My blog

Category: Life

  • Savannah, Georgia

    On the way home from my husband’s birthday bash with his siblings, we took a side trip to Savannah, Georgia because it was on the way home.

    OH MY GOODNESS! I really never thought about Savannah as a place to visit! My cousin went to art school there, and I knew from his descriptions that it was beautiful but his descriptions did not do it justice!! PUB SQUARE

    While we only had a few hours to tour the city, I fell in love with it. We took a horse carriage tour of historic Savannah. Our guide was entertaining with a fun sense of humor! And it was a gorgeous, pleasant day for such an outing.

    Savannah is known as “The Hostess City of the South” with incredible Antebellum architecture. The city hosts millions of visitors every year! It doesn’t seem big enough to host that many people. America’s first planned city, the city’s forefathers, plotted and set up the city on a grid system with 24 public squares of which there are still 22 of them today. The squares are quaint with beautiful landscaping and gardens.

    After our historical tour, we had lunch at Paula Deen’s restaurant, The Lady & Sons. The fried chicken blew my husband away. He said it was the best he’d ever eaten. I had a chicken salad sandwich which was wonderful. What surprised me was we had the option to do the buffet or order from the menu. I stopped in her little shop and bought several tea towels I just had to have!

    MID EAST There are museums galore from history museums to specialty museums and cultural and themed tours, plus sites and landmarks, no doubt there’s something to suit anyone’s taste.  We enjoy riverboat cruises and they have a combination Land and Sea tour which we will take advantage of the next time we visit. We both love history, so Fort Jackson will have to be on the agenda the next time we visit.

    One of our favorite ways to get around cities and visit various landmarks is the Hop-on, Hop-off buses that allows you to take as much time as you want to visit various places on a specific tour. We did them throughout our trips in Europe and in the U.S. We love being able to park our car and catching the bus to take us to various places. Awesome way to see the city. In Savannah, it’s a trolley which would be fun.

    We would have liked to spend more time but look forward to returning every year to learn more about Savannah, its history and taste the culinary aspects of the Old South.

    We liked it better than Charleston, South Carolina and that says a lot!  If you’ve never been to Savannah, plan to go!

    Have you ever been to Savannah?  What were your impressions of the city?

    #visitSavanahh #lovelysavannah

     

     

     

  • Aaronic Blessing

    “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you. And give you peace. Num 6:24-26 NKJV

    In my younger days, my pastor would sing this blessing at the end of each service. It comforted me. I did not know it was an actual blessing from the Bible. In fact, it is the Aaronic Blessing and one which I have heard both in English and in Hebrew.

    This blessing will always have the power to comfort me and I hope it comforts you today.

    Through the years, different verses have been a blessing what verses are your favorites or have been a blessing to you?

     

     

  • When God Answers Prayer

    When I first learned how to pray effectively, I was (and still am) in awe of how God answered prayer.  Sometimes it happened immediately and sometimes He was still working out the answer.  Many times God answered the prayer in an unexpected way.  Not bad, just different from what I had expected.

    I learned early on there are only three answers to prayer: Yes, No and Wait.  While we rejoice in the yes answers, the no answers don’t keep me down because it only means He has something better for me and my family or He was protecting me from something I didn’t know about regarding that prayer. And the wait…well, that’s the hardest answer to bear, particularly if it’s crucial like a physical, financial or emotional need.  And our family has had them over the years.  Big time.

    What’s exciting about it is that I’m in an expectant mood to see how He will answer it.

    Some people think prayer is private and often it should be.  Each person should sit with their creator and work out the details of their lives with Him.  God loves us and He wants to hear from us.  Whether it’s just a few words telling Him about your day or if it’s a more in-depth conversation about life events or personal issues. He wants to hear every detail of our lives, no matter how small.  Remember He has the hairs on your head counted so if that isn’t detailed enough, I don’t know what is.

    Over the years, my husband and I have prayed hundreds of thousands of prayers.  Some corporately and some individually.  But we try to make it a priority every day.  It doesn’t always work out that way but we try.

    Most of the time my prayers begin by giving Him glory. I move on to asking for forgiveness because I know I need it every day.   The prayer then turns to the needs of my family and friends, then my own needs and finally for global issues.  God has been faithful over the years to answer my prayers so I will continue to pray to Him.  Sometimes it’s daunting but I know God has called me to be a prayer warrior so that is what I will do.

    Just this past Sunday we prayed for an individual who had severed a tendon and needed surgery. My husband and I prayed, and we were specific in our prayer: the surgeon would be a believer in Christ, that the surgery would be scheduled quickly and that the recuperation period would be minimal.  The next day, I received an excited call. The surgeon who would do the surgery is, in fact, a believer along with his physician’s assistant and the surgery would happen today.  Specific answers to specific prayers. This morning we prayed for God’s own hands to guide the doctor’s hands and that the surgery would go well without issue.

    I could fill thousands of pages talking about how God answered prayer, sometimes, unbelievable answers!  I try to remind myself of all the times He was faithful even when I was not.

    These answers to prayer are what I call God Stories.  I pray you have an abundance of your own God Stories.  If you would like to share those stories here, we’d love to hear them!

  • The Blood

    Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’ Lev 17:12 NKJV

    As ghoulish as it sounds, there’s blood in the Bible.  The children of Israel painted blood on the lintel and the door frames to keep the angel of death from striking the firstborn son when God called the children of Israel out of Egypt.

    Blood is a big part of the Christian faith because it was by His blood…the blood of Jesus Christ that God forgives us our sins. I often wondered why eating blood from under-cooked meat seemed abhorrent. Now I know. 

    This verse is from the Old Testament where God is giving the children of Israel standards to live by. In those days it was sinful to eat the blood of an animal. Blood is sacred. And it’s life-giving. Without blood, we die. It’s that simple.

    Blood types were unknown to ancient Israel but we know about them today. Maybe you’ve donated blood in a blood drive on in times of crisis.  I remember donating blood on 9-11.  I was the last person they would accept for a donation.  It was almost midnight by the time they could take my blood and I was happy to do it.  We all have the potential to save someone with our life-giving blood. Donate today!   

    And there may have been a practical reason for God to give His children this command. He knew something about animals’ blood they didn’t. The animals in those days may have had diseases unknown to the Israelites. Today, the same is true but for a very different reason.  Conglomerate farms keep animals penned in crowded environments and fed less than healthy diets. If the meat is organic, bought from a small single-owned farmer, then a person is ahead of the game but it’s expensive. 

    When I see a verse like this, I want to apply it to today’s living and I can. How about you?

  • Moving to Germany

    Imagine my consternation when the company told us we’d live in a couple’s home for three months until our household shipment arrived.  What?  I had visions of us trying to communicate to the owners the toilet didn’t work or trying to prepare meals while being underfoot with complete strangers and an entire slew of other daily issues that could arise.

    Despite those reservations, we boarded a plane at Washington Dulles Airport for the long trip overseas knowing we would not see our family for at least three years.  Thankfully, we brought our VoIP phone system with us and use the internet for overseas telephone calls.  But I digress.

    My husband’s mentor greeted us at the airport.  How he became a mentor to my husband when he had just arrived in Germany a few months before, I’ll never know.  We dropped our luggage at our temporary residence not in Stuttgart proper.  Instead, our mentor escorted us to a small village called Bonlanden in Filderstadt.  The mentor told us we would have to “stay awake” until bedtime to reduce the effects of jet lag.  Well, super. It had been an exhausting month, and I needed to sleep.

    Since I had been in small villages before I wondered about the home we would live in for three months.  Three months is a long, long time. But when we dropped off our bags, we were elated to find our housing was an attic apartment in the couple’s home with our own entrance, kitchen, and bath.

     

    It was small.  Tiny.  But I was thankful we didn’t have to share a bathroom, kitchen, and living spaces with them and the unit was relatively new so that was a bonus.

    The other bonus was the owner’s wife spoke some English and would change our towels and bed linens every week.  Maid service too?  That was awesome.

    My husband’s boss stopped by when we were unloading and wanted to know if the unit was acceptable to us. The bedroom and living room had a vaulted ceiling, but the boss’ concern was the twin beds.  We both were fine with the sleeping arrangements.  The headboards were at the lowest end of the vaulted ceiling.  We couldn’t even stand up straight at the head of the bed and we are short people.  No matter, though, we’d make do for three months.  After all, we were living in Germany.  A place neither of us had been before and it was an adventure in the making.

    And while the living room only had a day bed with a few hard chairs–no comfy sofa for us – but the bathroom more than made up for it.

    The kitchen was adequate, and we even had a little balcony overlooking their cute garden.  We knew God took care of us with our housing needs.  Has God ever met your housing needs in a great way?

     

     

     

     

  • Speech Impediment

    Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Exo 4:10 NKJV

    This verse spoke to my heart because I too am not eloquent when speaking from a podium or the like. I need time to ponder my words becoming more and more careful of my speech the older I get. It’s the reason God gave us two ears and only one mouth. To listen better and then speak.

    But in Moses’ case, he had a speech impediment and the task God had given him seemed impossible to do. And yet, God knew Moses would succeed because God orchestrated the situation and Moses’ steps. I find comfort because Moses had failings. He killed an Egyptian which thrust him out of the society that had been his life and yet, God had a plan despite his human condition.

    The movie “The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston doesn’t depict Moses as having had the speech impediment but the actor portrayed Moses’ humbleness well. While the movie follows the book of Exodus, there is poetic license and scenes which are not Biblical. It might be fun to watch the movie and follow along in the Bible to see where the movie is in error. If for no other reason than to prove what is the truth and what isn’t.

  • Dealing with Disappointment

    Disappointment. We’ve all experienced it. Sometimes daily!

    Whether it’s that job you wanted and was filled or that friend, spouse or child who let you down, it won’t be the last time you experience that sinking, awful feeling in the pit of your stomach. Disappointment will happen again.

    The question is, how do you handle it? Do you hide in your room buried under the bedcovers curled into a ball until the feeling goes away or do you stand tall, smile and face disappointment head on?

    It’s easy to hide but much more difficult to face disappointment. Why? Because we fear what we cannot control. Many times we can’t control circumstances or how others behave but we can control how we react to situations and people.

    How you react to life’s disappointments shapes your character. Reactions make or break you as a person.
    Recently I had several disappointments, but I realized that my need to overcome them far exceeded my need to retreat. It is in that moment of disappointment that having faith in One who is greater than me makes the road to overcoming it easier. That isn’t always the case.

    What can you do to mitigate disappointment in your life?
    • Allow yourself time to absorb the loss or disappointment
    • Pray. Find Bible verses that speak to your disappointment
    • Search for something good that can either come out of such a disappointment or a result of that disappointment. For example, maybe you lost a job because of a communication issue. Perhaps God was protecting you from a situation that may not have been the right fit for you even though you wanted it. Not everything we want is good for us.
    • Believe God has a plan for your life. He’s in control of everything and knows what’s best for us in our life

    Here are three verses to help you through the disappointment. Read and print them out to keep around your house or on your desk. Better yet, memorize them so you have them in your heart when you need them.

    Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

    Romans 8:28 NKJV And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

    Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

    What verses have you found to help you with disappointment?

     

     

  • Rainbows!

    I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Gen 9:13 NKJV

    Rainbows are a sign of God’s promise to never again flood the earth. They remind us of His faithfulness and one of my favorite things. I always look for them on a rainy and sunny day and ask God to show me His rainbow. I look for it and there it is. Then I thank Him for His revelation and promise.

    I’ve had the privilege of seeing double rainbows on more occasions than I can count. Sometimes they are beautiful and bright with defined colors and sometimes they are pastel and watery. It doesn’t matter which, I’m always amazed at God’s faithfulness.

    Years ago I worked in a large firm in California. I remember looking out the window of that four-story building where a rainbow splashed against the sky.  A few young girls sat at their desks and we discussed rainbows and their significance.  The astonished look on their faces told me they didn’t know rainbows were biblical, or that they were God’s promise to us.

    What are your recollections of rainbows?

     

  • Moving Internationally

    Over the years, my husband and I have traveled all over the world. Moving to Germany proved to be the most arduous moves of all time. We had moved several times in the nine years we lived in California including a cross-country move from Ohio to California.

    I thought I knew all there was to know about moving but this time, there would be an international mover and a language barrier. Speaking fluent Italian would not help in Germany, or so I thought. But I digress.

    When my husband lost his job at the end of 2007 and couldn’t find work, his job became looking for work but there were few positions in his field. We knew we’d have to move at some point but neither of us dreamed we’d be moving out of the country.

    After praying for months for a position, the sale of our home was on the horizon. When the house sold, we placed the bulk of our furniture and household goods in storage and moved to a small apartment near the house we sold. I continued to work my part-time job, and he continued to look for work. One job kept presenting itself and included a move to Germany for what would be five years or longer.   Neither of us wanted to move to Germany. But when every opportunity fluttered away except the German position, we knew the solution was clear.

    We had two things in our favor: we didn’t have a house to sell and our passports were current. But we needed to sell our cars and put more things in storage. In the space of a few weeks, we considered what was important to ship because we could only ship five thousand pounds. Sounds like a lot but it’s really not. Basic household goods and clothing add up real fast.

    The international movers explained our possessions would be in transit for three months. Three months? Now I had another dilemma. We were moving in March which meant we technically were still in winter and would be well into summer before our possessions reached us. Thus, we packed our suitcases with clothing for two seasons.

    Since we had already pared down our possessions to two storage pods, I went through our apartment and determined once again, what I could take with us, what we could sell or pitch and what needed to go into storage. Another daunting task.

    Next, I realized I needed a whole slew of documents to take with me and luckily I had time to track down all the documents. Planning an international or even a national move? This is a must-have list.

    • Passports
    • Travel documents
    • Birth certificate
    • Marriage certificate
    • Divorce papers
    • Child custody papers
    • Adoption papers
    • Driver’s licenses
    • Medical records
    • School/university transcripts
    • Insurance policies and your insurance agent’s contact information
      • Be sure to research international health care coverage at least three months before departure
    • Tax records and your accountant’s contact information
    • Power of attorney, last will and testament and your attorney’s contact information
    • Bank statements and your banker’s telephone number
    • Shipping company documents and contact information
    • Storage facility documents and contact information

    Download copies of moving checklists if you know your move is soon and work through the checklist. Some items on checklists that movers provide will be not applicable to your family but the lists are invaluable.

    If you have planned or have moved across the nation or across continents, what are some things you wish you’d have known to make your move go smoother?

     

     

  • A Grateful Heart

        Give_Thanks_candles

          Russet, gold, and tangerine leaves blowing off trees in the crisp fall air mark the month of November along with my favorite holiday.  Thanksgiving. 

         Over the years, this holiday, wedged between two other holidays, is skipped in favor of the hustle bustle of the next holiday a month later.   I don’t want to talk about that holiday in this post other than to say it means a great deal to our family as the basis of our faith.

         Thanksgiving, an American holiday, is my favorite because it’s the least commercialized of the three that hit the end of the year.  Well, except for the grocery stores who provide all the wonderful food that grace so many tables.   Turkeys, whether frozen or fresh, appear in shopping carts along with stuffing, various types of potatoes and vegetables, not to mention pumpkin for that wonderful pumpkin pie. Family members transform these ingredients into a delightful meal for families.

         As I reflect on the reason for Thanksgiving, wonderful memories of Thanksgiving, float through my head. Traditions had been forged over the years.  My mom’s elegant table setting where we sat and shared what we were thankful for during the year to playing team board games with laughter and competitiveness after the big dinner. This Thanksgiving lasted for many years while our kids were in High School and College. Then the kids married, had children of their own and moved to other parts of the United States.  And while we don’t gather and spend the actual Thanksgiving Day together, we call one another.   

         After floundering for several years, my husband and I have forged a new tradition of spending our Thanksgiving with our niece’s family because she’s the closest to where we live.  It’s a pleasant holiday spent with forty to fifty people, most of them relatives of my niece’s husband.  It’s a smorgasbord of southern-style foods.  Everyone contributes to the meal, and they set up an impromptu football game.  And while it’s a four-hour drive to get there, we always have a good time. 

         I hope and pray your Thanksgiving is blessed with family and friends like ours. We look forward to this special holiday every year. 

     

    Be Thankful