Last Flight Out

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10

I believe these lovely plants are lavender, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. They were full of many bees. Bees everywhere! Do you know how a bee's age is determined? Their wings. Since they work all the time, a young bee will have lovely, complete wings. An older bee's wings will be worn and have tears in them. Bees do not die of old age. They die when their wings are all worn out and it becomes hard to fly. When that happens, it can't work or BEE productive anymore. A bee's life is work, and when it cannot work, it's life is over. Nearing it's death, the bee will fly far away from the hive. It will continue flying until it dies and falls to the ground. It has literally worked itself to death. God has programmed bees to do this, not people. Aren't you glad?

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11;28,30

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

Guess what's in bloom around here now? Poppys! Their bright, cheery color belies the fact that they are the stuff of dreams, because dreams are what they give us. Opium is almost as old as civilization itself, with evidence suggesting that Neanderthals may even have used it over thirty thousand years ago. It is probably the world's first anti-depressant, as it doesn't impair intellect or motor coordination. Opium was given to cranky, crying children way before Ritalin, marketed as "Street's Infants' Quietness", "Atkinson's Infants' Preservative", and "Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup", among other names. Insurance that children would be seen and not heard. Mary Shelley's idea for Frankenstein came from a waking opium dream, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous poem Kubla Kahn was inspired by an opium vision. Britain had become addicted to Laudanum, a mix of opium, alchohol, and distilled water. Sweet dreams were made of this, as the song goes. In the process of blooming, the poppy hangs it's head, even seeming to droop in sleep itself. The beautiful vision that brings vision to others. Indeed, the poppy is the symbol of Morpheus, the greek God of dreams, but that's a whole other story I'll post about later...

"The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." Romans 13:11

Permission To Cross

Beyond the blue horizon waits a beautiful day

Goodbye to things that bore me; joy is waiting for me

I see a new horizon; my life has only begun

Beyond the blue horizon lies a rising sun

W. Franke Harling, Leo Robin, Richard Whiting

Hijinks At The Church Part ll- Creations

"For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." Col. 1:15

This is my second and final post on our granddaughter's school program. After the singing, everyone went into the fellowship hall to view the crafts that the kids had made during the school year. Here she is with Phil. We hugged and praised her. No, we did not say a word about her little "performance" on stage just minutes before. Any discipline for that episode was all up to her parents. Grandparents are lucky that way. Pictures show just a few of their creations. I love the paper bag fishes, and showed hers specifically because she made the only one with long eyelashes. God created us to be in His image, but how could that be when we certainly don't look like him, being flesh and blood? Because God gave us some of his attributes, including the ability to create. And boy, do we create! When man built the tower of Babel, here's what God said about our creating :"If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." Just think about that. Nothing will be impossible! But the problem with the tower was that men got so carried away with these creative abilities that they thought they could replace God. So he actually had to inhibit our abilities in some way. Kind of like little Anne on stage, sometimes being TOO creative isn't such a good thing.

Hijinks At The Church

I couldn't fit the whole group in the camera

Instead of making her hand motions, she put hands behind her back

Deciding to pull up her dress and give everyone a peek

Now beginning to make faces

Now rather oblivious to the others, more face making is in order

Though blurry, you can see the tongue sticking out

I Can't see the director, I can't see the director!

Putting the sunglasses on backwards

That hand is not pointing at ME,is it? Uh Oh, BUSTED!

Our four year old granddaughter Anne Marie goes to preschool at First Baptist Church. And last week they had their big end of school year presentation at the church. All the classes came onstage in the sanctuary and sang cute songs. Then everyone went into the fellowship hall to look at all the crafts the kids had done during the year. A time for bragging and praising! And let me assure you, gentle reader, this was no small thing. First Baptist may be the biggest, most prominent church in town, and it was loaded with parents, grandparents, families, and friends. People were in the balcony filming videos and camera flashes were snapping. When the little ones were led onto the stage, my daughter-in-law and I both got up and went into the aisle to take pictures. Anne was in the center of the front row. It's hard to put my finger on when things started to go wrong. At some point, our sweet little Anne decided she would not follow the planned program, so she put on her own act, seeming to be oblivious to all the others. The captions speak for each picture. Every time she glimpsed her mom snapping pictures, she stuck out her tongue at her. Finally, mommy went and hid behind a large pillar and peeped out to snap. Anne still spotted her and made faces. Well, who wants a boring children's program with everyone acting like little ladies and gentlemen? Where's the fun in that? Hilarious monents like this are what we live to see. Of course when she got home, she got a stern talking to, and discipline ensued. But it was fun while it lasted.

"Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees;

then I will keep them to the end.

give me understanding, and I will keep your law

and obey it with all my heart.

Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight." Psalm 119:33,35
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The Next Big Step

A nice swim is so refreshing


Now it's time for the little ones to get to know their world

One must learn to cross the road in a busy city

But big steps can be pretty high for a little fella

We think We'll just stay down here

And take a little nap before our next big step

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;

though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

Psalm 37: 23,24

Streams Of Living Water

Fountain at sunset. Richmond, Virginia, the evening of May 1. Words fail, only pictures.

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thrist. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13,14