Autumn Blessings

 

September 26, 2012

 

OOPS!!  I published a blog this morning then flipped back to blogspot.  The format is quite different than it has been and I figured I would delete old drafts.  Good grief!  I deleted the published blog...  Augh!  Mama told me there'd be days like this!!

 

Okay ... since the blog was written yesterday, let's try again today.  I'm still singing about Autumn blessings and hey, this will give us another chance to chat.  I appreciate your dropping by ... Coffee is for morning, so let's have a Coke and a sandwich as we visit.  It's a another gorgeous day here and I am invigorated by the cooler temperatures ... won't be long and I can fire up the chiminea!

 

The Autumn leaves have been falling making sweeping the walkway to the cottage a daily chore.  They are so pretty though and I love swishing through them.  The Summer garden has given way to the wonderful deep colors of red, burgundy, gold, yellow, purple, and shades of brown.  The mums I planted last year are covered in buds and will come ablaze with color within a couple weeks.  I figure any time I can keep my plants alive through the hot August heat, I've accomplished something!

 

 

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains."

James 5:7 NIV

 

 

Yesterday I spent several hours in the garden watering and checking for weeds and bugs.  The leaves were gently falling down on my head and Toby was chasing them as they hit the ground.  He loves being outside with me helping me dig, pull, and fill trash bags!  Miss Houdini, Sadie, managed to scale the barrier I had placed in front of her "entrance to the world."  For a Scottie with short legs, she sure manages to climb and get where she wants to go.

 

I managed to climb down into the storm shelter and retrieve, Freddy, the Scarecrow and got him positioned beside the french doors of the cottage.  Will get more tubs of Autumn treasures out today and do a little sprucing up of the little casa and cottage for Fall.  I do a deep cleaning with the change of seasons so that's on the agenda as well.  Between you and me, I think small houses are harder to keep neat and clean than big houses!!

 

Yesterday, my friend, Beverly, phoned and asked if I needed anything from Walmart.  We had agreed to start carpooling on errands and this has been her week to drive.  Actually it's been saving on gas AND it's always nice to have the company.  We did our grocery shopping and had to make a sashay through the garden section to check out the bargain table.  I got a mum for between the two chairs outside facing the fountain for $2.22!!!  It's so pretty!!

 

 

 

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."  John 15:12-15

 

 

After we dropped off our groceries, we decided to go to the local Chinese restaurant and share an entree of Shrimp Lo Mein.  We hadn't been there in quite some time.  It was so nice to actually sit down and get waited on.  My friend, Beverly, is a bargain clothes junky and asked if I minded if we stopped at the local Dress Barn (about the only place in town to shop for decent clothes) ... we'd both gotten coupons in the mail so I thought it would be fun to check out the newest Fall attire.  I get the biggest kick over watching Beverly drool and salivate over the newest styles, fabrics, textures, and colors.  She is a redhead with a personality to match!  Personally, I think she just loves to shop ... and shop ... and shop some more!!  I found some great socks in Fall colors at 75% off.  Can't beat that!!!!!

 

Every time Autumn rolls around I think about my childhood years in Minnesota.  Talk about God's paintbrush ... the trees would come live with color making hikes through wooded areas an adventure ... I found a leaf not long ago as I was going through a book I have kept.  It was pretty crumbled but it took me back to a elementary school combination science/art project. We had to find interestingly beautiful Fall leaves, name the tree, and make a picture using our imaginations and our leaves.  As the townsfolk would rake their leaves out to the street, the piles were fair game for kids looking for some fun.  I would jump into the mounds of leaves trying to see if I could become invisible!  I still think jumping through leaves is great fun.  Who can ever forget the taste of caramel apples, popcorn balls, and hot apple cider?  Yum!  The scent of burning leaves, bonfires?  Heavenly!  Hayrides?  Those bales of  prickery hay could be downright brutal on the skin but, the rides were such adventures!  Ah yes...what sweet memories!

High School Football Stadium - Allen, TX

Fall in Texas means FOOTBALL!  I've never seen marching bands performing more magnificently on fields of green, fans more exuberant, and entire cities so enthralled with the game.  A town just north of Dallas (Allen) just completed their new high school football field to the tune of $60M in time for their first game of the season.  For those of you who watched the TV series, Friday Night Lights, you got a glimpse of how crazy Texans get over high school football.  My son played receiver in high school so I got indoctrinated  right quick and joined the multitudes of fans cheering ... huddling close together sharing a blanket ... and, smearing my car with war paint!!  And, who can mention football without mentioning the illustrious Cowboys.  My daughter is a HUGE fan and does a war whoop running around their home each time a touchdown is scored.  If the Cowboys are playing, our TV is on full blast!!  How 'bout them boys?!

Autumn in Texas can be as colorful as Minnesota depending on the area you live in.  The arboretum and botanical gardens are places of beauty to explore on cooler Fall days.  The State Fair of Texas starts this Friday so Big Tex will be bellowing once again ... I think the newscaster said Tex is 60 years old.  He's a sight to behold.  When I lived close to the city, I used to take the Dart bus to the fair ... easy on and easy off.  Sights, sounds, and entertainment galore -- something fun for children/adults of all ages.  I might just have to make a trip north before the fair closes this year!!



President Obama vs Mitt Romney

This Fall we are in the middle of a political campaign between President Obama and Mitt Romney who are in competition for the position of President of the United States.  My Facebook page has been littered with friends trying to push the candidate they most favor.  Never before have I done so much research as to who is the best man for the job.  Our media doesn't really report truths accurately so for an Independent like me it's become an every day project to be able to sort out truth from fiction.  I am supporting Mitt Romney because I believe in his business expertise to turn this nation around.  What's been done, hasn't worked that well and the facts speak for themselves.  I don't mind those who share different opinions ... we have that FREEDOM in this country!!

That being said, no matter what may happen in this world, God is in ultimate control. As you see the seasons change, take time to reflect that the God who causes this to happen, is awesome and worthy of our wholehearted devotion and trust.  With each new day, we are covered knowing that He knows our needs, our sorrows, our joys!!

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
Hymn, 1901

 

Don't you just love that old hymn?  I was humming that today as I thought about how precious our days are ... no matter what time of the year it is.  Autumn truly is a season in which we are blessed ... let us be thankful in ALL things.

 

Mexican Petunias from Miss Dottie's Fall Garden

 

Y'all take care now ... Miss Dottie signing off  for today

 

PS  Always remember you are loved and prayed for.  Gotcha covered!!

 

 

 

When God Draws Near

September 20, 2012


A couple days ago, the world lost a great man and heaven gained a faithful servant. When I awoke this morning, I was singing Taps and I wondered if Frank had been a scout. Whether he had been or not is pretty immaterial when I think about the life he led and the legacy he leaves behind. His death will leave quite a void yet we know God's plans and God's purpose don't end with the passing of a soul.

 

 

 

TAPS

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days,
'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky;
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.

Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds
Always true to the promise that they made.

While the light fades from sight,
And the stars gleaming rays softly send,
To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend.

Lately, the news of family and friends passing or going through heavy trials has multiplied and I find that my grief deepens.  Facebook as one of the new social medias has made news travel as fast as warp speed.  I had signed on Facebook and there it was ... news ... I felt numb and so helpless.  I wanted to get into my car and make the trip to North Texas and wrap my arms around the woman that so often wrapped her arms around me.

I've been in prayer for this family for many months and emails brought news of treatments, travel, decisions, and love.  The Lord would prompt me several times a day to bow my head and to lift up the faces before me.  My prayer time a few nights ago brought a vision ... a beautiful vision of angels surrounding Frank's bedside.  Yes, it was beautiful but I had tears streaming down my face because the angels were holding out their hands as if to usher him to heaven.  Even as I write about it now, my heart beat quickens...

Yesterday, I planted a Fig Tree in my garden in honor of Frank.  Each time I water it, I will remember how he cared for those around him (at work, his wife, his family, his friends, the stranger on the street) -- each time I pick it's fruit, I will remember Frank and how he left his imprint on those he touched.  The fruit of his spirit and his legacy will live on forever.  It is where I will pray for those individuals and families whose lives have been touched by the dreaded disease of cancer.

Readers, please join me in praying for a cure for cancer -- for strength, courage, and wisdom for those facing the journey after hearing the dreaded news ... "I'm sorry, it's cancer."  I doubt that there is a family on earth who has not been affected by this disease, mine included.

My faith has been strengthened by the example that Frank lived ... He was the wind beneath the wings of his beloved wife and my friend, Janene.  It was Janene who fueled the fire within me to not only be known as a believer but a true follower.  It was Janene who fed me book after book ... mentoring me, encouraging me, and, yes, telling me when I was off base and needed to rethink my thoughts or actions.  She would smile when she shared stories of her relationship with her husband giving me hope that love stories had happy endings.

When God draws near it is often with the whisper of "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."~~Matthew 11:28  Our Lord is a gentle, loving God filled with compassion and forgiveness.  It is into his lap I climb when life throw me a curve ball or I don't understand the hurts of this world.   Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."~~Matthew 19:14  Can't you just picture Frank climbing up on the lap of the God he knew so intimately?

A new day dawns ... the sun is shining brightly welcoming me into a new day.  The aroma of the cup of coffee my husband left on my nightstand brings a smile to my face.  It has become a morning ritual that I love and know I would miss if he were gone tomorrow.

When God draws near, I am at peace knowing He is in control and that He is Lord of my life and the lives of believers everywhere.  For those who have passed, the day is done ... gone the sun.  Yet, we must remember that their lives were just the beginning ... the transformation from mortal to a soul in heaven.  I can hear it now ... Jesus welcoming Frank through the pearly gates saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"~~Matthew 25:23
Those who are left behind, grieve and remember...  Tears are shed for lives cut short ... joy is shared in knowing our loved ones are with the master in heaven.  No more pain ... no more fight of survival in their earthly bodies ... they are whole, they are redeemed, they are welcomed into eternal life by the Master himself.  Yet ... the sting remains ... the loss ... the grave ... the reality of the circle of life.  We are, after all, human beings hanging on to our memories and the hope of a reunion to come.

Always remember, I am loving and praying for each person that reads my blogs.  It is such an honor to be in a place where my soul is at peace knowing that God will not take me where he will not sustain me and that I can offer that hope to others.  May the seeds I plant grow abundantly as they are watered by those who come after me.

Miss Dottie signing off for today saying "See you in heaven, Frank!"

 

The Deceiver

September 17, 2012

Good Morning, Readers!  Michael brought me coffee this morning at 7 bells.  I had tossed and turned all night and even though, the aroma coming from a cup of piping hot coffee was welcoming, I set it on the night stand and promptly fell back asleep.  It wasn't too long before a couple of tail wagging dogs decided that it was a new day and they were ready to scope out the back yard!  The recent rain has perked up the Mums in the garden and Toby thinks he has to christen them all!!

A couple nights ago, I closed off the cottage for some deep intercessory prayer.  More than anything, I always pray for truth to be revealed.  Why?  Because it is so easy to be deceived.  This morning I looked up the definition of deceive:  to cause to believe what is not true; mislead; to catch by guile; ensnare; to practice deceit; to give a false impression.

People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they're deceiving you."~~Proverbs 26:24

Satan is the master of deceit using people as his puppets.  Can't you just see him smiling as he works his way into families, countries, and the world?  He takes what is a snippet of truth and builds his case leaving us reeling wondering how in the world we could have been so taken in.

"Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him."~~Jeremiah 9:8

I am learning ... one day at a time that trust must be built on complete honesty.  The mistakes we make in the past do affect our futures AND the future of those we have the truth as I experienced it.  To think that one's follies will never be discovered is a fallacy.  At some time, truth does prevail.  When I decided to begin blogging, I related how complex relationships are and how they are affected by where we live, the level of the difficulty of survival, and how tight the family unit.  We are only as sick as our secrets ... that has stuck with me.

Deceivers are highly skilled at getting the results they desire.  They choose people who are trusting, and idealistic as their prey reeling them in as a tournament fisherman does his fish ...  slowly, pulling up on the line then giving it a little play before snagging his prize.  Conscience?  Maybe or maybe not ... isn't the goal to annihilate your (perceived) enemy no matter what the cost?  I'll get you before you get me is the name of the game.  The betrayal of the innocent?  No problem, I will win no matter who gets in my way.

Many abused children become deceivers.  They learn to play the game of survival.  The problem comes when they reach adulthood and are still playing the game of childhood.  I Corinthians 13:11 tells us, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."  Counselors spend hours recreating events children experience teaching them adult ways of dealing with the past.  As children we were helpless; as adults, we are not.

We have a tendency to trust people thinking they have our best interests at heart.  Do they?  Some do and have the best intentions, some don't and take joy in destroying the spirits of those they touch.  Others? Well, they're kind of in the middle ... as long as you give me what I want, I love you -- I'm your friend.

 

 

Am I the only one who enjoys the "who done it" shows on television?  I've gotten hooked on some old reruns of Cold Case.  I am always amazed at how the detectives can put together a history of a crime gone cold for so many years.  The perpetrator is often someone who is a master at deceit.  Someone that no one would suspect of doing anything wrong.  Michael and I enjoy trying to figure out who the bad guy/gal is and discussing why we think they are guilty.  Last year I watched Criminal Minds until it got too gruesome for me to watch ... I have a hard time believing the depths people will go to achieve the end to their means.

My Lord tells me to pray for my enemies ... my Lord tells me to love my enemies ... my Lord also tells me "Thou shalt not be stupid!"  And, on that note, I am going to sign off and do a little digging for dirt ... ooops, I mean digging in the dirt.  Enjoy your day!!

Miss Dottie aka Sleuth Dottie

My God ... My Way

September 16, 2012

What a gorgeous Fall day.  The rain is falling softly, feeding my plants; leaves are floating down from the tree in the backyard; the pecan tree in the front yard is heavily pregnant ready to give birth any moment; and, I am reveling in the beauty of the moment.  I spend a good deal of time in the cottage - my woman cave is all that I hoped it would be and more!  This morning, I took a long soak in the claw foot tub and decided that I would take a day to reflect and set some goals.  The stillness here is only interrupted by the sounds of nature and the squirrels living in the backyard.  Sadie is laying in front of the french doors snoring up a storm.   I laugh ... my sweet puppy Toby just appeared at the doors wanting in.  Now there are three of us here...

Several days ago, I was sitting in the cottage composing an email and all of a sudden, I heard a voice inside of me say, "My God, my way."  I looked at what I had been writing and my face turned red.  Was I was playing God ... my way?  I decided that I would stop my email writing and go back to my blog screen and sit with my fingers on the keyboard until they started to move.

So many thoughts began to run through my head ... so fast that I couldn't type them down if I wanted to.  They were jumbled together and I couldn't slow them down to sort them out.  I tried to type but the words wouldn't come.  What in the world was going on with me?

I've always marched to the tune of my own drum.  I am a trail blazer bent on discovering new ways and new ideas.  I may be quiet but I feel with deep emotion.  Loyal?  To a fault ... if I am your friend, I AM your friend.  I think the best of people and believe what they tell me.  Gullible?  Sometimes...  One thing for sure is that I've learned that when God speaks, I listen.  At first, I thought I might be crazy when this first started happening years ago ... after consulting with some counselors and other Christians, they assured me I was NOT crazy.  Intercessory prayer was just a gift of the spirit...  Okay, that being said, my role was simply to pray for God's will in all areas.  I decided I could do that.  He was to him that I bowed my knee and became a disciple.

 

My God is an awesome God, and, like the song continues, he reigns from Heaven above.  With power and might, my God is an awesome God.  If I believe that with all my heart why the "My God, my way?"  My hands sat on the keyboard for what seemed like an hour.  I looked at the blank screen and felt this sense of uncertainty.  Had I labeled my God according to my own desires and my own thoughts?  Had I made him into a molding of my own making?

   

When I read the Old Testament, I saw God almost as a dictator using the law to direct and punish.  Oh my goodness, if he felt like it, he wiped out entire cities.  At times, He was a loving, forgiving God but I would still gasp at the historical events leading up to the New Testament.   There was so much I didn't understand.  My ways are definitely not God's ways...
   

Advancing into the New Testament, I realized the deepness of the love that God had for the Jews and for the Gentiles.  John 3:16 says that God loved the world so much that he gave his only son that we would have eternal life.  Doesn't get much sweeter than that.  As a philosopher though, I've wondered if I could lose my salvation.  It never took me long to return to the safety of "salvation is forever."  I think it depends on if we were sincere when we signed on to enlist in God's army.
     

As I reflected on my own life was it "My God, my way" or it is "God, His way?"  I know that I can use God as my excuse thinking that no matter what He will forgive me OR I can say, God says "that" is wrong and I must be obedient.  I'm not sure that God is someone to be fooled or messed with.  It is difficult at best to lead an honorable life walking in the light of a risen savior but is it possible?  You bet!  My conscience (The Holy Spirit) tells me when I am off track and believe me, I hear loud and clear.  I'm busted good if I go ahead and commit a sin that I know is wrong.  Oh, I can have wonderful excuses in my back pocket ... "the devil made me do it, I didn't know, I didn't mean it, but they did..."  But, when push comes to shove, I know what's right and what's wrong.

The Bible is God's way of speaking to us -- the words come alive edifying, teaching, confronting, changing. I can read a passage one year and (ho hum) pass it by ... another time I can read the same passage and put WOW (!) in the margin.  Are non believers held to the same standards as believers.  No, not at all.  How can you expect someone to see where they are going if they are walking in darkness?  First, light your candle then offer to light theirs...

A couple nights ago, I closed off the cottage, lit a white candle and spent hours in deep concentrated prayer.  I had received several emails from people who were going through trials, illnesses, and life threatening issues.  As an intercessor, I stood in the gap, weeping and pleading for the perfect will of God to be done in each individuals lives.  I hadn't been on my knees like that in a long time and afterwards I felt drained but at peace.  As in times past, I heard this voice ... "Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10  I knew that my petitions had been heard and that the armies of heaven had been released to work behind the scenes.  I had to remember ... God, His way!  I knew what "I" wanted ... I knew (according to scripture) what God wanted.  Then, I had to remember that God gives his people free will.  Amen...

On this day of rest, I pray that you will be led to follow the man who came to earth to show us the way, the truth and the life.  When we choose to follow him, we walk in newness of life knowing that we will so gladly take off the cloak of the past and become more like him each and every day. He doesn't say "change" first then come ... his arms are open wide and he wraps those arms around us just where we are.  There is hope for each of us, hope for our country, and hope in the life everlasting.  Amen!

It is with joy that I write to you this morning.  It is with love that I reach out to you ... it is with strength that I claim victory in the living Lord.  I made a choice not "My God, my way" but "God, his way!!"

Always remember you are loved and prayed for ... ya you!!

Miss Dottie

A Typical Tuesday

September 12, 2012

It's a lovely Fall morning in North Texas.  It's been such a wonderful reprieve from the staggering Texas heat of August.  I've been really out of commission for several weeks with neck and Fibro issues.  I can only roll over and play dead for so long and I just have to double my efforts to pick myself up and move forward.  It doesn't just happen ... I have to make myself do 'something' whether I feel like it or not.

I had decided yesterday that I would set a schedule for myself.  I remembered my oldest daughter as a child - she HATED mornings and getting up to go to school.  I would wake her a couple times, then, she would fling herself on to the floor her arms and legs flailing around until she could manage to drag herself into the bathroom.  I laugh every time I think of that but now, I totally understand.  It's REALLY tough to make myself do something that I don't feel like doing.  Believe me, I can dig up plenty of excuses and throw myself a real pity party.

Last night, we had a landscaper come and give us a bid on putting some grass in a small area of the back yard and put in a sprinkler system.  Michael hates yard work and, even though I don't mind, there are times when hauling hoses isn't feasible.  Since my motto of late is KISS, I have to remind myself that less is more.  I have learned from trial and error that roses do well here and most annuals do not.  Some perennials are tough as nails and some ... well, I need to not bother planting them.  The good news is that the Pecan Tree in the front yard is filled to the brim with pecans and we'll have a bumper crop this Fall.  I planted a Lime Tree in the Spring and got 4 limes off of it ... not because it didn't produce but because the squirrels would pick the fruit as soon as it was ready.  Bummers!  Thought about setting out a bottle of gin and some tonic water for them and telling them to "have at it!"

I have been paying bills this morning.  I don't know why I fought paying bills on line for so long ... it's so easy and I don't need to buy stamps and go to the post office.  I know our young people are computer savvy by the time they get to kindergarten but it takes us older folks awhile to catch on to all the new fangled conveniences.  I hold out then whap myself on the head for not getting in the groove sooner!!  I am glad that I have my grandchildren to prod me along although I think they get a kick out of helping me and me fussing over them telling them how smart they are!!

Do you watch So You Think You Can Dance?  They are winding down this season's show and goodness gracious this has been a spectacular year of amazing dancers.  There is one fellow in the finals (Cyrus) that has had no dance training and does this crazy animation-robotics dancing ... a couple others are ballet dancers (Eliana & Chehon) and last night I rediscovered my love of ballet as they performed.  A third young lady (Tiffany) is tiny, spunky and alive with movement.  I wonder who America will select??  I didn't vote this year because I loved them all!

My morning wouldn't be complete without reading in The Promise Study Edition Bible.  It's written in contemporary English and so easy to understand.  Today I was reading in Nehemiah 8....  It's remarkable that something written so long ago could be applied to today's living.  When we allow God's word to speak to our hearts often our first response is to be aware of our own sins.  When we realize that God has forgiven our sins, we can experience true joy and freedom.  I don't know about you but if I stood in front of someone hanging on a cross for "my" sins, I would be sobbing and so thankful.  I would want to know all about this man and what he stood for.  I would want to know why he thought I was worth dying for ... me a sinner with blemishes covering my body, mind, and spirit.

Today my goal is to neaten up the little cottage and maybe make a trip to Walmart.  I haven't driven anywhere in about three weeks so it's about time I got behind the wheel and got reacquainted with Lily.  She passed her inspection with flying colors and gets itchy to get out on the road and fly!!  If anyone tells you a Bug doesn't have pep, don't believe them!!  She's 3 years old this month ... my how time flies!  Seems like yesterday I drove her off the showroom floor.

Yesterday, I opened an email and got the news that a friend's husband is now on hospice.  I sat on the bed, numb, for quite some time.  I got up and stared out the french doors of the cottage.  I looked up at the sky and down at the dirt swirling as Sadie rolled around in it.  I said a prayer and realized how often I have gotten news that friends or family hasn't been doing well.  In fact, last night I was doing some googling on family members and quite by accident found that the man who gave me my first haircut had passed away.  When you get to be my age, those notices come way too often and not too far in between.  The circle of life marches round and round ... a man dies, a child is born and so it goes.



Miss Dottie

That foxhole of life

September 11, 2102

Today, most Americans are remembering 9-11-2001 ... the day the twin towers in New York City were hit by terrorists.  It's a day those of us who experienced this tragedy first hand will remember forever.  Dallas became a deserted city ... people were home glued to televisions waiting for news ... any news.  My daughter in law and I were driving to her job interview when our music was interrupted by (oh my gosh) news of a horrific incident.  As time has gone on, a new generation has been born that did not experience the uncertainly and fear of that day.  It has been up to us to keep that memory alive.

Many years ago now, I remember my grandmother and mother talking about WWII and how they gathered around the radio for news ... how they ran to pick up newspapers with any information about what was going on so many miles away.  They never forgot that initial news report that the United States was going to war.  Fear gripped families as their sons and daughters left home to protect our freedom.

When I was in grade school, I would take mementos that my father brought home from WWII to school for show and tell.  As I packed my box, I would ask him about the coins and various items including a German bayonet.  He told the same story over and over ... the story was mainly about the foxhole.

My father worked in the engineering division clearing the way for tanks, soldiers, and allied forces making their way through the European countryside.  One of the first things they would do is dig some foxholes to protect themselves.  My father would get a faraway look in his eyes as he talked about those foxholes.  God became friend, protector, and consoler as men dove for cover, their rifles never far from their sides.  My father - one time - mentioned that he was in a foxhole with a man who had his head shot off.  How horrific to be faced with death for hours on end ... to look at a maimed man, smelling the body as it decomposed before him.  War makes men and women prisoners -- the foxhole dug to protect them often became their cell.  How could it not affect them?

Do you pray in a crunch?  Everyone knows how it goes… the time for the dreaded test (Math, English, Science, that Real Estate Exam...) has arrived, and you begin to pray madly that God will help you pass it. Or maybe you’re in trouble, and you know you need help, and even if you don’t usually do a whole lot of praying other times, this time you do. You even try to make a deal with God. “God, if you help me, I’ll…”  "If you just get me out of this, I'll..."

Some people call those types of prayers “foxhole” prayers… prayers that are said when someone is in a lot of trouble, is maybe scared, and needs a lot of help. Everyone at some time or another has prayed a “foxhole” prayer.  We've all heard that saying, "There are no atheists in foxholes."  Many times, I think that people have come to know God as their savior at such times ... the times when they are at the end of their rope and there is no where to turn.

The real test comes when there is deliverance ... when bad times turn good ... when that business deal comes through to save the day ... when the bank account has money left over at the end of the month ... when that dreaded illness goes away ... when we pass that dreaded test ... that pregnancy test is positive.  We forget about our foxhole crisis and go on like nothing happened forgetting our own promises.

 

 

Do you think that God is up there in heaven thinking that we are like the boy who cried "Wolf" one too many times?  Do you think that he looks down and says, "That ungrateful child..."  Does He get angry?  Sad?  I meditated on that today and became very still.  Even when my mind began to wander, I brought it back to that foxhole.  There was a song that started ever so quietly and as time passed, the voice grew louder until it was all around me ... Onward Christian Soldiers marching as to war...

We are all soldiers aren't we?  We fight for what we think we want never resting, never satisfied.  We toil, we plead, we attain only to move up another rung on the ladder.  We pull those along behind us whether they want to go or not.  And, for what?  Do we serve God or man?  Do we seek our own agenda's or do we allow God's to come forth?  We dig our foxholes and jump in when threatened, rising when we hear, "The coast is clear!"

Never has this been more obvious as it has been the past years as our economy has spiraled downward ... the rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer and the middle class.  Well, the middle class has been hit between the eyes.  Jobs have disappeared as companies find cheaper ways of managing by computer and outsourcing.  Oh, there are jobs out there ... plenty of them at minimum wage.  Problem is, it's pretty darn stuff feeding a family on minimum wage...

We have jumped in our foxholes for safety pretending that our government will protect us.  That's what they are there for, right?  We elected the men and women who stood up and told us what we wanted to hear.  We believed all the political hoopla.

Would it be so bad to go backward in order to go forward?  Would it be so bad to have to face the facts that in our greed we gave our freedom away to a government who has squandered and overspent?  How about our own habits of squandering and over spending?  Getting out of our foxholes might mean we have to start examining ourselves and making better decisions.  Being on the defensive and diving for cover isn't working.

My uncles on the farm would argue politics for hours on end.  They would shake their fists at each other and voices would thunder through the farm house.  I'm not sure if anyone ever changed sides because of the bantering and I've come to realize that IS politics.  Some believe one thing, others believe another.  Some people are Catholic, some Protestant, some don't believe in anything ... that's just the way it is.  I listened to the Republican Convention ... I listened to the Democratic Convention ... I wanted to puke.  The finger pointing ... the screaming, the yelling.  I wondered why we couldn't just get along ... why we couldn't climb out of our foxholes and shake hands working together for the common good.

As I meditated on the foxhole, all of a sudden, I realized that I was thinking about a make-shift grave not a place of safety.  I visualized climbing out of my foxhole into the sunshine and stretching my arms towards the heavens.  I felt the warmth of life return to my body that had been stuffed into this small space ... I looked down and began shoveling dirt into the hole.   I didn't want to be in that hole any longer ... I had my eyes open and my senses were keen to my surroundings.  I could deal with truth ... and, my journey?  To walk in the newness of light!!

As we gather as families, let us remember those who have lost their lives fighting for our freedom AND for those innocent victims who have been slaughtered along the way.  Climb out of your foxhole and make this day count!

Until we meet again, let's agree to disagree if we need to but let's never lose sight of what the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness really means!!

Miss Dottie


 

Thursday at the Cottage

September 6, 2012

And, a good morning to you, Readers.  Last night the Cowboys beat the Giants and I would imagine the talk around the water cooler this morning will be a play by play recap of the game.  I image my daughter in Florida is about worn out from doing her whoopee dance (she runs around the house whooping it up with each touchdown!).  The "boys" looked good (truthfully, they always look good in those uniforms! he he) and gave us fans some hope for the upcoming season of football.  I lift my cup of coffee to them and say, "Job well done."

Michael roused me from a sound sleep this morning with a cup of hot coffee.  After a few sips, I decided to water my garden.  Oh my goodness, it looks so pitiful.  Our triple digit heat really did a number on my plants when my body couldn't manage a water hose.  Some cities in North Texas have been spraying for mosquitoes because of the West Nile Virus epidemic - 25 have died from those bites!  I emptied the bird baths, the fountain, and any other pots with standing water hoping to discourage those critters from breeding.  It was late enough that I thought I could water without being pestered but "No!" the minute I turned on the hose, they started buzzing.  I swatted and sprayed them with the hose to no avail.  I finally called "Uncle" and went inside.  I am looking at my legs and feet and praying that none of those pesky mosquitoes had the virus cause they got me good.  Now, where did I put my mosquito repellent?!  Itch itch ... scratch scratch!!

I am hoping that temperatures will drop soon so I can weed out dead plants and see what can be salvaged in the garden.  I am learning by trial and error what grows in this crazy part of the world.  I've been trying my best to work the garden around this old tree in the backyard.  I looked at it this morning and am wondering if I am trying to beat a dead horse back to life!  We tried having it trimmed and what a fiasco that was.  The guy nearly fell out of the tree, one of the branches landed on the patio cover and on and on...  The young man doing the trimming was giving it his best shot but in the meantime, he was giving Michael and I a heart attack.  I think there is a reason the arborist wanted so much to trim and/or get rid of the tree!

My neck has been giving me some challenges the past couple weeks.  When my neck acts up, the Fibro acts up ... a vicious circle.  Michael has been after me to go to the doctor and I have been stubbornly avoiding it like the plague.  I've seen enough doctors to know what the diagnosis is and what can be done ... or not done.  I get rest at night so morning is my best time ... from noon on, I struggle as long as I can then put my head on a pillow to ease the throbbing.  As I struggle trying to keep life somewhat normal, I realize what a struggle it is for everyone with chronic illnesses and pain.

There are days when just getting dressed is an effort ... when brushing my teeth wears me out ... when folding a load of clothes is a huge accomplishment.  Like my friend who is bound to a wheelchair and hospital bed, I would like to get out and run.  I would like to gather up the energy I had not that long ago and conquer the world.  There are times when hot tears run down my face and I throw myself a pity party, "Why me?"   Then, I realize that I have a job to do.  As long as I have breath in me, I can educate and encourage.  I can pray and love ... I can do what I can then push a little more.  I can be kind to myself knowing that I still have purpose no matter what.

Yesterday was my oldest grandson's 9th birthday.  I talked with him late afternoon and he was so excited about his day.  Zachary is filled with energy and spunk.  I was wishing that I was there to give him a hug and a high five ... to watch him ride his new bike down the street.  It seems like yesterday, that I was sitting in a hospital room at Presbyterian in Plano, Texas looking down at this newborn cherib ... my first grandson!

Tomorrow is Grandparent's Day at Zachary's and Nicholas's school.  The past three years, Michael and I have joined other grandparents as we oohed and aahed over our grandchildren in their classroom, admiring their work, and nibbling on the treats provided.  I was worried that I might not be able to make the drive but am going to give it a go.  My time at school will be short and I can rest the remainder of the day.  It's going to be doable!!

It is so quiet in the cottage ... the sun is pouring through the french doors making shadows on the painted floor.  I looked down a moment ago, watching the sunlight dance -- leaves were falling from the big old tree casting tiny dark spots in the light.  For a moment, I smiled thinking that it was God's artistry at work ... just for me!  Toby had been sleeping in front of the fireplace and the flickering on the floor caught his eye ... he jumped up trying to catch the spots.  Entertainment at it's best!

My friend, Beverly, came over yesterday and asked me to go to Dress Barn with her.  It felt good to get out of the house and to see some smiling faces -- and, new Fall clothes as well!  Dress Barn is one of the very few places to shop for clothes here and does a booming business.  They wrote Beverly's name and my name on our dressing room doors and kept coming with new outfits for us to try on.  Beverly is tall and thin and the new skinny jean styles look great on her.  She LOVES clothes and lives for her weekly shopping trips to find great bargains.  I am short and as much as I like the skinny jeans, they look ridiculous on me ... it's a good thing that I have a sense of humor.

This is Thursday ... this day is God's gift to me to use as I see fit.  To appease my husband, I have been looking up neurologists in the Waco area that deal with cervical spine issues.  To aid in my wellness, I have taken my medications and vitamins and exercised by watering the garden.  I have read some passages in the Psalms and sent love texts to my family.  Now, it's time for my morning snack and rest ... this afternoon, I will head northward.  I think I am spending my time wisely, making the most of each moment.  How about you?

Until we chat again, always know that I love you and am praying for you.

Miss Dottie