Midweek Morsel: To Those Paying for Our Freedom

July 3, 2014 by 1 Comment

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Sometimes we take our freedom for granted here in America. Most of us have been born into the every-day freedom we enjoy, and we forget that freedom for many around the world is a luxury.

We need to always remember that our freedom has come and continues to come at a cost. Our right to freedom here in the US is, in fact, a great privilege purchased for us by all of those who have fought to defend and maintain our nation as a free nation.  Freedom is not to be taken for granted.

So to all of those past and present who have served and sacrificed so that we all might live in the land of the free—thank you! We honor each one, from our nation’s dawning days right up until today.

We are indebted not only to those who have served or are serving but also to their families who are indeed their co-servants, the ones supporting them and loving them and willing them to come home. The ones weeping when they don’t. We honor you. We don’t take you for granted. You have our gratitude and greatest respect. May God’s richest blessings be yours!

“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2

*What are some ways we can honor those who serve?

*Flickr photo by familymwr, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: Above and Beyond, America, fighter, free, giving, pride, protection, serve, thanks

Midweek Morsel: When God’s Laws Are Being Broken

February 20, 2014 by 9 Comments

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“It is time for you to act, O LORD; your law is being broken.” Psalm 119:126

Are you heartsick over how many in our nation—leaders included—have forsaken God’s righteous laws as revealed in his Word, The Holy Bible? Do you shake your head in disbelief over sinful attitudes and behaviors that many now support as acceptable or even admirable?

If so, please add the verse above to your prayer arsenal. When we see God’s laws being broken—whether in our lives, the lives of those we know and love, or in the wider populace of our nation—let’s go to God in prayer.

Let’s plead with God to act—to open eyes to the wrong being done, to correct, to bring about a return to his standards and his holy ways. Let’s ask him to act in his righteousness. It’s time.

“Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.” Psalm 119:136

*What are some effective ways to do battle prayer over the laws of God being broken?

*Flickr photo by Vinoth Chandar, Creative Commons License

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out Feb. 3rd. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: America, burden, grief, prayer, sin, Word of God

Shattering “Never Haves”

August 19, 2013 by 12 Comments

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Hiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail for the first time in my life.

If you’re like me, you have a mile-long list of things you have never done. I’m talking good things here. Noble or interesting things. Fun things. Daring things. In other words, life experiences. And even though I’ve lived well over five decades now, there’s still a lot of life that I’ve not yet experienced. A lot of things I’ve never done.

I’m happy to report, though, that during our vacation I shattered some of my never haves. On the way home I go to thinking about how many new experiences I had racked up during our time away and decided to make a list. With each item I recorded, I realized how cool it all was. Not that the activities themselves were all so extraordinary—just that I felt really pumped to have done so many new things for the very first time in my life.

Here are some of the never haves in my life that I can now say that I’ve done:

*Finally traveled east of the Mississippi. We spent time in Tennessee and even made brief appearances in North Carolina and Kentucky.

*Visited the Smoky Mountains National Park. Absolutely beautiful.

*Straddled two states at once—along the Tennessee/North Carolina border in the Smoky Mountains National Park.

*Hiked on the Appalachian Trail. So happy to join the company of those who have done this.

*Saw a couple of bears in the wild. I wanted to see a bear while in Tennessee bear country, and my wish came true our very first morning.

*Followed a bear in an excited-but-extremely-unwise attempt to take some photos. Am thankful the Lord was watching over me!

*Ate at a Bubba Gump and a Johnny Rockets. My taste buds are happier for having visited them both :)

*Ate corn fritters—and were they ever yummy.

*Saw an American Idol winner in person—David Cook!

*Drove go-carts. And not only that, but drove go-carts with American Idol winner David Cook in our group of drivers. If I remember correctly, he left me in his dust :)

*Enjoyed a family-only worship service with my parents, my sisters, and all our families.

*Attended the Grand Ole Opry. They put on a superb show. Highly recommend it. During a backstage tour, they also took us out on stage where we got to stand on the famous circle from the Ryman Auditorium where all the performers have stood throughout the years.

*Acted as navigator in Nashville while Don drove. Quite challenging since I had never been there before this trip! :)

*Drove through the area where the Ohio River meets and empties into the Mississippi.

Pretty neat, huh? Some of these things I hoped and planned to do, but some were complete surprises. And now my world is larger simply because I shattered some never haves. I wonder what will be next? Can’t wait!

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things . . .” Psalm 98:1a

*What are some of your never haves you hope to shatter soon?

*Photo by one of my family members

*Don’t miss out on the “Back At It” Giveaway. Deadline to enter is 6 p.m. Aug. 28. Details are in my Aug. 15 post.

Filed Under: action, America, bravery, dream, fun, goal, memories, new thing, opportunity, surprise, travel, unplowed ground, victory

Summer Photo Fun: Enjoying History in Tennessee

August 5, 2013 by 2 Comments

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As we enjoy Summer Photo Fun here on the blog, I’d love for you to enjoy some of the Tennessee history we enjoyed while on vacation in July. I love a little history mixed in with the family love and the beauty of God’s world we experienced while getting away from normal life for awhile.

Since I hadn’t researched the Smoky Mountain National Park area in order to decide where to vacation (we decided the travel destination for purposes of a family reunion), imagine my surprise and delight when we encountered old homesteads and mills and the like while driving and hiking through the Park. The photo above is the corn crib at the old Ephraim Bales Place found along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Ephraim and his family lived there from around 1890 to 1930.

Don and I also got to experience a different kind of history as we stopped in Nashville for a couple of days on our way home. We took in the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as a belated birthday present for my country music-loving husband. I’m not a huge country music fan, but I know enough to appreciate some of the basics—and we got all that and more while there.

Enjoy these glimpses into the past with me, won’t you?

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Here’s my nephew Cody standing in front of the historic Old Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge. Gotta love history when it tastes this good. I had corn fritters for the very first time in my life. Yum!

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This old homestead, also just off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, was tucked away in a pocket of natural beauty. Absolutely gorgeous.

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Beyond the cabin in the picture above sat this step-back-in-time stable/barn. The surrounding woodlands made me think of the Garden of Eden. Truly the feel of another time, another place.

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We even got the chance to go inside the cabins in the area, including this one on the Ephraim Bales place.

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First time ever for any of us to hike along a portion of the historic Appalachian Trail.

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So much fun during our time in Nashville to see the historic Ryman Auditorium, built in 1892 and home to the Grand Ole Opry for thirty-one years.

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Gene Autry’s 1926 Martin 00-42 guitar displayed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

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Dolly Parton’s original handwritten lyrics to Jolene, a #1 hit in 1973-74.

Hope you enjoyed sharing in some of the history we found in Tennessee!

“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past.” Deuteronomy 32:7a

*What slices of history have you enjoyed while on vacation?

*My photos, except for the one our son-in-law Shawn took along the Appalachian Trail.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: America, learn, memories, travel, Uncategorized

Midweek Morsel: Grateful For Our Nation

July 4, 2013 by 3 Comments

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Celebrations of all sorts mark the Fourth of July each year—as they should. We as individual Americans—and as a nation—have much to be grateful for, don’t we?

Sometimes we forget, though. Today let’s think about the blessings of living in the USA. Let’s never take our freedoms for granted.

 I’m grateful for our nation because:

  1. We are governed by a democracy and we have the right to vote.
  2. We enjoy freedom of religion and can assemble as believers without fear of punishment or persecution.
  3. Provision is made for the poor.
  4. Our military does a superb job of protecting our nation.
  5. Our land is beautiful and filled with natural wonders, and our national park system does a great job of preserving them.

These are just a few reasons I’m grateful to be an American. What can you add to the list?

 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4

*Flickr photo by The U.S. Army

*Today I’m blessed to be guest posting for Vonda Skelton over on Inspire A Fire. We’re “Remembering Those Who Aren’t So Free — Persecuted Christians.” Hope you’ll come join us!

Filed Under: America, blessing, holidays, thanks
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