Gathering Together

                                                   Classmate Darci and I  on Friday

Those of you who have read some of my posts know how important it is for me to meet with other people. I do prefer small groups however larger groups are OK as well.

On Friday I had lunch with a dozen of classmates that I grew up with. We met a local restaurant that is located at a golf course. I don’t golf so I haven’t been there very many times. We had lunch for almost three hours until it started snowing. A few came a little late which was fine. It was so wonderful to see these people who are all grown up.

In the past I have met classmates that don’t look anything like I knew them in school however this group looked about the same other than being older.  Three of them I hadn’t seen in a long time and possibly since high school. It is odd because all of them live within an hour of me and many very close.

Our graduating class hasn’t had very many reunions so we decided to get together four times a year. There were others who wanted to come but because of work or being out of town they couldn’t make it.

Our next get together will be in May and a couple days after my birthday. We decided to make it a Saturday so more people could make it. We may get into smaller gathering as well where we setup meeting times for a meal or coffee or other drinks.

We were able to set up a time to have an all class reunion to since it has been a long time. This one will take place in September at the home of one of the women who was there Friday. This will allow those out of town to be able to come as well.

Though I don’t see them very often as I have said there is something special about seeing those you grew up with. They knew you more than most and especially those you are friends with now. I spent more time with some of them then I did with my own family. We had class’s together and spent time in the lunch room along with being outside for recess. I find them still to be very special to me.

It was so wonderful to catch up with them and hear about their families along with other things they are doing in their lives. I know that not everyone wants to see others from those days because of awkwardness and how you were treated in school. I know that school was not always kind to me. These ones though on Friday I had good relationships with in general. Some I spent more time with then others primarily where we lived. I mostly spent my time with those who lived in my neighborhood and they did the same. What trouble you had way back then it is important to get over and be healed. This will make life so much better. Anyway this is my encouragement and have a wonderful weekend to you all.

 

Looking Up

It is always good to look up. This is a positive approach in life. We can look up when it comes to how we act or think or other ways as well.

I find when I look up while I go walking I see things that I haven’t seen before. The interesting thing is seeing birds fly or the formation of clouds. It is amazing how clouds can look one day and different on another day. I am able to see planes fly by as well. Here in the Gig Harbor area we have a small airport so different kinds of small planes and they are approaching to land there. Also there are Air Force planes as well since the distance to McChord Air Force base isn’t far off as well. I can see planes that have come from Sea-Tac Airport heading south. A couple weeks ago I saw a helicopter too.

On Wednesday when I took my mother for a doctor’s appointment I looked up and the sun was shining in a manner I don’t recall seeing before either. The clouds were dark but the sun peaked its head out. Actually the sun made different moves which I found interesting as well. I believe it had to do with the moving of those clouds. Even for a moment the sun shined really bright and then back to what it had been doing.

When we look up our lives can change. It is such a beautiful sight for sure. Just like today it will be different than tomorrow. This can show our purpose in our lives as well. All we have to do is keep watching and hearing at the same time.

So look up and your life could change forever. We won’t ever know unless we do.

Snowfall on Western Washington

This week starting on Sunday morning we had our second snowfall for the winter. The first one actually occurred on Christmas Eve. I don’t actually ever remembering having snow on Christmas so dreaming of a White Christmas finally did happen.

Usually in February we have pretty good weather and for the most part this year hasn’t been much different until now. I enjoy seeing the snow and I wish it would stick around for a bit longer. I know that I just used a pun.

Last night which was Wednesday here I went to church with my mother. She goes to a different church then I do. It is actually the one I grew up in. Anyway they were having a soup night for Lent along with a speaker. There was a lady that was seating next to my mother actually she was standing at the time she said about how much snow we were getting. Was a surprise because I didn’t consider it much snow; I figure she must not be a native or she doesn’t remember which isn’t really that important. Until the last few winters I remember a lot of times we had more snow. We have had snow several times that came to ten inches or more.

Looking out my window it is freezing however no snow is falling right now. Here in Gig Harbor we have around an inch of snow. I am sure other places in the area have more because we usually seem to have less snow then others.

I saw a post on social media of a lady who lives in Arlington Washington which is about an hour and a half north of Seattle off of interstate 5. She said that they had five inches of snow on Sunday that still was on the ground and so they would have more snow then we would here. We had more snow Wednesday night then on Sunday. The snow did stick much at all on Sunday.

I am sure that the newspapers and television will have headline of snow blankets Western Washington. I didn’t feel I had to go that extreme. Here in Gig Harbor the children are out of school for winter break all week long. It is not the case in the whole area because Tuesday I saw on television that some schools were starting a couple hours late. I am sure the children here are looking forward to or already have started throwing snow balls and if enough snow around can make a snowman.

A group of my school classmates and me are getting together for lunch on Friday. One of the gals said that there is a seventy per cent chance of snow on Friday however she plans to still come which is the case for me. The location is only about three minutes from where I live so easy to get to for me.

I checked out the temperature outside it is exactly at freezing thirty-two degrees. When it comes to driving I have no problem doing so long as others are able to stay out of my way. LOL   The major problem is ice then snow of course. The wind is blowing hard right now as well. I am going to try to make it out to the store and coffee shop in a couple hours. Usually I go walking first thing in the morning however it is unlikely I will do so today.

So I wish everyone a wonderful day and that the weather is enjoyable wherever you are. Until next time.

Evangelist Billy Graham Passes Away

I read this morning Wednesday Feb. 21 about the passing of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham. He was 99 years old.

Over the years he made several trips to Seattle and Tacoma for a crusade.  Included in that was during the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the opening of the Kingdome in 1976 and 1983 the Tacoma Dome. I had the privilege of able to go see and hear him at the one in 1983. I could have gone to the ones in the Kingdome however it was more time and distance to do so while the one at the Tacoma Dome was closer and more convenient.  

Besides the time at the Tacoma Dome I did see several of programs on television that were from crusades including the one at the Kingdome. What made Rev. Graham a great man was not only his love for his savior Jesus Christ he did not compromise what he had to say. Jesus Christ said that your yes had to be yes and your no had to be no and this is how Rev. Graham lived and spoke.

Like many I will miss hearing and seeing him. He has passed on his mantle to his son Franklin Graham. I often read messages of his on social media including the one this morning about the passing of his father. He is now in heaven and rejoicing in the front of Jesus.

If we can be just a part of what Billy Graham was we have done a good thing. Rest in Peace and I will see you on the other side someday. Amen!

A Trouble Heart

These days with the state of the world it is easy to have a troubled heart however we have to look for faith, hope and love.

Faith is to believe in what we don’t see. To look for the answers in places we don’t know as of now.

Hope is to believe in something besides ourselves. Though our hearts maybe troubled we can see a heart that is healed. We must rely on God and ourselves. God gave us the world to rule and we can make change one step at a time. This is where hope comes in.

Love is the ultimate answer to it all. There is hate and evil in this world which gives us this troubled heart however love can and will overcome it all.

So what we can do is to put faith and hope into action with love. Hang onto others we consider family and friends along with searching out for others who can become part of the group as well.

We can’t let fear give this troubled heart. Overcome fear with love. Encourage one another today as we call it today. Let hate and evil know we find no place in our hearts. Victory in our hearts will happen with love. Amen!

 

Peace in the Valley

A lot of heartache going on in the world these days and most of us know that life is not fair. Those who continually live in fear and depression most of the time haven’t figured that out. I hear the term of mental illness however I believe many of them have lived in fear and depression. I am not discounting mental illness as a disease but I don’t think it is true in all cases. I believe the media doesn’t know how else to describe it and that is fine.

I haven’t lived in fear but I have lived in depression at times. It actually begins with self-pity and if you don’t find a way to correct it than you can go where you feel no way out.

This is where  peace comes in along with joy. I have said it on other things as well like smiling for example. We must choose to have peace and go to the one that has the source of peace which is God. Only he can give us true peace and joy. It doesn’t mean we won’t have ups and downs in moments but we can still have peace beyond our own understanding.

I recommend reading Psalm 23 when you have the chance. He is our shepherd so we lack nothing. We can go into the valley of death or despair and not fear. He is our rock and salvation. We can actually knock and speak until he answers us. Never give up he will come to you no matter how low you go.

If you have experienced the lows well as the highs like most share your experiences with others especially those who right now are going through fear and despair. Help them not get into the place that the media will call mental illness. Don’t let them be a casualty along with others who could end up being one with their rage and lashing out. We don’t need any more shootings because the shooters felt to end it and the life of others. Every life is precious in the site of God. Amen!

President’s Day

                                            George Washington and Abraham Lincoln

I thought writing about something else which I will get to tomorrow since today is President’s Day here in the USA.

When I was growing up we had two holidays in February celebrating George Washington our first president and then Abraham Lincoln. Now they seem to roll it up into one.

I liked the fact we got two days off from school. I wasn’t a big fan of school so any holidays were good no matter when they happen. At least where I live the schools take a whole week off for President’s Day. Not a bad idea and then again another week off in April just after Easter. The only problem though the schools get out later at the end of school year so the summer is shorter. I like the fact that summer was two and half months long where now it is more like two months.

Anyway now it nice to be able to honor these two presidents of the United States; I am not sure whether anyone else does but it is nice to remember the other past presidents as well.

I am sure other countries celebrate the leaders of their countries past and president whether they are President or whatever other title it is.

A couple stories about George Washington which I am sure neither is true were that he never told a lie and he chopped down a cherry tree. If you want to know more about either I would do a google search.

It was some time ago now however the one time I visited Washington D.C.  I went to George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon Virginia. It is only about ten miles away from D.C.  Now that my brother lives in that area I look forward to visiting there once again. What I remember most is that he had a lot fire places in the house. In those days of course they had to have fire places to keep the home warm during those tough winter days.  I actually took a tourist bus around the area so I saw other sites as well like the Arlington cemetery. If you are not familiar with it this is where a lot of military men who died in battles are buried.

There were other nice sites to and since it is to member Abraham Lincoln as well I saw Lincoln Memorial which is in Washington D.C.  A must to see when going to the Country’s capital; good day and many blessings to you.  

Follow Your Dream

Besides watching the sports what I like about the Olympic Games is that the athletes are not only are talented and gifting they follow after their dreams. For some of them they have had to overcome obstacles like injuries as well.

So we are the same way what is your dream? There can be obstacles that get in the way but how much do you want to land in your dreams. I would not call it a dream but I had a problem hearing when I was little and did not talk until I was five years old. It took me until I was fifteen years old to be able to read and write like other children. I guess you could say it was a goal as much as a dream.

I know that there are other things I would like to accomplish in this lifetime. Many of them I could call as dreams. I might not even have the talent to accomplish them but what better to do than put my whole effort into it.

So today think over the dreams that you have thought about over the years. Think about how you are going to reach those dreams. I know that you can do it. Anything is possible if we try while not trying hard to make it possible. Best of luck to you and your dreams.

 

Never Stop Making a Difference

 

Although there seems no hope at times it is important we continue to make a difference in others’ lives. This is likely the reason we were created for this time in the world.

I am amazed that with the shootings in Florida that the government especially doesn’t learn. They are concerned about terrorist attacks on USA and around the world but have little concern with mass shootings in shootings. It was reported that the FBI heard reports about the young man who fired and killed seventeen students and adults. These were young people who had a lifetime ahead that trusted adults to keep them safe. If it were not for the adults that were killed and were heroes more lives would have been lost.

I have read some stories and comments on social media. I responded to some of them myself. I won’t say more about my opinion other than things have to change. Not only about the gun laws but hearing when someone is posting on social media that they are planning to do a mass shooting.

What I have read about these shooters being mentally ill that is a given in some ways but it goes beyond they are evil and likely demonized. I know in the world that doesn’t understand the spiritual world will always label it mentally ill these people are either demonized or at least being influenced by demons. So what we must do if we hear someone speak this way it our duty to listen and report to authorities. Make the authorities know it could be an actual threat. Action must be taken and stop ignoring these evil people. Whatever the case we can make a difference in this world no matter how large or small. Also we must pray for those families who have lost loved ones and for our government leaders to make changes to the laws regardless of the special interest groups. Amen!

Mercy and Grace

Most of us have heard the song “Amazing Grace” many times over. Truly to have mercy we must begin grace. The grace is undeserved favor from God. We give mercy to others because of the grace we have been given. If we don’t give mercy by forgiving them for what wrongs they have put on us than grace can be taken from us.

Mercy and grace can’t happen without love either. They go together as a threesome. We have heard that there is faith, hope and love with love being the greatest so than comes grace followed by mercy.

We were created for a purpose in our lives because of God’s love for us. He desires to give us grace everyday with the love. You can lose the grace like I say because you haven’t given mercy by not forgiving. It is not always easy to forgive however God has forgiven us because of our trespasses.

I believe people don’t see God in good light because of how others have treated them. Let you know that God is not like us. He is greater than us. He loves us despite what we have done or will do. He desires to give us grace everyday along with love especially if we forgive others. Like I say not an easy task at all because there are evil people in this world that hate us and then those closest to us wrong us as well however without mercy and forgiveness we won’t have peace and joy in the way we want it.

So in the same way God has given us grace by forgiving all our trespasses we must forgive others as well. It doesn’t mean that we forget what they have done to us we choose to forgive. It is not for their benefit but for ours. It doesn’t mean that we have to spend time necessarily with them we just forgive them.

I have forgiven those who wronged me especially those who I grew up with. I have so much more peace and I am able to see them in a better light. They were only kids who may have not known any better. Of course that doesn’t matter one way or another. I feel like a better person because of the forgiveness. It doesn’t mean that the thoughts of what they did don’t come up now and then but I have the grace from God for it. Amen!

Fighting Against Ourselves

When I woke up early in the morning the thought came to my mind that we fight against ourselves. Whether you believe it or not we are in a spiritual battle. Though we are living a natural life there is a spiritual life whether we believe it or not.

Satan or known as the devil as well is our adversary. Not only doesn’t he like us he hates us with all his being and if he can have us be distracted by us not caring for ourselves and being in a fight against ourselves along with others he is winning the battle however we can win this isn’t over at all. We can believe in ourselves and think less of ourselves. It isn’t an easy task because it is something we have to do on a daily basis.

So when you think less of yourself and others than you let him have the upper hand. Let him know that he is not in charge and you know where he belongs. Regardless of whom you are and how you live your life whether good or bad he isn’t your friend at all. When you need the help cry or reach out to God for assistance he will be right beside you. He will give you the victory that you need today and if you have to ask him again tomorrow he is willing to assist you once again. He loves you so much beyond your comprehension and when you need help even again yourself or another person he will be there for you. Amen!  

St. Valentine

Right off the bat I want to wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day. This is a day to let those special to you how important they are to you. So let you all know that you’re special to me wherever you live.

I don’t have that significant other at this point so this is to you all that don’t have anyone either. I hope today begins where that special person comes into our life. Maybe someone you least expect or you would like to expect gives you a Valentine on this day.

Those who have a special person may love go deeper for the two of you on this day. May the romance be like it has not been since you first met. No matter how your relationship is right now things can go up for you both just remember the first time you met that the feelings for each other came alive.

Also today is Ash Wednesday for those who are Christians. It is the beginning of lent. Many Christians give up something for lent so pray for what you should give up if you haven’t figured it out as of yet. May you prosper for this season and beyond. Remember you are the Apple of his eye.  So remember on this day Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day his love for you. Celebrate today with much love with those you love and care very much for. My thoughts are with you all brothers and sisters. Amen!

Fearless

I have mentioned before that we are all created for a purpose and destiny however circumstances happen that we don’t fulfill it. The thing though if we know our purpose and destiny it is never too late. We can rise above our circumstances even beginning today.

One of my purposes is being fearless. Often I don’t feel that way. Fearless means that I don’t have fear along with being bold and brave. Writing here I can feel fearless but other times not so much but it is still part of my makeup. There are other areas of my life that I don’t feel fulfilling my purpose and destiny either but I can still accomplish what my life has been meant to be.

I feel in my life being fearless means that at times I will have to stand up for what I believe in along with helping others when they need the help even if they are not asking for any. The important thing is that I keep my eyes open to see what others may need at the particular time. We all need help but the answer in these times is to help others. When we help others we keep our minds off of those things that bring us down. This could be what being fearless means as well.

So whatever circumstances you are in right now doesn’t change who you are either. The importance can be to rise up above our circumstances or in another way not let our circumstances dictate or define what our life is at all. So whether you are fearless like I was created to be or something else take the time to spend in it regardless what else is happen. Amen!