Friday, August 26, 2011

A Tribute to the Fallen

Today a soldier comes home. He comes home to a crowd of family and friends. He comes home to a town that is honored he was one of theirs....But Lt Cpl Travis Nelson came home in a coffin...wrapped in the stars and stripes of Old Glory...at the age of 19. He fought for a country he believed in and a town who believed in him. He was a casuality of war, its true, but he gave his life for our freedom and safety . He gave his life for the freedom and safety of a people who he did not know. He did it because it was right...it was right as a human being and a Christan. It was right in the eyes of God. So he came home a hero. He is an American Hero. He is a Hometown Hero. He has earned his place in Heaven and in the hearts and minds of the people of Atmore, Alabama. May God hold and keep those he left behind in his loving arms. GOD BLESS THE FALLEN. GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Single Mom's World: And in Alabama..the world stood still...

Single Mom's World: And in Alabama..the world stood still...: "4/27/2011...I am still speechless. An iconic town for the state of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, destroyed by an f5 tornado. I'm 28 years old and hav..."

And in Alabama..the world stood still...

4/27/2011...I am still speechless. An iconic town for the state of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, destroyed by an f5 tornado. I'm 28 years old and have never seen one...until yesterday. I watched as my dad's hometown was torn apart via the web. The college, the dorms, the hospital...nothing was untouched..nothing. It was as if the hand of some monster reached out of the sky and wiped a slate clean. I cried. The house my grandmother was born in..located in Moores Bridge..gone. Fear for friends and family clenching my heart...I finally heard from the last of them this morning and Praise God they are safe. It is not so for others as the death toll rises. Even the news casters seemed lost for words as the watched the destruction on screen.
Now its time to pick up the pieces..

If you are able..volunteer..if you arent..donate something..money, food, clothes. Do what God expects us to do when disaster strikes..pull together!!


Monday, April 25, 2011

The Tree that Changed the World

It is not stated in the Bible what kind of tree the Cross our Savior hung from was crafted from...it has been said Olive because of the size of the tree and because it populated the region at the time.




Another school of thought states that it was the dogwood tree..

In Jesus' time, the dogwood grew


To a stately size and a lovely hue.



'Twas strong & firm it's branches interwoven

For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.



Seeing the distress at this use of their wood

Christ made a promise which still holds good:



"Never again shall the dogwood grow

Large enough to be used so



Slender & twisted, it shall be

With blossoms like the cross for all to see.



As blood stains the petals marked in brown

The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.



All who see it will remember me

Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.



Cherished and protected this tree shall be

A reminder to all of my agony."

 
 
 
As you can see...A poem was even written about it.
However, Since Easter has passed, that particular tree has been on my mind. It doesnt matter what type of wood the Cross was made of..it was the destiny of the tree itself that intrigues me.
In a copse of mighty trees stood a tiny sapling, striving towards the sun like a holy man reaching for heaven.
For all intents and purposes, it was just an ordinary little tree. It had bark, like other trees. It had roots and leaves. It had branches and twigs and needed sunlight and water to survive. See? Just like every other tree. When the Angels brought " GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY," announcing the birth of our Lord in the form of a babe in a manger..the little tree stood...still firmly rooted. As he grew and performed miracles ..the tree grew and the branches reached ever higher. Before long men came and and chopped down the tree..It was soon nailed into a cross shape...it gave its existence to become a crucifix for our Savior.  As judgement was passed on our Lord  , the tree waited in its cross form. As jesus was made to carry it to His place of sacrifice it became saturated in his blood. It shook as the spikes were driven into Jesus's hands and feet and it stood tall as our Messiah hung on its wood, sacrificing himself for our sins and waiting to die. Such a small thing...yet so great a symbol. The little sapling never knew it would play a part in shaping our world, our belief, or show us how GREAT the love God had for us..by giving his only son.
How wonderful that we can now say..." Why do you look for the living among the dead?! He is not here! He is RISEN!"
 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Single Mom's World: Have I gone mad??

Single Mom's World: Have I gone mad??: "The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad? [Alice checks Hatter's temperature] Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll t..."

Single Mom's World: Welcome to my Church....

Single Mom's World: Welcome to my Church....: "Its hard to pick just one thing about my church that I like....So I'm gonna share my church experience with you. The first thing you see as ..."

Have I gone mad??

The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?


[Alice checks Hatter's temperature]

Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are

                                                     ( Johny Depp is still hot even like this)
 
 
Count me among the best...in fact..count most moms among the best. We are a fab group of completely crazy, insane, and bonkers women. How else (other then the Grace of God) do we make it through the daily grind of motherhood? How many times have we felt like this....
 
 
Oh come on...you know you have looked like this before. Unless you are one of those June Cleaver, always have supper on the table, pto, perfectly coifed mothers..
 
 
 
                                             (If this is you...well...I hate you )
 
 
But that sterotype hopefully died out with the feminist movement. Hot damn we can vote!
Motherhood is not perfect. It is raw, real, messy, hurtful...just like birth. And just like birth it has another side...it is love, fierceness, laughter, hope, and happiness. When God made women it was because HE KNEW that it takes the kind of courage, tenderness, and yes madness that only women can posess.
 
"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh



:The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes


It's not easy being a mother.  If it were easy, fathers would do it.  ~From the television show THE GOLDEN GIRLS

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. ~Jewish Proverb





So I ask you... Am I bonkers? Off my rocker? Completely gone around the bend?

Am I mad?!

I tell you..Yes my dear, but I shall let all of you in on a little secret....All the best people are.



Now bring on the Jabberwocky :)