Much love to everyone
Ruth Ann

Thank you for the comments on the devotion.  It does make one think, doesn't it? 

Here it is Monday again!  What an awesome weekend!  And it included rain and a cooler night.  But it is to be in the 90's again today.  The radio said 8 days in a row.  I know that isn't 100 but it is hot for here!

Rehab today for Ivalou and I.  It is going to be our last day to go together.  She goes again Wednesday and I don't go again until Friday.  Then I am scheduled next Monday but that might be cancelled today.  I am going to do maintenance in the pool.  Love that warm water! 

I don't know if Ivalou and I will celebrate with a meal today or not.  She said she has lots of food to eat since her oldest daughter and family were here over the weekend and her DIL made her several frozen dinners for her birthday!

Hi everyone.  Not going to get into the 90s today and we have a chance of rain this afternoon.  We need the rain but over the weekend we discovered a stain on our ceiling in the in the corner of thefoyer right at the front door.  It is dry so don't know how long it has been there.  There is a possibility a gutter may have backed up as we had a huge downpour not long ago and this is only about a three foot section of guttering.  I checked it this morning and it is not clogged but could have been overwhelmed.  I have got a call into a roofing company to come and check out the roof as sure don't want more water damage to the interior of our home. 

When I took my friend home this morning his wife came out to the car and asked me if I wanted some figs.  She had just come back from picking them.  I said I would thinking it would be a half dozen or so figs.  However, she must have brought out 50 to 75 figs in a container.  I will take them with me to my event his evening and share them with others as Pat won't eat them (too sweet) and I couldn't eat this many in a long time. 

Today is my Monday men's luncheon and we will be going to an Italian Restaurant.  That and the event this evening will be it for today.

Etta Sue, thanks for the fine devotional thought for this week.

Carol, I agree with your comments about portraying all Christians by the actions of one person.  Many claim to be one thing when they are something else.  This was a terrible work of evil.

Janet, glad you have been able to talk with Shirley as know it relieves your mind.  Also glad to see the Eli and the team are out of harms way and soon will be home.  It is nice to see that Beth is able to go to the church services and that the pastor is praying with her.  Our daughter attended her church yesterday and said the minister had asked her to make a special effort to be there next Sunday and after the service she is to select an area where she can park her wheelchair and they are going to shorten three pews to accommodate wheelchairs for her and two others that attend in wheelchairs.  They are in the final stages of remodeling the sanctuary so it is handicap friendly.  She could hardly get into the sanctuary before and had to have help getting down the steep ramp.

Ruth Ann, glad you had such a nice birthday celebration with members of your family. 

Hi, friends,

Larry, our church shortened some pews also to accommodate wheelchair worshippers. Now, if they'd just widen that handicap door a bit, I could probably get inside should I need my wheelchair again. Naughty, naughty, Ruth Ann - be thankful for the ramp and the handicap entrance. 

I didn't sleep at all last night - probably because of that long, long nap yesterday afternoon. Hmmmm - surely don't want to get my days & nights mixed up.

It seems a bit cooler today, so maybe our citizens without air conditioners can get a break at least for today.

Y'all have a good afternoon - time to get busy with some chores again.

See you later.

Ruth Ann

Some of the very old churches have no accommodations for wheelchairs - no way to get up the steep steps and the bathroom added in late years was in the basement. 

Janet:  So glad that Shirley is home safe.  That is just terrific that Beth will be able to sit comfortably in the church as well as two others and it is really nice to hear that your new pastor is a compassionate listener. 

I am baking bread for a neighbor who watered the front flowers daily.  It sounds like another thunder/lightning storm is on the way.  Finally loaded a free game on my iPod and it is called Angry Birds.  Such funny chatter - so far my scores are pitiful.  Not to worry - I am not addictive to the electronic game.  A cousin from Sweden wrote - her daughter & that family now live in Oslo and as you can imagine both countries are in shock from such tragedy.   

Larry, we recently did a remodel of the sanctuary and got chairs, and they move the end ones on two rows to accommodate Beth's chair.  That makes it so nice for her.  Yesterday she chose a place she wants to sit where she won't be right under the ceiling fans, as they make her too cold.

I worked today, am really tired now.  Beth asked me to take her to the movie Mr. Popper's Penguins tonight, but called a bit ago to tell me not to come, as she is sick at her stomach.  Not from anything I cooked, as she only ate fresh fruit for breakfast, then half a Subway sandwich she had in her refrigerator for lunch.  Hope she feels better soon.

Etta Sue, I also enjoyed the devotional, really good questions!

Shirley called me a few minutes ago, but we had just gotten started visiting when her daughter showed up, so she said she will call me later.

I heard this afternoon on TV that the murderer in Norway used to attend church but renounced his membership years ago.  But would the media stress that?  I don't think so!  Such a sad situation.  He said he did it because the Muslims are moving in and taking over his country.  Well, then why kill his own countrymen???  Doesn't compute!

I was thinking I had to judge in Hugoton tomorrow, but it isn't until Wednesday.  So I will have a day to recuperate!  Yea!!

Well, Marbeth goes to her quilting group today, and I go just a few blocks away to a place called the Coffee Break until she's done around 11AM, then I pick her up and we go to the CoOp for just a few things (the prices are too high to do more), then home.  Then, after 1:30, we go to the fitness center for a little treadmilling.  Then probably Starbucks (our other family), then home.  Then I'll come back here and see if anybody did anything today.

Hi everyone.  I met the roofing man at McDonald's and directed him to our house.  He is now on the roof trying to find the cause of the leak.  We had more rain yesterday afternoon and the spot in the foyer became wet again.  I just hope we don't have to have a whole new roof put on.  The roofing man has found wind damage on my roof that is the cause of the leak and where it is coming in and told me I needed to contact my insurance agent to get an adjuster.  I have now called and will await a call back.

Not much on tap today other than a meeting this morning and then will have a quiet day.  Yesterday was busy enough for two days but enjoyed it.

Al, sounds like you have a pretty busy day planned.  Do you have a particular type of coffee at Starbucks?  I have never been to one of those coffee shops although they are plentiful around here.  I don't care that much for coffee.

Janet, do hope Beth is feeling better today.  I know the chairs make a santuary more versatile to use.  We have big heavy pews in ours.  I heard them say on TV this morning that the maximum sentence for the killer in Norway was 21 years although they can retry him and he could serve another 5 years and that process can be repeated if it is determined he shouldn't be released into society. Hope you have a restful day today before your judging tomorrow.

Carol, homemade bread sounds like a very nice thank you.  I have played the Angry Birds game and have it on my phone.  I am not good at it either and don't play it very often.

Ruth Ann, do hope you enjoyed a better nights rest last night. 

Our little 150 year old church has an elevator in it.  I remember when I was in grade school that the church was jacked up and a basement went in under it.  Then an addition was built on the north end.  You can enter by about 6 steps at the front entrance or ground level at the side entrance.  From there you go down about 6 steps to the basement or up about 8 steps to the sanctuary level.  Before my Mom passed away she helped pay for the elevator to be installed.  I wish that she never had to use it but without the elevator, she would not have been able to get into church. 

But the new church building will be one level...no steps or ramps!  AND more and bigger restrooms!!  And a bigger kitchen!!  And more classrooms!!  And more staff rooms!!  And multi-purpose sanctuary/gym!
Hopefully the digging will start in September!!

Today is SAMS with my church group and this evening is Beef and Boards to see 'Church Basement Ladies'.  This will be our third time to see the 'ladies'...all different themes.

I've never had Starbucks coffee and it doesn't tempt me.  I enjoy coffee, but I want it to be coffee.  No sugar, no cream, no fancy added ingredients or flavors... just coffee. 

I am a tea drinker.  I love some of the new flavours in "coffee" shops.  The herbals are really good as well.  Sometimes just a wee bit of sweetener is all the addition to the herbals.  Regular tea....milk (not cream) and s bit of sugar!

Judy, I enjoy tea, too, also without additions.  But I'm a lazy tea-brewer - Tetley tea bags, one per cup.   

We'd get on just fine I think!

I like coffee, and I like tea!  And I think I have had three cups of FOURbucks coffee in my life, always at an airport while waiting for the next flight.  They may (probably do) have coffee that is less expensive, but four  + dollars per cup is too much for a conservative gal like me!  

I just had the most wonderful hour and a half visit with Shirley!!  What an interesting and exciting time she had in Malawi!  She has journals full of notes, and is adding to them as she remembers other incidents.  I'm sure her next book will be a good one!  And I can hardly wait to go visit her, but need to wait until she gets whatever is needing done to her hip done.  Wouldn't want to make the long drive to find her in the hospital!

Darrel has gone to Liberal to work on an alarm system with Curtis, so I will likely go to the Senior center for lunch.

Larry, I hope your roof repairs won't be too costly!  Hate those leaks, water damage is nasty.

We got an inch and a half of rain since Saturday night!  Praise God!!  When I walked early this morning, it was so lovely and cool, lovely sunrise, birds singing, etc.  There was a mockingbird on the tip top branch of a dead tree over by the neighbors', and it was singing its heart out.  When it came to a certain place in its song, it was as if its exuberance lifted it straight up into the air about five feet, then it would land in the same place and continue singing.  There are so many blessings that go unnoticed far too often, for which we should be praising our wonderful Creator!

I guess I need to be about my day's activities, even though they aren't as many as usual, and I am thankful for that, too!

Quote from: JudyB on July 26, 2011, 11:23:23 AM
We'd get on just fine I think!

Judy, I'm sure of that.  With or without coffee or tea!   

 

Hi, friends, I surely hope all who aren't here the last few days will return and bring others with them.

A friend took me to lunch over at the church across the street. Ahhhhh, it was GOOD! And, the prices are reasonable. It may make me eat there much more often and enjoy the stillness, cleanliness, and great people.

Y'all have a wonderful day. It's time, now, to thaw out something from my fridge and prepare to go to church for Tuesday evening Bible study.

Much love to all of y'all.

Ruth Ann

We went tot he free Movie for seniors put on but one of the Banks and 3 Rehab centers. We saw Larry Crowne with Tom hanks and Julia Roberts. It was a real cute movie.

I finished another Baby Afghan and the hat to match Now I am going to make a Pr of booties also to match. These are for  Baby Jackson Shawn Riley. then I have to make  one more baby afghan for  another grandson and his wife in Colorado. I do have a dishcloth on my  circular knitting needles.

Well time for me to go walk the dogs.

Al:  I did clean the kitchen floor and dusted but now just getting my quilted hot pads ready to work on tonight with the group.  Just wanted you to know that it wasn't a total washout day for me.  Don always visits with my neighbor's husband on these nights and they play cribbage.  Yes, we see that gas is going higher - watching things. 

Larry:  I hope that your roof is fixed perfectly and especially before the next storm. 

Coffee for the morning or anytime and tea is for the afternoon.  You can have whatever you want and it is free at my house. 

Our bible study is off until after Labor Day - really miss it.  We would go to the Wed. night service too but that is especially geared towards college age this entire summer. 

Son and grandson are back safely from a week of sailing.  It was grandson's first time on a larger boat - can't wait to hear what he thinks about the sea. 

A quiet place to eat and very clean for Ruth Ann - that sounds perfect. 

Janet:  You found an inspired Mockingbird!  A very neat experience.  How great that you had such a long visit with your sister, Shirley.  Does she live very far from you?  there must be tons of pictures.  I hope Beth feels better tomorrow for sure.   

Carol, Shirley lives about 5 1/2 hours from me.  I wish she were closer.  She gave me a lovely compliment this morning, one I will treasure in my heart.  She said, "I told my family that I missed out on SO MUCH by not getting to know Janet better years ago!"    

Here is a really great money saving tip, one I found in the Readers Digest.  It is in a one-page article by a young, down to earth, self-made millionaire named Clark Howard.  In a list of a dozen ways to save a dollar, he suggests:  Order prescription eyeglasses online for as little as $7.00 a pair at zennioptical.com.  I just went by and picked up my prescription and as soon as I finish this, will be ordering a pair!  When I checked it a few days ago, the most expensive pair I looked at were $39.95, and that was bifocal, transitional, scratch-coated and everything!  And includes the frames!!  I really need a spare pair, so it's a good time to try it out!  I will let you know if I am happy with them.

Please pray for my son Ron who lives in North Carolina, he is working part time at a nuclear plant in Lynchburg VA 200 miles from his home. here is the email I got today.

Please keep praying for me, I am really taking a downhill turn. For over  week all I've wanted to do is hide under the blankets and try not to let the devil win. This PT job is driving me crazy and it doesn't look like I will get any working with this company until next spring. I don't know how long I will be able to draw unemployment. I won't be able to survive without it. I keep sending out resume's online, but very little interest is being returned.

Larry - Actuallly, we don't normally even drink any coffee at Starbucks.  They have an iced green tea that is very, very good.  They have all kinds of things.  Besides, we've gotten to know most of the employees at this one so that it almost seems like family.

Al, in the Bible study we are doing in Sunday school, they talk about the importance of frequenting the same business for a period of time; getting to know the employees, so that you are able to minister effectively when the opportunity presents.  The study is called Contagious Christians.  Most people who have time to go for coffee in the mornings have their favorite place and favorite group to meet there.  If I lived in town, I might pursue that myself.

Today I go to Judge art at Hugoton, so there will be plenty of activities to fill my day.

Hi everyone.

A quiet day ahead with just an afternoon eye appointment, which is routine as have my eyes checked once a year since my dad had glaucoma.  No Bible study or choir this week and that all resumes next week as we head into the fall season.  I have enjoyed the little break during July. 

I had a call from the insurance company giving me the name of the insurance adjuster who is to contact me to look at the roof.  We did have another shower last evening but don't think we had any wind.  The rain didn't last very long.

Etta Sue, your new church building sounds very nice.  What will happen to your old church building?

Jeanne, I also have never used cream or sugar in my coffee.  I do enjoy a flavored coffee once in a while such as hickory nut flavor.  It wouldn't break my heart never to drink coffee again. 

Judy, we like iced pekoe tea but don't have it very often.  I also like a cup of hot tea once in a while.

Janet, good renaming of Starbuck's as I understand the cost of their coffee.  However, I think I remember they have introduced a less expensive blend some months ago.  Al, do you know whether I am remembering that correctly?  It would be wonderful if the insurance would pay for a new roof.  However, what will be will be.  I am not going to worry about it as not something in my control.  Sure glad to read that you are getting cooler weather and have gotten some moisture.  Wow, what a nice comment from Shirley.  Relationships and friendships are such an important part of making life more enjoyable.  Clark Howard has been on the Atlanta radio station in the afternoons for many years and is very well respected.  You could hear him on the computer on WSB ( http://www.wsbradio.com/  ).  I listen to him quite often.  He also has a good website with helpful information.  He is all about saving money.  He has also paid from his pocket the cost of building a large number of Habitat for Humanity home in the area and at Christmas collects toys for children living in care or foster homes (as I recall) by broadcasting from various Wal-Marts. 

Ruth Ann, does your church have a daily senior luncheon or something? 

Marilyn, they sure don't have any free movies around here.  We do have a theater that runs older movies for $2 a ticket (they used to be $1).  I can relate to your concern for your son as I have a son in somewhat the same situation although doesn't have to drive a long distance to work but has a minimum wage job.  He and his wife are really struggling.  I will be praying for Ron.  I want to gag each time I hear our politicians trying to tell us how much better off we are now than we were when so many people can't find employment.  On Sunday they announced that our food bank in our part of the county was empty so were putting out an emergency call for help.  They have seen a 25% increase in demand this summer.  Several counties, including our county, have been preparing sack lunches for children who normally get meals at school but would have nothing to eat during the summer break.  Where I attend one of my meetings they are preparing the sack lunches and it is quite a sight to see the 400 paper bags set up for the next day's distribution. 

Al and Janet, our Bible study group has developed a relationship with some of the people at the Dunkin' Donut and the next door restaurant where the group often eats.  On of the waitresses at the restaurant recently joined our church with her son. 

Sorry about writing so much this morning but your comments just brought to mind things I wanted to say.

Carol, I have always loved to play cribbage.  We used to play that during the lunch period where I worked.  It made a nice break during the day.  One of the men kept a running score over a long period of time.  This brings back a good memory of day long gone.
















 
 
 










I  know some of  you are not old
enough to get this,
but  you can pass it on to  some
old person who   
needs a laugh  today!!!