Regarding all the natural disasters ...

Pray about Irma

My mother and two brothers live on the west coast of Florida, about three-fourths of the way down.  Virtually right by the ocean, surrounded by tons of channels of water.  She jumps on planes all the time, pretty much at a moment's notice, to travel all over the place for fun.

I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE IS NOT EVACUATING BEFORE IRMA HITS!

They have decided to ride it out.  One of the biggest hurricanes in history - wider than the state of Florida - and they are going to RIDE IT OUT!

I just had to say that out loud.  'Cuz I can't believe it.

The storm is set to arrive in a day or two.  And so all I can do now - all we who are not in Irma's path can do now - is pray for those down there.  Pray for protection, for God's mercy, and for the victims.  And donate money to help them rebuild, those hit by Harvey and Irma.  It could be us someday.

Does anyone else feel like the end of the world is breathing down our necks?  With the hurricanes and the earthquakes and the threat of nuclear war and the internal strife in our country?  (Scientists predict that earthquakes will be even worse in 2018 than they've been this year.  Google it.) 

If it is the end of the world (or if North Korea sends a "gift") are you ready to meet your Maker?  Do you know where you are going after this life? 

I do. 

My faith is in Jesus Christ, the one who paid for our sins on the cross and "bought us a ticket to heaven."  And all we have to do is accept it.  And if we don't, then we choose to pay for our sins ourselves, remaining separated from God for all of eternity (i.e. hell).

I know this takes a turn from the light-hearted fluff on this blog.  But none of that fluff will matter when eternity comes for you.  

Do you know where you are going?

Getting older ...

Six Dollars and Thirty-Three Cents

 

            Six dollars and thirty-three cents.
 

            It’s all the money that my 8-year old and 11-year-old have right now … and they have asked me to donate it to those affected by Harvey.

 

            We were watching some coverage of the aftermath of the storm, and we saw the story of “Mattress Mack,” the man who opened up his high-end furniture store as a shelter.  And my 11-year-old turned to me, almost with tears in his eyes, and said, “It’s so incredible that someone would risk their business like that to help other people.”  He immediately went to his room and scraped up all the coins he could find (getting his 8-year-old brother to do the same) and they gave it to me to give to the Harvey victims.

 

            Six dollars and thirty-three cents. 

 

            “But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 

            Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.’”  (Mark 12:42-44)         
 

            Six dollars and thirty-three cents.  It might not be much in the world’s eyes, but it’s an incredible sacrifice in God’s eyes.  Because it comes from a heart that wants to love and help … a heart that sees the hurt and needs of other people and refuses to do nothing … a heart that knows it doesn’t have much to give but that gives it anyway.

 

            ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”  (Matthew 25:40)

 

            What if we all gave at least a mere six dollars and thirty-three cents to help those in need? 

 

            What if we all gave with our whole heart, with a desire to help, to heal, to not sit there and do nothing while others are hurting? 

 

            What if we all lived with the knowledge that it could be our family in extreme need someday, that we could be the ones who lose everything, the ones who are broken and lost and afraid, the “least of these”? 

 

           What if we all saw the “least of these” as brothers and sisters, as friends, as family, as ourselves? 

 

            What if we realized that when we give to them, we give to the Lord, that even our smallest sacrifices matter when they're given out of a heart overflowing with love? 

 

            What if?

 

            I put the boys’ money in a baggie with a note to donate to the relief efforts. 

 

 

            And then we went out and bought $140 worth of necessary items to donate along with the money.  And we are bringing it to the donation drop-off tomorrow.  I want my boys to be a part of this, to feel what it feels like to physically, financially, and emotionally reach out and be a part of the helping efforts, to understand that we all have to do our parts to help those who need it because we are all in need in one way or another.  I want them to remember that $6.33, even though it might seem small, is nothing short of huge, of beautiful, of “worth it.” 

 

            I know that the little bit we donate won’t make much difference in the grand scheme of things and that none of the victims will really see that $6.33.  But – if anything – I am writing this post so that the victims of Harvey know that they are not alone, that they are in our hearts and prayers, that we are standing alongside them in this time of tragedy, and that even two small children care enough about them to give them all that they have, . 

 

            God bless you all!  God keep you in His comforting hands and may He help you find healing – physical, spiritual, financial, relational.  And may a tragedy like bring us together as a nation, helping us rise above the differences that are tearing our country apart.    

 

            “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ … ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.”  (Mark 12:30-31)

 

            “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  (Hebrews 13:16)

 

            “Do to others as you would  have them do to you … Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  (Matthew 6:31, 38)

A Question for God

There's a question I would love to ask God when I meet Him ...

Where do all the pens in my house go!?!

I mean, seriously, it's almost magical, almost supernatural how fast they disappear, never to be seen again!

Where do all the pens go?

And why, oh why, can't ALL the members of my family like at least three meals that I make?  Why does there always have to be at least one whiner-baby?

Blogging Pet Peeves

It makes me crazy to visit a blog, clicking on it for the first time, curious what it's about ... only to have a "Join My Newsletter" box pop up not even 5 seconds into my visit.

It's like visiting a car-sales lot or a major appliance store, wanting to just browse around for a moment to see if I even like anything ... and then having pushy salespeople pounce on me like hungry vultures on a fresh carcass, immediately asking, "So, do you see anything you like?  Do you want anything?  Are you gonna buy anything?  Can I show you something else?  Can I?  Can I?  Please!"

Back ... back, you vultures!  Let me breathe.  Let me roam around the site a little before being forced to decide if I want to join your newsletter or not.

Why I Don't Smoke!

 

 

 

 

 

First Day of Homeschooling 2017 - Epic FAIL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Most Real Kind of Prayer

 

(Reposted from my other blog, lovehealme.blogspot.com.  But I felt it should be here too.)

Childhood