The Secret

Several years ago my husband and I traveled from Alaska to Pennsylvania where I had surgery. Microvascular decompression. While recovering we were able to take in some sights and even travel to Michigan where we visited with family.

On our road trip I found a recipe book called "Tasteful Treasures" in a small Amish town in Ohio. It has so many poems included with the recipes, I decided to bring it home with me. I don't think I have ever made anything out of the book yet, but here is a poem I enjoyed reading today.

The Secret I learned a secret From a friend the other day, You will never get in trouble If you are careful what you say. If someone tells a falsehood, And you know it is not true, Do not repeat the story, It will hurt them if you do. If you hear a good word spoken About someone you know, Tell him; it will help him, And his love to others show. The secret of this story... Just be careful every day; It is better not to talk at all If you have nothing nice to say.

If you have nothing nice to say be quiet. I heard my Momma say that before. My Mom left the village and went to high school in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I left the village (as many kids did in those days) and went to a small Bible high school in Palmer. My kids just left home and went to high school down the road a bit.

I passed on the great words of wisdom to all five of my own:

"If you can't say something nice then be quiet!"

Reli Sensibl Riten Styl

Sometimes I get stuff in email that is funny. Here is something: The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the EU rather than German which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5 year phase-in plan that would be known as "Euro-English" In the First year "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of the "k". This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have 1 less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20% shorter. In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also al wil agre that the horible mes of the silent "e"s in the language is disgraseful and they should go away. By the 4th year people wil be respetiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v". During ze fifz year ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters. After zis fifz yer. ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi to understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru and zen.........da world!

Rita

Old Harbor on a nice day
Picture was taken by Doug.

I've been watching Rita brewing up a storm and I am joining many that are praying for all those along the coastline. I pray that the worst of Rita will move back out to the Gulf and then die out. I am not all that familiar with hurricanes but with all that has been going on with them in the last few years I am learning more than I want to know. We used to get wind storms in Old Harbor. The wind was horrible and very scary. Wind forces of 85 to 100 and more which are considered hurricane force winds. I can't imagine 170 mph sustained winds and I don't ever want to experience them!!!! I remember watching the wind blowing Sitkalidak Strait up on to the street in front of our house. One of those times Dad said, "This storm is what's left of a hurricane in Japan." Wow, all that way across the world until it reached us, it was still that powerful. The force that is felt from these hurricanes are frightening. Once it blew in Palmer and Wasilla and the partially finished garage walls my husband built before he left for work were swaying in the wind. That was disturbing enough for me! Imagine a whole roof flying by! Or a whole CASINO being moved along by the forces of a storm! I am happy to see the highways filled with people leaving for a while. I couldn't help but think of the expensive gallons and gallons of gas being burned as these people flee the possibility of Rita while I watched them on t.v. this morning. It's very sobering to think that the hurricane season will continue on and ends November 30th. From today, that looks like a long time yet. Kind of feels good to be in Alaska so far away from the Gulf and hurricanes ... until you think of earthquakes! YIKES! Some people say these storms are judgements on sinning people. I'd rather say they are warnings and encouragement to set our hearts straight and worship God. God desires that all are saved. He deserves our adoration. Some people can't be woke up in any other way but to be shook awake. Judgements will come. His wrath will spill out on the Earth and on those that have rejected Him. Don't wait to change your heart because at the end it won't matter anymore what you decide, God's wrath will come to Earth and on those that stand in His way. So if you haven't already, change! Or, keep doing what your doing, either way, God will prevail. And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city." Revelation 22:10 - 14 Back to watching the storm...

Joy

"Joy comes in the morning" Homecomings. I am thinking about homecomings this morning. My husband works away from home and he will be home tonight. He has a meeting to attend in Anchorage. He will be able to come home for the night before heading back to work. This photograph is from my daughter Marie’s Webshots albums (link included). She was with her special friend, Sarah, when her husband returned from active duty in Afghanistan. I think you will agree that the joy of being reunited has been captured in this beautiful photograph. I wonder what it will be like to see Jesus Christ face to face. He has longed for our presence so much that He died for us, and then for Him to have us in His presence physically ---can we even imagine the joy that He will be filled with? My Dad is there in His presence. One night I had a dream. I saw Dad and I was moving towards him but was stopped by so many saying "hi" and "hello", "how are you". I hurried as much as I could because I wanted to be where he was. I saw his back and his hair, and he was standing, laughing and visiting. Someone asked me, "Who are you looking for?" I said, "My Dad, that's him." I pointed to my Dad. "Oh!" He moved aside to let me walk to Dad, but I woke up then. I woke up with incredible joy in my heart and it made me anxious to be where they are. The event that affected all of eternity continues to bring life and joy to countless millions dead and alive who have chosen to believe Jesus Christ rose victoriously from death! Because of that victory I believe when I physically die, I will meet Jesus Christ face to face and He will bring me to the world that knows no sorrows, no pain, no injustices, no Katrina's, no 9/11's ---but only happiness and joy that will go on forever. Can we even imagine that?! All joy --- just for believing. I believe Jesus Christ became the only Savior willing to die for me. I have bowed my head in His presence full of thankfulness and have believed Him and accepted His Way over my own measley efforts to be a good person or to do what's right. Knowing that all of eternity with it's wonders waits for me fills my heart with joy. I look forward to that homecoming "some glad morning when this life is o'er"! "O sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:4,5

Our Fun Paxson Hunting Trip

Picture from the Paxson area. (Click on Paxson to read information about that area.) We spent a few nights up here, camping and hunting. Mostly camping, or as my brother-in-law once called an unsuccessful moose hunting trip, "armed camping". We were armed and loaded with 4-wheelin' ATV's. It was sure fun.

The family all came. The only one missing was one. Even Baby Calvin joined the campers! (See my fun husband is even happy when it's raining.)

Alexis and Ashlee had a lot of fun. Muddy fun! Alexis was so full of mud her Mom had to pour water on her hair when we got back to camp, and it was cold up there! You can see the new snow on the mountain tops. Even if we didn't get a moose it was a fun camping trip but... we did get muddy and wet... and we did have fun!

During the past three weeks since I have posted, we have been busy with family here. We enjoyed sipping coffee and visiting, several birthday dinners, road trips, tea breaks, eating out...and having more fun with them! We will miss them now that they have winged their way back to Florida.

Now, without looking back, how many times did I say fun in this post???? You would think that we had fun or something like that.

Bye Bye

Good bye, Missie.

(My old cat, moved on this morning, September 14, 2005.)