What is YOUR Legacy?

                                                                     

     It seems everyday I see a post where someone I knew left this world, and their loved ones were left with the challenge to write about the legacy they left behind. I have spent countless hours pondering what I have left for future generations.
     I remember seeing a plaque hanging in an office one time that read, "In a hundred years it may not matter what kind of house I live in, the kind of car I drove, or the amount of money that was  in my back account...but it might matter if I made a difference in the life of a child". I knew that was where my legacy would lie.
     But it doesn't end there. Our legacy isn't always some sweet little thing we did to help someone. Sadly some leave a tainted bitter legacy for the descendants to have to learn to live with. Bernie Madoff  left a history that will follow his name long after the last scoop of dirt is thrown in his grave. His sons will forever carry that cancer on their name, even if they had nothing to do with his sins.
     I remember a lady who touched my heart many years ago, back in Gatlinburg, Tn. Her name was Candy Stacey, and she was the cousin of Dolly Parton (but then most natives to that area were).  She bared a strong resemblance, with platinum blond hair and ruby red lipstick. She wasn't afraid to wear bold colors and paint her nails to match her lips. But most of all, Candy always had a smile on her face! We worked together selling camping memberships, and one day she was visibly absent from her front desk where she greeted our guests as they entered the waiting room. When she came back in she had a bandage wrapped around her arm, and looked pale and weak. I guess I was one of the few who didn't know that  Candy had cancer and was taking chemotherapy. When she came back from the bathroom after emptying her stomach one more time, I asked her why she didn't just go home, to which she laughed and said, "Why honey I can't go home. Someone has to be here to greet these people and get them some coffee, and make them feel at home!"
     "Surely they can get someone else. How can you be so cheerful when you feel so bad?" It didn't make sense to me, I would be home, lying in bed, feeling sorry for myself and waiting for someone to wait on me.
     "Oh sweetie, I never know when the last time you are going to see me is going to be, and  I don't want anyone remembering me looking all sickly and not smiling! It makes people feel better if you smile and have fun with them. That is the way I want to be remembered." And that is the way  I will always remember Candy. She went home to be with Jesus a few years later. There must have been thousands she made smile during that time.
     This year someone challenged people to find their "word" for the year, to inspire and motivate them throughout the year. Some choose "purpose" and set out to discover their purpose in life. Others chose "serve" and are working on being a better servant for Jesus. I have chosen "legacy".  I want to discover my own legacy to leave behind. Will I challenge someone to make a difference in  the lives of others? Will I take a missions trip and raise funds to put in wells for clean water for some third world country? Or will I live only for myself? Striving to survive, and forgetting about the effect my life will have on others. A positive difference takes work.
     I hope my prayers make a difference in the lives of those I pray for, but that is in private and not for any recognition. I write, and naturally dream of my words touching someone someday. I want to encourage others and pray it inspires them to make a difference in the life of others in a positive way. But there has to be actions to go with our words and prayers. If we meet a man who is hungry but we don't feed them, and only offer to pray for them, our words are just lost in the wind.  If we live in a big fancy house and drive an expensive car, but fail to offer a cold drink to the homeless man on the corner we pass every day, we have failed to touch his life...even if we pray for him every day. What good will our fancy treasures do us when we are gone?
      A lady named Fran Blakley taught me how to sell timeshare in a real and practical way. She said if she left her jewelry to her only daughter, Debbie, and Debbie decided to take up with some worthless bum, he would probably sell her jewelry before they removed her lifeless body from the hospital. If she left antiques, he would probably have an appraiser out to the house before the funeral. But if she left her memories, Debbie would never lose them. So she took her on a special vacation every year, just the two of them, making memories to last a lifetime. And when she died she was going to leave her timeshare for Debbie to take her own children to exotic places and make memories of their own someday. It was her legacy to her beloved daughter and future grandchildren.
     I share all of this with you because someone touched my life this week in a special way, and I realized her legacy has always been to cheer others on to success and keep them encouraged. This girl was a cheerleader when I was in high school, and never stopped once she left those hallowed halls. She lives a healthy active life we all could take lessons from, but more than that she never stopped caring about people. When I shared a couple of weeks ago about receiving my second ticket in a week's time for no inspection stickers (even though I was on my way to get the inspection) that the $230 was going to be a tough blow on my budget, she immediately jumped into that cheerleader skirt and grabbed her check book! I didn't post that as a request, I was just venting! I tried to protest, but she refused to listen...telling me she understood and had been there herself one time. Those words meant more than the check. The day the check arrived was the last day to pay my electric bill...and of course the check just covered that amount! Without her help I never could have covered that bill. I know I am not the only one she has blessed. It just comes naturally for her.
     I will forever remember these people, and long after their lives have ended, the stories I have shared with my children will keep their legacies alive.
     I hope that someday when my last breath has escaped my lips, that someone will look at their children and smile and say, "I remember her, she ..." and they will tell something that I did that made a difference in their life in a positive way...I want to encourage, bless, and inspire others in the ways these great people have done for me.
     One of the greatest legacys ever offered was over 2000 years ago and people are still talking about it. A 33 year old man loved us enough he died for us. He didn't just die, he was beaten beyond recognition, tortured until his life left his body, and ridiculed and stripped naked as they hung him on a cross. He suffered greater pain than we will ever know...because he loved you more than you are capable of understanding. He did it because he wanted you to be forgiven and live forever in Heaven. Would YOU do that for someone else?  
     What is YOUR legacy? Who's life are YOU touching? Are you offering a drink to the thirsty, or just a prayer? Are you willing to suffer and die for people you don't even know?

     We aren't promised forever to leave our mark in this world, so you better get started...
          

"Do our pets go to Heaven, Mommy?"

     I remember well hearing a man who was teaching our Sunday School class state firmly that he believed there would be no pets in Heaven. Jaws dropped, and mouths whispered to one another their disagreement. 
     "Well there won't be. You might as well accept that now. They have no souls." he continued to a disapproving crowd. "You show me one place where it says there will be!" he challenged us.

     I found this wonderful book on the internet. Check it out!
     Never being one to keep my mouth shut, and always ready for a good debate I raised my hand. 
     "Ummmm, Pastor Jim, I know you love good food."
     "Yes Ma'am, I sure do!" he grinned.
     "And you are always talking about that great banqueting table..." I teased.
     "Oh yes, it is going to make anything you have seen on this earth look like junk food!"
     "Then I have to ask...is this banquet going to be vegetarian?" I waited for his response. Hey, it might be and I wouldn't mind a bit. I am all for saving the animals.
     "Oh no," he laughed, "I don't eat that rabbit food! It is going to have steak and lobster, and prime rib and fried chicken...all just the way you like it! And if I get my way we will be able to eat all we want and never feel too full." The smile on his face showed he was already putting his napkin around his neck. 
     "Then Jim, where are you going to get the meat? I mean if I am to believe what you say is true, there are not going to be any animals in Heaven...so where is the meat going to come from?"
     The smile slipped down off his face and he suddenly realized what he had been saying. He began to back peddle and try to figure out how he could make his logic fit.      
     Everyone has their own interpretation of what they read, and Pastor Jim was dedicated to reading and studying God's word...but he wasn't a pet person. For anyone who has ever shared their heart with an animal of any kind knows that God created the animals before mankind...for companionship. God loved animals of every kind, that's why He created them. In Genesis it says man was to eat of the trees and plants, but never said God told him to eat His precious animals. 
     I won't argue vegetarianism vs. eating meat because it is a passionate subject that everyone has a strong opinion in. That isn't the subject here.  But there are clearly certain animals that man has come to love more than others and has domesticated as pets. While we might love to own a bear or a tiger, they were too unpredictable to make a pet. So we watch them and admire their beauty at a distance. Man chose the cow over the horse for food, and fish over reptiles. The thought of eating their beloved dogs or cats is completely unacceptable to our society...while some countries prefer them... and eat monkey brains too! 
     God knew we needed more love. We needed a companion we could tell our secrets to, and that would love us unconditionally.
     People who have shared their love with a pet know the relationship exceeds words. Often we love our pets more than we love other human beings. My dogs were more faithful, forgiving, dedicated, and loving than any man I ever knew. They love me unconditionally, forgive me without question, and were home every night.  When I needed someone to share my feelings with, my beloved dogs were always right by my side. 

     Stevie, my youngest daughter is 21. She has always been introverted and kept her feelings to herself...until she met Deuffenschmirtz.  "Deuffy" as she calls him, is her cross-eyed tuxedo cat. I was playing on craigslist reading the pets section when up comes this crazy looking black and white cat with half of a mustache and crossed eyes. Stevie knew immediately she had to have him! The next day I went and picked him up and it was love at first sight. She carries him around on her shoulder, and he allows her to carry him upside down, or wrapped around her neck, or any way she wants to...as long as she carries him. He reaches up with his little paw and grabs her food and shares it with her. And he sleeps right next to her. He breaks all of the cats' rules of conduct. Boo, my son's black queen of the kingdom, is appalled that he acts so humanly.  She would much prefer he shows his royalty. He has brought her out of herself, and made her come alive. She loves him more than she has ever loved anything or anyone.  He is the first thing she looks for in the morning, and the last one she talks to at night. They are one. They are soul mates. He completes her, as I worry no man ever will.
     Dharma was my son's hamster. He loved her, too. Hamsters only live a couple of years, and she was no exception. One year while he was away at church wilderness camp, Dharma crossed over that rainbow bridge.  We all cried. We missed her so much. Her cage sat next to the television, and her vacancy left a huge void. We packed away her little wheel and all of her tunnels, and vowed never to have another hamster again,  to steal our hearts and run to Heaven with them after only two years.
     Rocky and Murphy were friends most of their lives, We got Rocky on Stevie's 1st birthday...he had the same birthday she did and they celebrated together.  Rocky was a mixture of possibly sheltie, cocker spaniel, and maybe springer spaniel too. He was so devoted to his family. I always knew where he was, usually laying at my feet protecting me. For thirteen years he did that. He never held a grudge when I did stupid things. He always just loved me.  He never ran off, always taking his job as body guard seriously. 
     When we moved to the East Coast Murphy joined us. He was my grandson's dog and we couldn't stand to part with him when it was decided he couldn't keep him anymore. He was a deaf Dalmatian and had a mind of his own. He often ran off and I would worry that we would never see him again. But eventually he would come home, tired and thirsty ready to behave. He usually sniffed out a park, or found his way to the kid's school.  Once, when we lived in Amarillo, Tx. I heard my boss say she hated to see dogs running down the busy 5 lane street in front of our store. I responded by saying I hoped it wasn't a dalmatian...but naturally, it was! There he wandered without a care, in and out of traffic, until he got thirsty. My boss and I ran to try and capture him before he got hurt.  Sherry always carried dog bones in her car, so she brought her car around and grabbed the treats, and I slipped around behind him, knowing he couldn't hear me. Sherry got his attention and I grabbed his collar. Murphy happily jumped in her car, always happy to take a ride. He had no idea how dangerous Western Ave. could be during rush hour, or how close he came to going "home" early. I went home and spoiled him rotten. I never appreciated him more than at that moment. Once again he had sniffed us out!
     I look back to the many furry friends who stole my heart..."Ugly Dog" was a little rat terrier we found in the woods in Oregon one year running with her sister, a cute freckled face spaniel who clearly didn't share the same paternity. As time went by people would say, where's the little ugly one? So "Ugly Dog" it was.  But she found a way around that demeaning moniker... she smiled! She showed her teeth and smiled a beautiful smile every time you asked her to, or if she was happy. Yep, a lot like the doggie dentures commercial! Then there was "Shep" our farm dog who was never afraid of anything until a mighty thunderstorm rocked his world one day. I happened to be looking out the window when I saw fire falling from the sky. It struck a massive oak tree in our front yard, which as luck would have it was where ol Shep was sleeping that day.  The lightening swirled around that old tree and hit the ground, leaving a huge hole right where Shep had been sleeping minutes earlier. He hightailed it to the front porch and I found him cowering under rocking chair, shaking with tears running down his face. I never saw him afraid of anything before that. After that he stayed indoors on cloudy days, and looked for cover if it thundered. There was Damien, my oldest daughter's mini pin who thought he was the biggest dog on the block, and Nirat her big black cat who believed he was a panther as he stalked his prey. I will never forget Trixie, or Sandi,  my first dogs who protected me and allowed me to lean on them as I learned to walk. There were so many others, dogs, cats, birds, fish, and guinea pigs. Each one was part of our family and a piece of our heart. I still miss each of them every day.
     In the last year I have cried with so many friends who have said good-bye to their dearest friends, and I know the pain they are feeling. It can compare with the loss of parents and spouses for many of us. I always send them a copy of the poem "Rainbow Bridge" and stop and pray for them to find comfort in knowing they will see them again in Heaven. I know God brought us the animal to bring us His love in a physical form, because I have seen the healing a pet can bring in it's touch. Doctors have even proven that animals aid in helping ailing patients heal faster, the elderly to respond to their therapy,  and service dogs keep their companions alive. There will be a reward for them in heaven, right next to the throne of God. 

   

                    This is Edgrrr, our newest family member.


  "Yes, baby, our pets do go to Heaven. Even God needs to feel their loving touch after a rough day of healing, or the heartbreak of man's rejection."

Arwyn was my Granddog. She brought so much love in her short time with us.  She was an angel with four legs.

Ruby was the best friend of my dear friend Dale Cannon for over 14 years. She took a large part of his heart when she left this earth. Ruby traveled to knap-ins with Dale and visited all over the country, and in the winter curled up next to him to keep him warm on those cold Minnesota nights.

This was our family in 2000. Rocky, Murphy and Tara were always faithful to watch over us as we traveled across country. Tara was young there and still had color to her hair (but then so did I!).

This was my Tara shortly before God called her home. She always laid right by my side.

It's been almost 10 years since the boys left us to cross that rainbow bridge, and I still cry at the vacancy they left.


Do you have a story about a beloved friend you would like to remember? Feel free to share your story here, and be sure to post a picture! What are your thoughts...do you agree or disagree with my opinion? I can't imagine Heaven without my furry friends...what about YOU?
     
     

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Remember that feeling... of sitting there in your classroom, waiting for your turn to be dismissed early for recess with your hand lifted up for the teacher to recognise? You may have finished your work early, and an early release was your reward...or the teacher said you could be set free as soon as you finished your test, so you hurried through so you could get to the playground before the others. You eagerly anticipated the joy of being excused from the classroom to play on your favorite equipment for an extra 10 minutes, or to get to see your friends longer than usual. "PICK ME!" your raised hand begs for attention.

Did you ever look back at the rest of the kids and decide not to go because they didn't want you to?

How happy are you for your friends who get special gifts, or win trips that you don't? It is only natural to be disappointed that we don't get the same thing, but is it right to wish they just didn't get it at all? If someone you loved just won an all-expense paid vacation to a place you had always wanted to visit, would you be resentful and sad? Or would you be happy for your loved one for being so lucky?

What would you say to someone who finally reached their lifetime goal, and was moving away from you? Perhaps they graduated and had secured their dream job in their favorite city in the world. Would you be happy for them, or be so upset you went to bed and cried for days?

In the last year, I have seen so many friends go through this experience, as they watched people they loved depart this world and start their new life in Heaven.  Just like the kid in school who looked forward to being released early for lunch, our loved ones worked hard to finish their work so they could reach their reward.  There they were, with their hands lifted high asking God to pick them next...while we watch with tears begging God not to take them yet. Like the little freckled face third grader who couldn't sit still in their seat, they eagerly wriggled and jumped up and down to be seen...and chosen. While we cried uncontrollably, and held on with all of our strength.

Our journey to Heaven required many tasks and trials, and once we finish our work we are allowed to join Jesus and see our loved ones who left before us. It will be far greater than any all-expense paid vacation, because it will never end. Why should we not want this for them? Is our own emptiness more important than their happiness?

I remember when Grandma died on July 2, 1979 and then returned to her body and told me about her after death experience.  When I asked why she came back she responded, "Because Jesus said I wasn't finished here yet." Her work on Earth wasn't done. She didn't know why it was she sent back after seeing Heaven...but I secretly knew. We prayed for her not to die.  I called my family, and they prayed. They called TBN and they prayed. TBN had some Christian Police officers from Orange County on and they prayed...that God would give her a NEW heart, and NOT TAKE HER HOME. But she wanted to go home and be with her parents, and my Grandfather she loved so dearly..and most of all be with Jesus.

I wish I could say the rest of her life was joyful and exciting, but in reality it was full of trials and loses. My mentally ill husband had us moving all over the country and into a new house every 6-12 months. She watched as he cheated on me, and tried not to interfere. She lost all of her worldly possessions after he sold all of our things in a one day auction, and disappeared with his girlfriend-of-the- day...(including her pictures, and jewelry Grandpa had bought her). After my divorce, I disappointed her when I dealt with it the only way I could, and went out to late hours of the night drinking and running around. And she had no social life, no admirers, no friends that we hers alone to turn to.  She died in a county nursing home after my uncle took her to Texas to be closer to him. The last time we spoke she was crying, asking for someone to get her out of there. She wanted to stay in Heaven when she could...

When Robin Daniel was talking to his brother just months before his death he said he knew Jesus would be returning soon but if He really loved him, he wouldn't make him wait that long. Life was hard, and he was growing weak in spirit with all of his trials. That was in December...and February 2nd he was murdered and died within minutes. I couldn't help but feel happy for him, in spite of my own sorrow.

When I go, be happy! I will have been set free. I will join my loved ones in Heaven and there will be no more tears. I won't have to return like I would if I were going on a vacation. I will finally have been "picked". I finished my work. Think of me as though I had been give full plastic surgery to make me beautiful again, with no more wrinkles or sags. And the best part is it will be perfect. I always loved going to women's ministry conferences...but this will be one of the best with all the joy of the best praise and worship services ever known. REJOICE WITH ME!

Do you believe in the coming Apocalypse?

The apocalypse is on every one's tongue lately.  Some laughingly talk about zombie's chasing people down streets and eating their brains...which I totally don't get since we can run and they can barely stand. Others are talking about nuclear disasters similar to the fears of the 50's where people prepared for bomb shelters.  There is a new show coming to reality t.v. called "Doomsday Survivalists" that documents the preparations being made by people stockpiling guns and provisions. No matter where you go, you will find someone who has an opinion on the possibilities of a time when we lose our electricity, technology, transportation systems, and stores. A time when bursts from the sun flares get so intense they knock out the satellites that co-ordinate our computers and keep everything running smoothly. Suddenly we find ourselves without stores; banks cannot access our money; we have no utilities; trash begins to build up; and food becomes scarce. There will be no transportation because every thing relies on computer chips these days.

No one can dispute the natural disasters that took out entire cities, like Joplin and New Orleans; or countries like Haiti and Japan.  We have had history breaking floods, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, striking everywhere. The sun has increased in intensity, and the solar flares are erupting stronger. It is only a matter of time before we see food famines and people begin to riot. We have become addicted to food, and our sizes have increased so that we require more to satisfy us. People will kill to feed their addictions.

Several years ago I had the pleasure of reading Terri Blackstock's Restoration Series (True Light, Dawn's Light, Night Light, and Last Light.) and it changed my life.  I no longer take every day things for granted. In the beginning the Branning family, from an upper middle class lifestyle  find their life turned upside down when suddenly planes start to fall from the sky, cars stop in their tracks, people will trade their Rolex watches for bicycles and supplies, and fight over trash cans with wheels, and food. Without utilities people cannot cool in the increasing heat, cook, do laundry, or any of the things they accept as part of life. There will be no wter when we turn the facet. They will have to learn to adjust, compost their food products, get rid of their waste products, purify their water, and preserve food without the help of appliances and stores. Within hours the shelves will be bare and all they have to make do with is what they already have at home. Days turn into weeks, then months and years. People kill for their neighbor's food. Police and emergency services are not available.  They commondeer vehicles that ran without computer chips, for emergency services.  Families cannot call and check on their loved ones, newspapers are handwritten and posted in neighborhoods. Criminals were running rampant and taking what they wanted, there was not enough man-power to cover the crime.

These were fiction stories with ample suspense to keep you turning pages until the last book was finished, but the reality remained. It could happen.

In recent months people are starting to wake up to the possibility that this could affect their family, and they would not even have a first aid kit stocked up. Sites have started appearing on the internet telling you what you will need to get by...but for how long?

I asked a group of friends whether they believed in the post-tribulation rapture or the pre-tribulation rapture.  I received an equal amount of opinions both sides backed by scripture. Some believe that we have to endure the tribulation to test our committment to God. Like removing the chaff from the garden, we have to see who is lukewarm and who is truly willing to trust God and give their lives to Him. The Bible tells us there will be no luke-warm Christians.  Matthew 24 tells us the signs to watch for. The prophesies have been full-filled, and the Bible tells us that this generation will not pass without seeing the second coming of the Lord. I am part of that generation. The scriptures tell us that now is the time to trim the wicks and fill the lamps with oil in preparation for the Bridegroom's return. It also says some will say "There's plenty of time, we have heard this before!" and will continue their old ways with no thought for tomorrow. I guess that is like the ant and the grasshopper...some will be gathering their supplies and food, and others will continue having fun, and then panic when the time comes (wanting to take what others have worked so hard for!).

Whether you believe you will be lifted up before these trials begin, or will have to stay and endure the tests and fight for your beliefs, it wouldn't hurt you to be ready for a natural disaster that could cost you your life.

I know people from every economic, and social background that is heading to the high country and taking their provisions with them just in case. Some are buying land close to water for convenience, and installing wind energy or solar panels. Others are forming bonds with others to build a community to work together. Some are hiking way back into the woods, while others want to stay close to cities. I heard of one retired General who chose to move back to base because they have already began preparing with food and supplies for the coming events and will have guards keeping the thieves at bay. Others are reading "Mother Earth News", studying holistic medicine, and learning which plants are edible.  And yet others are going on like there is nothing to worry about.

Perhaps it is the hype of the Mayans about 2012 that brings out our concerns, but the natural events of the last few years has enforced it's possibilities.  I am looking for a cave, with a natural spring...want to join me?

What are YOUR views on this widely discussed debate? Are you a post-tribulation or pre-tribulation rapture believer? Are you doing anything to get ready?  What would you do if you truly believed it was about to happen, but your family didn't? What evidence and/or scripture backs your belief? I look forward to hearing from you!

"But Mom, you know people like us can never have a house like that..."

We saw this house on Craigslist, and for just a few minutes I "got the big eye" as my uncle Tillman Turner would say. I read the description and         looked at the pictures at least a dozen times before I showed it to the kids. I have dreamed of this place for years. It had everything I could ever want, even an in-ground pool! I always wanted a pool ! My son looked at me and seriously reminded me, "Mom, you know people like us can never have a house like that!".

The house we live in now is over 100 years old, and has no heat, so we sit around wrapped in comforters and share a small electric heater. There is an oil heater, but it hasn't been serviced in many years and costs a fortune to run. Last December I spent over $700 on fuel oil! Our bath tub doesn't drain so you have to use a bucket to dip the water out and pour it down the toilet. The tempeture control on it doesn't turn so you get lukewarm and cold...which really gets chilly without heat, brrrrr! There is no insulation and the windows rattle with the slightest breeze, so we have covered them with blankets. So here we sit in our living room partitioned off from the rest of the house like a tent, wrapped like mummies, and no one wants to move. Then the landlady announced she is not renewing our lease; and any new lease would be at least  $200 more a month to bring it up to market value of $995 a month. We have no frills here; there is no washer and dryer, or diswasher,...or even a back yard. I haven't allowed anyone in my house in several years because I am embarrassed by it.

When I went to bed I was still pouting over the house I couldn't have.  It was $1500 a month and was about the same cost as this one when you count in the utilities.  I worked my tail off to support my family alone, until I got hurt and couldn't lift or bend like before. When the pain got worse I stopped exercising and began to gain weight. LOTS of weight. I still have a small income, but not as great as I once had. My daughter, Stevie, graciously gave all of her income to support the family until she got laid off last month. My son makes minimum wage and helps when he can. I continually look for work as a nanny in the meantime.

Then God smiled down and stroked my forehead and as I drifted off to sleep I prayed He allowed me abundant blessings. Then I saw visions of children sleeping in cardboard boxes, families in tents living under overpasses and in tent cities, and elderly, with no family to turn to, forced to live on the streets. If they are lucky they might find a warm bed in an overnight shelter they must leave after breakfast. Once they lose their mate and their income declines they become in danger of running out of funds to pay their bills and lose their dream homes to foreclosure.  Time and time again, if they have children, the children place them in nursing homes while they sell off everything their parents owned and disappear. Yes, this really happens! I know one girl who had a yard sale the week she placed her mother in a county run home.  Her mother begged for her television, but her daughter had already sold it.  There were 6 ladies in her room with barely a sheet separating them.  When one used the toilet chair, the smell made two others throw up, and the smell was unbarible. The homeless shelters that allow long term stays (up to three months) are all full, and children live day to day knowing when their time is up they are going to be placing everything in black plastic bags and walking out the door to uncertainty.  There are over one million homeless families in America on any given day. I am not one of them; I AM blessed.

I wanted that beautiful house for my family. I wanted a pool, and nice things for them.  They couldn't remember living in a nice house, or living in any house for over two years in a row. I wanted to give them the best, but I couldn't. I failed.  But here we sit, snuggling together on a couch we didn't have for many months, playing board games and snacking on finger foods for fun. We compete to see who will be the Donald Trump of Park Ave. and Boardwalk, and who will take over the Rail Road empire. My son wants to be a youth minister and help other kids find the best within themselves with God's help. Stevie helps others any way she can. It doesn't get much better than this on earth.

We only had one present each this year for Christmas, but it isn't about us, it is about the greatest gift  of all...Jesus.  It is about learning to see the world the way Jesus does. He would never whine about what He didn't have, so why should we?

We have a house that keeps us dry when it rains, and we have a place to cook and eat, and electricity to heat our food.  We have the heater going, and electricity give us lights in the dark. We have clothes we can layer up in, even if they aren't as clean as we might want. And we are thankful God has taken care of us according to His plan for our lives...maybe He is preparing us for future events.  We are thankful for Psalm 91 that promises God is watching over us.

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
³ Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Happy New Year!!!

How many times have you heard that one so far this week? I can't even begin to count, but I do know that saying it will not make it happen...it takes lots of work and understanding.  I got behind on my reviews when I let my circumstances overwhelm me, and likewise we can get behind in life when we let the same thing happen there. I have to trust and believe that everything happens for a reason. There is a lesson to be learned, a detail to be attended to, a trait I need to focus on, or a bad habit that needs to be removed that tends to bring on these things. Someone said recently that we need to remove ourselves from that "give me/ help me" attitude and fight our way over to that place where we make ourselves content with what we have and can help others. There are always others so much worse off than we are...we should appreciate all we do have!

I have heard preachers that feel we were just being strengthened to face 2012, and that it may prove to be our worst year so far. Wow. Yeah, that gets me excited...NOT! But it wasn't said to excite us. It was said to remind us of all the "natural disasters" (fires, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes in places never before stricken, new diseases, volcanoes, you name it) are only the beginning of the last days. Some believe we, the true believers will be raptured up before the tribulation and others think it will be after the trials. In either case we have some getting ready to be done. The time is coming when we will look at electricity as a luxury, have to learn to sanitize our water, and how to dispose of our trash without others to do it for us. The days of fast foods, credit cards, stores stocked with everything you can imagine, transportation, and utilities will be a thing of the past. You will long for a copy of Mother Earth News to help you out and teach you how to get back to basics! The richest people wont be in the penthouses or live at Trump Towers...they will be the self sufficient farmer living with solar power and raising his own food that will be looked up to. (For a good series that follows this thought read Terri Blackstock's restoration series).

As for me, I am going to focus on learning to do with less this year, becoming more self sufficient, and appreciating what God has blessed me with. I want to rely on His Grace to give me the strength to endure His trials leading to my growth and perfection in Him.

As I Promised...a Trivia Quiz!

As I mentioned, I am offering a quiz to see how well you know Tricia Goyer! Mail your answers to cherihorgan@hotmail.com and I will pick someone who has all the answers correct to receive a $25 Starbucks gift card! Good luck, and have fun searching...oh, and by the way, not all answers are found in my blog. Some will have to be searched out!

Next week I will finish with Tricia's story about how she finds all of her stories in real life situations and people.

Tricia Trivia
1. Who died, that inspired Tricia's first publication?
2. How old was Tricia when her first child was born?
3. What ministry did Tricia start based on her own experiences?
4. Name Tricia's first Book published.
5. When did she marry her husband?
6. What town was she born in?
7. What school did her children attend?
8. Who invited her to their reunion?

That's it! Good Luck and have fun!