Ky. Derby....here we come!

I will not be not be blogging until Sunday...we are off to work at the Kentucky Derby so I will have no time to blog. We will be working ~ get this~ On Millionaires Row! Hopefully I'll at least get a glimpse of someone famous! Have a great rest of the week and I'll see you next week, if not before!

Blessings!

Lolli (aka Lisa0

"Sew" what!

I enjoy “Wednesday’s Walk Down Memory Lane” that my friend, Lynnette, started ~ it forces me to go back in time and remember fun times to share with you. I encourage you to join us by clicking on the link on the right side bar. You’ll enjoy sharing in other’s memories, as well as reminiscing on your own.

Is sewing a lost art? I rarely hear of anyone sewing anymore, albeit mending, repairing a zipper, putting a button back on, letting out a hem, etc. I just don’t hear anyone say they make their own clothes, or their children’s clothes…seems like in today’s world everyone runs out and purchases what they want when they want/need it. Instant gratification in our fast-food, microwave generation! I remember my grandmother, Mom Bessie, making nearly all of my clothes as a child. We often visited her on the weekends; she lived about an hour and a half away in a duplex shared by the Jones family (as in Larry Jones of “Feed the Children”, his brother, Mike, and parents!) Getting new clothes she made was the best gift ever! No candy or toy could ever compete with that! (Well, maybe every now and then…..like when she walked us downtown, a few blocks away, to the Five and Dime and bought us some little ole cheap toy! Notice I said “walked us downtown”! You know, “we walked 5 miles up hill both ways to and from school in the snow, back in my day! Ever heard that line?!

My sweet grandmother, Mom Bessie

My Mom put my hair in a bun or pulled the front of it up with a bow, which matched the outfit I was wearing! My Daddy used to say often, “Deda Marie (my nickname), I really like your hair pulled back off your face like that!”

As I reached my early teen years, my Mom bought me new school clothes. However, for my piano recitals and, later, for sorority presentations (yes, I was in a high school sorority) and proms, my Mom made all of my formals. She usually designed it on paper, discussed it with me, took me to assist in the choosing of fabric, and then labored long hours until she got it just perfect! It looked like something professionally made (just without the label in the neckline). Looking back on photographs now, I laugh at the styles, and cannot believe I ever felt fashionable and “in style”; yet, I was!

My sweet Mother tried to teach me how to sew. As a perfectionist, she wanted to instill those same principles in me. I can remember a few occasions where I determined to make something new for myself, and every single one had a zipper in it. I put the zipper in, so proud of the work I had done. I took it to Mom, and she always complimented me on what a good job I had done, and told me how proud she was of me….followed by a “but”! OUCH! I hated that! Her words went something like this: “Honey, you really did a good job. But if I were you, I would take it back out, baste it this time (I hated basting ~ that was double work and seemed so needless), let me see it before you sew it, then sew it back in. I promise you it will be much straighter if you will baste it first”. Suffice it to say it only took about 4 or 5 times of that, and I threw in the towel on sewing! I had to do a little more sewing when I took Home Economics in 8th grade (hey, do they even offer Home Ec anymore in schools?), and I detested every bit of it. All of that made me nervous, and all the fun went away when the “do-overs” came e-v-e-r-y s-i-n-g-l-e t-i-m-e! Forget it! Just take me to Wal-Mart and let me purchase something!

Then the Lord blessed me with 2 girls, and all of their clothes were store bought. Sad! Don’t take me wrong! They wore the cutest clothes, usually purchased by my Mom or sister…my girls always looked adorable! They never had hand made clothes; (oopps…take that back. When Britney went to the National “Beautiful Baby Pageant” –DON’T EVER DO THAT!—in Dallas, TX. she had to have a variety of outfits and my Mom made those for her—see photos) yet they never knew the difference. I did make sure, before either of them left home after high school, that they knew how to sew a button on, how to repair a hem…you know, basics like that!

So (or “sew”), what do you think? Has the art of sewing been lost? Or is it just me?

We have a little joke around here: when someone makes a comment that we either do not choose to respond to or disagree with, we often just say “So!” Usually the response from the other is, “No, do you?” (Well, really, that’s just between my husband and I, but it’s kind of funny! Truth of the matter is, often he IS the one to sew whatever needs to be sewn. He’s a jack-of-all-trades, you know!)

Have a glorious, blessed Wednesday, praising the Lord!

Thank-you, Jesus, for the gift of my memory! I take that for granted, Lord and I'm so sorry! Father, I hurt so much for those who have Alzheimers ~ their precious minds seem to just slowly erode, leaving them strangers in their own home. My sweet Mom Bessie had what, in that day, they called "hardening of the arteries". She could remember things from her chilhood but could not remember the answer to the question she had asked 5 minutes before. She was tormented, Lord, as she felt such a burden to us all. Oh, Father, please eradicate this horrible disease from our earth. And, Lord, please help me to remember to thank you daily that I can use my mind, think clearly and rationally, and remember! I love you so much, Jesus!

"This s the day the Lord has made!

I will rejoice and be glad in it!" Think about that for a minute! THIS is the day the Lord as made! Yesterday is gone and will never return! Tomorrow is but an idea! But for today...TODAY, if you are reading this, you are alive! What an incredible blessing! Thank-you, Jesus!

Read again, emphasizing a different word: "This IS the day the Lord has made!" Not was, not will be, but IS! Remember what God calls Himself? "The GREAT I AM!" We are here, right now, alive in a free country, free to worship as we want, where we want, in the way we want, with no mandates or restrictions from the government! What a privilege!

Now let's think again: "This is the DAY the Lord has made!" In the beginning God created...light and dark. The light He called "day" and he dark He called "night!" While we are enjoying the day right now, others around the world are enjoying the night. Nonetheless, each of us has the same amount of time in each 24-hour day/night cycle, to choose how to spend those minutes and hours. Are you spending your time making a difference in the lives of others? Are you taking time for yourself...to be refreshed, replenished, revitalized, revived, and are you rejoicing all along the way that the Lord, your God, has given you THIS DAY to make a difference?

And...."This is the day the LORD has made!" Our Lord, who is worthy of our praise, created THIS day for each of US! Why? Because He loves us SO much that He wants to bless us with a new day, with it's highs and lows, ups and downs, good times and bad...all so He can grow us up in Him, and express yet again, in another way, how much He loves us! I cannot even begin to wrap my brain around that, can you? We were made for fellowship ~ with one another and with our Lord! Most of us have the "each other" down pat; yet, our relationship with the Lord gets slighted. When something happens, that brings pain, hurt, or even joy, is your first reaction to "phone a friend" (as Meredith Viera says on the game show) or to bow before your Lord in prayer of thanksgiving, rejoicing or intercession? I'll confess! My usual first response is to share with another human! THEN I may go to the Lord, maybe not! Yet, no human made this day! The LORD made this day, for me...for you...and He deserves everything done and said in this day to honor and glorify Him! Father, forgive me for not putting you first in everything!

"This is the day the Lord has MADE!" The Lord created the Universe in the beginning...and daily He offers us yet another of His creations: a new day! Were it not for God, we would not have this day....nor any others, past or future. He created us because He wanted us here "for such a time as this!" So, we should...

"Rejoice and be glad in it!" That's praise, in every circumstance, whether good or bad, knowing that "the testing of our faith produces endurance". That's why James tells us to "count it ALL joy!" He doesn't say "count some of it for joy" ...no, it's ALLto be counted for joy, because in the low times, the hard times, the painful times of loss, rejection, abuse, loneliness, God is molding and shaping us for His glory.

It's easy to feel joyful when things are going by our well-made plans and ideas; it's so much more difficult to choose joy when things are difficult. Notice the difference in the 2 previous sentences? One says "feel joyful"; the other says "choose joy"! We choose how we respond to every situation in life. And, we are promised in the Word that the Lord will "cause all things to work together for good, for those who love the Lord, who are called according to His purpose"(Rom. 8:28).

I hope you will choose joy today...and everyday!

Please take a moment to watch this video clip of a precious child who has basically nothing to be excited about in life, nothing to cling to for any hope in his life, yet, through Compassion International, he has found hope and joy...the joy of the Lord. He may only be one, but he is one. One can multiply and duplicate to more and more and more! Be blessed and hopefully moved to compassion as you watch!


Blessings on your day,

Lolli (aka Lisa)

Thank-you, Lord, for THIS DAY, and for the gift of life, of family, of friends, of freedom of worship....thank-you for materialistic blessings, monetary provisions, and for the passion of missions! Oh, Lord, I want my life to make a difference, beginning at home, and spreading out. Thank-you for the opportunity to serve you on home and foreign soil! Continue preparing my heart for our trip to the Dominican Republic in July to serve you by continuing to build Moises' church! Bless Him mightily, Jesus, as He goes about your business in a country who hates the Haitian people. As a Haitian pastor, Father, protect Him and His flock from any attempt on the part of the enemy to attack His ministry. Stop all flaming arrows from touching him, and place a hedge of protection around him as he goes day to day, Lord. I love you so much!

Pete and Moises

Motorcycles, Cracker Barrel, Garage Sale...OH MY!

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

What a busy weekend, full of work and adventure! Sometimes I enjoy having a few days like that; other weekend I like to chill, know what I mean? We have enjoyed the past couple of years hosting a student from Guatemala, here in Tennessee for a cultural exchange experience, through the F.A.C.E.S. Program. This program was started by 2 Guatemalan ladies, who have become very good friends of mine. Sandy and her husband, Raul, were here with his Mother (who actually attended high school in the US) for a business/pleasure trip.

We had never met Raul or his mother, so they invited us to breakfast at Cracker Barrel Sat. morning for breakfast. I like absolutely LOVE Cracker Barrel!!! Know why? ‘Cause for a carb-o-holic, like me, it’s heaven! Speaking of “o-holics”….anyone know of a 12-Step program for carb addicts?!?!?! Not kiddin’! It’s terrible! (Now, Lynnette, I do NOT hide and eat real butter cream frosting…but if you were here and made it for me, I’d eat it. Only difference ~ I wouldn’t hide! I’d flaunt it!)

Beautiful veggies in Guatemala
Now, we went to and from Cracker Barrel on my husband’s motorcycle! Yep! That’s right! I am officially now a motorcycle Mama…or motorcycle Lolli! It was fun! That’s only my second time on it, and I enjoyed it!

Sandy and Raul on my husband's motorcycle; they took a picture of us with thei camera and we don't have it yet!









Now, after that I went to my Mom’s to begin cleaning her garage for a huge garage sale I’m planning for May 23 (Lynnette, you need to purchase a plane ticket and fly here for it……..just sayin’!) My parents built that house and we moved in 1974; IF ~ and that’s a BIG IF ~ it’s ever been cleaned out, I don’t remember it. It’s a 2 car garage that not one single solitary person has ever parked in. NEVER! And I’m not even exaggerating!

See what I mean?


My sister helped me and we wore long sleeves, long pants, socks, and still saw several “Brown Recluse Spiders”, mostly dead, praise the Lord! Not to mention mouse droppings (millions of them, literally) E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E! Are you grossed out yet? And, there is a plethora of my grandmother’s furniture (she’s been deceased about 12 years), some of her clothes and mail; my other grandmother’s clothes (she’s been gone for about 25 years); my sister’s furniture, dishes, glasses, etc. when she lived in an apartment, oh, about 30 years ago, and boxes and boxes of stuff my Mother has put down there when preparing for some party and needed to “hide” things!

UGH! After about 6 hours of hard work, we stopped! I came right home, soaked in the tub AFTER taking an 800mg Ibuprofen, and still felt like I need to use a sandblaster to get all of the nasty off of my body!

Yesterday my husband went on a dirt bike ride with his buddies;


so, yes, I confess, I skipped church! I know! I can’t believe it either, but I did! But the Lord’s not mad at me! How do I know! Because I know Him, and besides that, He told me! So, please, don’t be a hater! (Laughing, but not out loud because my son is across the room taking a last minute snooze before leaving for school ~ ssshhhhh! He’s like a bear if you wake him up prematurely! But he’s such a good-lookin’ bear!) So, back to my Mom’s I went. My sister and I hit it hard again, and it was fun in some ways, bringing back lots of memories of days gone by. In other ways, it was emotionally very painful, as we found some things that reminded of us some sad periods of our life. Nothin’ like a good cry, doncha know! (Can you all understand my “Southern English”, like doncha?) If not, I’ll pray for ya’. Eventually you’ll get used to it!

The garage looked so good qwhen it was empty! My husband has already hauled off one full trailer load of trash. There are 2 more full trailer loads to be hauled, along with 10 Rubbermaid tubs of clothes + (2) 30-gallon garbage bags of clothes! There is also a pile of boxes for my Mother to look through and decide what to and not to sell; and a HUGE pile of things to definitely sell. Now comes the fun part of cleaning and pricing all of it…PLUS…we haven’t even started on my basement and all of my many things leftover that did not sell on Craigslist a while back, including several brand new, still tagged beautiful prom dresses/formal from a Dillards that went out of business here! I must admit I do not like getting ready for a garage sale; I love it the day(s) of and trading stuff for $. But the process of getting ready I do not enjoy! On top of getting it all sorted, we then had to move it all back into the garage, as rain is coming! WHEW! Are you tired yet, because I’m exhausted typing about it!

Again took Ibuprofen before hitting the hot tub last evening! If you could see my house right now of all the stuff junk I brought here from my Mom’s, either to keep or to clean before pricing it for the sale), you would wonder what is left for the sale itself in the garage. You need to know that I am a neat freak, OCD, or some label, I’m sure. Basically I like the house in neat order; doesn’t have to be clean (I detest house CLEANING), but I like it neat. So, right now, I’m all out of sorts, because there are piles of stuff everywhere. AND…to top it all of…Rodney and I leave Thursday to work at the Ky. Derby from Thurs. – late Sat. night; will be back home very late Sat. night; Sunday is church, I teach my community group from church Sunday night (still have to prepare a lesson from 3 chapters of Acts, that I am writing on my own), and on Monday evening I am having a “Pampered Chef” party at my house to raise money for our summer mission trip to the Dominican Republic (which is also why I am having the garage sale).
Homes in "The Hole" in the Dominican; a landfill where over 1,000 families live!


The chuch we are building in the DR


The precious angels I love so much in the DR!

How will I ever get it all done? By the way, if you like Pampered Chef items ~ they are awesome!~ and would like to order something to help us out, you can do so online at our my rep, Nancy's, website! Please just be sure to enter as hostess name: Lisa Syler. The order will come directly to you. Our trip this year is from July 14-21 (please see below for a few photos from last year’s trip)! This will be my 7th trip to a country and a people we have come to love so very much! (Also, please follow our pastor, his assistant, Anne, and our friend, Angie Smith ~ many of you follow her blog regularly. They are in Kolkatta, aka Calcutta, India on a mission/blogging trip with Compassion International, and seeking out a mission partnership for our church there, like the one we have in the Dominican Republic). You can follow them,through our pastor's site. While on his site, be sure to watch the video in the title "70 left!"

I also would like to ask you to please continue praying for precious little Stellan, who continues to be with his Momma, MckMama, in Boston Children’s Hospital. We are interceding for Him, asking the Lord to totally heal his precious body. Please go here to keep up with Stellan's progress!

Now, I’m totally exhausted from writing this entry, and I’m sure you are from reading it, so I must stop! Any prayers you want to offer on my behalf will always be welcome.

I pray each of you will be blessed beyond belief this week, and that you will be a blessing to many people, as well. Please check back on this post of mine and leave a comment, as I don’t have too many sentences yet for “our” story we are writing as a game. In other words, we are being creative while having fun, but we need lots more entries, so please encourage your blogging friends, or just email friends to contribute. Many thanks and much love,

"Lolli" (aka Lisa)


I am so blessed and grateful to be surrounded by my family members, the furthest being 10 miles away. Though it can sometimes have its problems, it’s a huge blessing! Thank-you, Lord, for allowing us to be close in proximity and close in relationship, even with our quirks, our disagreements, and our opinionated bad selves!

Let's play a game....

Yesterday I was sleepy (I stay with a 97-year old bed ridden lady overnight on Wed. night from 5 pm to 7 am Thurs. morning); not a lot of sleep. Usually I come home and sleep for a few hours. Yesterday I spent the morning with a friend who is donating many wonderful items to a garage sale I am having on May 23 to raise money for our mission trip to the Dominican Republic (if you have something to donate that won't cost you much to ship, we would love to have it ~ especially things you have made, written, etc.; signed by you is even better and makes it more valuable!) Charla owns her own business, which you can find here Please be sure to visit her entire site! You will love her "magazine collage" art! I have much of it here to sell on Craigslist and ebay! Mothers Day coming up, several birthdays, buying now for Christmas, for my own personal collection...all signed by the artist herself....hhmmmm...get my drift! I have so many for a reduced price! And....she also does commission work....more about her on another post, but please begin looking now.
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OK, here's what I want to do....and PLEASE send your friends to my site to join in the fun. They can simply leave a comment with their sentence. I'm going to write one sentence; then I want you to send me a sentence...about anything....just please make it descriptive, clean, and hopefully something that will honor God. I am going to combine them in a story form, taken in order in which they are received...I'm asking the Lord even now to bless it, and make it be what HE wants it to be. Who knows! We may just all be authors and not know it! I think this will be so much fun, so please leave your comment first, then please ask all your blogging buddies to visit my site and leave a comment. Once I have several in, I will combine them in story form, as I said, using the comments in the order they were received. Sounds fun, huh? Well, even if you don't think it sounds fun, please contribute and invite others to do the same (and maybe someday I'll figure out the Mister Linky thingy and be able to add that for things like this!) Oh, and please continue to pray for Stellan, MckMama and their family (see link on upper right side bar of my link). And one more thing: please pray for our pastor, Pete Wilson, his assistant, Anne Jackson, and our sweet friend, Angie Smith ("Bring the Rain") who left this morning for a mission/blogging trip to India. Anne and Angie will be blogging, along with a couple of others, through "Compassion International". Pete is checking out the possibility of us beginning mission work in India. I can tell you that Angie, while excited, was struggling in some ways last night (read her post). Also, their family has been through yet another tragedy. Angie and Todd (Selah lead singer)lost little Audrey about a year ago. Todd's sister, Nicol, who used to be with Selah and is now doing her own thing with music, just lost a baby to miscarriage---this after losing her 2nd child at 9 weeks to SIDS. Angie so wants to be here with Todd and Nicol; yet knows the Lord called her to go on this trip. So please pray for them all. You can follow their blogs about the trip at:

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com (Angie Smith)
http://www.flowerdust.net (Anne Jackson)

Now, here we go with our story! Get that imagination going! Blessings for a great weekend on you, and I love you all!

Lolli (aka "Lisa")
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"Once upon a time, in a land called KOG (Kingdom of God), a beautiful angelic being was gazing upon all the possibilities available for the children of God, amazed at the vibrancy of everything visible, and began to wonder....."

YOUR TURN! One sentence (or more if you like) please...then get your friends to hurry and add their sentences.

"Sunny Day, chasing the...Clouds Away" (Sesame Street)

Please join us each Wednesday as we take a walk down Memory Lane and share with one another. You can click the link in the box on the right sidebar of this page and join us! Its lots of fun and a great way to get to know other people out there in blog land!







When I was a child, life was more carefree! Afternoons were spent riding bicycles after school, having a picnic under a shade tree and kicking hedge apples out of our way, playing dress up in our play house, trying to figure out how a hula hoop works (well, I was anyway…..others had it down pat, as does my 3-year old granddaughter, Carleigh! She won a contest last summer in West Palm Beach against children 3 and 4 times her age!) ,and lying on the blanket in the yard, gazing at sky and trying to find designs within the clouds! Did you ever do that? Our Master Creator is quite the artist! The sky is always changing! Think about that! (Clouds, which are droplets of water vapor condensed onto tiny pieces of dust, floating in the air, forming tiny droplets around each dust particle. When billions of the droplets come together, they form a cloud.--you can't say you didn't learn something today! Well, maybe you already knew it, but I couldn't explain it before I looked it up!) About the time we identified an object or design in the cloud it would change ever so slightly, transforming our sky pallette completely! So, we wold start over and search again for something different in the clouds! See, we were being creative, and using this wonderful gift called “imagination” that God gave us!

Our entertainment, for the most part, was free; just being together with friends and/or siblings, jumping rope, riding bikes, climbing trees, playing dress up and hide-and-go-seek (or as Carleigh used to say, “Seek and go hide”),was so stinkin fun! During those days we didn’t have video or computer games, cell phones, DVD’s, iPods and such….and you know what I think? I surmise we were overall less stressed and happier children! Seems like those days are gone…but do they HAVE to be gone, or could we perhaps recapture those experiences with our children and grandchildren today? Sure we could; BUT…it takes time, creativity, commitment, determination, patience, and lots of desire to get back to the basics and away from the media push and societal pressure to “keep up with the Joneses”! I suspect there are those willing to make those sacrifices and many that are perhap too self-focused to make the effort!

Below are some photos of clouds. I thought you might enjoy looking through them and seeing what objects, animals, creatures, or patterns you might find in each of them. The first group are photos my husband or I shot; the 2nd group are ones I found online—you know, the professional ones! So, try your hand at it. I have labeled each one. Please leave a comment telling me what you see in a certain one(s) along with the letter of the photo. ‘Twil be fun to share, and see just how creative we bloggers bcan be!

Blessings on your day, and please continue to pray for precious Stellan, who made it through surgery, but has a long road ahead.

Lolli (aka Lisa)
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Cloud A

Cloud B

Cloud C

Cloud D

Cloud E

Cloud F

Cloud G

Cloud H

Cloud I

Cloud J

Cloud K

Cloud M

Cloud N

Cloud O





Professional photos of clouds

Cloud P

Cloud Q

Cloud R








I’m grateful for a Master Creator who loves us enough to paint the sky each moment of every day the way He wants it…and for giving us an imagination to be able to create in our mind’s eye, whether or not we ever transpose it to a medium to share!

PLEASE PRAY TODAY FOR STELLAN!

I need to ask you to stop right now, this very moment, and pray for precious Stellan, who is likely in surgery even as you read this! Check it out here For those of you familiar with MckMama in blog world, it's her precious baby boy! This is extremely serious! The Lord hears and honors our prayers! So, won't you stop and join me in prayer right now for them all ~ most especially this surgeon and his team for discernment, wisdom, patience, skill, and peace! Oh, for peace through the process!

Thank you so much, and may you be blessed in a special way today!

Lolli

Lolli's been AWOL!

Yep, that's right! I was AWOL.....well, not really, because I choose whether or not I have "leave", right! So, I "took" leave. I spent the weekend in Chattanooga, TN. on the campus of Precept Ministries for a Women's Conference!

Kay and Jack Arthur began this ministry in 1975. I was trained years ago by Precept to be a Precept leader. If you have never done a Precept study, suffice it to say it is incredible! It's the most intense, in-depth, complete Bible study you will EVER do on a book of the Bible. She has also produced shorter, smaller ones for those wanting something a little less intense. She and her staff have produced teen studies, children's studies, men's studies, topical studies.....the "Precept Upon Precept (PUP)" studies are the very intense ones, that include Hebrew and Greek Word studies, cross-referencing, and studying verse by verse until you know it front and back, in and out...it takes about a hour a day to do the homework, 5 days a week...you KNOW that book of the Bible when you are through. Kay does not use (or allow her students to use) commentaries, as they are written by men. Inductive Bible study, which is Kay's method, lets the Bible teach itself...through observation, interpretation and application. OK, Lisa, enough already! I would STRONGLY encourage you, if you have never done one of her studies, to do one! And, should you ever decide to come to one of her Women's Conferences, please let me know so I can meet you! The campus is about 2 hours away from me.

She began the conference sharing her heart about the state of our country as it relates to God and His will. She is very concerned; below are some highlights she shared. We MUST be on our faces before our God on behalf of our country, friends. America has been allowed to go her own way for a long time, and now God's wrath is coming upon us! This is NOT about politics; it is all about God, His Word, and His Kingdom!

I look forward to hearing your comments...feel free to share...and know that it's good to be back!

Love and blessings,

Lolli
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NOTES FROM KAY

Kay said, "I've been saying for a long time that God was going to pull the economic rug out from under our nation. We are an idolatrous nation. Greed is idolatry!

In Leviticus God says, "Be holy, even as I am holy!"

Only the righteous will survive!

Kay believes that unless there's a revival in America, we can know God's written ICHABOD (which means "the glory's departed) over us".

(As she was speaking, I heard in my spirit the words "compromised" and "tolerant"...i.e. We, as a nation, have become tolerant of things we should NEVER be tolerant of--i.e. laws legalizing gay marriages, the abortion issues, etc. God's Word is so extremely clear about this; we are to be about Kingdom Business, regardless of whether or not it goes along with America's standards, regardless of whether it makes us popular! We better get ready! ~ Lisa)

She also brought to our attention that one of the workshop participants could not get there Friday evening because of SNOW---did you get that? SNOW IN DALLAS, TX!Kay says, "Some say 'global warming'; some say "late winter'; Kay says it is God moving in our nation. He is moving, we're beginning to see His wrath! He has allowed us for many, many years to go our own way, do our own thing our way! And now He's tired of it!

She also pointed out (as a side note) that Evangelical Christians give less than 3% of their income to the church and ministries! 3% of American Evangelical Christians!

Oh, sisters, we need to be prostrate before our God, asking for His mercy on our nation! We need to be about Kingdom business! We need to stand up to our politicians about what is right and wrong according to the Word! We all need to re-read the entire of our Constitution and Bill of Rights! We need to stand up, speak out, and help our nation--US--get back into favor with our Lord! Revival starts within each one of us BEFORE it spreads! Lord, bring a revival, and let it being in me! AMEN!
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I'm grateful for eyes to see, ears to hear, the Word of the Lord "for such a time as this". I'm honored and priveleged to be called to be Jesus with skin on! I'm grateful that He forgives me when I fall short of is glory and His call on my life, and that He is a God of "do-overs!"

Don't judge a book by it's cover!

I love my pastor! And I love my church! And I especially love his post here

If you didn't see it for yourself, please be sure to watch the video and read all the comments, most especially the "light chastisement" our pastor gave us. He is SO right, and I'm so proud of him for stepping on our toes! They need to be stepped on more!

Enough said!


I'm so grateful that God looks not at the outside but at the insde, and He knows our heart! He created us just as He wanted us, and we should rejoice in the fact that we were "fearfully and wonderfully made!" Thank-you, Jesus, for loving my heart no matter my physical flaws!

I remember when...

Please click on the sidebar link and join us every Wednesday for our walk down Memory Lane!


I remember when........life seemed easier in many ways........it was the 50's and 60's........


In most families, Moms proudly stayed at home and raised the children...
...children did not go to Kindergarten until age 6 or 7...because
educators AND parents understood the concept that
"Play is a child's work" (Dr. David Elkind)...
...children played outside with other children until supper time, climbing
trees, riding bikes, playing 4-Square and Hopscotch. jumping rope...



...the Internet did not exist, so people had to actually talk to one another via
phone, handwritten letters, or face-to-face...it was awesome!
...girls played "house" with dolls, while boys built forts and played G I Joe...
...men were proud to work and support their families, and women were honored
to work in their home...




...girls dressed like girls, and boys dressed like boys...and people knew the
difference...






ENTER THE

The 1960's...called 'a time of change'...hhmmm, that sounds like something we have recently heard ~ "time for change"....

...the conservative way of thinking evolved into ore revolutionary ways of thought, bringing about a significant change in the fabric of American life...

...minimum wage was $1.00; average salary was $4,743; population as 177,830,000...

...the time of bouffant hairdos on women...men usually wore plaid shirts buttoned down the front...women wore skirts and dresses at least to the knee in length...

...surfers switched to skateboards in California, and the fad soon swept across the
country as a way of fitness...Barbie dolls were all the rage for girls...
...G I Joes and troll dolls...

...The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was amended to include gender...John F. Kennedy was
President until his assassination in 1963...Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were
also assassinated i the 60's...King delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech
in 1963, the same year that Lyndon B. Johnson became President...

...Musicals included "Hair", "Camelot", "Man of La Mancha"; musicals made into movies
included "My Fair Lady", "Sound of Music"; Disney produced "101 Dalmations" and
"Pinocchio"...

...Radio was the primary means of listening to music...and FM became primary rather
than AM...

...the twist, the swim, the monkey, the mashed potato and the jerk were the dances of
our time....and, my, how I enjoyed dancing them all! We had "combo" parties with
a lived band, often out on someones driveway, and we danced until we could not
stand up...

...some of our favorite TV shows included: Alvin and the Chipmunks, Andy Griffith, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, The Addams Family, My Favorite Martian, I Dream of Jeanie, Laugh In...those were the good ole days...

.................THEN 'CHANGE' COMES.........WOODSTOCK ~ 1969.......


...changes in clothes: now it's gone from mini skirts and go-go boots in the mid 60's to unisex dressing, with bell bottom jeans, embellished t-shirts and love beads; women sometimes wore peasant skirts; men often had long beards and moustaches; and afros were common...

...change in music: Acid Rock and psychedelic rock, including groups like The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, to folk music of Woodstock with Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary...following earlier music of the 60's including Gladys Knight and the Pips, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Hendrix, the Supremes....

...change in pastimes: marijuana and LSD use increased; interest in mystical religions, sexual freedom, communal living, and an opposition to violence...








For Lynnette...and anyone else interested... Children's Books of the 60's include:

Newbery Award Winners - Began in 1922 (awarded to the most distinguished children's book of the previous year)
1960: Onion John by Joseph Krumgold
1961: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
1962: The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
1963: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Wojciechowska
1964: It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville
1965: Shadow of a Bull by Maia
1966: I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
1967: Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
1969: The High King by Lloyd Alexander

Caldecott Award Winners - Began in 1938 (awarded to the most distinguished children's picture book of the previous year)
1960: Nine Days to Christmas, illustrated by Marie Hall Ets; text: Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida
1961: Baboushka and the Three Kings, illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov; text: Ruth Robbins
1962: Once a Mouse, retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown
1963: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
1964: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
1965: May I Bring a Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor; text: Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
1966: Always Room for One More, illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian; text: Sorche Nic Leodhas, pseud. [Leclair Alger]
1967: Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness
1968: Drummer Hoff, illustrated by Ed Emberley; text: adapted by Barbara Emberley
1969: The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz; text: retold by Arthur Ransome

Yes, life was easier then..............or was it? What are your thoughts?




I'm grateful to have had a childhood where children were allowed to be children until they matured past it; and I'm grateful to have grown up in a time where we could walk to school, ride our bicycles through the neighborhood without fear; where we played actively and outside until dinnertime; where Mom's stayed home and raised their own children and Dad's worked hard to provide a living for their families; I'm grateful and blessed that I grew up knowing my parents loved me, and feeling a sense of safety and security always!