This isn’t really funny, but something needs to be added – write responsibly and with truth.
REPURPOSED TREASURE
Before the impending birth of my husband, seventy five years ago, his parents purchased this Jenny Lind crib for him to rest his tiny body. A few years later, his sister occupied the same space. When our own three children were born, each of them had sweet dreams in this treasured bed.
Our children have since grown into adults and we’ve moved the crib with us four times since they were babies. We knew it would never meet the standards for resale to another set of parents, but it was just too precious to part with.
We now live in a sweet little old farm house and have found the perfect use for it. Now, what once held tiny babies, is home to flowers and trinkets from the past. There are some things we hang onto, knowing we will use them again. This is one of them.
It’s quite amazing that five children survived that crib. According to today’s requirements for baby beds, this would seem to be an instrument of child abuse or torture. At the time, it cradled precious lives and no one perceived they would harm anyone.
Though it gathered layers and layers of dust over the years, I’m so glad we can still look at it in our backyard. We don’t always have to throw away the things that bring back great memories. There’s always something to do with them.
Posted in recycling, treasure, Uncategorized
Tagged FAMILY, Inspiration, Love, memories, repurposing, treasures
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INDIANA KATHY
When I was growing up, I thought it would be so cool to be an archaeologist. Imagine spending your workdays discovering unknown civilizations and peering into tombs of former kings. Later on in life, the Indiana Jones movies came out and rekindled that fire.
While my husband worked as an interpretive naturalist, he was referred to as Louisiana Paul, but that’s a whole different story.
The truth is, it can’t be nearly as romantic as it seems. I wonder what will be said about our society when archaeologists start to dig up our past. Surely they will see that we were very wasteful. They will encounter mountains of disposable items such as diapers, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc. Not to mention the vast amount of electronic equipment. There will be caches of cell phones, computers, i-pads, i-phones, i-patches, fax machines, printers and so on; all of which became extinct within a matter of months.
The treasures they uncover will include fake jewelry, rusted out luxury cars, maybe a few pick-up trucks and several economy cars. Huge sporting venues will be revealed, just like the ones that amused the Romans so many years ago. The icons we worship today include everything but the One we should be giving our allegiance to.
A society is measured by what it leaves behind. I wonder what will be determined about ours. Is our wastefulness, selfishness and immorality going to tell the future inhabitants the kind of people we were?
Dear God, remind me of where the true treasure lies. There is no true value in things of this world. The real treasure is in your hands and it is freely given to us by you. I praise and glorify you for the lasting gift of eternity. Amen!
Posted in Christian daily devotion, families, parenting, Uncategorized
Tagged encouragement, FAITH, God, Inspiration, legacy, treasure, wastefulness
4 Comments
WRITERS’ FUNNIES
I WONDER IF MY BRAIN LOOKS LIKE THIS!
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ARE OUR LIVES BORING?
“You created a sensation about nothing. You people are so creative over there. Your lives must be boring.” Vladimir Putin
Have we become a nation of creative bores? America has always been seen as innovative, entrepreneurial, forward thinking, but boring? That statement from Megyn Kelly’s exclusive interview with Vladimir Putin got me thinking.
Have we become so bored that we have to come up with things to make our lives more interesting? Do we really create fake stories to spice things up a bit? Are we so anesthetized that we have to redesign our news? Have we too much time on our hands that we crave more, more, more?
I believe we’ve dumbed down since 9/11. When that horrid terrorist attack occurred, I thought there’d be a turn around in our country. For a while, I saw a rise in patriotism. My first inclination was to display a flag in front of our house, but we didn’t have one and there were none to be found in the stores. I realized at that time, that there was a surge of pride in our nation as we worked together to heal and rebuild.
The years passed and somewhere along the line we’ve seen declining patriotism – lack of trust in government, civil servants and any semblance of authority. We’ve become a nation of acceptors of all kinds of behavior because we don’t want to be accused of being politically incorrect or intolerant.
Has terrorism won? We’re becoming sedeated to it. It’s become so knitted into the fabric of every day, that it’s become common place. In some part of the world, every day, every hour, some act of terrorism is occurring – whether it be loss of many innocent victims or fear of walking the streets alone at night.
I love my country. I’m proud to be an American. As we traveled down south a few weeks ago, I was overcome by the beauty – the kindness of people – a land where blood was shed for freedom. I was overwhelmed by the mountains and the power of God’s creation. There is so much to see – so much to love – so much to fight for. We don’t have to make things up. What we need to do is get back to being proud of our nation and returning her to her original glory.
ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
Posted in America, God, politics, Uncategorized
Tagged America, encouragement., Freedom, Inspiration, Patriotism, Politics, terrorism
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TAKE & EAT, TAKE & DRINK
Yesterday our only granddaughter was confirmed in her baptismal faith. This was an especially wonderful day for us as her grandparents. In this same church, shortly after her birth, she was baptized. In this past year, she was instructed in the truths of God’s Word and commandments, and yesterday announced her allegiance and faith to Him.
What a blessing to stand next to her at God’s table and share in the gift of the Lord’s Supper. At this time in her life, when she is about to enter high school and a whole new set of challenges, we are confident that she will be equipped with the armor of God.
As we witnessed her standing before the congregation, with one other young lady, our prayers for her were answered. Her faith in her Savior will give her the strength to witness for Jesus, to share her love for Him and to live according to the plan He has laid out for her.
The gift of the Lord’s Supper will solidify that faith. She’s already proving to be a servant for God’s Kingdom. Our prayer is that she uses this wonderful knowledge to continue to build it.
Dear, Jesus, thank you for your gift of your Holy Spirit. You filled Kaeli’s heart with it at her baptism and the seed of your love was planted. Now she has affirmed that faith through her confirmation. Continue to grow that faith within her and help her to know that you are always with her throughout her life. Amen!
Posted in Christian daily devotion, Faith, Holy spirit, Uncategorized
Tagged Christian Confirmation, encouragement, FAITH, FAMILY, holy spirit, Inspiration, Lord's Supper
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INCONSUMABLE FIRE
ART & INSPIRATION FROM PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
Like a whirlwind,
Cutting a path in its wake,
A fire that rested,
On those who would serve,
Inconsumable fire,
Like the burning bush,
On Mt. Sinai.
The Holy Spirit,
Part of the Trinity of God,
Makes another dramatic appearance,
This usually quiet entity of God,
Made Himself known,
Upon that Pentecost day,
When tongues were released,
To speak in many languages,
To share the message of the Gospel.
Lord, may we be filled with your Spirit each and every day. Endow us with the gifts you bestow, so that we may share the good news of your salvation for all – for those of us who have offended you – for those of us who are sin sick. Inspire us, fire us up, fill us with your insatiable, inconsumable zeal, so that we may serve you in every way. Amen!
Posted in art, Christian daily devotion, Poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, holy spirit, Hope, Inspiration, Pentecost, spreading Gods word
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WRITERS’ FUNNIES
YESTERDAY’S FUNNY ENLARGED. SORRY ABOUT THAT DON.
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BEAUTY WITHIN
The old saying, “Beauty is only skin deep.” always confused me as a teenager, especially when so much emphasis was placed on physical appearance. Young girls compare themselves by what they wear, how they fix their hair, what their teeth look like, if they can wear skinny jeans, and how they apply makeup.
Women look for ways to stay young and will pay tons of money to do so. The diet industry is huge because people aren’t happy with who they are. Millions are spent on plastic surgery and Botox. How we look on the outside is important to most of us, very important to some of us and the only thing to many.
Maybe it’s time to dust off that old saying again and start looking deeper. Here’s what God’s Word says about inner beauty.
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” 1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV.
Posted in Christian daiuly devotions, parenting, Uncategorized
Tagged beauty, daughters., encouragement, FAMILY, Inspiration, self-confidence
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CONFIRMATION DAY
Today is a special day in the church year. We celebrate the day when the disciples became filled with the Holy Spirit and began their task of taking God’s wonderful news to the world – Pentecost Sunday. Today is also special, because our granddaughter is being confirmed.
Confirmation, in our church is the affirmation of one’s faith, which was first bestowed by the Holy Spirit at her baptism. We are especially happy that this wonderful young lady has chosen to be instructed in God’s Word, so that she too can share this great news with her friends and those she comes in contact with.
The teen years are difficult, as we all know, but to be prepared with the armor of God is precisely what is needed in this day and age. So as you go before the congregation today, Kaeli, may God grant that His Holy Spirit fills you with a fire that can’t be quenched. May He give you the tools you need for life. May He be with you for all your days.
Dear, Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit. Thank you for pouring your living water on Kaeli at her baptism. Thank you for bringing her to your altar to enjoy all the benefits of Your love. Be with her today, as you enliven her again with your Spirit, and give her the power of your Holy Word as a guide for her life. I also pray that your Spirit will reach others in these times of peril in our world. Amen
Posted in Bible, Christian daily devotion, Holy spirit, Uncategorized
Tagged Confirmation, FAMILY, Great commission, holy spirit, Pentecost, Word of God
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A DIRECT LINE
It must have been wonderful to communicate directly with God as did men of ancient times. Though they couldn’t see Him, they were given the benefit of His spoken word. The truth is we still have the ability to communicate with our Heavenly Father. The words of the Holy Bible are His actual voice – written by inspired men of God.
In many ways the world has strayed from the truth of the Bible. Some churches have steadily manipulated the words to fit their own needs. Some have chosen to become politically correct or to create church bodies that are more like country clubs than houses of worship. They administer forgiveness to those who have sinned, but are still shackled to it. To some it becomes a place to feel good about yourself and your own accomplishments.
The devil is eager to weasel his way into our churches and corrupt the message of our sinful nature – to fool us into thinking that we don’t really need a savior. I believe that in order to have the best relationship with God, we must first acknowledge our sin and ask for forgiveness. It is through that simple task that He begins working in us.
Jesus associated with all kinds of people. He wasn’t crazy about the way the church had been corrupted and, on more than one occasion,He voiced His opinion on it. His ministry was intended for the salvation of all, but He didn’t condone sinful behavior including the corruption of His Fathers house.
We may not have the ability to physically hear God’s voice, but we have the treasure of the Bible. We can also talk to Him through our prayers. Our sins have been forgiven, but our sinful nature won’t be dead until our physical bodies die. That is why we need to confess our sins to God daily – to walk away from the sin that pulls us from God – to renew our faith and our relationship with the only true God by studying His messages to us in His Word.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Posted in Bible, Christian daily devotion, God, Uncategorized
Tagged Bible, encouragement, God's voice, Inspiration, prayer
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THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
I’m a sinner and have no right judging another person, but I am truly concerned about the lack of common sense and not taking responsibility for our actions, which has infiltrated our nation. It’s another insidious tool of the devil as old as time itself. When Adam was confronted by God about His disobedience, He blamed Eve. She passed the buck to the devil. All three of them were guilty, but no one wanted to own up to it.
It seems that the idea of blaming someone else has come back in style big time these days. When things don’t go our way, we blame our parents. When we don’t get our monetary needs satisfied, we blame our employers. If our chosen candidate doesn’t win the election, we try to dig up as much dirt on the winner as we can. When our children misbehave, we blame their genetic DNA. When we screw up, we blame someone else for the results of our wrongdoing.
This tactic of “self defense” simply shouldn’t cut it anymore. We’ve lived too long this way. It’s weaving its way into the political realm. We’re exposed to it by actions taken against those who protect and serve. We see it every day when kids blame other kids for something they’ve done. Children learn by example and today the example stinks.
Every day there’s another incident of not owning up to foolish or harmful actions. Those who can’t seem to handle the heat, don’t want to lose face. They fear losing their jobs. They can’t accept the results of their foolishness. If they had thought about the results before doing the action, they never would’ve done it.
We’re all guilty of this at one time or another, but I fear it has become a way of life and a catch
all for every situation. When those in power, minorities, parents, children, old fogies and celebrities use this tactic, we’re setting themselves up for judgment. That judgment will come on the final day and will be determined by God Himself.
Isaiah 1:4 “Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.”
EXPRESSING THOUGHTS WITHOUT WORDS
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON 5/29/14 BY ATIMETOSHARE.ME
A mixture of saline and water which appears during a specific episode.
It can occur when a foreign object enters the area.
It can be produced through irritation, emotion, a strong odor or taste.
It acts as a cleanser. It can come at the most unpredictable times.
When your heart is aching over a lost love.
When you’ve shared angry words with a friend or spouse.
When a loved one departs this temporary life.
When you feel alone, betrayed, hopeless.
When there are no words to express what is in the heart.
God give us these little droplets to renew us – to release the sadness –
To wash away anger, frustration, grief, loss.
They can come gushing out or merely trickle.
Tears.
Tears give us new strength and power.
Every time I cry, I feel as though the flood gates have opened.
Once the cry is over there is true sense of relief.
Thank you, Lord, for tears. Help me to know that they are a good thing.
Keep me from being embarrassed or ashamed when my tears fall.
Remind me of the tears shed at your death.
Assure me that through your resurrection and ascension, I will see you.
My tears of sorrow will turn to tears of joy when I enter heaven.
After that time there will be no more tears.
Posted in anxiety, Christian daily devotion, Uncategorized
Tagged deepression, encouragement, FAITH, Hope, Inspiration
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SET SAIL
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER@
THOUGHTS FOR THE GRADUATE
Up until now,
Stuck within the pack,
Held tightly from the fray,
Others watched your back,
Protected you did stay,
But now the day has come,
It’s time to spread your wings.
To soar above the sun,
To reach for all life brings,
So raise the mast and sail,
upon life’s shifting seas,
Your pilot will not fail,
To give you all the keys,
Your path is all mapped out,
When God is at the helm,
There is no room for doubt,
He’ll guide you to His realm.
Look ahead, yesterday is gone and life is starting fresh. Set sail for your future.
Posted in art, Christian daily devotion, Poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, God, graduation, Guidance, setting sail
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SO THIS BE MADNESS …
I’ve been trying to remain silent about all the hoopla over our president and the slings and arrows flying in his direction. All of these diversion tactics draw us away from the truth in the form of fake news, insane attempts at comedy, making fun of him, pulling no punches when it comes to his family or his lifestyle. In my opinion, it’s nothing more than pure and simple bullying – the one thing that liberals are good at.
So here I am again – after vowing to put on a happy face – screaming, ranting and spewing words of anger and rage. I never should have tuned into the news. I should steer clear of the internet. I should just hide under my pillow with my happy face having no effect on anyone.
The truth is, we can’t hide from the horrid things going on in our world and in our own country. The atrocities occurring around the world are countless. People seriously are starving to death, being forced to deny their beliefs, living in squalor, poverty or addiction, being sold into sex trafficking and losing lives as martyrs. These aren’t pleasant things to witness, but they are the truth of our world today. Instead what is being focused on?
A comedian, trying to gain public attention, holds the head of a decapitated image of the leader of the free world, simply to get a laugh. The president makes a typo in one of his tweets and the press is all over it. All of us has done so, but we don’t see headlines about it.
A bus full of Coptic Christians in Egypt is destroyed because those within it won’t deny their faith in Christ. ISIS claims responsibility. This story takes second place to the comedian. A jury in Minnesota is being selected to prove that a cop acted in self defense and the media focuses on a video taken by the victim’s girlfriend. We don’t know how this will turn out, but why bias those who will judge him before he even goes to trial?
Our world has gone mad and these are just a few examples of the craziness. This insanity can only be overcome by the consistency of One. God has never changed in regard to what He expects from us. He demands our obedience and respect and as a true Father, also loves us unconditionally in spite of all our madness.
The diversions of this world should never give way to the truth of God and His Holy Word. Madness feeds on untruths or flashy headlines. When we allow it to overtake us, we are allowing it to fester. We get angry, we lose sight of the important things and many times succumb to the insanity.
1 Timothy 3:1-5 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
I feel better now!
Posted in America, anxiety, Uncategorized
Tagged America, Anxiety, egotism, encouragement, Inspiration, lies & deceipt, the world
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SET THE WORLD ON FIRE
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
Life can be but a mere whisper,
Or it can be a consuming fire,
The way we approach it,
Will define who we are and where we’re going,
If we go through life without focus,
If we don’t set goals,
Or make wise decisions,
If we try to accomplish it alone,
We are bound to stumble,
If we use each moment with purpose,
If we wake each day knowing that Jesus is our partner,
If we light the world with our enthusiasm,
We will turn that fire into a raging conflagration,
Our spirit will soar as on wings of eagles,
We will succeed in ways we never imagined.
Posted in Christian daily devotion, Poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, Christian walk, encouragement, FAITH, Goals, Inspiration
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atimetoshare.me 