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sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/13/2008 8:02:44 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

I have spent 3 ½ days in Branson with my niece and her 2 children. The children are three and seven years old. We went to Silver Dollar City for one full day. I watched those beautiful, healthy children as they laughed and ran and jumped for pure joy doing just what children do—riding rides, playing in the area where they could climb and explore water games, ball games etc, eating junk food and enjoying those huge snow cones. It was hot with a heat index of 97. They did not seem to notice.

There were several shows just for kids because it was during the Kid’s Fest. Our little Abby loved the Veggie Tales. She did not move or take her eyes off of the stage. I will never see a veggie the same again. Through the eyes of a child is just simply amazing. I now know who Bob and Larry are. They are really terrific veggies that wanted to have their picture taken with all the little ones which of course we did.

Our Zack loved the “Magic of Peter Gossamer.” His question was “how did he do that?” We adults were entranced and so I could only imagine what the little ones were thinking. This was an excellent show as well and totally had the children’s attention.

Regardless of where the children were---White Water, Silver Dollar City, the Lumber Jack go carts or the motel swimming pool I saw all of those places a little different because I was seeing them “through the eyes of a child.”

With the innocence of these precious children, I could not help but think of this scripture:


“Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/15/2008 11:45:40 AM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

I am trusting a still small voice in my head this morning because I believe that God has something for me to say. Why this particular thought on this particular day? I don’t know but God does.

For whatever reason, I have been thinking of a friend that was engaged to be married and her fiancé suddenly died. I remember it just like it was yesterday. It was however, over twenty years ago. Joy was snatched from my friend in a simple heartbeat. This young lady was not a Christian. I heard the news and just could not believe or process what I was hearing.

I believe that God’s timing is an amazing thing. I was teaching in the youth department of our church at the time. We were studying (of all the books in the Bible) Job. I wrote a letter of encouragement to my friend Lisa. I told her that I had been trying to understand some of what Job went through and it was impossible. I told her that it was also impossible for me to understand her pain and loss because I had never gone through such a tragedy. What I could tell her was that God’s grace was always sufficient to get us through anything that happens in our lives. I gave her a couple of examples in my own life when God had taken care of me. I did not know anything else to say at that exact moment because she was grieving so.

A few months later my pastor told me that he had heard about my letter. He informed me that Lisa had come to know the Lord through her loss. That news came from Lisa’s new pastor. I was so excited and wondered why sometimes a tragedy must happen in order to get our attention.

A few years later I saw Lisa in Kansas City on one of my shopping trips. What a great reunion that was. She was married and living in the city. The sorrow was gone from her face and the joy was back.

Yes God is good. I often wonder what my letter would have been like if our youth were not studying Job. BUT as I say---God’s timing is perfect! Our all knowing God used a tragedy and maybe even a Sunday school lesson to help one lost young lady to find Him.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/18/2008 11:51:01 AM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

His name was Steve Henry. He was our youth minister. He was totally dedicated to his calling. I was privileged to work with Steve for a short time. In that time he demonstrated an absolute faith in God. He stepped out on faith with every decision he made for the youth of our church as well as all the youth in our town. I served on our youth committee and we often shook our heads when Steve had a new idea for the youth that required money. We would say, “it’s not in the budget” and Steve would say “God will provide”. I want to tell you that is exactly what happened each and every time. Steve sang and played a guitar. That is the picture I often see in my mind when I remember him. It could be around a campfire or in our basement where the youth gathered for a social.

Steve knew everyone in our community and you could often find him at the local high school at lunch just chatting with young people. He was a husband and father as well. His home was always open to the youth. The bond between Steve and the youth was a beautiful thing to see. He could play with them but he was on a very serious mission and that was to see that all were saved. He made it fun being saved and the enthusiasm oozed from his pores.

I never heard anyone say one negative word about Steve. He loved everyone whether young or old. There are so many stories I could tell about Steve. He lived a lot of life in his few short years.

On a Sunday afternoon in February, Steve and his wife were driving to Jefferson City, Mo. for the ordination of his brother-in-law and they were in a deadly accident. Steve died that day at the age of 30. His wife was seriously injured but survived. Our youth were devastated and it was all we adults could do struggling to keep the faith as we cried with and held our youth tightly as though we could make the pain go away.

The weeks and months following this tragedy were difficult to say the least. God was faithful and provided strength for all of us. Through the years, I have seen our young people get married and have families of their own. I believe that our youth leaders should be chosen with great care. They are one of many who set examples that mold our youth and future leaders of our church. Steve was a blessing to all he came in contact with. I am thankful for the time God gave me with him.

I wonder sometimes what triggers memories of lost friends but in this case I know. I was at the cemetery today and saw the stone at Steve’s gravesite. The memories flooded me and when I came home I decided to write a blog about Steve allowing me to remember the wonderful young Christian man he was. I am happy and secure in the knowledge that we will be together again and singing praises to God just like we did here on earth.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/24/2008 7:55:32 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

Several days ago I wrote a blog about my forum friends. Perhaps even at that time I did not fully understand the depth of your caring. I have now been on the receiving end of your prayer support and encouragement. God truly heard all of your prayers. It truly amazes me that I have found such loving Christian people to share my life with right here on the forums. Your prayers, PM’s and suggestions were just what I needed. As I have so often said “God knows exactly what I need, exactly when I need it.

I want to be as supportive to all of you as you have been to me. I will always be your prayer partner. I will do my best to be there for you just as you have been there for me.

I will close with a heartfelt “thank you and God bless each and every one of you.”

Judy



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/26/2008 1:47:47 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…” about my little “Judge”

I have noticed that many of you really love your pets. There are several cat and dog avatars. After seeing those it reminded me once again of my little “Judge”. He was a little Chihuahua. He was my baby. Believe me, when you do not have children they can help to fill that void. I got Judge when everyone was using the phrase “here comes the Judge”. Now I know that just dated me again.

I was working when I got Judge and because I did not want to leave him alone my Mom and Dad would puppy-sit. He was their granddog. He was such a funny little thing. He weighed ten pounds and was quite mischievous. When I took him anywhere in the car, he would lay around the back of my neck. That sounds kinda silly now but that is what he did. He loved to go anytime and anywhere. He played with an old sock and loved to pull and tug on it and shake it like crazy. He hated to have a bath. He would see me get a towel and he would hide. I don’t think that ever changed. As you can see in my avatar today Judge ALWAYS had one ear up and one ear down.

When I started dating my now husband, Judge was so jealous. He would crowd in the middle of Harry and I on the sofa. He would ignore Harry and pout a lot. However, in time they became pretty good friends.

Judge was so smart. He knew so many words. He recognized them and responded accordingly. Words such as Grandma’s house, go outside, play ball, and play sock and others that I am having a hard time remembering right now. Judge always seemed to know when a storm was coming. He would sit on the landing of our tri-level home and wait for us to go to the basement for safety.

Judge was a thoroughbred. His name was Jack of Diamonds. Now that did not suit him at all and I smile when I think that when I got him the owners thought I should keep that name.

My little Judge died at the age of 14. He had heart failure. I grieved for my little puppy. My life seemed so empty without the joy he always brought me. My nieces were staying with us the day Judge died. There were lots of hugs to help Aunt Judy survive. Harry had Judge buried in a pet cemetery. He also purchased a little stone with his name, birth and death date on it. I visited that little grave for a long time.

I have not had a pet since that time. I did not want to go through that kind of sorrow again. I still love pets but know I get way too attached to them for my own good.

That’s my Judge story. He has a real special place in my heart. I like to believe there is a doggy heaven. Nothing to base that on. Just me being me.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/29/2008 6:42:04 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

Our little city will really be hopping in about a week. It is time for the Missouri State Fair.

When I was a youngster that time could not come soon enough. We would watch as the rides were assembled at the carnival grounds and could not wait to get on them. We watched as the vendors prepared their carts to sell us hot dogs, pineapple whip (an ice cream of sorts), snow cones, cotton candy and other "not so good for you" treats. One of my favorites was hot peanuts. There was excitement everywhere. Horses, cows, pigs, rabbits and even chickens were brought in for judging and competition of some kind. There would be equestrian shows all week too. We had a horticulture building with wonderful flowers to be judged and Mom always loved that display. All of the 4-H projects were on display such as wood crafts, sewing, cooking and fruit and vegetables to be judged.

There is always entertainment at the grandstand in the evening. This is a ticketed event with big name country singers. Each night there is a huge fireworks display at the end of the show. The entertainment usually brings in a large crowd. Elvis Pressley came to our fair one year and actually walked through the carnival grounds. I remember doing a double take just to be sure it was him. That was then and this is now. I don’t think we live in that same world now and the only place we see the stars is on stage.

On the weekends there are auto races and that is a crowd pleaser too.

It is always so hot during the fair. As a child that was okay. I view that a little differently now. One thing that usually happens during the fair is rain. It was almost a joke around here. If we could hold out until the fair, we would get rain. One of the worst tornado’s in our area was at our fair. I was just a little girl when that happened and do not remember it but a local restaurant had pictures and I still remember those.

Years ago, people would come to Sedalia and stay in rented rooms. We did not have large motels. Now with a new Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Inn, everyone prefers to stay there. People went from $25.00 a night to $119.00 a night just to come to our fair.

I wonder how it will be this year. It is hot. Gas is high. Over night stays are expensive as well.

I drove through the fairgrounds today and there are tents everywhere. The water fountains are painted and ready to go. The grass is cut and flowers are blooming. Some of the buildings are getting some new paint and even new stairs. The grounds are coming alive right before my eyes. The 18 wheelers are coming in with carnival rides. I guess it does not matter how old I am. there is just a little tingle of excitement even now as I remember and look forward to yet another Missouri State Fair.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/3/2008 7:08:27 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

If I were to say to you today---Ten years ago did you think your life would be what it is today? What would you say? This is the very topic my husband and I were discussing recently. We had to admit that no it is not what we expected. We have received so many blessing from God and are grateful for every one of them. We have had our share of disappointments too. It was enjoyable to look back over our years together, good times and not so good times.

I think of the early married years and know I didn’t have a clue about God’s plan for me. Each day just seemed to turn into another and before I knew it, here we are thinking about “how did we get here?” Well, I guess we were growing and hopefully learning from our mistakes and rejoicing in our victories.

I don’t know why I do this but it is so easy to see God’s hand in everything AFTER the fact. Sometimes I will go through something bad to get to something good. I don’t always get what I want but I definitely get what I need. People, places, things are not always lasting. God puts them in my life for a time and for a reason.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”
Ecclesiastes 3:l

There is no doubt that God knows what is best for me, I just forget that sometimes. I get caught up in so many changes and trying hard to make things right for myself. Not that I am surprising God---He knows exactly what I will do at any moment.

For years in all of the different churches we have belonged to, there was one declaration that was always the same. “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” I do know that it is a wonderful plan of God’s for me to NOT know what is going to happen with each day. Who could handle that? Not me, that is for sure

Ten years ago I would never have believed that my new love would be Southern Gospel Music. Forums, blogs, chatting on different threads here? Never! I am just excited to see where God leads next. We are traveling and spending time with really great friends and have so much to look forward to. I’ll just keep trying to keep focused on what God wants me to do.

As I am thinking back, it is not so important how I got here. It’s about the journey. I realize God has a plan for me. I am going to keep on keeping on and not think about how I got here. By the grace of God, I am going to keep focused on where I am going.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/6/2008 1:08:21 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

I suppose when you start traveling frequently it is inevitable that you will come upon a wreck. On our last trip we were three hours from home and the traffic stopped. All three lanes were dead still. Of course with all of the large trucks we could not see ahead to know if it was construction or an accident that stopped the traffic. We inched our way along for almost an hour and going less than a mile. We heard a helicopter overhead. We saw an ambulance fly by with the words “advanced life support”. Finally we could see red light flashing and it appeared that traffic was being directed to the nearest exit. When we reached the exit we noticed that the red lights were gone and traffic was starting to move normally. It was several miles before we saw the problem. There was only one vehicle that caused the stalled traffic. It was an 18 wheeler and it looked like it had been blown up by a bomb. The cab was completely burned and there were several men transferring the load from the trailer.

That picture has stayed with me and even to the point of dreaming about it. I remember thinking and saying to my husband "oh God how could anyone survive that?" I was so thankful we did not witness such a terrible accident.

I have made a practice in the past years to pray and ask God to travel beside us as we head out on a lengthy trip. It is not like I don’t know He is already there. I just need to acknowledge His power to protect us and even if something terrible is allowed He will never leave us or forsake us. He will be right beside us.

I have not told this story to make anyone sad. This venting was for me. Maybe by putting my thoughts in this blog I will be able to have the peace I seek.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/16/2008 7:03:17 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

On May 10, 2008 I had a blog about my on line devotions. It was something that had worked for me for a long time.

I recently found myself “stuck” in a negative thinking mode. A very dear friend could hear in my voice, see on my face and could tell by my actions that something was very wrong. He spent time with me and pointed out what I was doing. To make a long story short I will just say that the devotion I was using was ALWAYS talking about the enemy (devil) and that was all that was on my mind each day. A real battle with the devil is a very emotional drain every day. The one I was trying to resist was getting his way in my life through the devotions. He was getting way too much of my time.

I have removed my name from that on line devotion and have signed up today for the “Crosswalk” daily devotions.

Because of my friend I now am dwelling on my God and the wonderful blessings He sends my way each day. I recognize that the devil is very real BUT he cannot hang around the way he has been.

Everyone will interpret the content of a devotion differently. I know it was not the intent of those writers to ever cause me to stumble.

Yes, I still want to turn on my computer, go to my email and the first thing I see is my daily devotion. A change will be exciting and I am looking forward to the new adventure with Crosswalk.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/20/2008 3:52:04 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

Are you ever amazed at how God works and answers prayers even though we pray very specifically? For me it can be a very simple matter or a very complex one. I have experienced both within a week. The good news is that God took care of both situations. I am not surprised but I am in awe of such clear answers. I will not question how God answers prayer. I just want to be thankful and aware that He does answer.

Many times I know the answer without asking. Some things are made very clear in the bible and do not require asking or answering. At other times I need to simply turn situations over to God and let them go. It is certainly a faith builder when I recognize that God is at work with the perfect solutions.

The "simple" matter was taken care of before I had time to even worry about it. Yes, that w---y word is back. God provided and I am grateful. The "complex" matter is not so complex after all—at least not to God. He answered today and I am excited.

I am not sure this blog makes a lot of sense to you my readers but it was something I felt deeply about and wanted to put into writing as much as I could. I just wanted to give God the glory and say I am so filled with joy knowing how much He cares for me.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/24/2008 3:38:42 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

My Harry is a serious bike rider. He purchased a “Specialized” bike called a Tarmack a few months ago. This is a street bike. That makes me nervous to begin with. Prior to this bike Harry always rode on the Katy Trail. This is a bike trail and quite safe. He has ridden to St. Louis from our home which is approximately 200 miles. He would then take the Amtrak home. I never worried about him on the trail.

Several months ago Harry took a very serious fall on his street bike. He was not hurt but his helmet was broken and his bike was a twisted mess. I got a phone call that I was needed to get him home.

It is a beautiful day here in Missouri. The morning started out cool with very little humidity. It was a perfect morning for a ride. Harry did not call me this time but when he came into the house and I saw him I said “oh my gosh Harry, what happened?” His face looks like we had a fight or something. He was hurting in his back and just really looked pitiful. Well, needless to say, Harry took another fall. He was going uphill and because of gravel on the rode lost control of his bike. He went over the handlebars of the bike into a ditch head first. I cleaned the places on his face and put antibiotic cream on the roughed up spots on his head and face. I think he will be okay and I think I will be too.

The reason I am telling this story is because of the good Samaritans that Harry had contact with this morning. There were a total of 4 different men who stopped to help him. Some were in their vehicles and a couple were people in their homes that saw him. He had all kinds of offers of help. Now how wonderful is that to know good Samaritans are still alive and well? I am very thankful that they were there to help my Harry. I am also thankful that God took such wonderful care of him yet again.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/26/2008 12:23:47 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

Yes, I am totally aware that it is not Mother’s day but when I see our own Christi I feel like I always have---Every day should be Mother’s day! A Mother’s love for her child is one of the most beautiful pictures I can have in my mind. My Mother gave her entire life to nurturing and loving her children. It never entered my mind that she did not love me.

The news is filled with children being neglected and abused. My heart is heavy when I see and hear those things. I look at any and all little children and wonder---“how on earth can anyone hurt a little child?”

The absolute opposite of that picture is what I see and read on the forums. I see Mother’s both single and married that love their children more than life itself. I hear the struggles that they face trying to do the best they can to have healthy, happy and well adjusted children. I picture our Lord with little children and know that He is pleased with these Mothers.

What if all the world had the Mother kind of love toward each other? You know the kind of love that is unconditional. The very same love that our Lord has for us.

Today I will pray for all of the Mothers that are working so hard to be good Moms. I know in my heart that your efforts will not be in vain. God will bless you as you love and cherish your children each day.

To Christi and Tink and all the others that I read about, I admire and respect the love you have for your children. I will pray for peace and wisdom for all of you.

I don’t want to leave the men out, so for Sam, Santa, and James, I see the love you have for your children and your grandchildren. It always warms my heart to see real men loving children. I will pray for all of the men both mentioned and not mentioned that are working hard to be good Dad’s and Granddad’s.

All of this is coming from a gal with no children. I love all children and can only imagine how it feels to be responsible for those precious little lives.

I will stop here and just say “Thank you guys so much for sharing your pictures and stories of your children”. I enjoy them very much.

God bless all!

Judy



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (9/5/2008 3:57:48 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

While in Branson, Mo this past week we were able to spend quality time with the Soul’d Out Quartet. They have all become very special friends to us and they are just a really great group of guys.

We were invited to dinner with the Quartet plus Tanner’s fiancée Ashley, her Mom Wendy and Dad Monty. We were going to celebrate Michael’s and Dusty’s birthdays. Wendy arranged for Dusty, Michael, Matt and Matt to sit at a round table and the rest of us were next to them at a separate table. Now that round table had a quality that the guys did not know about. It was a “rising table”. Very slowly the table rises as the customer is eating. It is so slow you hardly notice it until it is near your chin or you need to lift your fork a little higher to get to your food. I think Michael noticed something “strange” first. Of course the customers in the restaurant began to laugh and cheer. All of the guys were loving the joke played on them. They are quite familiar with jokes. I know because they play them on me. The waitress then gave all of the guys a certificate that said they were members of the “Rising Table Society”. She told them the only way to get the table to lower was for them to sing. Now, as you can imagine, the joke was on her---She didn’t know they were a Quartet! Needless to say the guys sang and “knocked ‘em dead” in that restaurant. Just the look on the employees’ faces was worth it all. Yep! free mini concert is what they got.

Well, we had a great time and enjoyed the fellowship, laughing and celebrating with Soul’d Out. They are away from family so much as most of the groups are. They miss their families and we talked about that. They tuck their children in by phone. They do enjoy what they do and have fun while on the road but it is a tough life for sure. They have told me that there is no way they could do what they do if they were not one hundred percent sure they were within God’s will.

I have written about the guys because I so admire their faithfulness to God. It is a world that I did not know existed. A lot of people travel with their professions and draw a very nice salary. I have known that but when you travel for love offerings and are out there serving the Lord, it is about trust. Totally trusting God to supply all of their needs. I believe God has allowed all of us to become really good friends. I believe I have a job to do concerning Soul’d Out. It is to pray, encourage and support the guys as God directs me to do. I am that same girl that has said repeatedly that I do not believe that things “just happen”.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (9/11/2008 9:10:13 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

Today I ventured out to take pictures with my new camera. I decided to take photos of buildings and places that represented some of my childhood. At first it was fun and my mind was filled with wonderful memories. Just like the clouds gathering above me the cloud of sadness came over me and I felt a sense of loss. I took a picture of the viaduct we passed over to visit Grandma and Grandpa. They have been gone for many years and yet I still felt the sting of their absence. I took a picture of the school where I attended first grade. I felt sad because I remembered a little classmate that had no shoes. That painful memory still comes to my mind after all of these years. I took a picture of the high school I attended. It was at graduation time that my precious Grandpa died.

After returning home, I transferred the photos to my laptop. As I looked at the pictures other memories came to me. I realized that there were many, many more happy times than sad times connected to each of my pictures. I am thinking that “such is life”. There are good days and bad days. There is joy and there is sorrow in this life on earth.

Several years ago someone said to me---“How will you plant your garden of memories?” Will you plant it with the sad and difficult times? Will you plant it with the happy and joyous times you shared with your loved ones? Even though there were some sad memories today I won’t allow my garden to become cluttered with the weeds of sadness. I will keep my garden filled with blossoms of precious stories and thoughts of all who hold a very special place in my heart.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (9/18/2008 9:58:13 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

Here I go again with the thoughts of another day and another time.
All of a sudden today I was thinking of the little country school that I attended as a child. It was called Anderson School but I do not know why it had that name. It was a one room school. There was no running water and we did not have restroom facilities. Oh to be young again! If those facts bothered me, I don’t remember it. Oh dear, I got off track there for a minute.

My thoughts today were of our school paper. Yes, we had a paper even though we only had a few students in one room. Of course, there were no computers so these papers were typewritten and full of errors. I found three of these papers in my “treasures” today. The first one was dated September 30, 1955. I am chuckling to myself because I am suspecting that most of you weren’t even born then. Moving on here, I found my name in the first paper. I was one of thirty students. In the first paper I had written a little story called “A Little Girl and Her Monkey. I named that monkey Chicko. Yes, that is how I spelled it. I rated a full page with that story. It was pretty silly but then I was a little girl. In the second paper I wrote a story called “The Spooky Night”. In the third paper I wrote a story called “Thanksgiving Day”. Everyone had a part in our school paper if they wanted it. There were news articles and drawings done by the students. I only have three papers. I can’t remember if there were any after those three or not. I do know that I liked writing even as a little girl. I wonder what it would be like to write children's books and actually have them published. I have always loved books but never really thought about writing them.

Oh my, that was so long ago and times were so much simpler then. We were just children with big imaginations. I wonder if some of our famous fiction writers started out by writing in a little school paper. Well, I am not famous and I am not a fiction writer but the memories I have of writing for our little school paper are still very “sweet”.

Okay, I’ll put my little papers away until the time comes again to travel down memory lane. I must say that the older I get, the sweeter those memories become.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (9/24/2008 2:18:55 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

Sometimes the strangest things can go through my mind. I find that often times the thoughts come when I am tired and need rest or I am alone in a quiet house.

As a child I would look forward to a certain event with great expectation. For example, 4 H, Sunday school or a picnic or a birthday party for a friend. As those different activities came about they were in fact as expected. They were fun and I felt sad when they were over. Now, I find as I get older I still have great expectations concerning different activities. Plans are made and the time is drawing near to enjoy and “bam” all of a sudden I wish I had not made the plans. I wish I could stay at home. I want a quiet time to read a book or watch a movie, do a little needlework and just enjoy doing my “thing”. I have tried to figure this out today and I cannot make sense out of it. Making plans and organizing everything to be gone for a while is stressful. Is it about getting older? [sm=sadquestion.gif]Maybe. I didn’t feel like this a few years ago. Is it about finally finding peace and being happy right where I am.?

My husband and I often speak of doing “old people” things. We make decisions based on past experiences. We know what our bodies will handle at our age. We no longer get up on Saturday and go to breakfast, then do a day of shopping (closing down the Mall’s) having a late dinner and coming home. It is just too much. We try to avoid the trap of “age” being the decision maker. “It’s getting dark, better get home.” “It looks like rain, better get home.” That is the thinking I am writing about. Our thinking has changed as we have gotten older but that will not stop us from venturing out to enjoy life.

We have spent some quality time with a younger group of people this past year. As I witness the energy they still have, I think how quickly those young years pass. There are so many times when I think---how did the time go so fast?

Okay, I suppose I have worked through this new thought. I still have so much to look forward to. I know that God has a plan and I want to be open to whatever that may be. So----I will keep planning, listening and trying very hard to be where I should be when I should be there and enjoy the journey as long as I possibly can.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (10/2/2008 3:05:54 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

As the seasons change I make my trip to the cemetery to put seasonal flowers on Mom and Dads grave. I noticed the colors as I entered the grounds this week. The fall colors of orange, brown, and green were predominate. Even though the flowers were of silk they appeared real and painted a lovely picture. I noticed pumpkins both real and plastic scattered throughout the cemetery. The decorations were of leaves, mums, pumpkins and all kinds of Halloween decorations.

There was a time when I wondered and thought “why would you put certain things on a gravesite?” It is about survival. Every person who places an item at the grave of someone they loved does so for a very specific reason. You learn a lot about the people buried in the cemetery as you see what family and or friends place at the stone.

I realized the most wonderful thing today. What I was seeing was LOVE. Love expressed with objects, flowers, statues, windmills, flags and numerous other items.

I placed my flowers and remembered how much my Mom and Dad loved flowers. Maybe I go overboard with what I place at the stone but then again, maybe not. As I look back at the gravesite, I realize that I feel satisfied that I have honored my sweet parents with something they loved and I think they are smiling down on me from Heaven and saying “that’s our girl.”



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (10/14/2008 10:49:41 AM)

"I Want To Tell You..."

This was sent to me by my sister and is just too good not to share. ENJOY!

EXPLANATION OF GOD: As explained by an 8 year old boy In Chula Vista, California

One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies.
I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of
this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times
beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.

Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any
in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church.

Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K. His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did and now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. like a secretary, only more important.You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.

You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God! Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very
lonely,because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp,
but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids. But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And...that's why I believe in God.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (10/20/2008 8:27:05 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

So many good things have happened since I first joined the Singing News Forums.
I have found a place to chat, blog and read about others that post here. I have been encouraged many times and I hope I have done my share of encouraging too.

The most exciting of all happened this past weekend. I actually spent time with two friends and their families that I met through the forums. Both proved to be exactly as they appear on the forums. That is so refreshing. I never dreamed that I would get to visit in person with anyone here. Real hugs were very nice. Eye to eye was very nice.

Santa was a real joy. He was kind and gentle with the little children that just wanted to get near him. For a moment or two I actually thought he was the real Santa for sure. I just wish my Great Niece and two Great Nephews were close enough to visit with and have their picture taken with Santa. Mrs C. is a delight as well. Perfect couple in my eyes.

Christi is a wonderful Mom. Her little GB is her pride and joy and now I know why. She is absolutely a beautiful, happy and full of energy little girl. Chuck, Christi’s husband was a joy to meet as well. It was so wonderful to see and hug those who I have so often lifted up in prayer.

Now my desire is to meet others. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and will spend all eternity together. That is exciting to think about but until that time I will watch for opportunities to meet other “on the forum” friends.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (10/25/2008 7:29:59 AM)

“I Want To Tell You…”
“Today I Will Honor My Dad”

My Dad left his earthly home and went to his heavenly home five years ago today. Memories are flooding me. My Dad was a wonderful Christian man that loved his family more than his own life.

In the last two to three years of Dad’s life we spent many hours together as he shared his life stories with me. I soon realized that I had a lot to learn about Dad. I heard the story of his leaving home as a young boy. I heard the story of how hard it was to find work. In his words “you could not buy a job”. I heard him tell the story of the first time he saw my Mom. I realized that this man I called Dad was a God loving, gentle, giving, caring and happy man. He had always been the strict Dad that was pretty tough on his girls. I will never regret the hours I sat listening to him share so many details of his journey through life.

When Dad was gone, I took his Bible home with me. As I looked through the pages I found notes he had made. I found poems he had written to Mom. I found clippings of articles that troubled him. I found little slips of paper with a scripture verse he had written on them with a comment or two. I found a tiny plastic bag that contained mustard seeds. They were the remnants from a Sunday school lesson he taught on faith.

Matthew 17:20
”If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
.


Dad taught me about faith. The very faith that became extremely important to me in this past month as many of you know.

And so today I honor my precious Dad. Dad gave me so much. Money could not buy the most wonderful gifts from him. He gave me the gift of a Christian home and the gift of leading me to the day I was saved. Saved by—yes, FAITH.

Thank you Dad for being a wonderful Christian Dad to me. I love you Dad. I miss you. I look forward to the day we are reunited.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (11/3/2008 7:21:41 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

I looked at the trees changing colors today. I saw the beautiful leaves that have fallen and are either blowing around or lying in a heap under the trees. Fall has always been my favorite time of year. This season of the year transforms the color of green to the Autumn colors of yellow, orange, red and brown. The thought entered my mind that God has given me such a wonderful world to enjoy. Along with this thought I suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. There are blind people that have never seen the beauty of God’s world. I tried to look around and think---what would I see if this was the first time I had ever seen the trees turn and the leaves fall? I felt the awesomeness of God.

I want to always be aware of my blessings and my sight is just one of them. I do enjoy all the seasons and I never want to take the sight and wonder of any of them for granted. God does not owe me such a beautiful world but He loved me enough to give it to me anyway.

It is getting late and I see the sun setting. What a beautiful sight. Yes, God is so very good to me. I think, Judy, always remember:

“This is the day which the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (11/9/2008 12:01:28 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…”

I have heard for years---- If Jesus should enter your home today, is there anything you would be ashamed of or embarrassed by?

Because I grew up in a Christian home, I never heard bad language. I never heard an offensive joke. I never saw anything in our home that would offend our Lord. I did hear a Daddy praying. I did hear a Mother singing—(always a song we sang at church). The book shelf had devotion books, biblical reference books, travel books, books on birds, books on angels and several books by Billy Graham. At Christmas our home demonstrated our belief that the season was about the birth of Christ. When I was growing up I did not think about any of these things. It was only when I had my own home that I knew I wanted to have the same kind of home that I grew up in.

Even though I always knew I would have a Christian home it came to me one day that I needed to clear some books from my book shelves. I had gotten the books from a book club. Probably trying not to be wasteful, I kept them. I can’t even remember now what they were but I destroyed them because I did not want anyone else to have them on their shelves either.

I looked around my home today and am satisfied that I have a Christian home. I could open my door to Jesus and not have a worry that I need to be ashamed or embarrassed about anything in my home. Funny how I said that like He wasn’t already here. Maybe I should say---I am satisfied that all is well with me and Jesus right here in my home.



sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (12/2/2008 10:20:20 PM)

“I Want To Tell You…” about a comforting poem.

My Dad died in late October of 2003. I did not know how I would survive the loss as the holidays were approaching. Oh I knew all of the God, Bible and Christian answers. I also knew that I had a broken heart. I knew Dad would not be there with his funny little Santa hat on passing out gifts on Christmas morning. He would not be there loving his family, Grandchildren and Great Grandson. I remember the empty feeling as though it was yesterday. To say I was overwhelmed is putting it mildly. As our faithful God always does, he sent me comfort. This time it was through a poem.

This poem was given to my sister and she passed it on to me. I read it every year and with Mother now gone also, it is even more special. If you are by any chance feeling lonely for a parent or a loved one that has gone home, maybe just maybe this poem will help you too. That is my prayer today.

My First Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees
around the world below,
With tiny lights like Heaven’s star
reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular;
please wipe away your tears
For I am sharing Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear.
But the sounds of music can’t compare
with the Christmas choir here.
I have no words to tell you the joy their voices bring.
It’s far beyond description to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me.
I see the pain within your heart;
But I am not so far away.
We really aren’t apart.
So be happy for me, loved ones.
You know I hold you dear.
Be glad I’m spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I send you each a special gift
from my heavenly home above.
I send you each a memory of my undying love.
After all, “Love” is the gift
more precious than pure gold;
It was always most important in stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other
as my Father said to do,
for I can’t count the blessings
or the love He has for you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away those tears
For I am sharing Christmas with Jesus Christ this year



May God bless you with a joyful heart as you celebrate the birth of our Lord this wonderful season of the year. Remember, one day someone may be thinking of us as they read this poem. We will be safe and celebrating with our Savior. We will be spending our Christmas in Heaven!!!



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