What the world needs now is love sweet love It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of What the world needs now is love sweet love No not just for some but for everyone
Lord we don’t need another mountain There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb And there are oceans and rivers enough to cross Enough to last ’til the end of time
What the world needs now is love sweet love It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of What the world needs now is love sweet love No not just for some but for everyone
Lord, we don’t need another meadow There are corn fields and wheat fields enough to grow And there are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine Oh listen Lord, if you want to know If you want to know
What the world needs now is love sweet love It’s the only thing that there is just too little of What the world needs now is love sweet love No not just for some, oh but just for everyone
It was April of 1965 when this song was released. I was a young woman of 22, married only seven months before. Fashions of the time included bell bottom pants, loud, splashy colors for men and women, and big hair. I could easily add six inches to my height by teasing my hair into a bee hive. The Beatles were winning Grammy awards, Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews won Academy awards and exploration into space was starting in earnest. It was the age of Aquarius, flower children, entrance of American troops into Viet Nam and protests in the streets. Sounds a lot like what continues in the world today.
Hal David wrote the lyrics for “What the World Needs Now is Love” to music composed by Burt Bacharach and it was released in April, 1965. It is said that Hal David struggled with the lyrics for almost two years. When he finally put things into perspective the words began to flow and he was able to complete it to what we know today. At the time, the lyricist had a son who might be called up to go to war in Viet Nam. This must have played heavily on his heart.
I grew to love this ballad during that time in my life. I was an idealistic young woman with hopes for the future, but the world around me was turning and changing so fast. As I look back, however, the changes being made in the ever evolving world, didn’t change God nor His purpose in my life. Though the world was and is still in turmoil, we can still hold to the fact that God is in control. The Bible tells us that God is LOVE. So all we really need is God.
I made the mistake of turning on the news last night. I was curious about the weather and the upcoming forecast. That was my first mistake. The local news was filled with one bad thing after another, a liberal state at work, and the promise of temperatures in the 90s for next week, with no sign of rain. The national news talked about the fires in Canada and California – the inevitable increase in goods and grocery prices, which I’ve already see – the violence and unrest in Cuba – the delta variant is now the dominant strain in the US. What ever happened to, “There’s good news tonight,” or “And that’s the end of the story?”
Earlier in the day I couldn’t help but get my dander up when hearing about someone feeling picked on and abused for their beliefs. Another situation arose when I was met with an opposing opinion. I felt hurt as well as angry. As I approached my weekly grocery shopping, I felt anger all around me. People in a hurry, not caring if they pushed you out of the way or cared less that you were a human being. Angry words were spewed over cell phones, at cashiers, at food stockers and anyone that stood in that person or person’s path.
People seem generally crabby lately. I’m not sure exactly what has caused this change and disregard for kindness. I mean it used to be an act of kindness to help an old lady across the street, but now the old lady might just whack you with her cane. We could blame it on the year and a half of isolation caused by the COVID19 virus. We could do that, but I don’t think that’s the only thing which has led to this constant rise in emotional behavior. We could blame it on the state of the world, but we really don’t know what to believe anymore when it comes to the news or media. We could blame homelessness, unemployment, lost of stability, psychological problems and on and on and on. The truth is, the blame lies within each one of us.
We all get angry. Sometimes it’s a release for us, but it also results in a dumping of our anger on another person. Sometimes we think of anger as frustration on steroids. Anger causes all kinds of problems and none of them are pretty. When we focus only on our needs and discard the needs of others, we’re leaving ourselves wide open to anger. We will become selfish, mean, hateful and uncaring. Jesus encouraged His followers to control their anger and not retaliate, but He also told them to love one another, and that includes our enemies as well.
Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. “
Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Maybe we’re spending too much time looking for a much more complex answer instead of seeing what’s right before our eyes.
We’ve all experienced disappointments. The plans we make don’t always come to fruition. We may have waited a long time for our goals to be met – only to have something get in the way reaching them or by being interrupted by some road block or detour.
Our path in life doesn’t always run on a set schedule. There are going to be changes in the game plan along the way. We might face disease, failure or financial loss. We may not have the backing or encouragement to make our dreams come true. The timing may not be right. There are a multitude of deterrents to reaching our final destination.
God doesn’t put those obstacles in our way to dissuade or antagonize us. He isn’t sitting on his heavenly throne looking for ways to beat us up. He wants only what is best for us. This world is filled with disappointments. We can become a victim of them and lose our faith in God’s promises or we can look at them as stepping stones which lead straight to heaven.
Dear God, I make plans every day – plans for things that need to be accomplished, places to go, people to be with and so on. My plans often run into brick walls or my path becomes covered with strangling vines and what I thought would happen, doesn’t. I know you have a perfect plan for my life. You’ve promised me through your Word and actions. I often forget and don’t allow you to do what needs to be done. I forget to hold you to your Word. My faith often needs to be kick started to get going again. My plans are nothing compared to what you have laid out for me. Help me to put my plans in your hands and use me for your purpose. Amen
The popularity of “The Chosen.” seems to be sweeping the country. Part of that interest has been stirred because this series has to do with the fact that Jesus is being depicted as one of us – a man with human frailties, one who hungers and thirsts, feels sadness and sorrow and had to endure many of the problems we all face each day. We can relate to Him. I’ve grown rather attached to this series because, even though it is at times fictional, it is based on the time Jesus walked the earth with characters that show the depth of the human spirit. Jesus was truly a man, but He is also true God. That’s a concept that the wisest scholars cannot understand. Like many things we read in the Bible, we are simply to accept with a childlike faith.
The absolute truth that Jesus is not only human, but divine, should give us not only a role model to follow – a teacher to learn from – a man of character and wisdom, but also the Creator of the Universe, the One who saved us from ourselves, the One True God.
When we are in the throes of despair; when we think that all hope is gone; when our hearts feel empty and hopeless; that’s when Jesus is the closest to us. He endured the human experience. He knows how we feel. He endured emotional and physical strain. He lost dear friends to death. As a child, I’m sure He scraped His knees a few times or had blistered hands from working as a carpenter. He suffered a painful death and humiliation on the cross.
Only our Divine God could come up with the perfect plan for the redemption of mankind. He would become human and take our place, so that our sins would finally be forgiven. When we die, we will be like Jesus, the man. We will continue living because of Jesus’ sacrifice. We will always be connected to God, the Father because of His divine intervention in our salvation.
Thank God for walking in our shoes – for leaving His throne in heaven – for loving us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to guarantee us a home in paradise.
“Celebrate your success and find humor in your failures. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Loosen up and everyone around you will loosen up. Have fun and always show enthusiasm. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song.” Sam Walton
I love to sing, but I have to admit my voice isn’t as good as it once was. I never know when I’ll hit a wrong note. I’m never sure if it will crack or disappear completely. I’ve also had some problems with words when I speak. Sometimes I simply can’t find the right one or say something that has no bearing on the conversation. Some think it may be my age. Others might say it’s because my words aren’t as organized when I speak as when I write. Maybe I simply don’t stop to think before I speak.
Aging comes with all kinds of problems, but lately it’s been a change in the words I use. Am I overthinking this? Am I confused? Am I trying too hard? Maybe because I work so hard at finding the right words when I write, I’ve not been able to categorized or spell check or edit the words I speak and my brain is simply done with it.
One thing I do know is that we must maintain a sense of humor through all of it. Of course we must think before we speak because we can’t take those words back. Yet we can make something funny out of what we just said by laughing at ourselves. I’ve found this to be rather therapeutic as I go through this aging process. There are a billion funny things that happen to us in our lifetime. It becomes more apparent as we grow older.
Sam Walton was the founder of Walmart. He went through the depression and knew what struggle was all about, yet he built a multi-billion dollar business. I’m not saying that laughter is going to make you a success, but it will certainly ease the difficulty and put things into perspective. It didn’t hurt Sam to have fun and not take himself too seriously.
Today I will make an effort to find the humor in things. I’m sure God has a great sense of humor. After all, He made me.
The lockdowns are over. People are coming out of the security of their caves and joining the rest of the human race. Restaurants are up and running. County and state fairs will be open this summer. Festivals abound. Art shows, live theatre, concerts in the park are alive again. We are all so eager to be normal, but exactly what is normal?
This past weekend, my little town of Anoka, MN, had an event called River Fest. It included food trucks, antique flea markets and people mingling all along Main Street with parking at a minimum. The local brewery and wine bar were open and full to the brim with visitors. On the Highway coming out of Anoka, at least 150-200 motorcyclists were participating in a race for military veterans. Another town right next to us was holding their own event called a Fun Fest. A parade and bands marched through the city and booths were set up along the way to introduce the citizens with area businesses. Today, my husband is attending an art festival in one of the parks and I imagine there will be many folks looking to buy art or just breathing in the excitement of being with others. It seems that once the restrictions were lifted, everything went back to the way it was and then some.
Are we setting ourselves up for another season of Covid. The variants don’t seem to respond to vaccines. The drug companies are again scurrying around trying to change that. Masks are no longer required unless you have not been vaccinated. Soon there will be a giant bonfire to rid ourselves of those breathing restrictive little face coverings. I’ll be right there to light the fire.
Churches are back to indoor worship services. Retail stores – small and large – are now reaping the benefits of those stimulus checks. Kids are getting ready to go back to normal school in the fall. Are we ready for this sudden, swift re-entry into the world of the living? I think everyone is very eager to be with others. We’re so finished with living in isolation, yet is it really safe to go into the water? The conspiracy theorists are already looking at the pandemic as a political ploy for both sides of the aisles. Though the numbers of deaths from the CDC and individual family experiences remain. I don’t think this could’ve been anything but a pandemic and maybe even one of the signs of the end times. Now we hear of droughts across the plains, which will cause prices to rise for grain and meat. The locusts haven’t appeared yet, nor the frogs, but don’t be surprised if they do.
I don’t know what to believe, other than the fact that God is still the same as He was before this whole thing happened. He’s the same as He was when He delivered the people out of Egypt. He’s the same as He was when the Titanic went plunging into the depths of the sea and wars broke out in various parts of the world. He will be the same when He decides to end this world. We can count on it. We don’t need to live in fear of that day. It only leads to a better place with no more war, sadness, tears, disease or sin. In a world that is constantly changing it’s reassuring to know that we have One in control who never changes. His Word, the Bible also remains the same, even though newer translations arrive over the years..
Change can be for our good in many areas of life, but consistency in the things we put our trust in can only be achieved through the Creator of the world. He knows what will happen next. He’s already arranged it. He has a perfect will and when we have faith in it, we will know how to be still and know that God is our rock and salvation.
In ancient times tending a flock of sheep was considered a necessary part of society. Sheep were important for their milk, their fleece and their meat. Being a shepherd was often delegated to the youngest male in a clan instead of his inheriting land. The job description went something like this. Must be willing to give up any normal family life, because of extensive time away from home and a nomadic life style. Tend to a herd of stubborn animals that think nothing of straying from the flock. Protecting them with your life. Making sure that each and every one of them makes it safely to its destination. Compensation: Nothing to very little.
The correlation of our Savior as the Good Shepherd is so beautifully connected to what Jesus is to us. He had nothing of earthly value except the sheep under His care. He went from town to town and trudged across miles of rugged country to tend to their spiritual needs. He protected them from the greatest predator of all – the devil, He healed many, He performed miracles, He fed them with the nourishment of God’s Holy Scriptures, He led a life of infinite perfection and took all the foolishness of the flock on His own shoulders when He died on the cross and rose again to life.
He protects me daily with the armor of His salvation and is constantly at my side as I face adversity, fear and anxiety. He is also with me in the good times – encouraging me, lifting me up and spurring me on.
Sheep are known to be rather dumb animals. They think nothing of roaming to greener pastures just to fill their bellies. They have one goal in life and that is to do their own thing. Aren’t we so much like them? We travel through life, often with no real direction. We say we are spiritual people, but we don’t take time to feed on the Word of God. We always look for things that will please us rather than God. We stray like those silly sheep. We need someone to keep us on track – on the narrow way – on God’s path.
Jesus is the perfect shepherd. He referred to Himself in just those words.
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.”
When we feel like our lives have no direction – that things are falling down around us – when nothing good ever happens – when health fails, bills mount up, there is no hope – we can look to our Good Shepherd and ask Him to get us back on track. Not only do we ask in confidence, but we will receive the peace and comfort that He will answer.
Thank you, Lord, for being my perfect shepherd – for fighting off all my enemies – for guiding me to the gate that leads to heaven – for bringing me safely home – for giving your life to save me and all who believe in you and follow your ways. Amen!
The sun breaks through a heavy sky, filled with remnants of distant smoke and fires,
The air is too dry to produce sufficient moisture, yet there is something phenomenal about a Sunday morning.
The birds begin their concert as animals waken and browse their surroundings with sleep filled eyes.
The gentle breeze, the quietness, the peace that comes with a day of rest.
So often we choose to fill that day with extra activities when all we really need to do is enjoy the moment, breathe in the stillness, get closer to God by attending His sanctuary.
A sanctuary that is filled with His creation, no matter where it is. He is available to you anywhere. Walk with Him today and every day. He has masterpieces to share with you that you will never forget.
He has life giving water that will completely satisfy your thirst.
It was at the height of it’s opulence, this city from of old, It commanded respect and attention, its streets were paved with gold, It shone like the brilliant sun in the sky, reflecting its bright rays, Within the dark shadows secrets survived, infesting all the days.
The brilliance soon disappeared from all sight, as darkness slithered in, No one realized what was happening, knew nothing of this sin, The ominous shadows penetrated the brilliance of the day, Corruption and greed encapsulated and sent the good away.
That once shining and glorious city, no longer casts its light, What remains are shards of days long ago, decay, great loss and blight, If only the fire had been overseen, by those within her gate, Perhaps a flame would rise from the embers, and new life would create.
We should learn from our own sweet history, but we often fail the test, We think that we have the perfect answers, we think that we know best, Instead of trusting our almighty God, we struggle and we fall, Still patience abides in His gracious love, His love is meant for all.
Do you have a favorite teacher from your past? Since I’ve been around for a while, I’ve had and worked with a number of teachers. You can spot the dedicated ones a mile away. They’re the ones who care about their students and want to help them understand and learn things that will motivate them to want to learn more. They are motivators, encouragers, caretakers, nose wipers, those who get the kids into their boots so they can be warm during recess.
I’ve had a number of memorable teachers over time. When chalk boards and erasers were in use, there was the second grade teacher who always wore black. She didn’t need an eraser. As she went across the board with new information, she quickly eliminated what was previously written. It was obvious when she turned around. There was the 8th grade English teacher that assigned us to write a short play. I proceeded to write my first full length play, with a cast of thousands, music and dancing, elaborate costumes and a total of three acts. I was so excited about the assignment and expected a grade that would surely outshine anyone else. Instead I was told that the play was too long, had too many characters and could never be produced on the school’s stage. I was crushed and didn’t write another play until I was in my 40s.
There was the American History teacher who re-enacted the Civil War on the top of his desk. His horned rimmed glasses surrounded eyes that became those of an enraged general leading a charge. He was the one who should’ve served towels with his classes. I sat in the front row and the recipient of a spray of saliva which he delivered along with his lectures. There were many teachers that I admired, many that had apparent problems outside the classroom and those who I truly learned from. That last group also tended to seem interested in me rather than their delivery. They were the ones who saw something in me that I didn’t yet know existed.
When I returned to college at the age of 44, to take as many theatre classes as I could, I met a professor who inspired and taught with zeal and excitement, making the experience more than I could ever hope for. He schooled me in all the technical aspects of acting, directing, teaching and so much more – tools that I would continue to use throughout the rest of my working life.
Today teachers have many challenges. The technology they use now is enough to discourage most older women and men from teaching. With the recent pandemic, they had to learn a whole new way of relating to students on line. They had to change their technique along with adapting to new methods. Over the past 25 years or so, they’ve had to deal with parents who have not instilled the basic courtesy of respect for those in authority. They’ve also had to deal with students that don’t think they need to be educated. There is no method of discipline a teacher is able to administer and kids have kind of run the system themselves at times. I know there are parents out there that still teach their kids to be responsible for their actions, but the trend seems to be faltering.
When we think about past teachers, let’s remember that they have little time off. Once school ends for the year, they may get in a week or two of vacation. By July, they’re already thinking about their coming school year and are usually back in the classroom by the beginning of August. Their days don’t end with the final bell. They need to grade papers, read essays, prepare for the next day’s classes and have little time for themselves. They must stay true to curriculum. They follow certain protocols. They continue their own education to improve or grow their own knowledge. They attend meetings, counsel students, talk to parents and you might say their job is thankless for the most part – except for that one student they may touch during their career. That teacher is the one that will be remembered with positive vibes, when they have children of their own.
Proverbs 22:6“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
During the pandemic, I became addicted to watching old movies and television series. Most of the western movies tell tales of Americans pushing through the wilderness. Many made way for the coming railroads which would be made possible by cutting through mountains with the aid of hundreds of Asian immigrants who knew a lot about explosives. A band of men came from all parts of the globe – Asians, Germans, Scandinavians and Irish as well. This corps of strong, able bodies often gave their lives in the process of carving through forests and laying miles of track for the impending railroad industry. Of course all of that led to more interference in trespassing on land that wasn’t really theirs. The native Americans suffered greatly by the hand of those eager businessmen and settlers and to what end?
In most of the stories told, we hear about progress and building a country, but we don’t often think of the cost. Not only were lives and land lost, but a whole new civilization would be formed and corruptions would breed within those newly settle towns. It spoiled all that hard work because of greed. It might look that way to many American citizens today, but at the time, it seemed the right thing to do.
My great grandfather was a conductor on those early passenger trains which carried the eastern entrepreneurs across country. That doesn’t mean he was perpetrating the evil. He was just doing his job, as many Americans were now becoming reliant on this way of transportation. I remember him displaying the gold pocket watch from his days on the railroad. I recall him walking down to the train depot each day and convene with other veteran railroad workers and tell stories about those good old days. It had become part of his life all the way until his death. He no longer had the stamina to be a conductor, but he still had his memories and a voice.
We can fault our forefathers for being greedy – by stealing land that didn’t belong to them. We could dwell on those facts and grow angry because of it. We can demolish our past by tearing down monuments, works of art, National treasures because they mean nothing to the edification of America. We can despise the acts of buying and selling human lives into slavery. All of these memories can be erased in an instant, leaving us with what? No lessons to be learned from past mistakes. Closing our borders to legal immigrants, while thousands enter illegally. There would be no progress or fortitude to work hard towards that progress. Often when we close our minds to the past, we are never going to move to the future without the freedom of those old sins. Those wrongs will not be righted by ignoring them.
I have few memories of my great parents – only that they lived well into their nineties. My great grandmother suffered from rheumatism and her hands were gnarled with arthritis. She needed to cling to the wall as she moved from one room to another. He was at least a foot taller than she. They seemed to love each other, but emotion wasn’t a thing you wore on your sleeve in those days. I also remember the pocket watch and his trips to the train depot with great clarity. Those are the memories we should focus on.
Proverbs 19:13 “A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.”
I kind of bristle when I read some of the proverbs. Especially the verse above. I don’t consider myself a nag, but there have been times when I’ve felt like one. Maybe nagging fades when we get older. We no longer have the pep or the spunk to speak up or we’ve learned that it’s better to be patient in our waiting. Whatever the case may be, I feel like this is a definite slam against women in general. The truth is we are different than men in more ways than one.
When mankind fell into sin, all kinds of changes occurred. Not only did humans realize that they made a huge mistake, but there would be consequences for their disobedience. They would no longer have the gift of paradise. They would experience all the negative emotions that would lead to future disobedience. Men were assigned the task of taking care of the animals and the earth. After sin, the task became hard work and created aching bones, muscles and sweat. For women, they would endure pain in the whole child bearing process. Today those issues have been dealt with in not having children, birth control and abortion. All of which are forms of trying to take God’s place and doing things our own way.
Men are workers, hunters and gatherers, as the saying goes. Women are meant to be caretakers of the home and family. They are to keep the home fires burning while man supplies the wood. So sometimes, when you run out of wood, a need is created which must be addressed. That’s when the nagging comes in, I guess. What starts as a simple requests is responded to with subjective hearing. When the request must be repeated a number of times it becomes nagging.
Times have certainly changed with all the modern conveniences we now have to tend to our needs. Still those inner parts of our makeup will often surface. Today, many men are the naggers and the wives are thebread winners. Today, you may not even know who is who anymore. Once again, the human race is trying to play God in almost ever area of our existence. They want to control the weather by spending billions of dollars to create alternate forms of energy. They can choose whether they have a child or not. They can abort a child almost to full term call it choice rather than murder. Every form of decadent behavior is deemed being a success. In fact, the world today is a constant dripping that seems bent on taking God’s place. Eventually, we will be able to determine when end of life should come. The list of man’s interference in God’s divine intervention is endless and will be until Jesus returns again.
We must remember who the boss is. It’s God alone that determines when a hurricane is necessary to stir up the waters and balance nature. It is God’s hand that turns a tiny seed into a plant that will feed many. It is God who brings about life and determines when it will end. Have we forgotten to trust in His will for our lives? Instead of complaining (nagging) about who is going to fix things, let’s return to prayer for God’s omniscience in our lives. He’s the only One who can repair the mess we’ve all created. Oh, and by the way, He did.
When I visited New York several years ago, there were cows everywhere. I ‘m not referring to herds of them running through the streets. Artists had painted these whimsical creatures to highlight some of the landmarks. My sister and I took photos standing in front of them, (before selfies) but I lost my camera so never had a chance to see them.
We place a lot of stock (not talking about cows here) in some of our famous landmarks in the USA. The Golden Gate Bridge, the Paul Bunyan statue, the monuments in Washington, DC and Mt. Rushmore, but they’re just reminders of the achievements of some, for the glorification of others and for destination spots for travelers.
The Statue of Liberty is one of those colossal monuments. It sits in the harbor welcoming newcomers to our country. She has been there since 1886 and was a gift to our country from France. The plaque at the base contains the words of Emma Lazarus and have served as a greeting to immigrants as they journey to Ellis Island.
During my stay in New York, two other monuments stood tall in the midst of the city. The twin towers were a symbol of world trade, but on September 11, 2001 those buildings were wiped out by a terrorist attack that changed our country.
Like all monuments and buildings which have been exposed to the elements, they eventually need repair, replacing or reconstruction. They are simply structures built by human beings and with work can be rebuilt. When it comes to people, we often need repair too. Like those aging edifices, we become tarnished with sin – broken by difficulty – stressed by the outside influences of life. We need rebuilding too, bur our rebuilding takes place internally..
When we place our trust in God, He will constantly repair and rebuild us. Our human nature will lead us to believing the lies of this world, but He will keep us on the road to heaven if we let him. He’s given us the promise of an open door to His kingdom – a place where we will never grow weary, feel pain, experience sorrow. All sinners – the wretched masses yearning to be free – will know the glory of God.
Fifty six men were signers of the Declaration of Independence. They represented the thirteen original colonies. That small group of patriots would cause a great reaction when it was released to the world.
What kind of men were these? Some were doctors and lawyers. Some were merchants. Some were farmers. They came from several walks of life. All of them had one goal and that was to be free from the tight hold of the British government. They’d been taxed beyond their means. They were also plagued by British troops, acting as police. Those who were to keep order often killed innocent victims and created havoc in the streets and across the countryside. This new land was still in its infancy, but it was comprised of ethical men who saw beyond the hard work necessary to build a new country. They were willing to invest in this union with their very lives if necessary.
The document was intended to be signed on July 1, but there were differences of opinion on the wording. It was presented to the Continental Congress on July 4th and adopted by twelve out of thirteen colonies. New York delegates had not yet received authorization from their home assembly to do so. Still July 4 was determined to be the day that our declaration of independence was established. The actual signing of the document did not take place until July 9th.
The backdrop of the New York harbor was filled with British ships. On that day, George Washington, who was commander of the continental forces in New York, read the document to a crowd of citizens. They cheered the words. The cheering turned to rioting and the eventual vandalizing of a statue of King George III. They melted down the metal and it is said they used it to shape 42,000 musket balls for the revolution.
John Adams wrote to his wife this following thought:
“I am apt to believe that [Independence Day] will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
When we think about slavery, lets consider what would’ve occurred had not the Revolution taken place. We would all be under the thumb of a foreign nation and slaves to tyranny. Because we have this document, we can see that freedom is for all, not just a select few.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died fifty years later in 1826 on the same day, within 5 hours of each other. Both of these signers and patriots who stood up for freedom would go on to become presidents of the United States. They also had this in common. They died on the 4th of July.
For Minnesotans, a tropical heat wave is considered anything above 80 degrees. We were blessed with a lovely spring, filled with just the right amount of sunshine, low dew points and rain. Normally spring doesn’t last more than a few days here. However, somewhere in June, we jumped into summer with a vengeance. I love getting into my garden and spending time thinking about the beauty of God’s creation. Now I find it difficult to go out to get the mail. I know there have been extremes in temperatures lately, but when I look back a few years I see that this is really nothing new.
Since 1872, Minneapolis has had 10 days when the temperature reached or exceeded 105 degrees. Except for one date, July 31, 1988, when it was 105 degrees, all the other dates occurred in either 1936 or 1934. On the other hand, the nine coldest temperatures ever recorded, included the -34 degrees in 1970. Seven of the dates occurred in the late 1800s.
We have extremes here in the Tundra, but it always amazes me how God provides for all of His creation even when the weather is unbearable. The birds can still find water to refresh themselves, and food to sustain them. The animals are given the ability to find places to rest and hide during extreme temperatures. If God takes care of these creatures by giving them what they need, how much more will He look after the ones He created in His image. There are days when I think there will be no end to the waiting, or no relief from fear or anger or anything else. I try to figure things out myself and don’t rely on the only one who can really take care of me.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for providing for all my needs in good times in bad, in fair or bad weather. I know that I can count on you to provide for me and give me the true rest that comes only from your loving hands. Amen!
An American flag had seen better days, It had become battered and worn by the weather for over almost two years. It was our own personal flag. Like our nation it faced a time of isolation for a long time. The elements took their toll on Old Glory and she became shredded and worn. It was time to retire this relic and start fresh.
We purchased a new flag this spring and it seemed quite fitting that the time coincided with our freedom from fear of a world wide pandemic. Today as we celebrate our nation’s founding, let’s never forget the symbolism of our American flag. We have been through a very short history as a nation and yet we have overcome battle after battle. We’ve endured tragedies suffered because of war. Wars of many kinds have invaded America’s shores and fields of grain. The majestic mountains remain. The climate may be changing, but God never does.
As we pray for our country, let’s keep our unity in tact. We are one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Our flag may have been replaced because of the physical damage done to it, but our God never changes. He will live forever.
As I reach the end of my years, I find I have a lot of good information stored up in this old decrepit mind of mine. If I don't write it all down, it may vanish and no one will have the advantage of my thoughts. This is why this blog exists. I love the Lord, Jesus with all my heart and soul. I know I'm undeserving of all He's done for me, but I also know that His love is beyond my comprehension.
I've always wanted to write. I never kept diaries, but tucked my thoughts in my head for future reference. I use them now in creating stories, plays, poetry and my blog.
I continue to learn every day. I believe the compilation of our time spent with God will have huge affect on the way we live. I know I'm a sinner and I need a Savior. I have One through Jesus, Christ.
My book, "Stages - a memoir," is about the seven stages of life from the perspective of a woman. It addresses all the things girls and women go through in life as they travel it with Jesus, and it is available on Amazon.com.
Life is a patchwork of moments — laughter, solitude, everyday joys, and quiet aches. Through scribbled stories, I explore travels both far and inward, from sunrise over unfamiliar streets to the comfort of home. This is life as I see it, captured in ink and memory. Stick around; let's wander together.
God's amazing grace removes walls and replaces those barriers with Jesus, freedom from sin's consequences, freedom to forgive, and freedom to love unconditionally.
atimetoshare.me 
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