Move along . . . nothing to see here.

Happy New Year ~ 2012

In 2011, I got an IPhone and my IPhone is hooked to my Facebook.  It will tell me the weather, show me where I am and show me where I want to be.  It takes pictures and videos.  It will talk to me or take notes from me.  It will play games and hopefully, very soon, it will let me talk around the World to my grandchildren! 

I have been pushed and pulled (mostly against my will) into this century. How LONG I explained to Gwendolyn that I didn't want a Facebook account.  I didn't want to talk to other people and I didn't want them looking at my information!  How patient she was to explain I could keep it private and other people would not see it... then she put pictures of my grand babies... easy pickings!  So, in October of 2008, I joined the world of social networking.  I now have 260 friends from around the world. Yes, I know that is not very many in comparison to others, but for me, it is somewhat of a miracle. 

I'm up to writing on my blog, once again.  I have traveled to Thailand three times!  I've stayed a month in Guatemala!  I've been back to Mexico, I've even stayed in Oklahoma! 

 I am now ready for 2012!  Facebook, IPhone, Skype, why, I may move into the world of Twits!  A world of  "new things" await us in 2012.  Some; we will willingly embrace, some we will hesitate to embrace and a few, we will simply say; "No".    May whatever new thing that comes our way, be a conduit to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Instead of fearing the new, may we see the potential.  At one time, clay tablets or papyrus was used for recording.  Once upon a time a feather was used for writing!  Sooner or later, these "new" inventions were embraced and used to further the Gospel.  I have a book that shows some of the progress of the written word.  Near the end, it has a picture of a cassette tape - it says something like: One day all the books in the world may be recorded on these.  Since then, How many new inventions have carried the Word? 

May my new IPhone be used to carry the Word in 2012.  May my Facebook page be used to witness to and comfort those in need.  May I not lose sight of the old ways, nor ignore the new ways.  

Los Angeles

Three new friends from Randy's class!

Hello, Kingdom of Thailand!

It seems impossible, but since my last post, I am on my third trip to Bangkok!  Isn't God good!  I never dreamed I would be able to visit this beautiful nation.  Meet so many wonderful people.  How I have enjoyed these trips! 

Rebecca, Madison and I left DFW last evening just over 2 hours late to catch our Thai Airways connection from LAX at 11:20 p.m.  I want to thank an un-named American Airline worker who was able to book our luggage all the way to Bangkok.  We are carrying 6 suitcases, 3 backpaks, purses, camera cases, jackets; I am so thankful we were not faced with picking up those suitcases last night! 

We are at Holiday Express, they sent Manuel in the Hotel van to pick us up, they are taking us to a Denny's for lunch in a few minutes, they let us have a "hardship" check-in, allowing us to stay later than normal and they will return us to the airport for our flight tonight.  The night manager even offered a security guard to walk across to 7-11 with us, if we needed snacks!  

The lady Rebecca talked with from Thai Airways this morning was as kind and helpful as anyone could possibly be. 

Thank you, Lord, for those you have put in our path!

Southeast Asia

I have given you my prayers for a year.  I have read your stories, looked at your photos, tried your foods.  I have studied your maps, looked at your history.    My thoughts are in Southeast Asia when I wake and when I fall asleep.  I have given you my best. 

You have my son, you have my daughter in law; my grandchildren.  You have my heart.  My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will move among the precious souls in your borders.  My desire is to meet your children one day. 

I have fallen in love with a people I do not know.  My heart breaks as I think of the multitude who do not believe in God.  Souls, Holy Father, I pray for souls to be saved.  I pray that this beautiful nation of Thailand come to know You.

An Ouchie

Rebecca, Lauren and I were in an accident, the 5th of April. We were meeting a semi-truck when a women who was following the semi turned left right in front of us. We never saw her little truck behind the semi until she just turned into our lane. We hit her broadside. We were going maybe 45 miles an hour. We had just completed a full stop at a stop sign and had not reached the speed limit of 65 miles an hour yet. We barely had time to hit the brakes before we hit her, no place to go, nothing to do but hit her. She was not wearing seatbelt, hit her head on windshield and had a pretty bad cut, but the medics said they thought she would be ok. She was thrown to the passenger side and hit that glass hard, too.


None of us had to go to the hospital. Rebecca's neck is a little sore. Jeff made an appointment at the Wellness Center here in town for her to have the stiffness worked out. They said a 'salt bath' or something, too. It is for this afternoon. I hit my knees on the dash, a little bruised, but not even stiff this morning. The seatbelts did a real number on me and Rebecca, the seatbelt knocked all the air out of my lungs and it took a few seconds to get my air back, but I would rather that than what the woman suffered for not having her seatbelt on! Lauren was in the back seat of the truck and got a scratch on her back and jammed three of her fingers, looks like that is all.  It has been a couple of weeks and everyone seems to be getting along fine, except for myself.  I guess old people take longer or something!  I am still hoping my injuries are minor and will heal by themselves.  Most days I feel like I am improving... some days I not so much! :)

Rebecca was able to get the truck stopped, by the grace of God, before we went over a 20 foot embankment. We were both looking at that embankment as the truck carrened toward it, Rebecca was turning the wheels to the left and she said, "I can't get it stopped", and then "I can't stop" and then, it just came to the softest stop you have ever seen in your life! I cannot explain it, we were going really fast straight towards it, then we were just stopped. Last night, at the house, we were talking about that moment and I said, "I wonder why the airbags didn't deploy?" If they had, Rebecca would not have been able to see the embankment or even reach the steering wheel to steer the truck.

We may be a little stiff, a little bruised, but we are whole and I know as well as I know that I am writing this letter; that God cared for us. He allowed no more than what was His Will. Truly, His grace is sufficient. I pray that His will, His plans are done. The man that ran across the street and prayed with Lauren and the woman, the man who came up to Rebecca and said I know your son, the police officer, the woman we hit, each life God reached, even the people this afternoon at the Wellness Center, may God's will be done, souls saved, lives affected, changed.

If I could choose, I would choose not to have a wreck, but God's ways are not my ways. I only see my life, my family. God's sees and loves all of us. I praise Him that no life was lost and I pray that a soul may be saved! To God be the glory.

Getting Up

A friend asked me today, "What is success?"  My response was "getting up".  Debbie will think I mean "getting out of bed in the morning", but my answer is so much more than the simple act of will it takes to get oneself out of bed.  Life has a way of knocking us down.  Have you ever watched a baby learning to walk?  They fall, they get up, sometimes they are scared to get up, but sooner or later, they will try again.  The bad bumps and bruises don't come until later, after they have learned to walk.  When they head for the stairs or try to exit a door.  Of course later, there is the bicycle, the skateboard, the motorcycle, the hang gliding and on and on the list goes.  The point is: they get up, they continue to grow, they reach for new experiences.  Do they fall?  Yes.  Do they get hurt? Yes.  Do they get up? Yes! Success is getting up when you fall.  Success is trying again. 

Coy Gnade made the statement that everyone is getting a divorce.  This teenager cries out for security in the home.  The sad truth is the home is the very place we get knocked down the most.  It is the place where we feel the pain most.  It is the place where we have the most trouble getting back up.  It is the place the devil attacks most.  Sometimes it feels as if he can suck the energy right out of our bodies.  The desire to get up is gone.  The strength is gone.  The willingness to face the problem head on is gone.  We fall flat on our face.  We blame the failure on our spouse, our children, our spouse, our finances, our spouse, our church, our spouse, our government, our spouse, our parents and usually...on our spouse!  I always think of Job here, he didn't blame God exactly, but he did say; "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."  I remember years ago, writing in my journal that life could not be sweeter, brighter... just a few days before I received some of the most devastating news of my life!  I fell from the mountian peak into the abyss.  And I put the blame on every doorstep... except the devils and on sin, right where it belongs. 

My gracious God taught me through the trying times.  He stayed with me.  He lifted me up and he helt me, until the fear was less and I was ready to try to get up, try to walk again.  Through His strength, I became stronger.  As I look over the trying times in my life, I see that God was always there.  He provided exactly what I needed, when I needed it.  I also see that in times of trial, I ran to HIM.  I prayed, I read my Bible, I reached out for God and He was there.  I learned to depend upon Him in my time of need.  I can get up, by the grace of the Almighty God, I can get up, one more time!

I thank God for His love and care for me.  I thank God for each valley and each mountain top.  I believe I will appreciate and enjoy the mountain tops more than ever I could . . . because of the valleys.