Our Solid Rock

No one who has lived a life of a Christian has ever said that it would be easy. Did Jesus not tell his disciples that if they followed him they would experience pain? Experience rejection? We must firmly take a stand and be prepared to d...efend to the death our position as followers of Our One God. We must live a life that draws others in to want to know more, to want to know what it is about living a life as a Christian that makes us happy and worry-free. "On Christ our solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand."

A Beautiful tomorrow

It's a blessing to me that I have a gene that makes me cherish the outdoors. Add to that an eye that was meant to be and likes to be behind the view finder of camera and you have someone who sees God's beauty everywhere. I cherish the war...mer days where I can let the sun shine on my face though I prefer for it to be 60 degrees or more. Sometimes when I'm out and start thinking about all the bad things happening in the world, I remember that this is not my permanent home. My home is a place of my deepest longings, way above the tree tops where it's beautiful beyond what my camera can see. Romans 8:18-22 reminds us that someday not only will we become beautiful, but the whole of creation will become beautiful. Who would be afraid of a promise like that?

There's a new angel in heaven ~Jasmine

This little girl and her family are members of my church here in Augusta.  2-year-old Little Baby Jasmine lost her fight to a cancerous brain tumor.  I've never seen such courage!

Jasmine Isabella Uhl

October 29, 2011

Grovetown, GA – Jasmine Isabella Uhl, precious daughter of Jodie and Stephanie Uhl, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

A Private Celebration of Life service for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at Quest United Methodist Church with Rev. John Kenney officiating. Following the service, a public balloon release held at 11:30 AM on the lawn of Platt’s Funeral Home, 337 N. Belair Rd., Evans, GA.

Survivors include her parents, Jodie and Stephanie Uhl, one brother, Jacob Alexander Riggle, maternal grandparents, Irene Schmidt of Accord, NY, Rafael Power of San Juan, PR, paternal grandparents, Mike and Pam Uhl of Crawfordsville, IN, and many loving aunts and uncles.

Pallbearers will be Roberto Matos, Mike Uhl, Jodie Uhl and Mark Romanelli

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday, October 31, 2011 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM.

If so desired, memorials may be made to Quest United Methodist Church Children Ministries, 4020 Washington Rd., Martinez, GA. 30907 or the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center, 1446 Harper Street, Augusta, GA 30912.

Please sign the guestbook and send condolences at www.facebook.com/JasmineUhl

or http://www.plattsfuneralhome.com/

Meet Me On Monday 103111

Meet Me on Monday

1. My current weather is _______?  Really!!?  I was going to say COLD until I saw Java's post.  It's 59 here at midnight.  Clear with a lovely quarter moon.  I guess I don't have anything to complain about, except that when it gets below 70 down here in Georgia, I start to freeze. 

2. What is your favorite sound?  The sound of small children laughing.  Or trying to sing a song they haven't heard before.  My whole life seems perfect when they're happy enough to laugh out loud.

 

3. What is the worst flavor of ice cream?  I don't like any kind of ice cream that has something hard or lumpy in it.  Nute?  Nope.  Any kind of little chips?  Nope.  But it's hard to find anything that I like any better than Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla.

4. What magazine do you look for when you are stuck in the waiting room?  Okay.  Don't laugh.  I like Sports Illustrated.  I used to have my own subscription but since I cancelled it, I feel like I'm getting behind on the big games.

5. What is your favorite condiment?  I'm a big cream cheese fan.   Even tonight, I had a sandwich on a bagel with cream cheese instead of mayo or mustard.  It was pretty good. 

We've got one team. One more to go.

The Texas Rangers defeated the Detroit Tigers in six games to advance to the World Series.  The final score of the final game was 15-5, with Nelson Cruz the MVP.

Now.  It's on to Milwaukee to see if the Cardinals can take the Brewers.  Right now, the Cardinals are up 3 games to the Brewers' 2 games.

I'm voting for the Cardinals in that match-up.

Thank you for another day

This has been one of those days where all I feel like doing is raising my hands to heaven and thanking God.

What a glorious day.

The weather has been perfect.

The blue of the sky has been the most perfect blue.

The green and yellow of the trees has been the most perfect colors.  The blues, greens, and yellows that only a true and wonderful God could create.  What a wonderfully perfect day.
The air has been clean and clear, the wonder of everything apparent and visible.

Thank you, God, for the gift of being able to live through this day in the best ways possible.

Thank you, God, for loving me enough to offer me one more day in your presence.  A day like today surely confirms that You are present. 

(Above photograph of nephew, Michael, taken in Morocco)

Weezer

Bless the little children

Jesus loves me,  This I know.

For the bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,

They are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so.

I got a phone call this morning from Jessica and my granddaughter, Leah.  Not unusual, really, except that I'm no at home in Augusta but at my folks' home across the state in Columbus.  I love hearing about the latest Leahism.
 What did I hear from my little Leah this morning?  She said to me, "I have Jesus in my heart, Weezer."  That sweet little voice told me that she had asked Jesus into her heart and He was there.  What could be more precious than that!!  She's only two and a half years old and she knows that all she had to do was ask Jesus into her heart and He would be there.  She knows that she is loved by Jesus.
We as adults try so hard to understand all that there is to know about our Lord and Saviour. We read, we study, we question.  And it's all so simple.  All we have to do is ask for Him to enter our heart, to ask Him to be a part of us and all that we do, all that we are.  And He's there. 

Weezer

Where does time go?

Hilton Head
Photo by Weezer

 My daughter recently re-launched her blog and it started me thinking about mine.  This old, old friend that I once was so loyal to.  That 'thing' where every photo I took, every witty clip I heard, every new song I encountered was put to thoughts of how I could incorporate it into my blog.  I didn't realize how much thought it takes to keep a blog going.  Once your thought processes are diverted and taken into another direction, it's very much like reinventing another life.  You just don't think about it.  When I logged in to here, after having to look up my pasword, I found comments from many old blogging friends.  I was missed by many of you and I thank you for wondering about me and my where-abouts.

It's been ten months since I've posted anything on here.  Over those ten months there's been a lot of growth, a lot of scares, a lot of water over the dam, as they say.  Two of my daughters have hit that 30th-or-more birthday and one is very close.  My four granddaughters are all over the age of one, with Cadence Rose turning one this last July.  I've hit the huge mile stone of 60, though I don't feel it, my body reminds me daily that I'm there.  My parents have scared me on more than one occasion with their own health issues.  I made a second mission trip to Belize last April and plans are being made for my third trip this next April.  I've rejoined my diet center and have lost 30 pounds. 

God has tested me and spoken to me like never before.  I'm closer to Him than I ever thought possible.  I'm taking classes at the church School of Theology, learning and becoming more and more acquainted to my Heavenly Daddy.  I'm involved in a Tuesday morning Bible study and have made friends.  I actually have friends.  It's been more years than I can count since I've been able to say that.  How wonderful it is to have people in life who are openly and willingly able to tell you that you're loved and cherished!

Having said all of that, I'm going to tell you that I'm going to get back to all of you.  Honestly, I've been gone so long that I have to relearn how to manage this.  Maybe I can get Jessica to help me update it.  I'll be back soon.  I promise.  And thank you for wondering about me and caring.

 

Monday Morsels 012411

Did you see that California is going to spend $1.1 million  toinstall lifesaving buoys over a fast-moving canal along the US-Mexico border because immigrants are drowning while trying to sneak into the country illegally?   A debate over the lifelines has presented a moral dilemma for those in thre decision-making population:  Is it acceptable to do nothing when immigrants are dying the the water?  Or do lifesaving devides lull the immigrants into a false sense of security that they can conquet the channel whiole giving them extra motivation to enter the country illegally?
They're also installing 1,414 bilingual signs on canal banks that read, "Warning: Dangerous Water".


Jack Lalanne  has died.  He was 96 years old.  I remember seeing him and his wife on one of the info-mercials for his juicer and he said that dying would ruin his reputation.  I also remember sitting in front of the television back in the 50s and watching him.  All he used for his exercise program was a chair and a jumprope.  WOW!

He was a man ahead of his time.  Rest in Peace, Jack.


Have you seen Secretariat yet?  You should.  Take your children.  Yes, it's a predictable movie and we all know how it ends, but it's fascinating to know the history of how things were playing out in the background.  The relationship between Secretariat and his owner is sweet and touching.
Really.  Go see it.  No bad words.  No bloodshed.  We saw it at the cheap movie theater so it may be gone already.  Like Jack Lalaine, I remember watching him on the television.  This was way back in 1973.

The atheists are at it again.  A California lawyer (Michael Newdow) s making a charge to have "In God We Trust" removed from our money.  He thinks it 'violates the constitutional separation of church and state."  He's also challenging the phrase "So help me God" in the presidential oath and the Pledge of Allegiance ("one nation under God"). 
(from an article in the Augusta Chronicle)
As God is my witness, I will not ever remove these things from my life.  I'd suggest Mr. Newdow move to  another country, but I know that God is everywhere and he cannot be free of Him  by just removing His name from sight.   Mr. Newdow is a minority in his thinking.  Right? (This is my opinion.)

I recommend......

When I was a kid I didn't like Cheerios.  They were just too healthy looking and who would want those unsweetened circle thingeys when Tony Tiger is available.

But now, as an older 'kid', I've found Cinnamon Burst Cheerios.  WOW!  I like them even better than the honey nut cheerios.  And these are great added to a cup of yogurt for breakfast or a snack.

Don't confuse these with the Apple Cinnamon Cheerios.  I think these are better!

And then for snacking, I found these new Special K
Cracker Chips.

They like a cross between a rice cake and a cracker.  Really crunchy and you feel like you've had something worth spending the eating time on.  I only saw the sour cream 'n' onion flavored but I understand they've got sea salt, too.