Thursday, January 21, 2021

"WHEW"

  “WHEW” is a term you use when you have escaped some tragedy or near tragedy. It’s a sigh of relief, when you’ve been engaged in mental or physical combat; a sound of relief when you have been granted a reprieve.

That’s the sound many of the 81 million people, who voted for Joe Biden made today. The sound thousands of others felt in America and around the world, when Joe Boden, a “true patriot” took his oath of office, as the 46th President of the United States.

I don’t normally watch inaugurations, but I watched his today. I’ve only watched two, Barack Obama’s and the Biden/Harris one today.

After four years of divisive, abusive and plain disrespectful rhetoric from a president, who supported white supremacy and looked down on people of color, today was a breath of fresh air!

Because I believe in biblical prophecy, I know that this breath of fresh air is merely the calm before the storm.  The time when the cry of “peace and safety” is heard, but destruction is soon to suddenly come upon us.

However, for today, I’ll enjoy the moment, before I buckle up for the impending conflict!


gingersworld.net

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Troublous Times

             Troublous times make up our surroundings and troublous times are yet ahead. However, we are told that these are the beginnings of sorrow, “…famines, and pestilences (Coronavirus), and earthquakes, in divers places. “ (Matt. 24:7-8)

                Presently, fires rage in California; storms and flooding are sweeping through the southern states; the U.S.A. is leading the death toll for Covid-19, and there is “No Justice and No Peace”, to be found in the land, or so it seems.

                With the growing rate of crime, by citizens and police, rising unemployment and the threat of a racial civil war threatening the outcome of the U.S. election, it may seem that there is little or no hope!

                But the Scriptures bid us to “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His Might.” Ephesians 6:10

                Therefore, my brothers and sisters, place your hope; your faith; your trust in God and you’ll never need to worry about any of the things I’ve mentioned above. God has promised, “… for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.” So, be of good cheer.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Self Examination

 Have you ever looked at someone else, who seemed a little strange to you and were tempted to criticize that person; or God forbid, make fun of them? I’m pretty sure that all of us have found him or herself in this situation.

Recently I was visiting a friend in the hospital, and while there, I started “people watching”. This is a great way to help develop a character or even several characters when writing a story. 

Anyway, there was this one nurse that came in and introduced herself, even extending her hand in an offer of friendship. Then she proceeded to completely erase the “Patient Care” board. This board gives the patient’s name, the attending nurse for that shift, along with the attending tech.

Additionally, the board tells things about the patient: (i.e.) whether the patient is allowed to eat or drink; the patient’s meds; how often meds at to be administered, etc. Actually, there are over a dozen different things, relative to the patient and the staff listed on this board. Usually, the nurse for that particular shift will just erase the last nurse’s name and replace it with their own. But not this nurse; everything had to be erased and re-written by her. Also, as she is doing this, she is explaining that she is OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), everything has to be ‘just so’ and they must make it that way, or they can’t function well.

I later chuckled to my friend about how each of us struggles to exist in a world with unnumbered rules and regulations; a world with so many different functions that must be performed by people, and yet each of us struggles with our own malfunctions (depression, anxiety, rejection, control, passivity, etc.) trying to function properly in a dysfunctional world.

It reminded me of an old saying, which most of you have probably heard or read before. “There is so much good in the worst of us; and so much bad in the best of us; that it hardly behooves any of us, to talk about the rest of us.”

Truer words were never spoken; the incident with the nurse reminded me, once again, to self exam; to be patient with everybody and not to judge anyone. We are all crippled; we all need help of some kind, or from someone. Therefore, I learned that it is only in the eyes of God that we can be seen as perfect and that only, if we have accepted Jesus as our personal savior, and God is looking at Christ’s merits and attributing to our account – imputed righteousness. 

More: http://amzn.to/29jqKo2 


Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Change His Name

 One of my favorite stories in scripture is found in I Samuel 3:1-10.  It is the story of the young boy, Samuel.


Samuel was the only child of a woman named Hannah. She had been barren for a very long time. She earnestly prayed and fasted begging God to please give her a male child; if God would do that for her, she promised to return him to the service of God, for as long as he lived.


God was gracious to Hannah and gave her a son. She named him Samuel, which means “Asked of the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving in the temple of the Lord helping the High Priest and his sons, who were very wicked.


When you read the story, you’ll find that Samuel was a very obedient child. Whenever the High Priest, Eli called him, Samuel would immediately run to his side, to find out what Eli wanted of him.


I have been very impressed with my youngest daughter’s only child, Ticklish (not his real name). Because we live so far from each other, I don’t get the opportunity to interact with him, like most grandmothers. It is sad but true. However, since I have been here with them on an extended visit, I have been amazed at just how obedient this young man really is; I’m ready to change his name to Samuel.


In order to really appreciate this, you must understand that my daughter and her husband divorced, when Ticklish was around two or three. She has remained single and virtually raised him alone. He is now 17! Yes, 17 and he actually listens to his mother and comes when he is called.


In this day and age that is absolutely remarkable, which is why it has made my blog! I am so very proud of him, again! I am also proud of the wonderful job his mother has done, through the help of God; because she will be the first one to say that, “If it had not been for the grace of God…” he would be like so many others that I don’t have to describe.


Consequently, the blessing of heritage has continued once again and all that I am doing is praising God! I’ve learned to do that quite a bit more.


More: http://amzn.to/29jjq0d

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Proud Grandma

When you think of ‘pride’ from a Christian perspective, it is usually frowned upon by other Christians. Why? Because they all realize that it was pride that caused the fall of Lucifer, from heaven. We can read about that in Isaiah 14:12-20 CEB.

 

However, that is not the pride of which I speak. There is no one, to whom I wish to compare myself; nor is there anyone whose place I wish to usurp. The pride to which I am referring is the pride of a grandmother, whose grandchild has reached a desirable position in life – he’s a licensed driver! If any of you share my position, you can readily identify with me.  

 

I distinctly remember how I experienced a similar pride, when his mother and both of her siblings reached this station and began to chauffer me around. It was thrilling! It was also frightening, unnerving and at times downright chilling, as they each would whiz along the highways, with no sense of trepidation whatsoever, at the hundreds of cars that shared their space.

 

Now, here I am, visiting with my youngest daughter, as my grandchild does the honor of driving both of us around. Now admittedly, he too, drives too fast, has little or no respect for “stop” signs and darts in and out of traffic. However, my heart still bubbles with pride, at his achievement; that is, when it comes down from my throat and resumes its place of normality, in my chest, once we have reached our destination.

 

I have learned that the more things change, the more they stay the same. He is only doing what his mother did before him and what her mother did before her. Wow! I’ve learned that payback can be intimidating – yet, I’m still humbly proud of him and proud to be proud.

 

Take care until next week.

More: http://amzn.to/29jjq0d

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Fresh Air

 

When I was around 11 years old, my family and I went to the 63rd Street beach in Chicago, located just off of Lake Shore Drive. There were hundreds of people there, or so it seemed to me. My mom and the other adults’ set-up our food in the grassy area reserved for picnicking. My two older sisters, twin brothers and a neighborhood friend elected to get into the water. It was my very first time swimming at the beach. I had often ridden past it in my aunt’s car, but I had never ever had the opportunity to go into the water.

From a distance the water appeared to be as blue as the sky, however, once I was in the water, it appeared grayer. Oh what a time I was anticipating. As I began to wade into the water, with its coming higher and higher upon me, I began hyperventilating. However, as I stood there, with the waves washing around me, my gitters and anxiety began to fade away. Soon I was splashing around, just like the other non-swimmers trying to have a good time, when suddenly it happened!

My sister was close by and I could see my brothers ducking in and out of the water; they knew how to swim, therefore, they had ventured further away from me. I had just gotten far enough into the water, so that my feet barely touched the sand, my courage was rising and my thoughts were to begin making stroking gestures like my brothers, when suddenly I felt two hands latch onto my ankles, then suddenly I felt myself being yanked beneath the water. It happened without warning; before I could scream for help, before I could anchor myself to anyone. Down, down, down I went, helplessly being carried away by a water monster!

I could see the little fish swimming by and the legs and feet of other children and adults thrashing about in the lake, but all of them were too far away to help me. I was gulping the dirty beach water, as I was dragged further and further from the surface. Then just as quickly as I was attacked, the hands released me and I fought my way to the surface, coughing and spitting, crying and shaken, and gasping for fresh air.

It was one of the most life-changing experiences of my life. The playfulness of our friend and neighbor, Daniel, had turned my world upside down. It gave me a new appreciation for fresh air; it revealed to me unseen challenges and dangers, while putting me on the alert regarding a world of information, of which others were aware, but of which I was utterly clueless.

During this Covid-19 pandemic, I've learned the lesson of fresh air, all over again. Sucking air through a mask is not fun. Whenever, this is over, I'll not take fresh air for granted again.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Frozen Strawberries


M
y husband and I really enjoy drinking fruit smoothies. Although we prefer using fresh fruit, it is not always available. As a result, we try to buy fruit in season and freeze it, so that we may have it throughout the winter. Today, I planned to fix one of our favorite smoothies, which called for strawberries. The only ones I had were frozen solid in the freezer. Occasionally, I’ll take the time to run warm water over the bag and then stick them in the blender; other times, when I don’t want to add ice, I’ll just bang the bag on the corner and loosen up the fruit, then take out whatever I wish to use and return the balance to the freezer. Today was one of those days. As I tapped the bag of strawberries the first time, nothing budged, so the second time, I gave it a hard slap against the counter and it loosed just the right amount of berries. 

As I thought about the process of loosening the berries, the thought flashed across my mind, about how God sometimes has to do the same thing for us. Sometimes we’re like the frozen strawberries; we can get so stuck in our own selfish wills, not wishing to move one iota. We formulate ideas and opinions and then dig in our heels, to make sure that we will not be moved. When we are dealing with principles of right, I can see how that could easily happen. However, sometimes it’s just our opinion about a matter and by holding on to it, we can cause harm to our relationships with other human beings. I mean, honestly, is it really that big a deal? Can there not be some type of equitable compromise made? Must you be right, this time; again?

 Because God is a loving God, who cares for each of us, every now and then He might have to allow a set of circumstances to occur in our lives that will break the hardness of our hearts whereby we can loosen our die heart opinions; and His will can ultimately be realized; thus helping us to maintain valuable relationships with others.

Don’t be a frozen strawberry! Think about it. Is it really worth it?


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Ginger