Y - Yesterday - - A to Z Blogging Challenge

Yesterday was a song written and sung by the Beatles. Yesterday for most people is the day before today,

Yesterday can have a different meaning. It can mean all those days before today. I have even heard the term "yesteryear."

So, how many yesterdays do you have under your belt. I have approximately 23940 yesterdays, give or take a few due to leap years and such. I was born in
Alabama and lived there until I was seven. My mother had remarried and she took my brother and went to French Morocco to be with my stepfather, so I lived with my Daddy's Mama. Those were happy years.

Mother came back when I was seven and we all moved to Montana. That was the coldest place I have ever been.

After that, we lived in Mississippi for a while before we moved to England on a ship in 1957 and lived there for three years. Lots of good yesterdays.

Then we moved back to Mississippi. Those yesterdays went south. Stepfather  drank and had a bad temper.

The point is that we can all look back on yesterdays,  some were bad and if we are really fortunate, more were really good.

We need to quit looking to the past for our happiness. It is right here in the present. We can choose to smile and to be kind, giving us a rich life full of happiness. It does not take lots of money, houses, fancy cars, or diamonds. Find those nice people in your life and treat them special.

Find yourself a good church home to take your family, so that you can meet the type of people that will add to your happiness.

Life is short, and then you die. Unless, you are like me, I am going to live with my father in heaven for eternity.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

X - The X Factor - A to Z Challenge (PR)

The X Factor originated in the United Kingdom by Simon Cowell. The television music competition is now showing in various countries around the world. The programs are produced by Simon Cowell’s company, SYCOtv. The “X Factor” refers to the magical property that confers “Star” quality. I find that when you hear someone gasp in amazement because they had that special shiver come over them while listening to a certain singer, they cannot help themselves. Contestants sign up in the hope of winning a recording contract. Publicity in the last few shows generates a lot of publicity, which is spread from the winner to include others of the most talented.

The judges critique the contestants' performances. The Judges "mentor" the finalists in a certain category, helping with song selection and styling. They also participate in judging the contestants of the other categories.

I should have chosen “The Voice” yesterday, since I think it is the best of the 3 shows including American Idol. The Voice has Adam Levine, Shakira, Usher, and Blake Shelton as judges. They also mentor the singers. Each one selects a team of entrants. I never could get in to the X Factor or Idol, but the Voice is awesome. The stars repartee is great.  

As you can tell, I really like the Voice best. Shakira is an amazing singer and person, as are the others. She shares her fortune with the less fortunate and she has my respect.

Genre - Reality television

Format - Interactive talent show

Created by - Simon Cowell

Country of origin - United Kingdom

Production

Producer(s) Thames - FremantleMedia - Syco Entertainment

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE 

W - Wonder - A to Z Challenge (PR)

Wonder what to write?
Wonder when to write?
Wonder what to do?
Wonder where to go?
Wonder how to write?
Wonder when to express my opinion?
Wonder who is on my side?
Wonder whose side I am on?
Wonder where I am going?
Wonder what I am doing?

I am talking about things that we all wonder about. I love to write, but my mind kept wandering Saturday and Sunday. This morning, I am just wondering what I am am writing about.

Things I have Wondered:

•  The Wonder of It All  (Narrative by Red Skelton)

Listening to this narrative and this song will give you a better understanding 

and help to bring clarity into your life.

The Wonder of It All  (Sung by Doug Oldam and the Gaither Family)

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME - GOD IS GOOD!

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V - Vision to Victory - A to Z Challenge (PR)

During this blog challenge, I have learned a very important lesson--I love to write and I discovered that I had lost my vision about writing. Writing has been my plan from the day I retired, 5 years ago. Actually, it was something that I thought about for most of my life. What happened to my writing? 

Number one was, I got breast cancer. That will leave you reeling after surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. Then I had pneumonia twice and they decided that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. My new Rheumatologist says that I also have Fibromyalgia. Anything else? Peripheral Artery Disease ( I have had 3 blood clots) and I am still here. 

Now for the vision part, I have always known that I have a story in me that is trying to come out. I will be following that vision with renewed vigor, starting as soon as the A to Z Challenge is over. The Challenge has brought to my world a real sense of what I need to do. Writing is like everything else, if you want to be really good, you have to write every day. 

I heard once that if there is anything that you are physically and mentally able to do, you can do it. Every good thing comes with practice, good days and bad days, success and failure. Even Thomas Edison failed over 2000 times, until he got the light bulb right.

I am sure Michelangelo did not carve the David or paint the Mona Lisa first. The A to Z Challenge has brought power and focus to my writing and to the realization that I need a schedule for writing and to stick with it. So, to all my Triberr friends, there will be more blog posts to be posted. I approve and send most posts in my stream, unless it is something that would harm my brand (i.e., smut, profanity, meanness), so I will expect you to approve and send my posts.

I will have Victory!

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

U - Universally Immoral People - A to Z Challenge

Did you ever wonder why there are evil or immoral people who always seem to be getting everything they want for themselves and there are moral people who never get any breaks? I think it has more to do with the way people are raised. 

Did your parents encourage you to be all you could be? Did they set a good example for you? Or, maybe their parents just let them run wild, and they did not know how to parent you. Did they set such a bad example that every decision they made is predicated on being the exact opposite of what their parents would do?

I think that upbringing has an immense influence on who we turn out to be. But, even if our childhood was bad, we have the choice to go one way or the other. It is sad that there seem to be people who do not have a moral compass. They really do not have a sense of right and wrong. It is almost like some brain cells are missing. They go through life thinking that the world owes them a living. They have their hand out all the time.


Somehow, they got it into their heads that they are the center of the Universe and everyone should revolve around their world. They think that it is alright to have sex with anyone they want, wherever they want, with no regard to other people.

They think that drugs or alcohol are okay, even good and believe that they should just do whatever feels good without respect for others. They go through life just taking and never giving.

I have seen smart people, who would put in hours or days into thinking of slick things to do to cheat others, the government, or even their family. If they would put all that concentration into something positive, just imagine what a wonderful world this could be. Sometimes we think they are just lazy, but that s not the case. They spend so much time trying to circumvent the system, that they are just tired.

The Center of the Universe - Isn't that how we felt when we were six?

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME - GOD IS GOOD!

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T - Twitter - A to Z Challenge (PR)

I am sorry, I have been on Twitter. What fun! I have never heard so many positive reaffirmations. It is wonderful; it is a very intensive activity. I have met so many people and received so many links that I feel like I have a PhD in the Internet. Here are a few of the positive things I captured from Twitter.

• We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same. Francesca Reigler


• The last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. Viktor E


• The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. William M. Thackeray


• Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. Emory Austin


• Seek out the inner voice which says, 'This is the real me,' and when you have found that attitude, follow it. James Truslow Adams


• A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright


• Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.


• To accomplish great things we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe. Anatole


• One of the largest tributaries of the RIVER OF GREATNESS is always the STREAM OF ADVERSITY. Cavett Robert


• Peak performers see the ability to manage change as a necessity in fulfilling their missions. Charles A. Garfield


• Old Taoist proverb--When it rains, let it. Great wisdom there!


• Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them -- that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Lao-Tzu


• I love this one! Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. Italian proverb


• I got a simple rule about everybody. If you don't treat me right -- shame on you! Louis Armstrong


• Only a fool argues with a skunk or the cook. - Harry Oliver


• One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory. - Rita Brown


• Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died. - Erma Bombeck


• Gratitude is the greatest and parent of all virtues – Cicero

Isn't this wonderful. Maybe you would like to Tweet on Twitter too?  http://www.twitter.com/

(Actually, I bought stock in Twitter, everybody join!)

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME - GOD IS GOOD!

By the way, if you like this blog,  
please subscribe, leave a comment, 
or send chocolate chip cookies.

S - Sweet - A to Z Challenge (PR)

Sweet, what does that mean to you? Is it the sugar in your coffee, or the sugar in your doughnut? Is it the saccharin in your tea?

Is sweetness the smile of precious child or the touch of someone you love.

Lately, I have heard "Sweet" used just to mean something is nice.

R - Resurrection A to Z Challenge (PR)

Statement: He is Risen
Response: He is Risen Indeed!

Resurrection of Jesus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"The resurrection of Jesus is the Christian belief that after being put to death to take the punishment for sins Jesus rose again from the dead. It is the central tenet of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures".

In the New Testament, after the Romans crucify Jesus, he is anointed and buried in a new tomb by Joseph of Arimathea but God raises him from the dead and he appears to many people over a span of forty days before his ascension to Heaven, to sit at the Right Hand of God. Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, the third day after Good  Friday, the day of his crucifixion. Easter's date corresponds roughly with Passover, the Jewish observance associated with the Exodus, that is fixed for the night of the Full moon near the time of the spring equinox

Resurrection of Christ
 by Noel Coypel, 1700,  using
a hovering depiction of Jesus

The apostle Paul wrote that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures".[1 Cor. 15:3b-4] Thus the death and resurrection of Christ were proclaimed as belonging together at the very heart of the gospel, forcefully placing "the full weight of faith on both the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ" by stating, "if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith".[1 Cor. 15:14] In fact, Paul further claims that belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus is so central to salvation that "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.[1 Cor. 15:17-19]"

In the media lately, Christians have come under fire because we do not agree with the eroding values of our culture. They are, in effect, trying to put us in the closet and throw away the key. We cannot get in that closet, we must be free to recruit all that we can to join us in Heaven, when that day comes. 

We work very hard not to judge others, but the truth is, we cannot compromise our faith either. We cannot accept some things as normal when they are specifically forbidden in the Bible. We will not change our Bible to conform to current attitudes. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. We may make it easier to read, but we cannot rewrite it to make immoral acts into moral acts. I am sure that God has not changed his mind since he inspired the writers of the Bible.

The last news is that you must die in Christ to enter Heaven. Christ did not approve of many things, remember how he felt and acted with the lawless money changers in the Temple? I think he would act the same way with people who have broken the commandments of God.

I love you all, and will pray to see you in Heaven.

GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME! GOD IS GOOD! 

Q - Quest for Faith - A ti Z Blogging Challenge (PR)

"Soria Moria" by Theodor Kittelsen:
a hero glimpses the end of his quest.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"In mythology and literature, a quest, a journey towards a goal, serves as a plot device and (frequently) as a symbol. Quests appear in the folklore of every nation and also figure prominently in non-national cultures. In literature, the objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and the overcoming of many obstacles, typically including much travel. The aspect of travel also allows the storyteller to showcase exotic locations and cultures."

There are many meanings for the word "Quest" but I am looking at our quest for faith that starts from the moment of birth. It is strange that we know what the quest is and forget sometimes when we reach the age that we know right from wrong (age of consent). If we have been brought up properly and shown the ways of God when we are small, our quest is not quite so difficult. On the other hand, we may come from a culture that believes in strange customs concerning faith in many gods, or do not believe in anything at all. We have an aching in our heart to know God. "Be still, and know that I am God!" (Psalms 46:10)

Some people spend their entire lives in a quest for God, and never find the peace of God. They are looking for the god they have made in their minds. Our God does not want us to look in many places for him, he wants us to listen to the words he has placed in our hearts to get to know him. Some people go through life thinking if they do only good things for other people, they will be able to enter Heaven.

If they do not seek Jesus Christ, they will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man can come to the Father except through me."  (John 14:6) Via, Veritas, Vita

 "I would rather live my life as if there was a God and die to find there isn't, than to live my life like there was no God and die to find there is." Albert Camus

So, through this time of Easter and rebirth, I pray your Quest leads to the Cross.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

P - Passion of the Christ - A to Z Blogging Challenge

Passion of the Christ

Per Wikipedia:

The Crucifixion (1622)
by Simon Vouet;
Church of Jesus, Genoa

The crucifixion of Jesus occurred during the 1st century AD. 



Jesus, whom Christians believe to be the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally crucified. Collectively referred to as the Passion, Jesus' suffering and redemptive death by crucifixion represent the central aspects of Christian theology, including the doctrines of salvation and atonement.

For the new Christian: 

• Focus on positive, righteous, and holy things (Col. 3:3; Phil. 4:8). This should include choosing friends and entertainment wisely.
• Practice the presence of the Lord. God is always with you. Ask Him to make you more sensitive to His presence. As you allow the Holy Spirit to live through you, He will help you withstand temptation and become more Christlike.

John 14:6

New International Version (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Have a Happy Easter!

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

God is Good, All the Time!

 All the Time, God is Good!

N - 14th of Nisan was a Wednesday A to Z Blogging Challenge

Ash Wednesday 

Per Wikipedia:

In Christianity, Holy Wednesday, also called Spy Wednesday,[1][2] and in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, Holy and Great Wednesday) is the Wednesday of the Holy Week, the week before Easter. It is followed by Maundy Thursday.

Nisan (or Nissan) (Hebrew: נִיסָן‎, Standard Nisan Tiberian Nîsān) on the Assyrian calendar is the first month and on the Hebrew calendar is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month (eighth, in leap year) of the civil year. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. Assyrians refer to the month as the "month of happiness." It is a spring month of 30 days. Nisan usually falls in March–April on the Gregorian calendar. In the Book of Esther in the Tanakh it is referred to as Nisan.

• According to the Talmud, the three Patriarchs of the Jewish people – Abraham (1813–1638 BCE), Isaac (1713–1533 BCE) and Jacob (1653–1506 BCE) – all were born and died in the month of Nisan.

There are those who believe that Jesus Christ was crucified on Wednesday because he was supposed to be in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights. Some believe that Christ was crucified on Friday, so they just count Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The problem with that is that Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath. I have been told for years that Christ rose from the dead on Sunday; therefore, Sunday is the beginning of our calendar week. The whole thing is, does it really matter? Events happened, no matter the day.

Actually, Sabbath meant High Holy Days also, not just Saturday. High Holy Days can occur on any day of the week and would be considered Sabbath.

The most important thing we need to know is that God Loves us and gave His Son to be sacrificed for our sins.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

O - Observance of Maundy Thursday - A to Z Blogging Challenge (PR)

Today is the Observance of  Maundy Thursday


Per Wikipedia

Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, Sheer Thursday and Thursday of Mysteries) is the Christian feast, or holy day, falling on the Thursday before Easter. It commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the Canonical gospels. It is the fifth day of Holy Week, and is preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.

Maundy is taken from Latin and refers to "foot-washing"Christian denominations that observe foot washing do so on the basis of the authoritative example & command of Jesus as found in the Gospel of John 13:1–15:

1 And before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour hath come, that He may remove out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own who are in the world—to the end He loved them. 

2 And supper being come, the devil already having put it into the heart of Judas of Simon, Iscariot, that he may deliver Him up, 

3 Jesus, knowing that all things the Father hath given to Him—into His hands—and that from God He came forth, and unto God He goeth, 

4 doth rise from the supper, and doth lay down his garments, and having taken a towel, he girded himself; 

5 afterward he putteth water into the basin, and began to wash the feet of his disciples, and to wipe with the towel with which he was being girded. 

6 He cometh, therefore, unto Simon Peter, and that one saith to him, "Sir, thou—dost Thou wash my feet?" 

7 Jesus answered and said to him, "That which I do thou hast not known now, but thou shalt know after these things;" 

8 Peter saith to him, "Thou mayest not wash my feet—to the age." Jesus answered him, "If I may not wash thee, thou hast no part with me." 

9 Simon Peter saith to him, "Sir, not my feet only, but also the hands and the head." 

10 Jesus saith to him, "He who hath been bathed hath no need, save to wash his feet, for he is clean altogether; and ye are clean, but not all;" 

11 for He knew him who is delivering him up; because of this He said, "Ye are not all clean." 

12 When, therefore, He washed their feet, and took His garments, having reclined at meat again, He said to them, "Do ye know what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me, 'The Teacher' and 'The Lord', and ye say well, for I am; 

14 if then I did wash your feet—the Lord and the Teacher—ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 

15 For I have given thee an example, that ye should do as I have done to ye. Verily, verily, I say unto ye, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

So, you see, this is not a "normal" Thursday. I was supposed to serve as a deacon tonight to help with the Lord's Supper, but I am just feeling too bad to move. I guess I will stay home. I have some Bible Study to catch up on and I may go to sleep in my chair.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

M - Mammogram Again? - A TO Z Blogging Challenge

Last week I had a mammogram. That is something that I have to pray about and sometimes cross my fingers about.
They also asked me to stay and did an ultra-sound. It seemed to be alright, but today I received a letter from the radiologist and I have to have another mammogram in 2 or 3 weeks. This is very disturbing and it is difficult to keep the tears back.


When I found the lump back in January 2009, I walked around in a daze until the surgery the end of January. It was Stage I and the doctor said not to worry. But, when they tested the lymph nodes, the found microscopic evidence of more cancer. So, I had radiation. Every weekday for 28 days. I got 2 little tattoos out of that. The results from the BRACA test came back and we found out that it was not genetic, but environmental. The doctor left it up to me to whether I had chemo or not. The end game was, if I had the chemo, I should not have to worry again, at least not for 10 years or so. 

So, I took my new laptop to the Cancer Center twice a week for 12 weeks and taught myself  how to use Twitter and Facebook. I found some pretty interesting people online. I met people in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, Hawaii, Alaska, and almost all of the Continental United States. A lot of people in the Far East. 

Our little Beach House

In August, my mother came to visit and we drove down to North Carolina to our Beach House. On the way down, I started to have severe pain on my right side and by the time we got there, Ray had to call the Rescue Squad. We were surprised, but they were there in less than 5 minutes. 

They loaded me in the ambulance and took me to New Bern. I was in the hospital for 10 days. They sent in every kind of doctor you can imagine, even a exotic medicine doctor. They finally decided it must be pneumonia. Every time they tried to take me off the morphine drip, I would be in so much pain, all I could do was cry. They were finally able to get me on to Oxycodone and send me home. Ray drove me back to Virginia as soon as he could.

It was on a Sunday and they had made me an appointment at the Cancer Center for Monday morning. I went and they sent me to the Hospital for a chest x-ray and it showed a problem with my right lung, so back into the hospital I went. I was there for 10 days and it is a blur, just like being in the hospital in NC was. 

Mother, Me & Social Media

Some friends from church would come and sit with me during the day so I would not have to wait for the nurse to come to take me to the bathroom. You are a little woozy on a morphine drip. The pain was so bad, that I could feel it even with the drip and other pain medicines. Finally, it got better and I was able to go home. I am not sure they ever actually knew what it was.

Since I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) from some of the tests taken in the hospital, they sent me to a Rheumatologist. He did not seem to care about what happened, just was was going on now. I saw him every 3 months since October 2009 until he retired in October 2013. I have a new Rheumatologist now and I like her very much. She is very thorough and did a full exam both times I have seen her. Last time, she told me she suspected the first time she saw me that I had Fibromyalgia, too. Now, after examining me again, she was certain. She gave me all kinds of literature explaining what it is and what are the symptoms. No wonder they could not figure out why the RA was so constant. Normally, you have some respite when you go into remission occasionally.   

During all this time in the hospital and after I got home, I had so many people on Social Media who were there for me. I would chat with people in Australia in the middle of the night when I could not sleep. The ladies at my church made sure that I had plenty of cards and prayers going up to Heaven for me. I received over 250 actual cards while I was sick and that is not even counting virtual cards. I had them all in a basket that I called my basket of prayer. 

I will call tomorrow and see what my nurse at the Cancer Center says, they should have a copy of the letter. I have an appointment with my Oncologist on Monday, so I may have to just live with the "if " until then.

This comes at a time that I am praying constantly for our friend @Livinlime on Twitter, Marie Walker Riddle. She has triple-negative breast cancer and it is Stage IV. I am so sorry that she is having to go through this. No one should have to go through it. I hope they find a cure soon. My son-in-law's mother had breast cancer for 25 years. When she passed a couple of years ago, she did not even weigh a hundred pounds. She went through so much but she had a supportive
family around her, supporting her at every turn.

So, so much for me. I hope you are all well and happy. I am a pretty happy person most of the time. I am nervous about this, but to my joy, I am not afraid. I will be fine because:

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

He loves us and everything that happens is for a purpose.

L - Live, Laugh, Love A to Z Blogging Challenge

These three words are the purpose of our lives. God wants us to Live, Laugh, and Love.

• Living life to the max is to know your creator. 
• Pray He agrees when you tell Him your plans. 
• He wants you to depend on His grace and not your own understanding. 
• He wants to see joy in your eyes when you are obeying his commands. 
• He lives in your heart and whispers in your ear. 
• He wants you to hear what he has to say.

As we approach the day of Jesus' death on Good Friday, and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday, we need to give thanks that God gave us his Son, Jesus, to bear our sins on the Cross. All the sins that man ever committed or will commit were carried by Jesus. 

I read Matthew 27 last Sunday. It was eye-opening to me.

The Death of Jesus

27:45-56pp 

45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 

46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ""Eloi, Eloi," "lama" "sabachthani?""--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 

49 The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." 

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 

52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 

53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" 

55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 

56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

Verses 52-53

Did you ever notice these two verses before?

I had read them before, but they never had jumped off the page at me until Sunday, when Ray told me what his class discussed in Bible Study. Here is a copy of what Matthew Henry had to say:

Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible 

"The graves were opened, and many bodies of saints which slept, arose. To whom they appeared, in what manner, and how they disappeared, we are not told; and we must not desire to be wise above what is written. The dreadful appearances of God in his providence, sometimes work strangely for the conviction and awakening of sinners. This was expressed in the terror that fell upon the centurion and the Roman soldiers. We may reflect with comfort on the abundant testimonies given to the character of Jesus; and, seeking to give no just cause of offence, we may leave it to the Lord to clear our characters, if we live to Him. Let us, with an eye of faith, behold Christ and him crucified, and be affected with that great love wherewith he loved us. But his friends could give no more than a look; they beheld him, but could not help him. Never were the horrid nature and effects of sin so tremendously displayed, as on that day when the beloved Son of the Father hung upon the cross, suffering for sin, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Let us yield ourselves willingly to his service."    

I pray that this has helped someone in some way. I have the conviction that God spoke to me to put this out today. To me it shows that when Christ comes again, we will be taken from the grave and rise to Heaven with to be with God.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

 I am also putting this on my blog "Thoughts of Christ" 

and will expand over the next week or so.

K - Kindness Toward All - A to Z Blogging Challenge

Kathy Ireland - Super Friend!

Kindness is one of the important words that we, as humans, should know. It allows us to see what life could be like if we would let it.

It is over five years since I found the lump on my right breast. I had surgery to remove part of my right breast and some lymph nodes. It has been a rocky five years, after the life-sucking tiredness of radiation and the nauseating chemo-therapy, there still is the overwhelming feeling that the cancer is coming back. I know this is not a good way to think, but sometimes you just cannot control your thoughts.

I try so hard to be positive and be the Professional Encourager that I say that I am, fights this feeling every day. Something about the word "Cancer" just changes your life in ways that people that have not been through it can not understand. For me, it was like hitting a brick wall at full speed. I was fortunate that the cancer was only very minuscule in the lymph nodes. The treatment was supposed to take care of that and I am still on the 5 year regimen of pills that is supposed to keep it from coming back.

Yellow Roses from Kathy Ireland when
I was in the hospital with pneumonia.

After Chemotherapy, I received this beautiful bouquet of two dozen yellow roses from a dear friend of my heart, Kathy Ireland. She was there asking about my progress all the way. You can only imagine the boost these beautiful flowers gave me. It was so kind. She didn't have to do this, but she has a truly kind heart and helps many people this way. 

I think I mentioned this earlier in my blog, but there was a great lady, @QueenMisha, who checked on me every day and was a genuinely kind woman. She really cared. All of a sudden, she disappeared from social media. No one could find her for at least a month. Her daughter contacted some other friends and we found out what had been going on. Misha had been suffering from cervical cancer and had passed away in a Hospice Care facility in Arizona. She had kept her Twitter going for much longer than her family felt that she should, because there were people she loved and cared for. I am so honored that she cared enough for me to encourage me with her kindness through her pain. This is a reminder to me to always be kind to people, because you don't know what they might be going through. Kindness is love.

Soon after that, I met Dabney Porte and she started Social Media Girlfriends. She picked up where Misha left off and has encouraged me with kindness almost every day since. I hope that I am as much of a blessing to her as she has been to me. All the #smgirlfriends have been a blessing. 

Marie Walker Riddle (@livinlime) has been in my stream almost from the beginning. For a while, I didn't know her real name, but the "livinlime" Avatar was a bright spot in my Twitter Stream. Marie has been diagnosed Triple Negative Breast Cancer (click link). This is a very aggressive form of cancer but evidently responds to heavy chemotherapy.

All the #smgirlfriends and her other friends on Twitter have been supporting Marie with encouragement, while she is going through all those awful cancer  things you have to go through. We have been raising money to help supplement her treatment. I understand she is going through chemo before surgery.  She is in our thoughts and prayers each moment we can spare. We love her.

This is just part of what kindness can be. Kindness can be many things: 

• Kindness is praying for someone who is ill and helping them when you can.
• Kindness can be praying for that driver with road rage, instead of becoming enraged yourself.
• Kindness can be caring for a friend's child so they can have a break to do shopping or even take a nap.
• Kindness can be giving that homeless person a few dollars to allow them have a better day, and maybe a meal.
• Kindness is mowing an elderly person's yard when the no longer can.
• Kindness is visiting a person in the hospital.
• Kindness is giving a child you don't know, a toy or clothing at Christmas.
• Kindness is sending a card when someone is ill.
• Kindness is walking in the shoes of the fisherman.
• Kindness is: (your turn)

Link to @Livinlime on BlogTalkRadio with @DabneyPorte

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

J - Just Girlfriends? I Think Not! A to Z Blogging Challenge

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother.  

As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the  mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

"Don't forget your sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your  husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. Remember that 'sisters' means ALL the women...  your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do."

What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just  gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grown-up! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!' But she listened to her mother. 

She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her mother really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the mainstays of her life. 

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT.........

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family: all bless our life! The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful.

I just did. Short and very sweet:

There are more than twenty angels in this world.

Ten are peacefully sleeping on clouds.

Nine are playing.

And one is reading this post at this moment.

This was sent to me by a friend, and I just couldn't help but put it on here for others to see. I love my girlfriends and just wanted them all to see it and have the opportunity to read it.

Thank you all for praying and helping our sister, Marie Walker Riddle, @Livinlime.

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD! 

I - Innocence and Intuition - Protect Your Children A to Z Blogging Challenge (PR)

Recently, I went to a movie. I haven't been to one in over 10 years, but I let my daughter and my granddaughter talk me into it. My granddaughter brought two of her little girlfriends with her. They were all so cute; they had just had their tenth birthdays in the past month. We went to see "Madagascar 3," which I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would.

The children went into the theater and sat in the middle  together. My daughter and I sat in the back, but had a good view of them. We had thought about leaving them and seeing the movie in the next theater, but intuition helped us to decide to stay there with them.

There were only two families of three in the theater, then I noticed someone to my left; it was a heavy set man in his 30s/40s. He stood there for three or four minutes, then he proceeded in and sat down right in front of the girls. I mean he was in the next row in front of the middle girl. I wanted to see what was happening; I went down and asked them if they could see alright or needed anything. They were so excited and staring straight up at the movie, so probably didn't pay the man any attention. They said they could see fine. I told them if they wanted to move or needed anything, I was in the back of the theater, and to raise their hand to let me know.

I made sure that the man could hear what I said. I went back to my seat and in a couple of minutes, the man made like he had a phone call and got up and left.
I thought "Whew!" After a few minutes, the man came back in and stood in the doorway for a couple of minutes. It was as if I could feel his eyes on me and then he went back in to sit directly in front of the girls again. I was tempted to go move them, but waited to see what was happening.

Meanwhile, the girls were still staring up, mesmerized by the exciting movie. The man sat there for about five minutes and then pretended to get another phone call. He went out and I thought he would be back, but he never came back into the movie. Now, that was strange, but we were able to view the movie in much more ease after he left.

My point is this! Don't leave your children alone in a public venue without supervision. We tend to think our children are smart and can take care of themselves by the time they reach 10 years old. Especially if they are almost 5 feet tall. But, they are still not old enough to be unsupervised. It is not necessarily that you don't trust them, but you cannot trust strangers to behave.

This man may not have had any ulterior motive, but it was very strange, to say the least. What if he was a pervert that exposed himself to the little girls? You may think that I am a hyper-vigilant nut, but what kind of memory would that left in their innocent minds for the rest of their lives? We want to make sure that our children have happy childhoods and reach adulthood with a reasonably well-adjusted mindset.

Do not just drop your children at the movie or any other public venue, thinking there is safety in numbers! When they are young, our children are not equipped to handle uncomfortable situations. You need to have "the talk" with them, without scaring them.

My granddaughter has a cell phone and has been instructed to call her mom or dad if anything doesn't feel comfortable to her.

Do not scare the children, just let them know that they need to be focused and aware of their surroundings at all times.

Be vigilant, be loving,
 be intuitive, be good parents!

 Just Saying!

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!