A few days ago I was listening to a new program on WMCU, which focuses on the Miami Rescue Mission and the Broward facility, giving information on the work of this ministry. They also interview persons who have been through the program telling how their lives have been changed and how they them give back to others.
On this particular day, the man they interviewed was at a very low level; he had lost his family and was virtually homeless. He stopped in a place to get something to eat and met a man who told him he knew what he needed and would take him to the Miami Rescue Mission where he could get some help. The man rejected his offer of help and left the shop. Even though he rejected the offer of help, the man drove himself to the Mission. When he arrived, the same man who had offered to help him was standing outside the mission. The man came up to him and offered to take him inside, and this time the man accepted the offer of help. After going inside the mission, however, the man had a change of heart and left without talking to anyone.
When the man returned to his car, he found that his tires were flat and the car would not start. He then went back inside the mission and spoke with someone in the "in-take" area. He asked if they knew where the man was who had come inside with him a few minutes before. The persons there said that they had seen him (the home- less man) enter, but that he had been alone - no one was with him. The man allowed himself to be processed into the program and then went back outside to his car. The tires on his car were no longer flat, and the engine started immediately.
I'm sure you have figured out what really happened just as I did as I listened to the story - the man who met the addict in the shop and in front of the mission was an angel sent to give him the help and the direction he needed.
These events happened in the early 1990's, and the man's life was completely changed. He turned his life over to God shortly after entering the program, and over time his dependence on drugs/alcohol ended and he has gone on to live a productive life.
Undoubtedly, everyone who goes through the program does not achieve the same success as the man interviewed for that day's segment, but it was encouraging to hear his story. I've listened to other stories, where people have come to the Mission after being in treatment programs then relapsing into drug/alcohol use; at the Mission, they also have found success. Entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ seems to be a major component of the Mission's work, which of course makes perfect sense. God changes lives today if we allow Him to, just as He changed Saul's life so many years ago.
I hope you have benefited in some way by reading this story. Blessings to all!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
"Marked"
Some time ago I wrote a post entitled, Convicted and Marked. I felt deeply about what I wrote then, and I still feel that way.
This morning, while driving in my car, I heard a portion of a Focus on the Family radio program on WMCU 1080AM and was strongly affected by what I heard. Phil Downer brought a message about the change God made in his life; here is a summary of what he said.
"At nineteen, Phil joined the Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, and was shipped to South Vietnam. He saw death all around him, and it was not easy to deal with. At one point, he was an "ammo humper" - the person who carried the ammunition for the machine gunners. He received several promotions; one of these promotions moved him from "ammo humper" to machine gunner. For about two months, he carried the machine gun in heavy combat until he was promoted to Machine Gun Team Leader, which meant that the guy behind him now carried the machine gun. One of Phil's best friends, John Atkinson from up-state New York, was "the guy behind him." He became Phil's gunner and took over the responsibility of carrying the machine gun in battle.
One day, the men in Phil's group had to charge across an open field and make a left turn. Several men did this before Phil; then it was his turn. Phil's team, with his gunner leading the way, now had to make the same maneuver. Just as John made the left turn, two enemy snipers fired on them. Phil dove to the ground and returned fire. As he was falling, a bullet went through the pack on his back from bottom to top. At the same time, he felt a heavy weight fall on him; the weight turned out to be his friend John and Phil's old machine gun. All of the bullets, except the one that went harmlessly through Phil's pack, had hit John, and he was dead.
This was a very painful experience for Phil - to see his good friend dead on the ground. You can probably imagine his thought at this time - at least some of them. One of the first things Phil thought about was that John had just received a letter from his wife telling him that she was carrying their first child; John would never see this child. Then Phil realized that not only was John dead, but that John had died in Phil's place. Until the recent promotion - only three days earlier - Phil had been the machine gun carrier. You see, the snipers had let everyone go by, waiting for the machine gunner. Had the promotion not taken place, Phil would have been dead on the ground; and John might still have seen his child. Phil said that that moment "marked" his life.
When Phil's thirteen month tour was up, he went home and attempted to restart his life. He got back into college (though this was no easy task since he had flunked out of college before going to war), but this time he was successful; he became a lawyer. While in school, he met and married a young woman who also became a lawyer. They both found good jobs and were on their way to the life they dreamed of.
Earlier in his story, Phil had said that John Wayne's portrayal of war as a positive or noble experience was a lie. He mentioned John Wayne (I'm a big John Wayne fan) again at this point. He said that John Wayne's portrayal of true happiness coming from success, position and family was a lie. Phil seemed to have everything, but he was not happy. On the surface, everything was fine; deep inside, he was empty, restless. Nothing brought real fulfillment or joy even though he seemingly had it all. Phil said that he went from "hero to zero."
The pressure of his work got to him. As a trial lawyer, there was a lot riding on what he did; businesses and livelihoods depended on the outcome of the trials, and the responsibility of it affected him. He began to bring his problems, fears, frustrations, and anxieties home with him, and he took them out on his wife. He began to break all of the commitments he had made to his her. His temper was out of control; he broke furniture, punched holes in walls, and slammed the phone against the walls in anger. He never struck his wife, but he crushed her; he broke her heart.
At this point, he was invited by a fellow lawyer to go to a Christian retreat, but he said no. About a month later, his wife (who had never asked him to do anything just for her) asked him to go on the retreat. He agreed through he did not want to be there.
Initially, he did not participate in the retreat; he just sat at the back doing nothing. As the meetings progressed, the men began to share about the real issues of life, and this got Phil's attention. These men had gone through the same things Phil was going through. Then they explained to Phil that God love him, that God knew all about him and still loved him enough to send His Son to die for him. Phil had heard this before; but this time it meant something to him; it broke his heart, and he received Christ as Lord and Savior. Phil found a peace, joy and contentment beyond all description - a contentment that he had never known before.
The change in Phil was so complete that his wife immediately saw it, and she became a Christian as well. Despite his change and her conversion, his wife was not interested in being married to him any longer; she had been planning to divorce him for a long time and no longer loved him. As a new Christian though, Phil's wife began to pray that God would give her a new love for Phil; and over about a year and a half, God gave her that new love, and they rebuilt their marriage. Out of this change that they both experienced grew a ministry called DNA - Discipleship Network of America http://www.dnaministries.org/."
Phil had been on a road to nowhere, but God was watching and directing his path. For reasons we cannot understand, God spared Phil's life by allowing John to die in his place; thus leaving a mark on Phil that would eventually drive him so low that he would finally be able to see God and surrender to Him.
If we are marked by God, that is a good thing. Thank God for His love and forgiveness.
Blessings to all.
This morning, while driving in my car, I heard a portion of a Focus on the Family radio program on WMCU 1080AM and was strongly affected by what I heard. Phil Downer brought a message about the change God made in his life; here is a summary of what he said.
"At nineteen, Phil joined the Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, and was shipped to South Vietnam. He saw death all around him, and it was not easy to deal with. At one point, he was an "ammo humper" - the person who carried the ammunition for the machine gunners. He received several promotions; one of these promotions moved him from "ammo humper" to machine gunner. For about two months, he carried the machine gun in heavy combat until he was promoted to Machine Gun Team Leader, which meant that the guy behind him now carried the machine gun. One of Phil's best friends, John Atkinson from up-state New York, was "the guy behind him." He became Phil's gunner and took over the responsibility of carrying the machine gun in battle.
One day, the men in Phil's group had to charge across an open field and make a left turn. Several men did this before Phil; then it was his turn. Phil's team, with his gunner leading the way, now had to make the same maneuver. Just as John made the left turn, two enemy snipers fired on them. Phil dove to the ground and returned fire. As he was falling, a bullet went through the pack on his back from bottom to top. At the same time, he felt a heavy weight fall on him; the weight turned out to be his friend John and Phil's old machine gun. All of the bullets, except the one that went harmlessly through Phil's pack, had hit John, and he was dead.
This was a very painful experience for Phil - to see his good friend dead on the ground. You can probably imagine his thought at this time - at least some of them. One of the first things Phil thought about was that John had just received a letter from his wife telling him that she was carrying their first child; John would never see this child. Then Phil realized that not only was John dead, but that John had died in Phil's place. Until the recent promotion - only three days earlier - Phil had been the machine gun carrier. You see, the snipers had let everyone go by, waiting for the machine gunner. Had the promotion not taken place, Phil would have been dead on the ground; and John might still have seen his child. Phil said that that moment "marked" his life.
When Phil's thirteen month tour was up, he went home and attempted to restart his life. He got back into college (though this was no easy task since he had flunked out of college before going to war), but this time he was successful; he became a lawyer. While in school, he met and married a young woman who also became a lawyer. They both found good jobs and were on their way to the life they dreamed of.
Earlier in his story, Phil had said that John Wayne's portrayal of war as a positive or noble experience was a lie. He mentioned John Wayne (I'm a big John Wayne fan) again at this point. He said that John Wayne's portrayal of true happiness coming from success, position and family was a lie. Phil seemed to have everything, but he was not happy. On the surface, everything was fine; deep inside, he was empty, restless. Nothing brought real fulfillment or joy even though he seemingly had it all. Phil said that he went from "hero to zero."
The pressure of his work got to him. As a trial lawyer, there was a lot riding on what he did; businesses and livelihoods depended on the outcome of the trials, and the responsibility of it affected him. He began to bring his problems, fears, frustrations, and anxieties home with him, and he took them out on his wife. He began to break all of the commitments he had made to his her. His temper was out of control; he broke furniture, punched holes in walls, and slammed the phone against the walls in anger. He never struck his wife, but he crushed her; he broke her heart.
At this point, he was invited by a fellow lawyer to go to a Christian retreat, but he said no. About a month later, his wife (who had never asked him to do anything just for her) asked him to go on the retreat. He agreed through he did not want to be there.
Initially, he did not participate in the retreat; he just sat at the back doing nothing. As the meetings progressed, the men began to share about the real issues of life, and this got Phil's attention. These men had gone through the same things Phil was going through. Then they explained to Phil that God love him, that God knew all about him and still loved him enough to send His Son to die for him. Phil had heard this before; but this time it meant something to him; it broke his heart, and he received Christ as Lord and Savior. Phil found a peace, joy and contentment beyond all description - a contentment that he had never known before.
The change in Phil was so complete that his wife immediately saw it, and she became a Christian as well. Despite his change and her conversion, his wife was not interested in being married to him any longer; she had been planning to divorce him for a long time and no longer loved him. As a new Christian though, Phil's wife began to pray that God would give her a new love for Phil; and over about a year and a half, God gave her that new love, and they rebuilt their marriage. Out of this change that they both experienced grew a ministry called DNA - Discipleship Network of America http://www.dnaministries.org/."
Phil had been on a road to nowhere, but God was watching and directing his path. For reasons we cannot understand, God spared Phil's life by allowing John to die in his place; thus leaving a mark on Phil that would eventually drive him so low that he would finally be able to see God and surrender to Him.
If we are marked by God, that is a good thing. Thank God for His love and forgiveness.
Blessings to all.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
"Inside My Head "
I DID NOT write this post. I wish I could write something as powerful as this, but I cannot. I came across the post this morning and wanted others to have the opportunity to read it as well (this would be in the dream world were multitudes would have the opportunity to see this; however, I am very aware that virtually no no one reads what I post (which may be a good thing) except my mother and sister, which means I can write what I want (to some degree) knowing that I am relatively safe - I do not want any comments on this post - that will just drive me further downhill.
The title of the blog is "Inside My Head," and it is written by Mary Hess. I can relate to what she has written because I know that for a major portion of my life I have had to "hold on to myself" to try to keep myself together - afraid that if I "let go," I may not be able to "put the pieces back together again." It takes a lot of energy to hold one's self together for years on end, and sometimes I am not sure if I can continue to do it. I have been on a downward spiral since returning from my trip this summer to where I live. I am finding it more and more difficult to "hold myself together" at work (and other places as well) - things are frustrating me to the point that I feel I may just "explode" though I will continue to try not to do this. I should probably
retire; however, that is not an option.
I too read a book a number of years ago that helped me when I had my first semi-serious bout with depression - I have been plagued with problem since my early teens - maybe even before that. The book was by Tim LaHay entitled How to Win Over Depression. Mind-thought were certainly a part of my problem since I replayed things over and over in my head, which only made things worse. After reading the book, I made an agreement with myself that when these thought came, I would give myself a few second to feel sorry for myself, and then push the thought aside and move on. I was successful to a significant degree using this technique; however, I have had some major depressions since then, unfortunately.
Please read what Mary has to say. You may not need this information for yourself, but it may help you to assist someone else.
Carolyn
Inside My Head (http//networkedblogs.com/p14588702)
Stressed
Phil. 4:8,9 - Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - I will think on these things.
Ephesians 4:23, 24 - I will be made new in the attitude of my mind. And I will put on my new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
You know, so many of us - well, let’s be honest - ALL of us battle something in our minds -insecurities, trust issues, lust, lying, fear, negativity, depression - you name it, I bet we have each battled one, if not more of these things. And I’m sure I’m leaving the list way too short.
A few years ago, God really changed my life. It’s too much to type here but suffice it to say that the enemy had major control of my mind - to the point that I felt like I was going insane. How’s that for being real? ;) A friend of mine introduced me to a wonderful book by Joyce Meyer called The Battlefield of The Mind and I read it. And quite honestly, the book ticked me off. How dare someone tell me that I had control of my thought life? She obviously didn’t know what she was talking about. But the more I read, the more I saw that Joyce had been exactly where I was. And she did know what she was talking about.
It took a lot for me to push through my urges to make excuses as to why I couldn’t possibly get control of my own thought life - and a lot of prayer from close friends and my wonderful husband who had to endure a lot of attacks from the enemy - through me - because of the battle I was going through. But God’s grace prevailed. And so I chose - look at that word - I chose to change. I wrote down scriptures dealing with our minds and memorized them.
Every time a thought would come over me that wasn’t supposed to be there, I would say my scriptures out loud. I would sing songs - even if I had to make them up - that would lift up Jesus. I would choose to respond positively and not negatively. I kept myself accountable to my husband and to a few close friends. They would keep me in check if I started going down the wrong road again.
I hated having to do so much work to become free from this negative thought pattern. While I hated it, I loved it. Being broken and admitting there was so much junk in my life wasn’t fun. But it was necessary. And I’m thankful I did it. Many, many days all I could do was say, “Jesus, please give me strength to do this.”
You see, we live in a time where people expect to get everything quickly. We forget that some things we really have to work for. When you work for something, chances are you appreciate the end results even more than if it was just handed to you, right? God knows that about us of course! He created us! So, there are times in our Christian walk we have to push through on purpose to get the victory in a battle. And it isn’t easy. And there will be battle wounds - wounds that turn into scars. But those scars will definitely remind us where we came from and help us to toughen up for the next battle!
So I encourage you today to take inventory of your thought life. Are there things you allow to dwell there that aren’t pleasing to God? There’s a saying I’ve heard my entire life: “You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you sure can keep it from building a nest in your hair.”
While that sounds silly, it’s very applicable to what I’m talking about today. I can’t stop a thought from going through my mind, but I sure can keep myself from dwelling on it. The enemy places the thought there and then waits to watch for your reaction to it. If he continually sees you reacting the opposite of that thought he’ll move on to some other tactic.
Even today, I still have times where it will try and trip me up again. I haven’t reached perfection in this area of my life. But I make sure to keep quoting those scriptures (I carry index cards in my purse with them written on it), sing those songs, pray those prayers and hold myself accountable to those I’ve entrusted with my life. Together we make a GREAT army for God! And we need each other!
Here are a few scriptures (taken from NIV) that I have used to help me. I’ve tweaked them a bit to be more personal but the overall theme is there. I hope they help you as much as they have me.
Ephesians 4:23, 24 - I will be made new in the attitude of my mind. And I will put on my new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep me in perfect peace because my mind is steadfast and I trust in You.
I Corinthians 2:16b - I have the mind of Christ.
Romans 12:2 - I will not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but I will be transformed by the renewing of my mind.
I Peter 1:13 - I will prepare my mind for action. I will be self-controlled. I will set my hope fully on the grace to be given to me when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Phil. 4:8,9 - Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - I will think on these things.
I Peter 5:8, 9 - I will be self-controlled and alert - the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking to devour me. I will resist him and stand firm in the faith.
I Corinthians 14:15 - So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
Ephesians 6:12 - My struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers to this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
II Corinthians 10:4, 5 - The weapons I fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. I demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God . . . and I take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
About the author of this "posted post"-
Hess,Mary - Mary Hess is a thirty-something mom to 2 beautiful girls (13 & 2) and wife to an amazing man! She has been involved in ministry for most of her life teaching, leading worship and serving wherever needed. She and her husband own Purses and Such and have been enjoying learning how to run a successful business of their own. Her most recent adventure has been to re-enroll in college to finish her degree in Psychology: Christian Counseling. Hopefully by the time her youngest daughter is in school she will have her Masters Degree and be on her way to completing her doctorate. While all of these things are important to her, Mary stresses that her main purpose in life is simply to pursue God. Wherever He takes her and whatever He wants her to do is her ultimate desire.
Blessings to all - Carolyn
The title of the blog is "Inside My Head," and it is written by Mary Hess. I can relate to what she has written because I know that for a major portion of my life I have had to "hold on to myself" to try to keep myself together - afraid that if I "let go," I may not be able to "put the pieces back together again." It takes a lot of energy to hold one's self together for years on end, and sometimes I am not sure if I can continue to do it. I have been on a downward spiral since returning from my trip this summer to where I live. I am finding it more and more difficult to "hold myself together" at work (and other places as well) - things are frustrating me to the point that I feel I may just "explode" though I will continue to try not to do this. I should probably
retire; however, that is not an option.
I too read a book a number of years ago that helped me when I had my first semi-serious bout with depression - I have been plagued with problem since my early teens - maybe even before that. The book was by Tim LaHay entitled How to Win Over Depression. Mind-thought were certainly a part of my problem since I replayed things over and over in my head, which only made things worse. After reading the book, I made an agreement with myself that when these thought came, I would give myself a few second to feel sorry for myself, and then push the thought aside and move on. I was successful to a significant degree using this technique; however, I have had some major depressions since then, unfortunately.
Please read what Mary has to say. You may not need this information for yourself, but it may help you to assist someone else.
Carolyn
Inside My Head (http//networkedblogs.com/p14588702)
Stressed
Phil. 4:8,9 - Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - I will think on these things.
Ephesians 4:23, 24 - I will be made new in the attitude of my mind. And I will put on my new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
You know, so many of us - well, let’s be honest - ALL of us battle something in our minds -insecurities, trust issues, lust, lying, fear, negativity, depression - you name it, I bet we have each battled one, if not more of these things. And I’m sure I’m leaving the list way too short.
A few years ago, God really changed my life. It’s too much to type here but suffice it to say that the enemy had major control of my mind - to the point that I felt like I was going insane. How’s that for being real? ;) A friend of mine introduced me to a wonderful book by Joyce Meyer called The Battlefield of The Mind and I read it. And quite honestly, the book ticked me off. How dare someone tell me that I had control of my thought life? She obviously didn’t know what she was talking about. But the more I read, the more I saw that Joyce had been exactly where I was. And she did know what she was talking about.
It took a lot for me to push through my urges to make excuses as to why I couldn’t possibly get control of my own thought life - and a lot of prayer from close friends and my wonderful husband who had to endure a lot of attacks from the enemy - through me - because of the battle I was going through. But God’s grace prevailed. And so I chose - look at that word - I chose to change. I wrote down scriptures dealing with our minds and memorized them.
Every time a thought would come over me that wasn’t supposed to be there, I would say my scriptures out loud. I would sing songs - even if I had to make them up - that would lift up Jesus. I would choose to respond positively and not negatively. I kept myself accountable to my husband and to a few close friends. They would keep me in check if I started going down the wrong road again.
I hated having to do so much work to become free from this negative thought pattern. While I hated it, I loved it. Being broken and admitting there was so much junk in my life wasn’t fun. But it was necessary. And I’m thankful I did it. Many, many days all I could do was say, “Jesus, please give me strength to do this.”
You see, we live in a time where people expect to get everything quickly. We forget that some things we really have to work for. When you work for something, chances are you appreciate the end results even more than if it was just handed to you, right? God knows that about us of course! He created us! So, there are times in our Christian walk we have to push through on purpose to get the victory in a battle. And it isn’t easy. And there will be battle wounds - wounds that turn into scars. But those scars will definitely remind us where we came from and help us to toughen up for the next battle!
So I encourage you today to take inventory of your thought life. Are there things you allow to dwell there that aren’t pleasing to God? There’s a saying I’ve heard my entire life: “You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you sure can keep it from building a nest in your hair.”
While that sounds silly, it’s very applicable to what I’m talking about today. I can’t stop a thought from going through my mind, but I sure can keep myself from dwelling on it. The enemy places the thought there and then waits to watch for your reaction to it. If he continually sees you reacting the opposite of that thought he’ll move on to some other tactic.
Even today, I still have times where it will try and trip me up again. I haven’t reached perfection in this area of my life. But I make sure to keep quoting those scriptures (I carry index cards in my purse with them written on it), sing those songs, pray those prayers and hold myself accountable to those I’ve entrusted with my life. Together we make a GREAT army for God! And we need each other!
Here are a few scriptures (taken from NIV) that I have used to help me. I’ve tweaked them a bit to be more personal but the overall theme is there. I hope they help you as much as they have me.
Ephesians 4:23, 24 - I will be made new in the attitude of my mind. And I will put on my new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep me in perfect peace because my mind is steadfast and I trust in You.
I Corinthians 2:16b - I have the mind of Christ.
Romans 12:2 - I will not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but I will be transformed by the renewing of my mind.
I Peter 1:13 - I will prepare my mind for action. I will be self-controlled. I will set my hope fully on the grace to be given to me when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Phil. 4:8,9 - Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - I will think on these things.
I Peter 5:8, 9 - I will be self-controlled and alert - the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking to devour me. I will resist him and stand firm in the faith.
I Corinthians 14:15 - So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
Ephesians 6:12 - My struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers to this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
II Corinthians 10:4, 5 - The weapons I fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. I demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God . . . and I take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
About the author of this "posted post"-
Hess,Mary - Mary Hess is a thirty-something mom to 2 beautiful girls (13 & 2) and wife to an amazing man! She has been involved in ministry for most of her life teaching, leading worship and serving wherever needed. She and her husband own Purses and Such and have been enjoying learning how to run a successful business of their own. Her most recent adventure has been to re-enroll in college to finish her degree in Psychology: Christian Counseling. Hopefully by the time her youngest daughter is in school she will have her Masters Degree and be on her way to completing her doctorate. While all of these things are important to her, Mary stresses that her main purpose in life is simply to pursue God. Wherever He takes her and whatever He wants her to do is her ultimate desire.
Blessings to all - Carolyn
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Caterpillar Turned.......
Finally, I have something new to write about the beautiful caterpillar I wrote about some time ago. He formed the chrysalis about three weeks ago, and all we could do was wait to see if he would become a butterfly or die from trying to complete the metamorphosis in captivity. According to what I could learn via the Internet, the change should have taken about two weeks.
Well, two weeks came and went, and I had just about given up hope when I got word that the new creature was here. Since the caterpillar was so beautiful, I assumed the butterfly would be fabulous as well - a true thing of beauty. Well, he is beautiful; however, not at all what we expected.
The butterfly is not a butterfly; he is a moth - a big, grey one. He is still beautiful though - just not what we expected. Have a look -
This was a good experience; I'm glad I was able to have a part in it.
Well, two weeks came and went, and I had just about given up hope when I got word that the new creature was here. Since the caterpillar was so beautiful, I assumed the butterfly would be fabulous as well - a true thing of beauty. Well, he is beautiful; however, not at all what we expected.
The butterfly is not a butterfly; he is a moth - a big, grey one. He is still beautiful though - just not what we expected. Have a look -
This was a good experience; I'm glad I was able to have a part in it.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Just What I Needed
This will be a multifaceted/disjointed post, but one that makes sense to me.
First, our Bible study group is going to take responsibility for the Sunday evening service just after Thanksgiving. Each of us is supposed to select a hymn or chorus, tell why is it meaningful to us and, I hope, tell something special we got from the study on Philippians that we will complete this coming Thursday.
I have two songs I want to share. The first is El Shaddai, which I think is beautiful. I want to be sure that everyone knows what the words to the song really mean. The second one is "Shout To the Lord," which I also think is beautiful. I found the words to the song yesterday but wanted to find the music as well; I thought I knew exactly where it was but I was wrong. I couldn't find it.
I had a really bad day today. That is an exaggeration, of course; though I quickly became out of sorts as the day wore on and one problem/complication after another reared it ugly head. I would love to have packed my bag, hopped a plane, and gone somewhere - almost anywhere - but wait, that's how I feel most days. I didn't go anywhere, of course, though I did take my bad mood home with me.
Since I didn't have to fix dinner - Franklin had decided to eat cereal before I got home - I started looking for the sheet music again and actually found it pretty quickly. I found something else as well, and that is what I want to share in this post. What I found is really silly, but it made me laugh. I hope you will get a laugh from it as well.
The following is an email I received in April of 2001 from "Mikey's Funnies."
Medical Daffynitions
Artery: The study of painting
Bacteria: The back door of the cafeteria
Barium: What doctors do when their patients die
Bowel: A letter like A, E, I, O or U
Caesarean Section: A neighborhood in Rome
CAT Scan: Searching for a kitty
Cauterize: To make eye contact with a girl
Coma: A punctuation mark
Enema: Someone who is not your friend
Fester: Quicker
Fibula: A little lie
Labor Pain: When you get hurt at work
Nitrates: Cheaper than day rates
Node: Was aware of
Outpatient: A patient who fainted
Pelvis: An Elvis impersonator
Recovery Room: A place to do upholstery
Secretion: Something you don't want anyone to know
Seizure: A Roman emperor
Tablet: A small table
Terminal: Where the planes land
Urine: Opposite of "you're out"
Varicose: Nearby
Vein: To be conceited
Hope you found something in this funny enough to make you laugh!
First, our Bible study group is going to take responsibility for the Sunday evening service just after Thanksgiving. Each of us is supposed to select a hymn or chorus, tell why is it meaningful to us and, I hope, tell something special we got from the study on Philippians that we will complete this coming Thursday.
I have two songs I want to share. The first is El Shaddai, which I think is beautiful. I want to be sure that everyone knows what the words to the song really mean. The second one is "Shout To the Lord," which I also think is beautiful. I found the words to the song yesterday but wanted to find the music as well; I thought I knew exactly where it was but I was wrong. I couldn't find it.
I had a really bad day today. That is an exaggeration, of course; though I quickly became out of sorts as the day wore on and one problem/complication after another reared it ugly head. I would love to have packed my bag, hopped a plane, and gone somewhere - almost anywhere - but wait, that's how I feel most days. I didn't go anywhere, of course, though I did take my bad mood home with me.
Since I didn't have to fix dinner - Franklin had decided to eat cereal before I got home - I started looking for the sheet music again and actually found it pretty quickly. I found something else as well, and that is what I want to share in this post. What I found is really silly, but it made me laugh. I hope you will get a laugh from it as well.
The following is an email I received in April of 2001 from "Mikey's Funnies."
Medical Daffynitions
Artery: The study of painting
Bacteria: The back door of the cafeteria
Barium: What doctors do when their patients die
Bowel: A letter like A, E, I, O or U
Caesarean Section: A neighborhood in Rome
CAT Scan: Searching for a kitty
Cauterize: To make eye contact with a girl
Coma: A punctuation mark
Enema: Someone who is not your friend
Fester: Quicker
Fibula: A little lie
Labor Pain: When you get hurt at work
Nitrates: Cheaper than day rates
Node: Was aware of
Outpatient: A patient who fainted
Pelvis: An Elvis impersonator
Recovery Room: A place to do upholstery
Secretion: Something you don't want anyone to know
Seizure: A Roman emperor
Tablet: A small table
Terminal: Where the planes land
Urine: Opposite of "you're out"
Varicose: Nearby
Vein: To be conceited
Hope you found something in this funny enough to make you laugh!
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