Pain, With The Right Attitude, Can "Grow" Us

I have two unspoken prayer requests, and, perhaps because of these circumstances, I am repeating a poem I love and putting down a couple of other things here to encourage all who are hurting physically and/or emotionally. In the midst of pain, whatever the source, we must remember that God SO loves us and is right there with us to carry us through.

"I danced on Friday when the sky turned black
Oh, it's hard to dance with the devil on your back

They buried My body and they thought I'd gone
But I am the dance and the dance goes on
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the dance, said He
And I will lead you all wherever you may be
I'll lead you all in the dance, said He."
-Sydney Carter-

"If I am in sickness,
my sickness may serve Him;
If I am in sorrow,
my sorrow may serve Him.
He does nothing in vain,
He knows what He is about." -John Henry Newman-

"The only cure for suffering is to face it head on, grasp it around the neck, and use it."     -Mary Craig-

"Pain is part of the process ... From the shedding of blood that initiates birth to the last gasp of astonishment in the face of death, we are encircled in suffering. The biography of a human being is also a history of anguish. The way one reacts to the suffering of life matters more, in creative and human terms, than the suffering itself. We become the people we are through the disadvantages and conflicts we prefer to more comfortable alternatives."   -Anthony T. Pabovano-

"When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When (not "if") you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight
and because I love you ...
Do not be afraid, for I am with you." -Isaiah 45:2, 4, 5 / the Bible-

"You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance." -Psalm 30:11 / the Bible-

(These are all taken from the little book: "You Gotta Keep Dancin' by: Tim Hansel)

This Is A Time For The President To Be "Presidential"!

Seeing our American flag stomped on and burned "hurts my heart", as grandson Christian used to say when he was little and sad about something. It's what that flag stands for that makes it so sad ... all those who have died or been wounded fighting for the freedom that that flag represents. I think of my father and all the others who fought in WWII ... Korea ... Viet Nam ... the Gulf War ... Iraq

... Afghanistan. Now we watch on T.V. as that flag is desecrated and our American Ambassador is tortured and killed and drug through the streets like a piece of trash - and remember the others who were killed trying to protect the embassy people - and where is our American President??? Why hasn't he been OFTEN on the same T.V. STRONGLY condemning the murders, speaking to the families of the deceased, voicing sympathy and ANGER at the murders ... instead of, once again, apologizing with Hillary Clinton to the radical Muslims committing these crimes!!!??? Instead of hanging out with the Las Vegas celebrities? Instead of being with Beyonce and her husband? Instead of being on a radio talk show with a guy with the insulting-to-women name of "Limp Pimp" or something like that? Instead of yakking it up again with David Letterman on t.v.? Why isn't my President BEING "presidential" at this very serious moment?! I am angry about this, obviously. There should be a lot of anger right now about the way the President is behaving during this time, I don't care if you voted for him or not ... if you are Republican, Democrat, Tea Partier, etc. He should be behaving as a President in a time of danger and stress, not a T.V. star.

We are free to VOTE ...

 

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"How Great Is That?"

Okay, now, I know my pastor is my husband which can sometimes be a bit frustrating, but I still have to say he is a great preacher/teacher. He has his "greater" and his "lesser" sermons - today was, in my opinion, one of his "greater" ones.

I John 3:1-3 was the text: (1)"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The

reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (2)Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (3) Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."

My husband/pastor brought these verses alive today, for me anyway. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" Yes, how great is that?! SO great. SO, SO great. Imagine - God actually DOES consider those of us who have accepted the free gift of salvation provided to us by the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, His kids! I have, of course, read this before; thought about it before - today, though, through the words of my pastor/husband, it just seemed to jump right out at me: I AM God's child. Not a perfect one. But, still, God's child. Not a perfect one. But, still, wanted and loved by God. Not a perfect one. But always, forevermore, God's child. Not a perfect one. But a forgiven child of God. Not a perfect one. But a child of God who WILL one day, with Him, BE a perfect one.

As my pastor/husband said today: "How great is that?"

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Pray and Protest!!!

Egypt’s Christians in Grave Danger as Muslim Brotherhood Crucifies Opponents

 

Numerous reports have emerged this week that the radical Islamic Muslim Brotherhood, that now controls the government of Egypt, has begun crucifying Christians in that country.
Middle East news media have reported that the Muslim Brotherhood has “crucified those opposing Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi naked on trees in front of the presidential palace while abusing others.” Those opposing the new radical Islamic regime include Christians, and experts have suggested that “extra brutality is reserved for Christians.”
The ACLJ just sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to take action to stop this atrocity.
Our letter states:

Recent news stories concerning what is currently transpiring in Egypt should cause grave concern to the Department of State, to the Obama Administration, and the civilized world in general. . . . It appears that secular Egyptians and Coptic Christians are at heightened risk. Such barbarity cannot simply be overlooked by the Government of the United States and the rest of the civilized world. The United States Government must condemn such actions in the strongest terms possible and must encourage other nations to do so as well.

The letter also urges Secretary Clinton and the Obama Administration to “cut off all aid” to Egypt unless and until Egypt takes decisive action to prevent further brutality and prosecute those who committed these heinous acts.
Christians in Egypt need our support more now than ever, as the radical Muslim Brotherhood continues to pose a grave threat to their very lives.
You can take action urging Secretary Clinton to cut off funding for the radical Islamic-run Egypt by signing our petition here.

Tags » muslim brotherhood, Egypt, Christian, crucified, Clinton

Crispy Craving

A BIG disappointment this evening. Almost had boiled bulldog for supper. :( I'd been craving - yes, CRAVING - a crispy piece of fried chicken all afternoon. Having almost no food in the house yet after returning from vacation, grandson Christian and I made a quick run to Walmart for a few things (too tired to do the "big" grocery shopping) - where I purchased the largest, crispiest chicken breast they had in the deli section! Christian got a donut for him and one to take home for Papou. Soon's I got in the car I couldn't resist pulling that chicken out of the bag and having a big, crispy bite. Mmmmmm! So good; but I was disciplined enough to return it to the bag until I got home. When we got home I dropped everything on the kitchen floor, as I headed for the bathroom just off of the kitchen. No sooner had I shut the bathroom door when I began hearing Sullivan-the-bulldog's nails click-clacking on the kitchen floor... my brain quickly brought it all together for me: crispy fried chicken bag on the floor ... big bulldog on the floor who also loves crispy fried chicken. Oh, no! SULLIVAN!!! STOP!!! Too late. I yanked open the bathroom door to find our guilty-looking bulldog chomping down greedily on the torn-open bag and my crispy piece of fried chicken. Oh, the sadness. Oh, the anger. Oh, the laughter coming from grandson and hubby, insisted I should just cut around the parts the bulldog had enjoyed and eat it anyway! No way. Banishing said bulldog to the living-room and coldly staring down the still-chuckling grandson and hubby, I yanked open the back door and threw my now-not-so-lovely piece of crispy fried chicken out on the porch, as I yelled at the hanging-his-head-bulldog to "just go ahead and finish it now, you dumb dog!". He didn't feel quilty enough, though, to not run out quickly, gleefully, and grab up the rest of his illicit meal. I turned back into the kitchen to boil hot dogs, instead of the bulldog, for supper. All is forgiven - laughing grandson and hubby included ... but ... sigh ... I still sit here dreaming of that huge, crispy piece of fried chicken breast........

"For God So Loved The WORLD ..."

"For God So Loved The WORLD ..."

by Sandra Carol Mers Clayton on Monday, July 30, 2012 at 1:59am ·

                                 

There was in today's paper an article about a church in Mississippi (did I spell that right?) that refused to marry an African-American couple in the church - and this couple, according to the article, has been attending the church!

It seems the wedding had been planned and the pastor was ready to perform the ceremony in the church, as planned, when he got wind of a few of the members who were not happy to have a "black" couple being married in "their" church.  Other members, it was reported, were angry and totally taken by surprise when they heard, after the wedding was held elsewhere, that a few of their number had protested having the wedding at the church.  Instead of standing up against the dissenters and standing UP for the rest of the congregation and for what was right, the pastor backed down and, though he still performed the ceremony, it was held elsewhere.

Racism, at any time, is bad. Terrible. Not good.  Racism is not God's way; it particularly saddens me when I see racism among we Christians. No one is perfect on this - racism exists among non-Christians as well; racism exists among every race, I've discovered.  It isn't simply a "Caucasian" sin. However, I still say that it is especially sad to see Christians practice racism, whatever race the Christian is.

My piece of art here says that "love is color blind"; and it is.  We might "love somebody or not love somebody ... respect somebody or not respect somebody ... like somebody or not like somebody" because of "this, that, or the other" but we should never decide how we feel about a person because of that person's color/culture/race.  Love is color-blind; well, it should be.  As Christians we are to follow God's way, and God's way is not to practice racism.

God's love IS color-blind. He loves ALL of us, whether we are white, black, purple or pink! God's ... love ... is ... color-blind. Jesus died on that cross for ALL of us - EVERY color/culture/race.  Scripture does not say "for God so loved.... the white man/the black man/ the yellow man...".  "For God so loved the WORLD. Not just the "white" world.  Not just the "black" world.  Not just the "yellow" world. God loves ALL.  He grants forgiveness and salvation to ALL who ask for it and believe that Christ died for us.

If we are truly Christian and wish to follow God's way we will not practice racism of any sort. Every person is welcome in God's church -  and every pastor and church member should be welcoming every color/race/culture  into our congregations. To not do so is, let's call it what it is, it is sin. Anyone practicing such sin should confess to God and start again, from that point, to live God's way in regards to racism.  And God's way is to not practice it.

For God so loved the WORLD. God's love is color-blind.  Ours should be, too.

"Love Is Color-Blind"

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Chronicles of Nonny

Chronicles of Nonny (A Grandma "Feeling the Burn")

by Sandra Carol Mers Clayton on Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 8:22pm ·

               

This is only the second day and I move with difficulty. STIFF difficulty.  If "feeling the burn", as it's said for exercising, is good for you - when is the GOOD gonna start????

Committing to join an exercise class at this late stage in life might have been a mistake. My doctor tells me "do it" - it's good for the diabetes, the arthritis, the fibromyalgia, for losing weight.  My kids tell me "do it, Mom" - it's good for the diabetes, the arthritis, the fibromyalgia, for losing weight. My husband tells me "do it", Sandy - it's good for the diabetes, the arthritis, the fibromyalgia, for losing weight - and "you'll soon get used to it."  Yeah, right.

What no one was telling me is that it's gonna HURT.  Like, PAIN.  And STIFFNESS.  All of which I have already been experiencing.  Who needs more? According to my "friends" (?), I do.  Well, they don't tell me I NEED the pain, but they tell me:  "It will get better. Pretty soon you'll be used to it. Keep it up."   Well, maybe the second day isn't the time to give it up; I'll give it some more time. If I can still drag myself out of the bed in the morning.

You need to understand that I have been out of the practice of arising early for some years now; especially since the morning stiffness and pain became worse. This exercise class is a MORNING thing and MORNING things are not "my thing".  Now, however, I have committed to doing a "morning thing".  My brain must have still been asleep when I did that.  For some of you, I know, nine o'clock isn't exactly early, but for me these past years .................  :( 

"Why am I doing this?", I ask myself.  Well?  Why AM I doing this? To regain my 21-year-old-figure-that-I-never-thought-I-had-at-21 (I look at photos of me at 21 and see that I actually DID have that figure even though I didn't think so at the time!)?  No, that's not why I am doing this.  It would certainly be nice to have that figure again, but I don't see it happening. If I can keep this up I might lose weight, but I don't see the sags and bags going away, leaving me my 21-year-old-look again.  So, why am I doing this?  For two reasons: (1) for myself, my health and (2) for my family ... my husband, my kids, my grandkids - I wanta be around as long as possible with them, in as good a health as I can have. I am seriously asking God to help me keep up the exercise, for those reasons. Seriously.

Right now I may go pop an aspirin in my mouth, or not.  I'll think about it.  I will try encouraging myself to  plan on sliding out of that bed in the morning, no matter how the body feels or how slow it is moving.  I don't have any "fancy" or expensive exercise clothes to put on, though I did buy some nicer, better-fitting tennis shoes today. I will wear what I have to wear, at the moment; I will go and exercise in the morning. Again. Third day. I will go.   I will.  I will. I will.

The "Chronicles of Nonny" WILL continue ............................

No fancy exercise duds, but ...

"I will continue, I will continue, I will ..."

The old shoes ... will the new ones help me stay in sync with everyone else?

China's One-Child Policy is not good for parents and babies........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4OWJlyaHt0&feature=player_embedded

China's Forced Abortions

http://youtu.be/H4OWJlyaHt0

Pray for the parents and babies of China ... for the moms being forced to abort their second-or-more babies.  How sad.

My Art for Sale .....

This original mixed-media drawing:  $8.00  + postage, not matted ... $12.00  + postage , matted.  To order: email me at: smersclayton@hotmail.com  or "private message" me on Facebook.

Grandma's Flowers

 My 93 year old mother-in-law is now in an assisted-living apartment. The yard of her previous home was beautiful with lots and lots of gorgeous flowers. She loved being in her garden and tending her plants. From the time I first met her she gardened - growing veggies and flowers. It was sad to see her have to leave her home and her flower gardens that she loved so much. We have wonderful memories of her and her gardens  ... of the tasty veggies, the pretty flowers.

We not only have those memories, but now we have some of those plants.  The photos on here are some of the flowers we picked at her former home the day we had gone to see her at her new place, the second home she has been in since she had to move from her "own" home.

 She has
done well, over the years since her husband died, on her own, with the help of her children. But it came that time when she could no longer stay alone and was beginning to have some memory problems and needed closer supervision. It was hard for her and for the family to make this change, but best for her, to no longer live by herself in the home she could no longer care for as well as before. 

Not wanting to just let her flower garden "go to pot", her family members began digging up plants to transplant at their homes.  My husband and I now have plants in our yard from his Mom's flower garden: iris, peonies, roses, etc. We replanted some last year and then, again, some more this year. 

 While digging up the ones to take with us to transplant we kept thinking it would be  a shame to just let all the beautiful blooms in the garden sit there and die.  One of the neighbors came over to talk while we were digging up plants; my husband told her to feel free to cut bouquets from the garden.  She was pleased and thanked us.  His Mom would be happy knowing someone was enjoying her flowers.

We, too, began cutting blooms to take home with us for bouquets.  As we had a couple of hours or so to get home from there, we filled a couple of buckets with water and popped in the cut flowers. I've never had so many beautiful bouquets at one time! On the way home our car smelled wonderful. :)  I took a large bouquet of iris to church the next Sunday and the church smelled wonderful, too. I was, on the one hand, sad that Grandma wasn't there to care for and to enjoy her flowers still. At the same time, I was also sure that she would be very happy to know that her family members were digging up and transplanting some of her plants at our homes, cutting the blooms for beautiful bouquets. If we move from our present home I expect to take some of those plants with us ... and maybe our children will also  want to come and "dig" in our backyard and transplant some of their Grandma's flowers, because

they, too, remember how much their Grandma Clayton loved her garden and flower beds.

If we live, we get old. We finally get to a place, often, where we can no longer be on our own; no longer "do" as we did before. I am not yet at that place but I can well imagine the distress of giving up your home ... your independence. I have "felt" for my mother-in-law as I've watched her having to make such changes; as well as for her family having to convince her that she needs to make the changes.

She has always been a strong, active person; she loved living out on their farm. It was hard for her when my father-in-law died; she missed him greatly.  She stayed out on the farm for a few years as she grieved his loss.  Then she knew she needed to move to town, and moved closer to one of her daughters, but she always preferred living on the farm.

And now, at age 93, here she has had to move again. In her "good" moments she speaks of missing her family - and of missing her flowers. We've shown her photos of some of the flowers blooming in our yard that we'd transplanted from her garden. She was pleased.

Grandma's flowers were rooted in - some started out on their farm and were transplanted to town. They survived the move; they adapted to their new place and bloomed beautifully. They

 even had "friends", as my mother-in-law added new plants over the years.  Like Grandma herself.  She was rooted-in at the farm but was transplanted to town.  She, too, survived and adapted to her new surroundings and made new friends.

Now, she has been uprooted again and, hopefully, is getting "rooted-in" once more to a new place, adapting and making new friends, just as her beloved flowers have done. She is, at 93, as beautiful as her flowers ... she would prefer, still, to be at her farm or at her previous home, digging in her flower bed. But she is trying to adapt to her new surroundings. Her next "transplant" will be her easiest to adapt to. Whenever God calls her to come plant some flowers in heaven, she will be ready. She has known and loved God for a very long time; she and her husband became Christians early on - she knows, without a doubt, where he is and where she will go and has no fear.

She will be ready to be "rooted-in" again when God calls. 

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A Tiny Vacation

Our Tiny Vacation

by Sandra Carol Mers Clayton

               



After driving from our home in Wellington, Kansas to a funeral in Web City, Missouri, where my pastor-husband officiated, we decided we needed a "tiny vacation". After the emotions of the day we wanted to take a short break before going home.

We drove as far as the Joplin, Missouri area before stopping at a motel - WITH a pool.  It was such a sweltering, humid day that a motel sans pool was not an option.  After having cool showers and changing out of our sweaty clothes we went in search of supper.  I was delighted to see one of our favorite restaurants close by: "Cracker Barrel".  I love their "real" food, and their iced-tea is always perfect. ")

We returned to our room and changed into bathing suits for a plunge into the pool.  The water felt so good, as it was still very hot and humid (the pool was inside).  There was a bit of commotion as we got out of the pool, and a couple of guys told us that the electricity had gone out!  Oh, no! Not on this horribly hot and humid evening.  "There goes our tiny-vacation", I thought, "and I didn't even throw a flashlight in the bag as I usually do."

We made our way back to our room, opened the drapes to capture the last of the quickly-fading light and showered off the pool-water in the dark.  After dressing again we followed the flashlights of others back to the lobby to see if there was any info about the electricity situation when, lo and behold, the lights and the air-conditioning returned! We were all a bunch of happy campers.  No more problems after that. Seems the area our motel and a few other motels and restaurants were in had experienced a "brown-out" due to the high use of all the air-conditioners because of the high heat.  (How did we ever survive days like that before air-conditioning???)  It ended well, and we got a good night's rest.  Slept late the next morning, leaving around eleven a.m. to leisurely head towards home.

Our "fun" on the way home was our stop in the pretty little town of Baxter Springs, Kansas.  We've driven through Baxter Springs quite a few times over the years, always on the way to other places.  This time we drove "into" the town, and stayed awhile. :)   Baxter Springs is not only a pretty town, it holds much historical interest. If you ever go, visit the "Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center", on the main street, Military Ave., for lots of free information, coffee and conversation.  The Visitor's Center is located in a refurbished Phillips 66 gas station that has been there since 1930. (Be sure and sign your name on the wall before leaving!)

Part of the original Route 66 runs through Baxter Springs. The town sees a lot of Route 66 history buffs.  There is a Route 66 emphasis throughout the town.

Besides Route 66 history, you'll find Civil War history.  One of the two Civil War battles fought in Kansas was in Baxter Springs.  You will find "cow-town" history.  American-Indian history.  History connected to the criminals, Bonnie and Clyde, who robbed the same little grocery store in town twice in less than a week. And, for you baseball fans, well ... remember a player by the name of Mickey Mantle?  He was the son of a miner from Commerce, Oklahoma - and he played for the semi-pro team named "Baxter Whiz Kids" before becoming a New York Yankee-er.  A Baxter Springs brochure states that to the people in the town who knew him personally "he's still just 'Mickey' ."

There is also a first-class museum in Baxter Springs, second to none: "Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum".  Lots of beautiful and interesting displays in a very beautiful building. Everything is artfully arranged, with lots of space for moving through the exhibits.  Not to be missed.

We wanted, of course, to find a good place to have lunch.  We found it.  Actually, we had lunch at one place and dessert at another.  Both were great.  Lunch was at the "Cafe on the Route" cafe, run by Richard and Amy Sanell. They also operate "The Little Brick Inn" bed-and-breakfast - that we just might have to check out one day. You will find them at 1101 Military Ave., the main street (cafeontheroute.com  and  the littlebrickinn.com). It is a friendly cafe with a "real" chef who "really" knows how to cook.  Try the smoked salmon, or the pecan chicken, as we did. Yum! This little cafe made big news a few years ago: they were featured on the Food Network - on the program where the guy travels around the country to different cafes, fast-foods, etc. You won't regret eating there.


Too full for dessert after lunch, we toured the museum, which helped build up our appetites again - just enough for dessert. SOooooo ... just up the street from "Cafe on the Route" is "Angels on the Route", another pleasant little cafe.  Here you'll find sandwiches, soups, candy, coffee, frozen custard ... and ... malts and milkshakes! This cafe is at 1143 Military Ave., owned by Sue Gast and Sue Ramage (sblgast@pacbell.net).  We were there for something cold and tasty and found just what we wanted: homemade malts in tall frosty glasses.  Mine was strawberry - with REAL strawberries. It was so good.  Reminded me of the homemade strawberry ice-cream we used to get at the "creamery" when I was a kid in Newport, Rhode Island.  My husband had a maple-walnut malt, if I remember right. Of course, we had to taste each other's, agreeing they were both wonderful. :)  As we sipped away at the "good-ness" we had some interesting conversation with one of the owners, as well as a customer who had come in.

Cold, frosty malts in a sweet little cafe with friendly people on a very hot day.  Perfect.  It was a good end to our Baxter Springs visit.  If you make it to Baxter Springs don't miss the "Angels on the Route" cafe or the "Cafe on the Route" cafe.  And tell them Sandy sent you!





Signing the visitors' wall...
The old Phillips 66 Visitor's Center...
"Cafe on the Route" ...
"Cafe on the Route" ...
"Angels on the Route" ...
"Angels on the Route" ...
The museum ...
The museum ...

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(1) Made by Joel - Modern Art, Kids Crafts, and Toys

(1) Made by Joel - Modern Art, Kids Crafts, and Toys

Anyone needing arts/crafts ideas - here are some great ones .... for the kids to do themselves; and for the grown-ups to do!  :)

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