thinking like a christian.

"And why do you worry about clothes?
See how the lilies of the field grow.
They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,
which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,
will He not much more clothe you,
O ye of little faith." Matthew 6: 28 ~ 30

Faith, according to our Lord's teaching in the above paragraph, is primarily thinking.

The whole truth of a man with little faith is that he does not think.
He allows circumstances to bludgeon him.

We must spend more time in studying our Lord's lessons in observation and deduction. The Bible is full of logic, and we must never think of faith as something purely mystical. We do not just sit down in an armchair and expect marvelous things to happen to us. That is not Christian faith.

Christian faith is essentially thinking.

Look at the birds,

think about them,

draw your deductions.

look at the grass,

look at the lilies of the field,

consider them.......

to be continued.... (taken from Martin L. Jones)

marching in

Here comes Jake down the aisle to receive his diploma.
All bright-eyed and happy, he made us proud.
What lies ahead for this sweet little graduate?
Everything!!!! We love you little man.

"Read grammie, read......don't stop reading.
Read one more book.....please."
Eyelids drooping, yawning widely, head on my shoulder....
"keep reading to me grammie."

That is the key to success as I see it.
Love to read more than anything else.
All the world can be opened up to you....
there is so much you can learn in the covers of a book!

God bless these precious children with a love of you and your creation.
Give them knowledge and understanding of Your plan for them in Your book....
the Bible.

If they know You they know everything they need to know.

there is a magical place...

in Williamsburg where it snows...
even in the summertime.
Eli, Jake, and I went there this morning.
We let the snowflakes fall on our faces.
We tasted it on our lips and shook it out of our hair.
Their little faces were lit up from within with excitement.

Amanda and Mark are hidden away somewhere enjoying a little down time.
Bubba and I are getting alone time with the boys....
you know that time when they run to you for hugs and kisses when they fall....
instead of mom and dad.

Bubba brought his new power drill and installed a whole new closet system for Amanda.
I took the boys to Target and let Jake pick out his own birthday gift.
He knew just what he wanted and I allowed.
He loved the whole experience and that is what made my day.
Eli squeezed in a pretty large none birthday toy as well.
These boys are really very short con artists.

I finally had to call my doctor this morning.
I can't get over this rendition of the latest respiratory distress.
Maybe if he returns my call I will have an antibiotic...
or I may never hear from him and continue to suffer.
I do wish I felt better.

Jake's graduation was fun.
This is what he had to say in front of everyone,
"Love is forgiving someone who has been unkind to you."
He did very well and we were all so proud of the little guy.
I will post pictures when I get back to my own computer.

For now, adios...
and have a lovely weekend.
cathy

comings and goings

She told him tonight that we are coming tomorrow.
He buried his head into his pillow with a huge smile on his face.
Jake is still my little heart throb....
the one who gets overcome with excitement when we come to visit.

Lucy and Harry made cards for grand daddy and presented them tonight at dinner.
David had found two bicentennial quarters in the garage sale money.
This gift brought huge excitement from the coin collector.
We went to the Smoke Station to get those luscious fried shrimp.
Guys....your cupcake flavor choices were outstanding.......
hooray for red velvet!!!!

Some interesting news from Jerusalem.....
The Israeli government is imposing a two year ban on fishing in the Sea of Galilee.
Seems as if the waters there are severely depleted from over fishing.
Was thinking about that boatload of fish the disciples caught when Jesus told them to
"Cast their nets on the other side."
It's a long time since then.

I am still feeling sickly...but trying to battle it off.
Don't want to disappoint my little boys.

roses in my grandmother's vase

It is depression glass....I have a small collection.

My photo does not do it justice.

The glass is pink but goes over to the brown spectrum.

It fascinates me as all old things do.

~

How many bouquets of flowers did my grandmother put in this vase?

Did fresh flowers make her as happy as they make me?

Did she like roses too?

Why didn't I pay more attention to her ways when I was a young girl?

~

The storm this afternoon in no way matched the one last night.

The lightening was amazing.

I sat on the porch and watched it break through the dark night.....

bringing illumination as bright as day.

The spray of the rain gently brushed against my skin and hair.

It felt delightful.

I love when God sends the massive thunderstorms.....

His power on display for all to see.

~

I feel like I'm getting sick....

for the first time since I started the infusions back in September.

It came on suddenly today with a slight fever and a cough.

I was at my allergist when it started.

Hopefully a good night's rest will ward it off......

because I'm going to see Jake and Eli on Wednesday.

~

"O Lord, You are my God;

I will exalt You;

I will praise Your name,

for You have done wonderful things,

plans formed of old,

faithful and sure."

Isaiah 25:1

~

Stay in His word.

It is the only safe place to be....

beyond our wildest dreams

Results of the adoption garage sale...........

~
God does abundantly more than we can think or even imagine.

We had a goal that He far exceeded.

In fact,

the grand total was exactly the amount that was needed

to finish the actual process of the adoption.

~

People gave of their time and resources in unselfish abandon.

Every one had a common goal...

to bring this child to his home here in America.

~

Words are not adequate to express our thanksgiving.

This was truly a miracle of God.

~

Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!

can she read?

We had a rare opportunity last night to have Lisa all to ourselves.
She is one of my favorite people in the world....
the reason being that we share the same sense of humor and she makes me laugh.

Lucy and Harry were here spending the night.
As we were going through the bedtime ritual,
I suggested that Lisa might enjoy doing the reading thing.
The "reading thing" consists of anywhere from two to ten books read to a child or children right before the sandman comes.

Lucy was intrigued by Lisa and promptly asked me this question....
"Can she read?'
Well...we cracked up over that not once but several times.

They read three books and Lisa can indeed read very well.
She and Lucy were sitting in my big, comfy chair and they looked so cute I snapped the above picture.

These times are treasures for sure.

sixty-six

Happy birthday a day late.
You know I was too tired to do this last night.
I thank God for you.
more later ,
cathy

five

This is Jake our firstborn grandson.
As you can see he hasn't lost any teeth yet.
He turns five years old today.
He is getting his first two wheel bike and a helmet.
This morning when I called to wish him a Happy Birthday he was busy.....
All he could manage was "I wuv you.....bye grammie.
That was enough. It's the "wuv" that I called to hear.
Jake, I love you so much.
See you next week for your preschool graduation.
I'm coming to hear you sing!

I was watching a cardinal just now.
His red color was so intense.
He came by to remind me of my God,
and how He made everything so incredibly beautiful.

The love of a child and the red of a bird.....blessings beyond measure.

it happened again

This time I was on my way to the beach.
This turtle was smaller too.
In my rear view mirror he was tumbling over and over.
All four fins and his head were fully extended.
All of a sudden I have become a turtle killer and I am not proud of it.

I did manage to get my pants on straight today.

Did you find Bubba in the picture yesterday?
He was kind of in the center kneeling by the king.

The doctor and the therapist gave dad the okay to drive again this week.
I have mixed feelings.
It will free up my schedule a little bit but I will worry about him hurting someone else.
The answer to this is not quite clear in my head.
He has made an amazing recovery for which I am thankful.

I have this verse here sitting on my computer desk.
I have probably used it before.
It has to do with seeking the Lord......

"Glory in His holy name,
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad."

"Seek the Lord and His strength,
Seek His face continually,
Remember His wonders which He has done."
Psalm 105: 3~5

We must seek Him continually......
read His word,
study his word,
minister to others,
and pray.

cathy is so tired....
can't wait to get in the bed.

I'd know that face anywhere

This picture was sent to Henry by a friend on his facebook.

All of his old "girl" friends and also some boys are finding him there.

It was taken at the Anderson Street School May Day celebration in the early fifties.

See if you can spot him.

~

I just love this picture and the way things were in our schools back then when

children were allowed the innocence of childhood without fear.

~

This morning I had to take my dad to the clinic to get his blood count checked.

I got dressed kind of in a hurry because we had an early appointment.

At about mid-morning I said.....

"What in the world is the matter with this pocket?

Quickly, I discovered that I had put my pants on backwards in my haste and....

proceeded to parade myself all around town like that.

I truly need a nice long vacation.

~

If you would like to get info on the Key family go to...

http://www.carecalender.org/ id #40380 security code # 9132

Paul at Athens ~ part two

This is the apostle Paul's amazing Sermon on Mars Hill....
He was speaking to the skeptics and the idol worshippers.
This is a perfect example of what we should tell others about Christ Jesus........

"The God who made the world and all things in it,
since He is Lord of heaven and earth,
does not live in temples made with hands;

Neither is He served by human hands,
as though he needed anything,
since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things.

And He made from one every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth,
having determined their appointed times,
and the boundaries of their habitation.,

That they should seek God,
if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him,
though He is not far from each one of us;

For in Him we live and move and exist,
as some of your own poets have said,
For we also are His offspring.

Being then the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone,
an image formed by the art and thought of man.

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance,
God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent.

Because He has fixed a day when He will judge the world in righteousness
through a Man whom He has appointed,
having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

Paul's sermon is masterful in it's completeness.
so few words to say it all.

May God bless your reading of His word tonight.

Paul at Athens

The Bible says that.....
"His spirit was provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols."

The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him.
They called him an "idle babbler."
They spent all of their time in nothing other than....
"telling or hearing something new."

They proclaimed him to be a "proclaimer of strange deities" because he was
preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

Amazingly they gave him an open door to share the gospel. They told him...
"You are bringing some strange things to our ears;
we want to know therefore what these things mean."

So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said,
"Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD."

"WHAT THEREFORE YOU WORSHIP IN IGNORANCE, THIS NOW I PROCLAIM TO YOU."

What follows is the most amazing presentation of the gospel I have ever read.

In just a little while I will share it with you.
It should be our model of sharing Christ with others....

taken straight from Acts 17

thinking of the Key family

Jonathon has been attending New Orleans Seminary working on his Masters.

He was to be ordained today.
All of his family were making their way yesterday to be a part of this happy event.
His last post on facebook was that he was anticipating their imminent arrival.

On I-10 there was a terrible accident.
The car that his brother Steven was driving crossed the median.
It was hit by an eighteen wheeler.
Little Emma lost her life. She was eight.
His wife is in very critical condition.
Steven and their other daughter had only minor injuries.

Words won't do here, although we try.
It is only the power of Jesus Christ that can sustain this family.
I have been praying for them all day.
Will you pray for them too?

Death comes suddenly.
It is rarely expected.
Are we ready to face eternity?

The proclaimation of God's word this morning was so powerful. (John1:1-5)

The emphasis was on verses 2 & 3.
David is preaching and singing a solo at services tonight.
There is fellowship after.

It doesn't get much better than this.

cathy

white footprints & cinderella's shoes

If some of you say after reading my blog that there is never a dull moment in the
Cleland home, you would be correct. That is why at 9:00 every night I am heading for the bed.

This temporary home that we are living in is divine.
I am just about to place the last picture, book, do dad....etc, and it will be done.

There is only one problem.......
Thick sheet rock dust covers the basement floor.
So every time we ascend the stairs onto the dark wood floors of the living area we leave....
WHITE FOOTPRINTS everywhere we step.

Last night we went out to Frankie's to borrow the PRESSURE WASHER.
Today the area has been washed by Bubba eight times with the result being.....
We think it needs to be done eight more times.

I am just before going down to mop the floor (for the thousandth time.)
Then I will go even further down and walk around in the basement.
Then I will come back up and see if there are still white footprints.
There's got to be a way to solve this problem.

One more thing.
On my way to take my dad to the store this morning, I stopped by to pick up Lucy.
At the last minute I told Harry he could go too.
He was ecstatic.
I told him to go put on his shoes as we needed to leave.
He disappeared and came running back down the hall in Lucy's Cinderella heels.
I love it.
They make me laugh all the time.

I'll say this one last thing...
You have yet to live if you have not gone grocery shopping with...
An 87 year old man recovering from a broken hip,
A four year old going on forty,
and a two year old in Cinderella's shoes.

PS I took a nap this afternoon.
cc

in case you didn't know

David and Erika are well on their way to presenting us with our fifth grandchild.
This very special little one will be coming to us from Ethiopia.
If God allows, Lucy and Harry will have a brother or maybe a sister sometime in the Fall.

God has provided for this child to be part of our family through acts of amazing generosity.
Some have given much and some have given more than they have. It has been truly amazing to watch and be a part of this process.

This coming Saturday there will be the "mother of all garage sales."
Ferguson Ave. near the Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church is the place.
8:00 AM is the time.
Come...shop...visit.
Lucy will be selling lemonade....
(but not at 8:00 ~ I won't be able to get her there that early)

This will be everybody's baby because so many of you have done so much.

with gratitude and love,
cathy

http://ethiopiancleland.blogspot.com

these stars sparkle and shine

Hey sweet girl....I really enjoyed our visit at Starbucks yesterday.
From now on it's only "fat" vanilla latte's for me.
I probably spelled latte wrong,
but spellcheck doesn't know how to spell it either.
Prayers for you always.....
cathy

I think I will write more later.

bubba's got a brand new chair uh huh

It is brown leather,
manly,
and super comfortable,
and I actually like it.
He has waited a long time for this.

Last night he went to sleep so hard in his new chair,
that he couldn't go back to sleep when he came to bed.
He said that something was beeping and keeping him awake,
but I know the truth.

What is it about nails?
I bought some the other day.
I asked the nice man at the hardware store what kind I needed to nail into concrete.
He showed me the concrete nails,
said screws would be better,
but I bought the nails because screwing seemed harder to me than nailing.
(I wanted to put up some outside lights)

Bubba honed in on the concrete nails immediately and asked,
"Why in the world did you buy these concrete nails?"
I had to admit that by then I was wondering the same thing myself.

He is now in charge of that project.

I just want to know one thing....
Why does he get so upset when he hears me hammering?
cc

stopped

by a military policeman on Hunter Army Airfield this afternoon.
That is the worse thing that could happen to me.
I am always extra careful on the base out of respect for my husband.

I was traveling the perimeter road which is set at 40 mph.
Just to be safe, I set my cruise control at 40 mph.
I was tooling along when I noticed a SUV with blue lights coming up behind.
"Surely it can't be me........ What could I have done?"

"Mam...did you know that you are going 42 mph in a 25 mph zone."
At this point I said, "Sir, I have my cruise control set at 40 mph."
Stupid, I know, but the part about the 25 mph hadn't sunk in.

He went on about....
a new convenience store that had been built
and a 25 mph speed limit in that area
and didn't I read the signs?????
It was then I knew my goose was cooked well done.

I apologized profusely and he said, bless his little heart,.....
"I am going to give you a verbal warning this time."

Thank you so much!
I think they put traffic offenders on base in the slammer.
Bubba would have killed me.
Oh my, I am so thankful.

Recently downloaded:

Only You Can Love Me this Way ~ Keith Urban
My Love is Here ~ Jim Brickman
Kathy's song ~ Eva Cassidy
God Only Knows ~ The Beach Boys
The House that Built Me ~ Miranda Lambert
Come in with the Rain ~ Taylor Swift

Now you know a little of what's on my ipod....
lc

thanks...

for knowing what I love.

mom

spa pedicure too!

the result.....

of having a couple of babies some thirty plus years ago is....
the family of ten pictured above.

Every one of these precious souls is a gift from God.
They are the result of His unmerited grace and favor toward us.
They are His "grace gifts."

As we celebrate Mothers today I think of those dear and lovely women....
the ones who long to be a mother and cannot.
I think of Amanda and others who have lost babies in the last year.
I think of my friend in Fayetteville who lost her son last week.
May God hear the prayers of these loved ones....
and grant peace and contentment as they wait for God's will for their lives.

I thank God for the adopting moms...Erika and others.....
those who choose to give loving Christian homes to babies in desperate situations....
Homes where they can thrive and flourish in His love.

I thank God for the mothers of the Bible......
the women whose stories give us hope and encouragement as we try to be Godly examples to our children no matter what age they happen to be.

To God be the Glory!!!!

a death

My Aunt Jeninia died on Friday.
She was the last of the nine children....
born to my great~grandparents Daniel and Elizabeth Crosby.
Services are graveside at Hillcrest tomorrow afternoon.
She was my dad's aunt although only 2 years older.
Her husband of 70 years preceded her in death in December 09.
The older generations are passing quickly.

will write more a little later.....cc

mother's day tea

Today we had a fun tea party at the church.

Lucy got her hair and nails done,

decorated a cookie,

made a scented sachet ball,

and dressed up like cinderella,

followed by tea and cakes.

A trio of friends sang "I'm a Little Teacup" to top it all off.

~

It's such an honor to be Lucy's grandmother!

the eight pound oreck

has revolutionized my life.
I told Bubba on the last house cleaning day that I could no longer manage.
The behemoth had worn me down.
It was....
too heavy and
instead of sucking it was spitting.

Today I got an early Mother's Day gift....
It's pictured with me above.

It actually picks up the dirt and dust on the floor and keeps it within itself.
I could not be a happier mother.

I traced my path back on Abercorn Street today.
There was no sign of the flattened turtle.
I think it was not really injured and made it's way safely to the other side of the road.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

David called a little while ago and said....
put on a pot of coffee...we're bringing cupcakes.
There is a new bakery shop on Skidaway and they had stopped by.
Six different flavors....I got red velvet.
What a nice sweet surprise!

What a good day this has been.
Thank you Lord.....

a large flat turtle

I was driving north on Abercorn in the far right lane.
A woman was driving ahead of me.
So quickly, she swerved into the near left lane....
came might near crashing into the car that was already there.

Before I could react, I saw him....
a rather large turtle in the middle of the road.
He was slowly making his way to the creek on the other side.
Because I had been startled by the near collision,
I had no time to hit the brake.

I heard his shell crack open when my front tire made contact.
There was nothing I could do but leave him there to finish dying.
Probably all of the cars behind me took a lick at him too.

I had to tell someone so I called Amanda.
She was sympathetic.......to the turtle.

I didn't set out this morning to kill a turtle:(

cathy

angels unawares

Come Stay with Me.....

The guest room is ready clean sheets and all.
You can have a comfortable bed and bath all to yourself and......
when you arise we can watch the sun come up over the trees.
We can have coffee on the terrace and talk well into the morning...
about everything or nothing at all.
We can watch and listen to the birds playing over the marsh and...
enjoy the gentle breezes.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
Hebrews 13:2

out of the mouth of jake

Jake is the taller of these two fine boys.
He will be five in a couple of days.
We will be going to Virginia very soon to attend his preschool graduation.

You who know me well know that I love Cheetos.
I am mostly off of those tasty morsels but....
occasionally a bag will make it into my possession.

Yesterday at the grocery store,
Amanda and the boys found themselves in the "chips" aisle.
While looking at all of the array of snacks, Jake asked Amanda this question...

"Mommy, are Cheetos a fruit?"
Little friend of mine, you couldn't have said it any better.

My latest find in Savannah for old and eccentric items...
Suzibelles Junk 4 Joy.
I did go in Amanda...all by myself.
It was smoky but interesting.

I love all of the things that happen in a day to make life fun and exciting.
cathy
.

a little bit of pink

"Though poor in this world's goods,
though grieving the loss of loved ones,
though suffering pain of body,
though harrassed by sin and Satan,
though hated and persecuted by the world,
whatever be the case and lot of the Christian,
it is both his privilege and duty to rejoice in the Lord."
AW Pink

I'm trying to learn to do this....c

the joyous freedom of childhood

Harry is better!
Praise God for His hand upon this precious child.
We kept him last night so that Erika could go to night church.....
took him to the Waffle house for a waffle and bacon...he lapped it up.
Eli is better too.....

Do you ever think that you would like to KNOW God......really know Him?
I would have to propose that the way to make that happen is to be constantly in the Psalms.
About three years ago i decided to read at least one every day.
Truly His word is alive and He shows Himself through His writings to us.
His attributes are actively displayed in the chapters and verses of the Psalms.

The Psalms are full of comfort and solace for believers.
To neglect them is to forfeit one of our greatest treasures.

Read a Psalm every day with an open mind praying to Him for understanding.
He will bless you beyond measure.

"For Thy lovingkindness is great above the heavens,
and Thy truth reaches to the skies."
Psalm 108: 4 ~ 5

the death of joshua

I taught him in Sunday School when we lived up in Fayetteville.
He was a kind and sweet little boy.
He came from a close knit family of six and a loving home.

Yesterday I read on facebook that Joshua had died suddenly.
He was only 19.
He was just completing his first year at UGA.
As in all cases when one dies young there is great sadness.

Joshua was an outdoors man.
His passion was rock climbing.
He died doing that very thing up at Tallulah Gorge, Georgia, on Friday afternoon.

Josh was a strong Christian.
One who wasn't afraid to let others know about how much he loved His Savior.

My heart breaks for his family and friends.
Their peace comes from knowing where he is and Who he is with.

Are you ready to die?
Do you Know the Lord Jesus Christ?
That is all that matters in this tenuous life we live here on this earth.