The ticking watch.....

With all the busyness and all the distractions around us, how can we be still? How can we learn to just take time out and sit still? It is not easy to do, is it? We are pulled in hundred different directions. It seems like everybody wants something from us. Spouses, children, elderly parents, pets, friends, the boss, and not to mention time spent on the smart phone. Answering calls, texting, emailing and of course watching the latest news, which can be very stressful on its own. So what are we to do? In the early seventies, when I was still in college, they were talking about new inventions and how we were going to have so much free time. Really? Where is the free time? The more gadgets we have, the more time we seem to waste. Before we had "beepers" (some young people may not know what that is), cell phones, computers and voicemail, it was nice. We would leave the office for lunch and come back to a bunch of messages we had to return. When we got all the above mentioned "gadgets" we were on call all the time. People started taking their laptops on their vacation. We all want to check our emails and texts, so we don't "miss" anything. It seems like with all the progress we have made, we have also lost the little freedoms we had.We lost the free time we had. I just saw a short video on the "future" groceries stores...WOW...there is a robot like cart that follows you around and does all the work for you and it adds up everything so you don't need to go to a cashier or a self checkout register. Crazy. We have less time today, than we ever had, and unfortunately, we have more noise..Every place you go there is music, some is good, but some gives you a headache. There is music even in the bathrooms. In the restaurants, the markets, the dressing rooms. No peace and quiet. 

I read this little story not too long ago, where a group of workers were cutting ice out of a frozen lake and storing it in an icehouse, when one of the workers realized he had lost his watch in the windowless building. They all searched for it in vain. 

After they had given up, a young boy who had seen them exit, went into the building. Soon, he came out with the watch. They couldn't believe it. They asked him how he was able to find it? The young man said, I sat down and kept quiet, and soon I could hear it ticking!

No wonder we cannot hear God, or hear the watch ticking. Constant turmoil is all around us. Today we downloaded an App, because the product we were buying had a coupon we could use from the App. You would think it would be simple..oh NO. We had to create an account, which we did, then we had to come up with user ID and passcode, which we did. But at the end we couldn't get the coupon. There was something the App did not like. We wasted time, got frustrated and we said, forget it, paid the full price and left the store. The Bible often talks about being still and also not to fret. Not easy to do in today's world! 

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God..Maybe if we stop rushing around and spend some quiet time with Him and the Scriptures, we may hear his gentle voice. Instead of looking at our smart phones every two seconds, maybe we can sit down and read a good book. 

Psalm 37: 7 suggests to "be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him". Again, hard to do, when you see the injustices around us and the people who get away with doing bad things. How can we be calm and quiet? Well, I don't know. All we can do is try. We must ask ourselves. What will help us stay silent and listen? How can we be still before God each day? If we asked ourselves these questions, perhaps we can start hearing His wisdom speaking to us, quiet and steady as a ticking watch.

Have a Great Day

 

  

Priceless Christmas gifts to share

 For your enemies....................... Forgiveness

For your customers.....................Your best service

For your opponent......................Tolerance

For a friend.................................Your heart

For a child....................................A good example

For your father..............................Reverence

For your mother............................Conduct that will make her proud of you

For yourself..................................Respect

For all people................................Charity

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify

your Father who is in Heaven.

Let's face it, we all stress out as to what to get people on our gift list. Whether it is for a birthday, graduation, wedding or Christmas. What we hope for is that the gift we pick will bring joy to their life. So, as the Christmas season is upon us, we need to keep our perspective, not to spend more than we need to or can afford. We need to not equate love with money spent. What is important is to be thoughtful and buy wisely. Let the person know that you care about them. I think that is more than the gift itself. Our world has gotten so materialistic that even the children demand certain things, regardless of what the cost is (which they don't know or understand) and the parents give in to their demands. I know of friends whose kids have opened gifts and gotten really angry that they did not get what they wanted. They threw down the gifts and stormed out the room, crying. Ashame. What ever happened to being thankful for what we get, and appreciate the effort and time that went into the process. The holidays are not for people to go into debt, and spend money they may not have, just to satisfy others and give in to the pressures of this world. So, just try to enjoy the season with simple things and surround yourself with the people you love!

Have a blessed Holiday Season

Merry Christmas 

Giving Thanks

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. We spent a lovely afternoon with some dear friends. Yet, because I had done some leaf blowing and leaf cleaning chores a couple of weeks prior, and the cold, wet weather we have been having, I had developed a sciatica pain, that kept getting worse and worse. Because I had to do some holiday preparations, I didn't take time to rest and nurture the pain. It was my fault. By Thanksgiving Day I was limping, so I had to succumb to taking some pain pills. I know I was irritable and probably not nice to my husband, shouting orders for him to help me with this and that, which he did patiently. It was during one of my 'grumbling moments' that I realized that as a Christian I am called to give thanks to God, in every situation, regardless as to how I feel.  I actually found myself thanking Him everytime I got up and everytime I completed a task, because although it was painful, I could at least still walk and I had another blessed day, looking forward to a nice afternoon. It can always be a lot worse.

I had to stop myself many times and replace the "I am hurting" to "thank God I can walk and still do so many things". I thank God that I am not alone, and have a loving husband who helps me. So, everytime I yelled at him, (not because something he did, but because of MY frustration), we would both start to laugh, sometimes hysterically, because I realized at this point there was nothing else I could do, and I am sure I looked and sounded ridiculous (he had nothing to do with it). Giving thanks and laughing about the situation I was in, made a big difference. It is hard to give thanks, when we don't feel good, or our life is not how we want it to be, isn't it. However, instead of complaining, if we can focus on something we are thankful for, our lives and our attitudes can be transformed. As it was, the rest of the day was beautiful and today, my pain is a lot less too. I know that God is always watching over us and is with us through all our pains, discomforts and disappointments, and that is something to always be thankful for.    

Psalm 9:1 

"I will give thanks to the Lord  with my whole heart"

If you want your dreams to come true.........

"If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep"..Great advice. I don't know who said it, but I read it somewhere, and it makes a lot of sense. In our world today, it seems like a lot of people don't want to put out much effort to become better, learn more or work hard to achieve more, and yet they want what others have. They want to do the least to get the most. They feel entitled. What they fail to acknowledge or understand, is that the people who have achieved more and are more successful, have gotten there by hard work. 

For example...Having the government pay for college loans may sound like a good thing, BUT what about the ones who went to college and paid their loans. They either worked two or three jobs to pay the debts or their parents paid their tuition. Is that fair to them? Or what about the ones who due to certain life circumstances or other priorities they had to deal with, never got to go to college, although they really wanted to. What do they get? Are they supposed to wine and complain and demand compensation from the government? 

America is still the land where dreams can come true, and the land of opportunities, regardless of what some people would like you to believe. Why do you think so many want to even risk their lives to come here, if this country is so bad. How many americans try to get to other countries? Not too many. There are countless opportunities, if we only look for them and search to find them. Are you missing the target because you are not working hard enough? and if so why aren't you?  Have you put limitations on yourself? Are you the limitations others have placed on you?  

Who you think you are can make all the difference . YOU and you alone can put limitations on yourself, and believe the lies you have been told. Sometimes negative comments may come from well meaning people, such as teachers, friends and family members.

Just remenber: Opportunities are never lost.....someone else will take the ones you miss....Don't waste your time. Time is something we cannot recycle, so be wise on how you spend your time. Be productive, keep learning and educating yourself, and when the time is right your dreams will come true. Preparation always meets opportunity. When opportunity knocks, you must be ready! Take one step at a time, and you will reach your destination. However, you have to take action. You cannot oversleep and expect success. Successful people and high achievers have worked very hard. They are never overnight successes, although at times it may appear that way to us. 

Have a blessed rest of the week...

 

Waiting for a blessing

 A popular restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, serves soup from broth that has been cooking for forty five years (yes..45). It is replenished a bit every day. We have travelled to Bangkok and no one ever mentioned it. If they had, we would have certainly tasted it! I will try something new at least once! The practice, called "perpetual stew", dates back to medieval times. Just as some "leftovers" taste better a few days later, the extended cooking time blends and creates unique flavors. The restaurant has won many awards for the most delicious broth in Thailand. The soup includes nearly a dozen chinese herbs, plus garlic, cinnamon, black pepper and cilantro root. They also go through 150 pounds of beef a day! They cook the beef for over 7 hours. The pot where they cook it is about five feet in diameter and two and half feet deep...WOW.

In today's busy lives we have no patience. We don't want to wait. We want things right now. We ask God for a healing or any request, and if it doesn't happen right away, we get upset, or start doubting our faith.

Good things sometimes take time. In the Old Testament, the prophet Habakkuk begins his book by asking "How long Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?" One of the things he wrestled with was how God could allow corrupt people to prosper as they took advantage and exploited other people. Does that sound familiar in the world today? The ruthless Babylonian Empire had invaded his country and he had prophesied that God would judge them, but why was it taking so long? When was He going to punish them? The captivity lasted seventy years, which is a long time, but God is always faithful. Blessings may be long in coming, but He prepares every blessing with perfect wisdom. It is worth waiting for His timing not ours. We get frustrated with all the things going on in our country today, but in due time things will turn around, they always do. We don't have all the reasons,but God does.

"Though it lingers, wait for it". 

Habakkuk 2:3

Take Time

We are always so busy with everyday life that we forget to take time to do some simple things that will enrich our lives. Here is a poem from an "unknown" Author...  

        Take Time

Take time to think;

It is the source of power

Take time to read;

It is the foundation of wisdom

Take time to play;

It is the secret of staying young

Take time to be quiet;

It is the opportunity to seek God

Take time to be aware;

It is the opportunity to help others

Take time to love and be loved;

It is God's greatest gift

Take time to laugh;

It is the music of the soul

Take time to be friendly;

It is the road to happiness

Take time to dream;

It is what the future is made of

Take time to pray;

It is the greatest power on earth

What a beautiful poem with wise words. Make a copy of it and carry it with you, read it daily...it will change your life!

Have a wonderful Day!

Enrich someone's life today.....

 "Enrich someone's life today with a warm word of praise. Both of you will be better for it"

I am always in awe at the beautiful creation all around us, but more than that, all the daily discoveries by scientists and researchers. The other day I read something that blew me away! Did you know that the length of all our blood vessels laid end to end, is over 60,000 miles (the miles between New York and Beijing, China is 6,800 miles, just to give you a pespective), and the eye is made up of more than two million moving parts? Let this sink in for a minute! (how do all those parts fit inside our tiny eye?). How can we not see that there is a Creator? How can all this just happen out of nothing? What is important though is not HOW God created, but WHY He created. The Bible tells us that God created this world for His Glory and for our enjoyment and worship of Him.

One may observe God's accuracy in everything. I have a list of some amazing facts I read about:

Hatching of  bird eggs:

• Canary eggs in 14 days
• Barnyard Hen in 21 days
• Ducks and Geese in 28 days
• Mallards in 35 days
• Parrot and Ostrich eggs hatch in 42 days

Notice: All are divided by seven......the number of days in a week

• Each Orange has an even number of segments
• Each ear of Corn has an even number of rows
• Each stalk of Wheat has an even number of grains
• Every bunch of Bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas and each row decreases by one. One row has an even number and one row has an odd number
• A Watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind
• All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks
• Flowers bloom at certain specified times during the day or night

Linnaeus, a famous Botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of  day or night, by the flowers that were open and those that were closed. I have seen that first hand in my garden with some cacti flowers that open at night. They are only open for one day. What a miraculous thing to see come alive in front of your eyes.

"Life without God is like an Unsharpened pencil-IT HAS NO POINT 

May God bless you in ways you never even dreamed

 

New month, new adventures....

 It seems like the months are just flying by us. Maybe it is just me. Before we know it, summer will be over and we will be looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas! I look around nature and I see a few trees already changing colors, and losing their leaves. I wonder if they are a little confused with the extreme heat we have experienced in the past 3 months. With every new month there is a new anticipation.  What is in store for us this month? We really don't know. Except the things we have scheduled, such as doctor appointments, trips, celebrations with family and friends, meetings and so on, we never know what each day will bring. We pray that it will be something good, fun and exciting, but sometimes we get unexpected news.

As I have mentioned before, one of my favorite scriptures is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,  "A TIME FOR EVERYTHING'...King Solomon, in the Old Testament, who was the wisest and richest man alive, was on a quest to understand what makes life worth living. (In recent times suicide is rising among 10 to 18 year olds! It is sad to see that they don't believe life is worth living). King Solomon talks about how things are so meaningless. He repeats that 30 times! Things are empty and unsatisfying. He has somewhat of a depressing view of things, if you ask me. However, the more you read, the more you understand what he is trying to tell us, and what his conclusion is.

He taks about the meaning of life and that there is a season for everything. All our emotions and actions, both positive and negative, are important. But seasons are temporary, and we must learn to accept them and try to adapt. Plants, birds and most animals adapt to new environments and change their ways, and so should we! Our life on earth is temporary. Nothing is forever. 

It takes faith to persevere all the hardships, trials and challenges. Once you understand and internalize this fact, then it is much easier to cope and deal with that circumstance. I know that it is not always easy, but it is doable. I moved with my parents when I was 12 years old. We went from Istanbul, Turkey, a diverse population in the millions, warm mediteranian climate, to Sodershoping, Sweden, mostly white people and population 5 thousand. Oh, did I mention the climate? Six months of snow!!

In the mid sixties Sweden had not experienced the influx of diverse foreign people, like they are today. The citizens looked at us with suspicion and called us "utlaningar", meaning "foreigners. I went into school speaking zero swedish. Kids can be nasty and cruel, and make fun of other students, if they don't know you. My best friend from Finland and I got our share of ridicule. It was not fun, but we endured it. The best thing for me to do was to learn the language immediately and adapt. Which I did.Looking back at those times, I feel fortunate to have experienced another country and their people. Although at times, it was tough, it was temporary, the pain is not remembered after all those years. Five years later, my parents and I moved again (my dad's dream to come to the United States). Now I needed to adapt again to a new country with different customs, climate and language. It was difficult at first, but it didn't kill me, I think it made me stronger. It was a new challenge. Looking back, I think my parents had it the toughest. They were already in their mid 50's and early 60's, not easy learning new things and going to work without speaking English. But again, we all survived. The good outweighed the bad, and I feel blessed to be here. 

As we look around the world and our country today, we are experiencing some very challenging times.  Many people are fighting wars, they are experiencing famines and persecusions. The freedoms we have enjoyed for so many years, seem to be fading away and doing bad things is viewed as good, and doing good things is viewed as bad. Everything seems to be upside down. Many families can barely make ends meet. High inflation, high gas prices, godlessness, lawlessness, crime, violence and destruction in many big cities is out of hand.  The government wants control of your children, because "they know best". I no longer know how to address people, or God forbit I say something that may offend them. The division among the people and the animosity towards people who have different views is something I have never experienced in my fifty plus years in America. Some of my friends have stopped talking to me because we have different views and values. I am fine with that. Some people will never se the light. They will saty in the darkness because they are unwilling to change or see the other side. They are stubborn people who think their way is the only way. We don't need those people in our lives!  All these things are enough to make you depressed and want to give up. Many feel hopeless and I can understand why. 

However, King Solomon also advises that we should enjoy daily, the simple things and pleasures; eating, drinking, enjoying our work,enjoying our families, enjoying God's creation, which is all around us, only if we take time to see it and appreciate it. All these things are gifts from God. His book concludes by saying: Fear God, keep his commandments, for that is the duty of man. God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. Unfortunately, too many people seem to have turned away from God. We only want God to give us good things and if anything goes wrong in  our lives, we walk away from God, as if it is his fault. Well, sometimes we cause our own problems.

I do beleive that God has a special purpose for every season in our lives, and that is because he works through us to do what he has called us to do! I have seen and experienced it too many times.

Time passes. Seasons change. People come in and out of our lives for a reason. We can always depend on our unchanging God. No matter what season we are in, He is our Provider, Protector, Father and Friend. God is present (whether you believe it or not) in every aspect of our life, whether it is our valleys or our mountaintops. I believe that He weeps with us in our valleys and He rejoices in our mountaintops.

 There is a time for Everything-and a season for every activity under the heavens

A time to be born and a time to die

A time to plant and a time to uproot

A time to kill and a time to heal

A time to tear down and a time to build

A time to weep and a time to laugh

A time to mourn and a time to dance

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them

A time for embrace and a time to refrain from embracing

A time to search and a time to give up

A time to keep and a time to throw away

A time to tear and a time to mend

A time to be silent and a time to speak

A time to love and a time to hate

A time for war and a time for peace

 

Indeed there is a time for everything. We may not agree with all of the above, but I am not as wise or as rich as King Solomon, so for now, I will have to take his word from all his research. Although he lived some 3000 years ago, what he taught us, has endured through the ages, and it is as pertinent today as it was then.

Have a great month!

    

Malachi 3:3

In the Old Testament, Malachai 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. " What does that mean? This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study group, and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. I don't blame them, I would be questioning it too.

In the past, many people owned things made out of silver or gold. Nowdays, people use custom jewelry, plastic plates, plastic utensils and papergoods and many other disposable products for parties, and holiday dinners. We don't place much value on precious metals, like our parents or grandparents did. I hear many older people complain that their children don't want any of their nice china sets or expensive jewelry. I remember on special occassions we would always use the nice china, cups and saucers, and silver fork and knives. Not anymore. So it is no surprise that the comment about the "refiner" and "purifier" of silver, sounds foreign to us, and hard to understand. When was the last time we ran accross a "silversmith" ?

One of the women in the group offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to them. She  called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him work. She did not mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest, so as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver". She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that he NOT only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked him, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered...."Oh that is easy!...when I see my image in it."

In order for silver to be suitable for sale in the market today, it must be a minimum of 99.99% Pure. The silver does not react to the air, but all the other metals, such as lead and copper oxidize and separate from the silver. What I found fascinating is that the silver, with its greater density and lower melting point, liquefies first, hissing and bubbling as oxygen is released. Also, I learned that silver's melting point occurs at 1,764 degree Farhenheit. WOW! Pretty Hot. I know how hot 110 degrees can be. Also, silver in its raw form is dark and not beautiful, until it is refined.

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you, and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you! WOW! What a statement. God is watching over us, and wants us to be like Him, pure and holy. As the saying goes "We are all a work in progress". We should be working on becoming better people all the way until our time is up, here on earth.

"Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once." 

Spend it wisely!

Have a great week!!

 

Do you know why it is hard to be happy?.....

It is because we refuse to let go of the things that make us sad.....This was a quote I read not to long ago, and it made me ponder about it. I suppose there is a lot of truth in it. When good things happen to us, we tend to be "happy" for the moment, and then we move on. But..when bad things happen to us, we tend to hang on to them and bring them up over and over, which makes the experience more and more intense and harder to forget. We tend to downplay the positive experiences, but magnify the negative ones. Think about it. It could be a job you didn't get, an interview that did not go so well, a date that went sour, or an "F" you got in an exam, in third grade! Some of these experiences make us feel like a failure, or give us an inferiority complex. If we concentrate more on our successes though, rather than our failures or disappointments, life would be much happier. We make happiness out of what we have, not of the things we don't have. The circumstances of life should not dictate how we feel, rather we should rejoice inspite of the circumstances we may be facing.

Did you know that optimists are associated with a longer lifespan? They have a greater chance of living past 90. That is what many studies show. For example, optimism helps people cope with diseases, protects against depression and stress, and better recovery from surgeries.  More impressive is the impact of positive outlook on overall health, throughout life. We can all work on a few things that will make us more optimistic. Here are some very simple steps that we can take daily: 

• Be careful who you associate with...the company you keep...don't associate with negative people, they will bring you down
• Turn off the News...they can be very negative, and tend to upset us
• A few minutes every day, write in a journal all the good things that happened to you, there are miracles around*** us every day....take notice of your natural environment     
• Acknowledge what you can and cannot control, and then let it go

***Ordinary Miracles we may not think of:

• A fresh cup of coffee you did not make yourself
• An unexpected phone call from a friend
• An unexpected gift, or "I was thinking of you" card in the mail
• The fastest line in the grocery store
• Green stop lights, all the way to your destination and...last but not least
• A breeze on a hot summer day!

Quotes:

"It is better to walk alone, than with a crowd going in the wrong direction"

"You cannot hang out with negative people, and expect to live a positive life" 

"Always remember that your present situation is NOT your final destination" 

When asked how they managed to stay together for 65 years, the woman replied: "We were born in a time where if something was broke, you fixed it, you did not throw it away"

Have a great summer......stay cool

"Battle Hymn of the Republic"

Have you ever wondered who wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"? We have all heard and sang along the Chorus....Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!....His truth is marching on...which is the most familiar refrains in the world.....but honestly, I did not know the name of the song, nor the rest of the words...until Galen texted me the story behind it, and I think it is worth sharing. It is very inspirational.

It was a poem that was written by Julia Ward Howe in November 1861, during a wartime tour of Washington DC, as Americans realized with gloom, that the seven month old Civil War, would last a lot longer than anticipated (sounds like the Ukranian-Russian war going on right now, and the sacrifices that people are making). The hymn inspired many. It has been called  "America's fight song". Julia was born in 1819 in New York City to wealthy and educated parents. Her mother was a published poet and her father a prominent businessman and one of the founders of NY University. Julia was exposed to literature and the great minds of her time. She published many poems and essays in her early 20s, and spent years as one of the leading voices for women's suffrage, as well as championing the role of mothers in American society. She married an acclaimed doctor, 18 years her senior, in Boston, MA and had six children.

Her story is very inspirational and you can read more about it on-line.   

My eyes have seen the glory

of the coming of the Lord

He is trampling out the vintage

where the grapes of wrath are stored

He has loosed the fateful lightning

of His terrible swift sword

His truth is marching on

"Chorus"
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!  
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

His truth is marching on

I have seen Him in the watchfires

of a hundred circling camps
they have built Him an altar
in the evening dews and damps
I can read His righteous sentence
by the dim and flaring lamps

His day is marching on

"Chorus

He has sounded forth the trumpet
that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men

before His judgement seat

Oh, be swift, my sould, to answer Him

be jubilant, my feet

Our God is marching on

"Chorus"

In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born accross the sea,
with a glory in his bosom
that transfigures you and me 
as He died to make men holy
Let us die to make men free

While God is marching on

"Chorus"

By the way...John Steinbeck lifted the phrase "the grapes of wrath" for his 1939 epic Novel, from the famous second line of this hymn. "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored", which is a plea for divine justice inspired by the Book of Revelation.

Hope you enjoyed  reading the story behind the song. 

Enjoy the holiday, and stay cool and safe!

Summer is here.......Happy Fourth Of July

The daylight hours are already getting shorter. It is July 1, a new month is here again. 

June 21 is the day the summer solstice occurs which makes it the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. During this time the earth is tilted towards the sun in such a way, that in the most northern countries of the earth, the sun never sets. In some parts of the world you see the sun set and rise almost at the same time. From this day on, the days begin to shorten as the tilt of the earth adjusts. Is that an amazing thing?  The days will continue to shorten until the winter solstice, December 21. This marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the earth is tilted away from the sun. The opposite occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, reaching the winter solstice in June and the summer solstice in December. We have friends who travel to New Zealand and Australia when it is winter here in the States, but summer there... 

I remember when we lived in Sweden, and we experienced this phenomenon. The sun was still out at eleven o'clock at night. In order to sleep we had to close the window blinds, because it was so light outside. You felt like being up and working outdoors. We used to hold a "Midsummer Festival", on June 21st.  In the winter though, it was the opposite. In fact, it was very depressing, because the days were very short and dark (not to mention all the snow for 4 to six months). One of my cousins still lives in Sweden, in a town called Mora, which is very close to Lapland, at the very top of the country. They really experience the longest and shortest hours.The sun never sets in June, and the sun never comes up in December. The interesting thing is that many cultures around the world from ancient times, had built stone monuments to track these solstices. The most popular with tourists are Stonehenge in England, Machu Picchu in Peru, and the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. All of these were built 3,000 to 5,000 years BC. Amazing! OK, that's as much as I know about this subject.

Normally, temperatures reach their peak in June or July where we live now, and so it was in Southern California. Surprisingly though, this year the heat started first part of May. Temperatures reached the triple digit mark, with added humidity, and have not let up much. It will be a hot summer! I miss our pool and the Pacific Ocean, but we now live on a lake, so I should learn to enjoy that! I need to learn to Kayak or Canoe...or swim on the lake with whatever else is in there! We will have many boats on the lake this 4th of July and we have many homes who have spectacular fireworks that we can watch from our porch! There will be firework displays and BBQ's everywhere to celebrate Independence Day!

Remember to drink lots of water and eat water-rich fruits and vegetables. Reports say that dehydration is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization after age 65. How do we know we are drinking enough water? Figure out your weight in pounds and devide it by 2. For example: If you weigh 150 lbs, you will need to drink about 75 ounces of water/day....150:2=75 oz (A little over 9 cups of water..and stay out of the sun as much as possible. Have a hat on and sunscreen. 

   Here is a list of fruits and vegetables high in water content:

Apples, Bananas, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Blueberries, Grapes

Asparagus, Broccoli, Carrots, Cucumber, Spinach, Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Tomatoes

Have a safe and fun 4th!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

 "The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him". Proverbs 20:7

The dads of the 50's, 60's and 70's are not the same dads of 2022!.The dad of 2022 doesn's want a tie. Ties used to be the most frequently gifted Father's day item (like flowers and candy for Mother's day). Fewer and fewer people dress up now for work and even for weddings and funerals. So, what do dads really want now?

Instead of material things, the dads of today want more time and exoperiences with people who matter to them. We live on the lake, and we see families in their boats with their kids, fishing, swimming and having a blast! Those are memories that will last a lifetime. My dad passed away 30 years ago, but I still remember when I took him to a "fancy Albanian" restaurant in Redondo Beach, California. My dad was born and raised in Albania, and a friend at work raved about this place, so I figure he would really enjoy it. The traffic on the 405 Freeway was bumper to bumper, but we made it to the restaurant after an hour or so. The owner was very gracious and he tried to please us with all the different dishes. The entire time we were there, my dad kept complaining that these dishes were not even close to being "Albanian", and they were way too expensive. He kept saying "let's go". My mom and I kept telling him to be quiet and not insult the guy. It was an experience, to say the least. The more dishes he brought out and the more he asked how we liked them, the harder it was not to laugh. By the way, my dad was right. The dishes were pretty bad.... not what we had expected. At some point the ordeal ended. On the way home all three of us laughed hysterically the entire trip home. It was so worth it, that we never forgot it. It was definetely a moment in time. Haven't we all been there? 

When asked, most dads indicate that they would love to have a meal with their kids. It doesn't even matter where, an ice cream parlor will be enough. We do ice cream outings every so often with some friends of ours, and that is so much fun. We enjoy the company and the ride to and from the ice cream place. They have the BEST ice cream, and BIGGEST ice cream scoops, I have ever seen!

Whether your dad is 25 or 75, it is the gift of time with family and friends that will never go out of style. So, whether you are being celebrated as a dad, or you are celebrating your dad, enjoy the day and make it a memorable one! Some day you will look back on these fond memories that will put a big smile on your face...

Have a Happy Father's Day!

Happy June

 Another month went by. Everything that could happen in May, did. Both Galen and I came down with Covid, the weather was getting hot and muggy after some bad weather we had, and both our air conditioning units decided to quit on us at the same time, as did our refrigerator.  Our washer and dryer sounded as if they were on their last days as well, so we decided to replace them as well. There were other things that happened, but I will spare you the details. We are so thankful, that all of these things are now behind us and we can laugh about them. With so many horrific things happening in our country and  around the world, these things were minor bumbs on the road...

So, what did I miss while we were busy with personal events? Well, I realized that May is a very busy month with all kinds of holidays. I decided to look them up.

May day celebration...when I lived in Sweden, there were parades in every town.

Cinco de Mayo......National Astronaut day, and National Prayer Day... I hope we all remembered to pray for our families our country and the world. God is hard to see, but He is at work and He hears our prayers. There is much evil in the world, but don't lose hope and faith. Don't quit praying.

Mother's day....for some of us it can be a sad day of sorts, because our mothers are no longer with us..or we may not have children to send us flowers, candy or take us out to lunch.Make sure you honor and do things with your mother all the time, not only on this special day, one day she will not be there.

Memorial Day....We are thankful to all the soldiers who died for us, so that we can have the Freedoms we enjoy. The men and women we don't know sacrificed their lives for us. We owe them respect, honor and appreciation. We are so blessed to live in this country, and unfortunately, we forget and take our freedoms for granted.

Also, May happens to be National Pet Week (May 1-7) and National Pet Month....enjoy and love your pets......all the time, not just on holidays! It is interesting that we dedicate a whole month for our pets, but only one day for Mothers and one day for God and Prayer!!

Anyway, I decided to look up what other holidays there are and I was blown away, I will mention just a few more. If you missed them this year, maybe you can celebrate next year.....:)) This is too crazy! Who comes up with all these days?? I guess we love any excuse to celebrate and have a party!

Ready? Here we go:

May 4...Star wars day- who doesn't want to be greeted by "May the force (or is it fourth) be with you?

May 10.....Clean your room day...????? Interesting...we don't want to clean our rooms 365 days?

May 16...Do something good for your neighbor day....WOW...I thought we should do that as often as possible...also May 16 is BBQ day..whatever that means

May 18...Visit relatives day! OK..you lost me again...what about the rest of the year?

May 20....Bike to work day....Yup good luck on this one, I come from Los Angeles, and now live in a rural area where people drive into the big city for work!

May 21....National American Red Cross Founder's day....this is also my mother's name day...day...... St Helen day..in the Greek Orthodox church, we celebrate name days, besides birthdays. I believe there is a saint for everyday of the year. My nameday is St Sofia, September 17...

May 24 ....National brother and sister day......Well, I missed this one, and so did my brother:))

May 28...Hamburger day....??? do we eat hamburgers on this day....missed that one too

Last but not least...Smile day and national macaroon day...well, I like smiling at people and I like it when people smile back! and definitely macaroons make me smile. I love them!

I left a whole bunch of "holidays" out....but it was a VERY long list...you can look up the rest...I am sure.....if you are curious.

June is going to be a great month!

Many blessing to you all............

Happy Easter, Passover and Ramadan

We have so many holidays to celebrate this month! I just read an Easter quote: "Earth's saddest day and gladdest day were just three days apart"...Susan Coolidge

It is very true. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross and three days later he was resurrected. That is a happy ending to the horrible things He had to endure, so that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life!  What do we owe our Heavenly Father in return? We owe Him our love, respect, loyalty, obedience and gratitude. Same things we owe to our earthly parents (we know there are some bad parents out there, but nevertheless, God also commands us to honor our mother and our father, and he doesn't list aany conditions).

As we celebrate many different religious holidays this month, we are also reminded that there is a lot of turmoil, misery and tragedy around the world. Recently, many tornadoes have touched down around our country, destroying homes and people's lives. Ukraine is still at war with Russia for almost two months now, and there are food shortages around the world. New covid cases seem to be on the rise in some parts of the world, not to mention the poor people in Shanghai, China, where all the citizens have been ordered to complete lockdowns in their homes. In 1999 we visited Shanghai. It is a beautiful, rich city, but today the streets are deserted and the city of 25 million people looks like a ghost town. The people who tested with covid have also been forced to go into quaranteen centers. The latest I read is that the citizens are being asked (ordered) to open their apartments as shelters for the infected, because the government is running out of quaranteen locations. We have so little control over certain things in our lives. We do not know what the future brings from one day to the next (actually from one second to the next, and that may actually be a good thing, if we knew, it might be too terrifying). 

At the same time though, we have blessings all arounf us, that sometimes we ignore, or fail to recognize. Therefore, from now on, everyday, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent that reminds you of someone special, or a special moment, a beautiful memory. Perhaps the aroma of freshly baked bread coming out of someone's home. It can be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or a light rain that cleans the environment and has that beautiful smell in the air (I love both...I sit and listen to the rain and the wind). How about watching birds and also listening to their beautiful songs. Now that spring is here, all the songbirds are out, and the other day I saw the first hummingbird on the hummingbird feeder, and a couple of butterflies! (When we lived in California, we had 5 hummingbirds that stayed around all year long, here they go away with the cold weather and return in the spring). 

Anyway, make a consious effort to look for those things, and cherish them. They may seem insignificant, but to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things that are put here on earth for our enjoyment.   The things we often take for granted. Try to appreciate all these things that many times are overlooked. The problem is that we are so "busy" with "life" and distractions around us, that we don't make the time to look for these "insignificant" things to enjoy. As I get older, I feel blessed that I am finally able to recognize what I have been missing. It is never too late. It is not so much the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.

So, today take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour, or your walk this afternoon. 

As the saying goes (don't know who said it)..."Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away". Today, and everyday, find something that will take your breath away!! We don't know how long we have on this earth.

He is risen, indeed he is risen!

Have a blessed week...

    

 

 

A good traffic rule on the road of Life:

 "When you meet temptation, keep to the right"...

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men....turn from it and go your way

Proverbs 4:14 & 15

We sure have a lot of evil and wickedness in the world today. May we always be able to differentiate between good and evil, and live a life that pleases God. We always have a choice...go to the left or go too the right..

Have a Blessed week

Spring is here

March 21st marked the first day of spring. and yet it still feels like winter. We had some beautiful days last week, but two days ago it started to rain, and temperatures went from the high 60's to the low 30's! I am not complaining...the storm went eastward and it is terrible what the tornado did in New Orleans yesterday. Having been through some big earthquakes in California, I can only imagine the devastation the people in New Orleans are experiencing. It seems like in the past two years we have had all kinds of challenges. Many times it felt like things went from bad to worse and sometimes I didn't think it could get any worse.  When we started coming out of mandates, masks, vaccines and Covid19, we started facing high inflation, high gas prices and a war in Europe! What else? When does it all end?   

Every season has its challenges as well as its beauty. I believe it is also the same with the seasons in our lives. It reminds of a story I read long time ago.

There was a man who had four sons and he didn't want them to judge things too quickly. He sent each one of them on a trip, at different seasons; winter, spring, summer and fall. He asked them to observe a pear tree.  When they came back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son said it had blossoms that smelled sweet and looked beautiful, it was the most gracefull thing he had ever seen. The last son said the tree was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fullfillment.

The father listened and told them that all of them were right, because they had each seen ONLY one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season. The essence of who they are, and pleasure, joy and love that come from that life, can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

It is so true. When Galen and I first came to look at homes in Bella Vista, it was summer, and EVERYTHING was green and beautiful. We fell in love with the area. But we often comment that IF we had come in the winter, when all the trees are barren and all the grass is yellow, we may have thought that the place looks depressing and decide not to move. It would have been a big mistake. The winters may not be the prettiest, but the spring, summer and fall make up for it. When we give up when it is "winter", we miss the promise of our spring, the beauty of our summer and the fullfillment of our fall.

Moral of the story

• Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of the rest of the seasons
• Don't judge life by one difficult season
• Persevere  through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come later

  

Happy Valentine's

It is that time again....we send greeting cards, flowers, candy, jewelry etc..to the people we love...It is Valentine's....but we can also give gifts that money cannot buy:

The gift of listening....Really listen to others-no interrupting (which I know I am guilty of at times), daydreaming, or planning your response. 

The gift of affection...Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back or handholds. (We all need to grow in some areas...this one is not easy for me).

The gift of laughter...Share articles, cartoons and funny stories..your gift will say "I love laughing with you". (I always enjoy a funny story from a friend, as well as sharing one with them)

The gift of a written note.....Even if it's a simple "Thanks for your help" note, it may be remembered for a lifetime. (I love writing and receiving cards/notes).

The gift of a compliment....A simple, sincere, "You look good in that color," can make someone's day. (Don't we all love hearing a nice compliment)?

The gift of a favor...Every day, go out of your way to do something kind for someone else. (I like  volunteer work, wether it is for a charity, church, or for a friend).

The gift of solitude.....Be sensitive to other's time and give them the gift of solitude, give them some space..(I don't always like to be around people and be "on", and have to chit chat, especially early in the morning).

The gift of a cheerful disposition...Project positive attitude. (Let's face it, who likes to be around Debbie Downers, and grouchy, negative people). 

So there you have it. Try practicing some of these "free gifts" and your day will be happier too.

And remember- the three best places to be are:

The nicest place to be is in someone's thoughts

The safest place to be is in someone's prayers and...

The best place to be is in the hands of God!

Happy Valentine's

HAPPY NEW YEAR......A lovely message........

Hope you all had a nice holiday season! We are now ready to tackle 2022. I pray it will be better than the last two years! We started the year with snow. It was beautiful and it has already melted, but the cold temperatures are still here....18 degrees right now! We had an unusually warm December, high 60's and 70's, it felt more like California than Arkansas. As long as you stay indoors it is great, but when you venture outside you KNOW winter is here...

A friend sent Galen a message that is priceless. I don't know who the 'author' is, but it is worth sharing with you.

A lovely message.....

Once upon a time!..When Window was just a square hole in a room and Application was something written on a paper. When Keyboard was a Piano and Mouse just an animal. When File was an important office material and Hard Drive just an uncomfortable road trip. When Cut was done with knife and Paste with glue. When Web was a spider's home and Virus was flu. When Apple and Blackberry were just fruits....That's when we had a lot of time for family and friends! 😊 

May God Bless you all and give you plenty of time with family and friends!