Boat Trip Success

Over the week-end we shuffled boats...using big boats and small boats.
There were four boats involved...two 32’ Carvers...Dockie & Ann’s, Eagle’s Nest and Kurt & Melissa’s, Double Eagle.
Sam & Sally in their small, Sea Hawk, and Charlie and I in the Go Gator, escorted the big boats up the Kissimmee River going from the north end of Lake Okeechobee. We passed through 5 locks and traveled about 18 miles on the old river run, going approximately 120 miles round trip.
The current was quite swift and in one area a tree had fallen across the river with just enough room to pass. The Double Eagle was at a disadvantage since only one engine could be used due to her injuries last summer in the Bahamas. A cracked shaft and a few other things caused her to be a bit disabled but having an expert captain and crew, Kurt, Melissa, Pammy and Roxy too...... she managed magnificently.
Anchoring at Kisso we spent the night and the next morning we small boats returned to Okeechobee. The trip with the big boats took 10 hours....the little boats return took.....three.
Adventure galore....sometimes more than we bargain for.
Guess what?
We may have to do the same trip again next week.
This time accompanying Aaron, our ‘little’ brother in his large boat and using small boats again as ‘trail blazers’.....Aaron will be starting his trip from the Daytona Beach area so his trip will be quite long, nautically speaking.
Oh well, someone has to do it.....might as well be......nautical ‘fools’ like us!
See pictures of Eagles Nest and Double Eagle on this trip....
Link #1...Kissimmee River Trip Album.
Enjoy Life!

Today I am posting a wonderful e-mail from my niece, Cindy.....We don't know the origin of it but it certainly is the TRUTH.
We have several of these in our family....
Also, our neighbors son, Chris, just jumped into Northern Iraq with the 173rd....If we put his name at the top of this article...
it could be his biography......

What is Average?

The average age of the military man is 19 years.

He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal
circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not
yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough
to die for his country.

He never really thought much about work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has never collected unemployment either.


He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average
student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten
year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with
him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a
world away.

He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and
155mm Howitzers.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk.

He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he
can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in
the dark.

He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade
launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a
professional.

He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to
march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not
without spirit or individual dignity.

He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and
wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle.

He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own
hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are
hungry, his food.

He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when
you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they
were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his
job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and
still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death
then he should have in his short lifetime.

He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them.

He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in
combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body
while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to
'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove
their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out,
far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is
paying the price for our freedom.

Beardless or not, he is not a boy.

How Much?

Recently I read an article in our newspaper that interviewed some of the military families living in the San Diego area.
It seems that with one of the spouses being ‘shipped out’ to the War zone, finances were very limited and some military families had to accept supplemental help from various agencies.
The reporter went on to make the comparison that the Hollywood ‘Stars’ that were so verbally bashing our President, military, country etc. had paid more for the clothes they were wearing to the Academy Awards than these military families received for a months pay.
The families were sacrificing in behalf of this kind of ....freedom of speech.

Freedom IS NOT FREE!
It costs dearly.....ask any military person or family.
Being a family survivor of two Vietnam tours.....I know the cost first hand.
And our “Dad/husband” returned home alive!
Needless to say, I have little patience for those whom I refer to as...
‘mistaken Americans”....

Another article told of a new group called...Operation Brave Kids which gives children $25.00 a month.....these are children whose parent is in the National Guard or reserves who have to leave children .
Family’s sign up for the program and each month get a gift certificate for $25.00 from the store of their choice. Some families choose Target, Wal-Mart etc. Others prefer Publix, Winn-Dixie or Home Depot in order to cover the household basics.
“The $25.00 might not seem like a lot, but for a mother with three kids, $75.00 is a lot of groceries.” said Doug McNamee one of the founders of the Tampa Bay league. So far in Tampa Bay, McNamee and about two dozen volunteers have raised $10,000 and signed up 120 children - including all 84 children of the reservists in Daniel’s unit. Tampa Bay Buccaneer Shelton Quarles and his wife, Damaris, recently joined Operation Brave kids.
“We just want people to understand what some of these military people go through, in terms of the financial hardships for them and their families,” Quarles said. “We’ll continue to do whatever we need to do...”
For information about the program, go to
www.operationbravekids.org
A quote from this site says this....
“Operation Brave Kids has opened a box of needs that is growing daily. Unable to meet monthly expenses, assets are sold, relatives are making gifts and loans and many moms are getting second jobs. One mother wrote, “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate the extra money to buy diapers for our infant, or just a few things for the household.”
But perhaps the most telling event came last week. A young mother of two infants asked for her gift certificates to be changed from toys to food. Her teary request was followed with the statement, “Thank you so much. When my husband comes home, we will pay you back.” They would. No protests, no calls to politicians, no teary interviews…they just accept their plight with dignity.”

How can anyone who calls themselves an American ignore the plight and cost of ......freedom.
The real “Stars” are not in Hollywood......they are the single soldier, the Mom’s and Dad’s and children......families who are committed to......‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness‘.....for their families and others around the world.... standing for what is right at ALL costs.
The firemen and policemen in the World Trade Center, the innocent people aboard airplanes, the unsuspecting victims going to work that day of Sept. 11, 2001.....cry out for the justice that is needed so that others need not die at the hand of an unmerciful tyrant either in America or any other part of the world.
FREEDOM is something that.....money can not buy.....
yet it costs more.....than some people are willing to pay.
A True American.......understands.

Now Is The Time!!!

Had a wonderful lunch yesterday with Sam and Sally who came up to Tampa from Okeechobee. We visited a Marina that we are interested in for the summer. We may be bringing our big boats around from Okeechobee to the Alafia River at the mouth of Hillsborough Bay. This is approximately 250-300 miles by water....a very breathtaking water journey for sure.

Going to lunch at the historical Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City and eating traditional Arroz con Pollo in the Courtyard Patio was a very....
“Now Is The Time“......enjoyable moment.
Pictures can be seen on Link #1......Nautical album or Marina album.

Do I sound......frivolous?
frivolous.....ADJECTIVE: 1. Unworthy of serious attention; trivial: a frivolous novel.
2. Inappropriately silly: a frivolous remark.

Forgive me but that is not my intent.
Having just spoken with Chad, my son, on the phone....I am bursting with indignation at some of the reports in the media by film stars (and others)who are using their freedom of speech to bash America, the war, our President and our military.
It seems to me that the ‘war protesters’ are shouting the loudest!
Chad listened patiently to my ‘tirade’ and said....”Well, Mom just speak your peace and set your mind to rest.”
Can’t get much more ‘Southern’ talking than that!

So....here goes!
Where are the voices of the ‘silent Americans’ who go about their day by day living, minding their own business and leading decent, honest, down-to-earth goodness lives that help their fellow man on a daily basis.
The ....Silent Hero’s ....of our land!
.....I know where one (and many more) such persons can be found.....
My niece, Jennifer Makinson Bible, a young mother of two feisty and beautiful precious girls......is busy raising her children, nurturing her husband and home and teaching and helping other children in a Christian school......(Link #1 for pictures of Feisty and Spunky:)
Jenny-Jen, along with brother Jason, lived her childhood in a military family. At one time her father, Blake, was stationed at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium and Jenny and Jason attended the nearby International School.
It is from this perspective that Jenny forms her views of life in 2003.
I received an e-mail from her yesterday and I quote from that....

“I too have been OUTRAGED by the ignorance of the "stars" in this country. I had seen the education comparison before, but enjoyed reading it again with Kathleen’s commentary.
We are good here. Concerned for our troops and praying for them daily.
Also at the web site "http://www.hollywoodhalfwits.com/" they detail the specific stars and their quotes. I like to check it regularly to see whose movies, shows and music to not waste my time and money on. “

THIS is speaking out in .....action.
......Anyone teaching or training a child knows this true fact.....
You do not REWARD.....bad behavior....

This is what Jenny is saying and doing in a ‘no-nonsense’ way.
I applaud and respect such convictions by my family and fellow Americans.
An everyday hero lives in my family and.....yours.
We can speak out.....and should....

Yes, it is still a ’Good Life’.....in America!
Am I being ’frivolous’ by emphasizing that day by day?
Am I ignorant of the many sacrifices being made during this time of “War”?
In case the point is ‘missed’ of what I stand for and believe in.....
Let me reiterate......
I AM......PRO MILITARY
I AM......PRO AMERICA
I AM......PRO BUSH
I AM......PRO RED, WHITE & BLUE
I AM......PRO ’ONE NATION, UNDER GOD’
I AM.......PRO......FAMILY
.......I rest my case!

Feel free to send me your ‘heroes’.....and comments on....’my opinions’.
Click Link #2 for e-mail info.
May God Bless You....and America....This is my prayer for today!

Let’s Roll

These words, “let’s roll“, is associated with four great heroes in the 9/11 disaster.
Flight 93 contained 45 passengers and crew who were facing inevitable death. Mark Bingham, Jeremy Glick, Deena Burnett and Jeffrey Beamer all decided to take some action that would ultimately result in the .....saving of more lives in the long run.
Their sacrifice on the hillside in Pennsylvania sabotaged the success of the hijackers in achieving their goal of ......killing more Americans.
Heroes may not be as publicized today from Iraq and Kuwait....but there are many of them, you can be sure.
America is great......because the everyday person is.......great when it matters.
Look around you.....acknowledge the heroes among your family and friends.
Speak the words that tell them......“YOU are my hero!”
Thank God we live in America where it still is.....the home of the brave and the land of the free!
Let’s roll America.......I salute you!

Those that have been trying to send me an e-mail comment and have not been able to get through...
please go to Link #2 for my comment information.
I had posted the wrong information for this link and did not realize it until Kathleen informed me that
it sent her to the Yahoo Web site instead of my public e-mail address.
Thanks, Kat.
I would love to hear from you'll.

Serious Fun

Greetings....
Yes, we had some....serious fun while skiing last week at the Canaan Valley Resort in Davis, West Virginia.....
Charlie and I and Melissa and Kurt, Pammy and Brett skied three full days.
It was...work.
We had plenty of base snow but it was icy in spots and slushy in others. There was never a time that we could simply ’ride our boards’...we always had to be ’on duty’ since the conditions of the snow changed from moment to moment. It certainly was not for the fainthearted. The second day it rained and we still skied. There were only about 20 people on the mountain and six of them were we Floridians......By gosh, we went there to ski....and ski we did!
See our pictures on Link #1.
The last day we spent in our Lodge rooms watching the beginning of the war on TV....with our heart in our throat.
Being military in our family we knew the cost of what we were seeing....as only the beginning. Needless to say, we were praying. And still are, daily.
Later in the afternoon, Melissa and I took our annual trip to the Amish area about 30 miles away. Going to the Bakery was one of our usual highlights of the trip. Buying homemade breads, desserts, cheeses, jams, jellies and organic seasoning herbs etc. proved a delightful finish to a wonderful mountain top experience.
All in all....it was hard to come down to earth and return home to the reality of.... dirty clothes and.....traffic.
Sunday afternoon all of the family that lives around us came over and we ordered pizza, looked at pictures and all talked at once....as usual....about what all had happened in the previous week.
Yes...it is good to go....and it is good to come....home.
Mostly it is wonderful to have......someone that cares.....to come home to!
Thank God for family that loves us.....good, bad or ugly!

Dear Family & Friends;
I will be gone for a week skiing at Canaan Valley Resort near Davis, West Virginia...
Charlie and I and friends will be....enjoying ...The Good Life.
See you in a week or so.
God bless you all....

Kraziest Instruction God Ever Gave Me....

You may wonder why I have so much ‘spiritual...religious...God...God...God...” words in my public web pages....
.......Being ‘raised’ in the south, it stands to reason that the Bible, Church, and God was respected as a normal American way of life for my family.
So was work ethics, good manners, clean morals, and respect for elders and helping our fellow man. This was my childhood....’raising’.
I saw many ’church people’ say one thing.....and do another....
I also, saw other church people.....who did not talk.....but DID and lived what the Bible said.
Being a child.....at times I was very confused....but also being a child.....I could ‘feel’ who was good and who was ‘bad’..
This life provided a criteria for my adult life.....
Good and Bad..... became my personal measuring stick.
It has remained so my entire life.....
Meeting my husband, Charlie, at the University of Florida and linking my life with a Spanish heritage and career military future provided a challenge and adventure that I had only dreamed of as a child.
For you see, I was a reader....consuming books that reached beyond my southern culture world...
The Pyramids of Egypt, The Great Wall of China, The Red Sea, The Iron Curtain, The Jordan River....
I was and still am....fascinated with the activity of life through all kinds of people and culture.
At one point in my life.....when we were living at Ft. Bragg, I started taking some supplemental courses in Psychology. I was trying to ’figure out’ what makes people do what they do....good or bad....and how changes can be made for positive results.....At the same time I had taken on the task of trying to understand the Bible....from a NOW point of view.
Lo and behold.....the two began to emerge into one....there was no way on God’s green earth that I could comprehend the human psyche without taking into consideration....the One whom I believed ....created this ’being’ in the first place....
Now...I really had a problem....I could simply draw from my 36 years of life’s teachings, the church’s teachings, my family’s faith etc....Or I could....as was my nature......PROVE beyond a shadow of doubt......that this God as Creator of the human race....as I had been taught, read in the Bible and believed.....I could prove to myself, once and for all ......
IF HE WAS........R E A L.
So I issued this “God” a challenge......
I threw caution to the winds in my psychological thinking.
I issued God an ultimatum.
Only now do I realize how haughty I was!
I’m sure that God only chuckled to Himself at my ‘ audacity’!
In essence this is what I said....
“God, if you are the same God today....that you were of the Moses in the Bible, of King David in the Bible....that you were in the person of Jesus on earth.....then speak to me as you did to them.....Let me know for myself...are You real? I don’t want anyone else’s opinion or idea.....I WANT TO KNOW FOR A FACT FOR MYSELF ...Are You Real?”
Slowly but surely.....I began to ‘think’.....new thoughts.
I knew that I was not the ‘originator’ of some of these profound things that seemed to be coming to me.....out of the blue!
An area of comprehension of which I had never experienced in my 36 years of life became normal to me. Now you must understand that I have always been a dreamer, a thinker, an imaginative creative, thought provoking individual. In order for me to understand....that this ‘new comprehension’ was NOT OF ME......it had to be far beyond anything I would ever ’dream up’ on my own.
I was filled with an excitement of life to such a degree that ....my ’cup runneth over’’....I began to write my heart out.....and the ‘thought’ came to me that I could write and record my life’s ‘happening’ and experiment with God so that others could see clearly for themselves.....that God IS REAL.
And thus it has been so.
Yes, I have been ‘made fun of’ for my zeal, my declaration that God IS Real
and that He and I communicate, laugh, and explore life together in a normal and natural way.
No, I do not stand on a street corner and declare....God talks to me!
Nor do I say....‘God said to tell you thus and so.’
I am no prophet that speaks the ‘oracles’ of God.....
I am simply a person, a woman who challenged the God of the Universe....and lived to tell it!
Oh, the Kraziest Instruction I’ve received from God......In 1983...many years ago when we lived in Darmstadt, Germany .....I felt a ‘burning desire’ to go to then....Communist Russia.....and pray a prayer for God’s intervention of Good over Evil......in behalf of the people of that country.
Being a military wife, I had to get the State Departments o.k. to take an American Express Tour from Germany to Moscow.
Their recommendation was that I ‘not go’ but they did not disapprove my visa to go......so I did.
I went to Red Square...where Lenin’s tomb was then....and got on my knees....in public view.....and prayed my heart out.....
Then I got up and......like any American ‘tourist’ woman would do.....
I went shopping!
Went to a place that was set up for only ‘tourist’ buyers.....and bought several items labeled....made in the USSR.
........Only later I found out that many others had preceded me, secretly doing the very same thing I did.....praying such prayers on Russian soil.
Six months later.....Billy Graham was allowed behind the “Iron Curtain” to speak about his....God encounter for all men.
You know the rest of the story.....down came the walls of communism.
Oh, by the way.....one of my Darmstadt prayer partners that was praying for me as I went to Moscow.....she and her husband retired from the military and moved to Russia ten years ago and started Christian schools. They live as the Russians live.....because they were told....”Don’t tell us about this ’great God’ and leave.....stay here and prove to us that it works for you in this environment in every day life. Then we can believe.”
They are still there today.....but now they are working with the Russian military’s permission in an outreach to the soldiers in Bible Study, helping in any way that is needed....daily.
If I had been able to see down the road of ’time’ when I went to Communist Russia in 1983.....I would have had a heart attack!
Being privileged to be a part of.....WHAT GOD ALREADY HAD PLANNED......is awesome.
Let me tell you the God’s truth.....I am just an ordinary....simple person living in the year of 2003.
Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail in being the best that I can be in this ‘now complex’ state of life.
But there is one thing that I know beyond a shadow of doubt.....that I stake my entire life on.......it is this.....
God knows me.....and I know Him....to the best of my knowledge to know.
The Fact IS....God IS Real! Ask Him yourself....if you don’t believe me....
He will answer you according to your own personality, character and ways of understanding. Then you will know.....what I know...
God.......IS.....Real....That’s why....It Is A Good Life.....now and Forever!

May I Help You? Please!

I am inspired by another blog by a young man , named Rich, with whom I have corresponded since doing this Web Page .
Rich is a ‘proud American’ who works in the United Arab Emirates with the College of Telecommunication and Information Riyadh. View his interesting web site at....

http://passnhuck.blogspot.com

On March 12, Rich, posted a very profound statement.
He wrote about a play he had recently viewed called......”Zoo Story”.
This is what Rich said about the play....

.... It is......”The struggle of man to find purpose and meaning, and the depths he will go to when he can not seem to find it.
Sometimes a person has to go a very long distance out of his way to come back a short distance... correctly....”

This sums up several of my family members lives at this time...
And I have experience with this truth as well.
These type of learning experiences can be very painful.....watching a family member LEARN THE HARD WAY in order to gain their own truths through a negative walk of life .....is heartbreaking.
Well meaning help can some time be a stumbling block.

So...what do we do?
Pray the Serenity Prayer...
...Lord, help me to change what I can change
....Know what I can NOT change
....And have the wisdom....to know the difference!
This is my prayer today.....

Easy Share

You would be surprised how writing a short, simple vignette like these....can cause me to see words....simple words that speak volumes to my mind.
I see “Topics” everywhere.
For instance, my husband gave me a digital camera for Christmas. Since I have always been the ‘family photographer’ he wanted me to be able to link this love with photos for my computer pages.
It was a 2.0 Mega Pixel.....easy to use but the digital/optical zoom was a small one and I knew that being on our boats there would be times that I would want to bring the distance....closer.
It was agreed that I could exchange it at the BX for another more suitable.
I have chosen the Kodak LS443...4.0 Mega Pixel with 10X Zoom and can print up to 20x30 poster size....which is overkill for me.
This and other series of Kodak digital cameras is so simple to use that it is marketed under.....Kodak Easy Share. The program that accompanies the camera is true to its advertised promise.
It is so easy that even I can use it without taxing my brain unnecessarily!
And....it is....easy....to....share.....pictures.....using this camera!
You have only to go to Link #1 to see the result of the use of this camera on my photo page....or....http://photos.yahoo.com/iwg2003
Now.... I’ve said that....to say this......The Topic....Easy Share....is much more significant to me than the advertised product!
I find it easy to share with others....either words on a written page....or in verbal communication with others in my life....
Ask anyone around me if I don’t share...profusely....words of wisdom....and nonsense too....with everyone....
Still I find that there are many people in my family and life who do NOT share easy....in this same manner. It seems hard to get an opinion, feeling, response, or verbal communication from them.
.......They speak.....but not in the same manner that I do!
Their life and behavior and actions, daily, speak volumes.
I have to listen closely...more in depth than words....to receive their type of communication. It used to frustrate me to no end.....but believe it or not...I now find it fascinating. Everybody communicates in their own way....our personal receivers can do us a great deal of harm if we filter out only that communication that we agree with or is ‘easy’ for us to understand.
I KNOW some people love me that have never ever put words to that truth from their heart.
Communicating in their own language.....They have shown again and again....by actions.....that they love me..
Actions do not lie....good or bad....whatever is in the heart finds its way into actions of life.
Communicating ......is not the problem....understanding ones method of communicating and interpreting intent of the heart requires more from us than the easy use of.....words.
Discernment.....the act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment is required...and necessary....in all relationships in order to have healthy communication with others in our lives.
Family will test this theory....over and over....
For me....this ‘theory’ is a fact.
Proof:....For my husband....who is very conservative about ‘money’ to spend $450. on a camera for my ‘love’ of photography.....
.....the fact is.....he loves me...NOW....more than he ‘loves’ his money!
Also, on Sunday afternoon I parked on the beach with the top down on my convertible and the wind blew ‘bookoodlies’ of sand inside the car right after my husband had so lovingly detailed it for me.....HE DIDN’T COMPLAIN TO ME ABOUT THE UNNECESSARY...WORK!
He said simply....’that‘s what the car is for...to use“...... he communicated to me in a way that was natural for him to say....”I love you, dear.”
Easy Share .....Yep. it’s true!
I know....it’s a fact in my life in 2003....making “It A Good Life!” for sure.

Count The Cost!

Certain phrases of life become normal in the ‘NOW’ world.
How much does it cost? That costs too much! How expensive is it?
What did you pay for that? Whatz it gonna cost yu?
I can not tell you how many times in my own life I’ve used these words in reference to......money.

But have you ever had anyone ask you about ’the cost’ of......
achieving a dream...
giving up a dream....
loving someone...
giving up someone you love....
having ‘things‘....
doing without....
Commitment to family....
No commitment to anyone....
going to war.....
not going to war....

This list could go on and on......my point is that we are more often concerned about costs ie; financial.....than the actual cost, life wise, of the things that money can not buy.
We pay with our life.....for what we believe in.....
Years are spent.....just as money is spent!
ARE THEY SPENT WISELY?
What does a ‘good’ life cost?
What does one ‘pay’ for a ‘bad’ life?
We ‘pay’ for either one.....with our life’s blood....so to speak!

This thinking brings to my mind a beautiful poem by Helen Steiner Rice that tells the story of the ‘Cost’ of life in a very significant way.
The Story of Albrecht Durer....1471-1528....Durer is known in Europe as one of the supreme masters of woodcut and copper engravings as well as paintings. He was born in Nurenberg, Germany and when the military sent our family to Nurenberg many years ago the “Albrecht Durer House” was a main tourist visit for our guests.

In 1512, Durer became court painter to Emperor Maximillian. Durer, also, traveled extensively and brought many innovative ideas into his works of art. He produced a ‘now famous’ painting which we all have seen at some time or another called....The Praying Hands.
There is a ‘little known fact’ about the origin of this work.
This fact is told in Helen Steiner Rice’s Poem...Called simply....

THE PRAYING HANDS....

As you read this poem...Perhaps you’d like to know
That this story really happened....Many centuries ago.
When two talented young artists....Were struggling hard to earn
Just enough to live on....So both of them might learn.
How to be great artists....And leave behind a name
That many centuries later....Would still retain its fame.
But in their dire necessity....For warmth of food and fire
One of the artists sacrificed...his dream and heart’s desire....
So he might earn a living...and provide enough to eat
‘Til both of them were back again....Securely on their feet.
But months and years of grueling toil.....Destroyed the craftsman’s touch,
And scarred and stiffened were the hands....That held promise of so much
He could no longer hold a brush....The way he used to do
And the dream he once had cherished....No longer could come true....
So, uncomplainingly, he lived....With his friend who had succeeded
Who now could purchase all the things....They once had so much needed.
But the famous ALBRECHT DURER...The friend we’re speaking of,
Was always conscious that he owed...A debt of thanks and love...
To one who sacrificed his skill...So that Durer might succeed,
But how can anyone repay....Such a sacrificial deed?
But when he saw these hands in prayer....He decided he would paint
A picture for the world to see....Of this “unheralded saint”.....
So down through countless ages...And in many, many lands...
All could see the beauty....In these toilworn PRAYING HANDS.
And seeing they would recognize...That behind FAME and SUCCESS
Someone sacrificed a dream.....For another’s....Happiness.

Go to Link #1...Click and see on my Photo Page a picture of this famous painting called....The Praying Hands.

Who Will Go?

We now have today....and yesterday a young man, Bro. Eddie Williams, who is a Missionary to Kenya. He is a dear friend to our son, Chuck, Terry and family and has been stateside for some time now.

Last night Charlie and I went to East Bay Baptist Church in Riverview in order to hear Bro. Eddie speak of his missionary life.
He related incidents of having his small church...in the slum of Soweto in the city of Nairobi, robbed, burned and desecrated. He, also, told of being in the church with another pastor, praying...when eight men armed with clubs entered. They stated that they were of the Muslim belief and were there to receive payment for protection of the church....
Bro. Eddie and the other Pastor informed them that.....God was their protector....Needless to say, they were beaten unmercifully....
Blood streaming from their bodies....they quickly cleaned up as best they could....and went out deeper into the village of Soweto and was invited into a home where the end result was that seventeen people received Jesus Christ into their heart, family and home.....

Why do these people like Bro. Eddie and so many others......give their lives to such a dangerous and life threatening work of life?
Could you do it?
Could I do it?
Would we....if we ‘felt’ we were called to such a life?
That is at the heart of the question.....and the answer?

The Scripture from Isaiah 6:8 says....Then I heard the Lord asking,....
“Whom shall I send as a messenger to the people? Who will go?”
And I said, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

These truths are planted deep within our hearts of faith...
We may not be called to such a life-threatening mission as Bro. Eddie.. but as he related to the Church last night, we are called.....to exactly where we are in our everyday life. To live our life of faith, daily, and be prepared always to translate that faith into an action of great love to our fellow man ...this is our call of God.

We can also support those....and should....like Bro. Eddie who are willing to pay such a high price for being a missionary fulfilling ......The Great Commission.
As I hear he and Charlie in the background, laughing and talking, as I am writing this page...my heart leaps for joy that this great man of God is passing through our home, our family, our life. We are privileged to be a small part of blessing this awesome man of faith.

I ask you...to pray for Bro. Eddie....faithfully....
Also, I want to list his support church address which receives and distributes his finances for his mission work.
He returns to Kenya in October so please feel free to write him, mail or e-mail, and support financially any way you desire. Be it a one time $5.00 contribution or any other way you choose, God’s blessings will certainly be
upon you and your gift.

Bro. Eddie Williams
Westwood MBC
3210 Ave. G NW
Winter Haven, FL 33880

To E-Mail Bro. Eddie before Oct......ewilliams53@yahoo.com
I will provide another e-mail address after he arrives in Kenya.
His support address will remain the same.....

Go to Link #1 photo pages.........to see a picture of Bro. Eddie.
God Bless......the faithful.......

Dear Readers;
To share your comments or your 'point of view'
please write me at...

iwg2003@yahoo.com

I would appreciate your feed back.
Have a Wonderful Day!!!

Being Different!

Just because others don’t share my vision or dream,
doesn’t make it.....wrong!
Sometimes it is when I follow through
on my own perception
that I make my greatest
contributions to myself and others....
I take joy and fulfillment
in my own point of view....
It is fun...to live...
from the inside....out!
Today I am willing to let
that flow take place.....
I am willing to be
D I F F E R E N T....
I must, also, be...at ‘peace’
with others.....different....ness.

“Nobody can make you feel inferior...
without your consent...
-Eleanor Roosevelt(1884-1962)

From A Heart....of Love!

An artist has a brush,
a musician has his notes of sound,
a writer has a pen - - -
In the mind of all
....colors, sounds, exciting words and thoughts...
Inspiration breathes as the wind,
blowing softly upon the minds,
“pieces of life”
waiting to be born through creativity
that is uniquely one’s own self.
An unfolding of many facets of
thought patterns become....
a painting of colors one can walk into,
a musical selection that stirs the soul,
words so clear and precise
that a reader....makes them...their own.....
Look around you...where you are today
Begin to find the beauty and strength
in those you see!
Don’t keep these thoughts to yourself!!!
Beautiful thoughts -
unspoken, unexpressed verbally -
are L O S T T R E A S U R E S...
Give Them Away
From a Heart of Love....
Paint a symphony of living color and sound
by your Words of Love...
Make someone’s day!

More or Less......Southern...

You know that I live in the south.....south west Florida too.....
Yesterday I heard several phrases that caught my attention....
One man at the boat yard was describing a ’salty dog’ fisherman like this.
“Man, he’s a character!”
We got the idea....
The person described was not...ordinary, mediocre.....or boring!
He was perhaps.....a living being straight out of an adventure novel.
Being a character.....in southern colloquialism...is different than having character... Go figure that one!
Last night our Brittney, Barbie look alike, and Joshua were eating with us and I had to laugh again and again at her expressions...
She sounds so much like me that it is scary....Once she exclaimed, “If that don’t beat all!” then something insignificant was described as “it didn’t amount to a hill of beans...”
How does someone so young....nineteen years...with so much intelligence and quick brilliance.....pick up this ‘2nd language’ . The funny thing is that she does not use it often in her work area...she works with lawyers, contractors, mortgage brokers etc.
I suppose that the language of the hearer determines the choice of expression. This may be sub conscientious for her yet I find it amusing...
As a result, she can be described as ...more or less Southern.
It is according to the circle of the audience around her.
I also, find this to be true in my life.
Do you suppose this is what is meant when we say someone is a “pud’?
Only heaven knows about some of these expressions....they just seem normal down here.....in the south!

Character

Character....
that which we are inside -
which reveals itself on the outside -
the ‘stuff’ we are made of......
Life tests our character -
is it strong, stable, honorable
noble, honest, decent.....
or is it
weak, unsure, insecure, greedy, self-serving,
spiteful, dishonest or vain?
Proverbs 11:3 says...”A good person
of character is guided by their honesty;
the evil person is destroyed by
their dishonesty...”
Our character is
who we really are....
when no one is looking.
It shows itself
day by day.....

Proverbs 20:11 says....
The character of even a child
can be known by the way he acts...
whether what he does is pure and right....

Whatz Up???

Rearranging and....changing is in the air!
It is happening to everyone around me....some want it...some are very resistant....
Guilty!
....Seems like every time I gain more knowledge...I HAVE TO USE IT!
Last Saturday, several members of my family and I went to a Wisdom Seminar given by a Christian man called Mike Murdock. It was a Special Breakfast held at the Marriott in Tampa.
Our head was packed full of...knowledge, wisdom, truth and corrective thinking.... Brain explosion was eminent....
A ‘pea brain’ can only hold so much you know!
I have discovered that the more I learn....the more I find out that...
I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!
That was certainly the case on Saturday!
The mysterious thing is that I have been asked for answers to the strangest questions since receiving my new dose of.....Wisdom.
My answer in every case has been....”I don’t know.”
.......I don’t have....if you can believe it.....even a ‘opinion’ on the subject in question. Tis’ certainly a mystery to me....
Then I remember that most often in the past....I have to experience something personally....in order to find the answers pertinent to life’s mystery for me.... All my writing is based on experience living....
Wisdom is one thing......but it goes hand and hand with Knowledge for me....Knowledge is the working out of........Wisdom!
To know some profound truth is essential to my life.....to have knowledge by experience....IS A MUST.....
So I feel it in the air.....Here it comes.....LIFE in on the way....CHANGE is eminent.....LEARNING is continuous.....otherwise my life becomes a stagnant pool. Heaven forbid!

Grab a Rainbow and Ride With Me.....I DARE YOU!
What do we have to lose but......mediocrity?
Yuk!
Dare To Dream.....Be specific....Put a date on that Dream.....Lock your focus and passion your heart....IT WILL HAPPEN if you have faith even as a grain of mustard seed.....Never underestimate the creative energy instilled into the heart of a dreamer.....placed there by the Creator of the Universe in order to fulfill His Plan for your life........
Whatz Up?
Simply, a wonderful and great happening called....YOU and me....
Share your knowledge and wisdom of life with others....every way that is natural and ordinary for you...Give YOU away!
You will be surprised at who will be brought into your path in order to be enlightened by your life and experiences.
Give lavishly....of yourself.
The more you give away....the more you get!
.......Live and Give....and Enjoy...The Good Life!
It is your heritage....it is your legacy.....It is YOU making a difference on planet earth at any age. Do not insult your Creator by being less than....YOU!
May God Bless You and Your Dream.....

“Proverbs 13:12....Hope deferred makes the heart sick: BUT....
WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE AT LAST....there is....
....LIFE AND JOY!!!

I Am Responsible

Playing the....”Blame Game”
is the ultimate....irresponsibility.
“Someone else”...did ‘it’
or caused ‘this’
to happen to ‘me’.....!
Maturity and healthy growth
includes personal accountability.....
Decisions and choices that are mine alone...
and the consequences,
good or bad
are also....mine.
I AM RESPONSIBLE
FOR and TO ME...
From “This”
my life evolves......

Even Adam and Eve....played
the “Blame Game”....
But....look where it got them!

Coincidences...

Lord, I was intrigued
With the brilliant vocabulary
Of the patient sitting next to me
In the reception room...
I don’t remember the start of our conversation
But suddenly we were discussing...prayer.
I shared rather freely
Your pertinent answers
To my day-by-day requests.
Labeling himself a skeptic
He smiled and said courteously
“What you consider answered prayers...
I choose to call...coincidence.”
You know how it is with me, Lord....
I’m always slightly ill at ease
In the Big Middle...of a theological discussion.
Frankly, I was relieved
When the dentist called my name...
But one thing I do know, Lord
When I pray, “Coincidences” happen.
When I don’t pray.... they stop....
So thank You again and again
For ten thousand “coincidences’
Always in the nick of time....WHEN I PRAY!!!

Let’s Get.....Serious....

It is always interesting to see......
what we once could not see....
Perception of meaning to any given thought
is a very individual and unique experience.
Every person brings their own history of experience
and happenings into their very own
mental thinking process.
When any one examines exploration of meaning....
It is from a wealth of individuality
that a perception is drawn...
We can have similar experiences that shape
our mentality BUT
NO OTHER PERSON ON EARTH
CAN
communicate from
our point-of-view
BUT.....US.
Our perceptions are
Uniquely..... who we really are.
Be Happy...Being Y O U!!!