she forgot to be thankful

Just got back from an inspiring and refreshing bike ride.
I am inspired by the way I feel when I exercise.
I feel refreshed because
it is an absolutely gorgeous "perfect 10" day.

Been doing some thinking today.....
trying to understand why someone would take their own life.
Because I have been a victim of depression myself,
and have talked with many who have been at that point of despair,
I think it could have it's roots in "not being thankful."

I read this verse just now....
"Give thanks in all circumstances
because this is the will of God for you."
I Thessalonians 5:18

How can one turn despair into thanksgiving?

By changing the course of your thinking.
By remembering to be thankful.
By sitting with a pen and paper
and writing down in black and white
the things that you are thankful for.
It may take a while to get started,
but soon you will remember another and another
and your whole train of thought will be back on track.

Maybe this is simplistic,
but it has worked for me.

Notice that the verse says,
"this is God's will for you."
It is not a suggestion.

God knew we would struggle with despair.
At times and for some people,
this life is unbearable.
He,
in His ultimate wisdom and love,
gave us the solution......
"Give thanks in all circumstances."

It may be too late for some,
but this verse has
life giving hope and power
for others who are struggling.

I know, I've been there.
cathy

sunrise sequence....

as seen
from our sixth floor suite
overlooking the Atlantic Ocean
at about 6:30 am on
Wednesday morning,
April 27, 2011.

(it starts with the last picture)

God presents
this awesome
and amazing show
every morning
that you care to watch.

We are never without reason to praise Him!

did you see the rainbow?

Just got home from Florida in the pouring rain.
For the briefest of seconds
this rainbow appeared out over the marsh.
It was gone as fast as it came.

Every once in a while
God produces these masterpieces
to remind us
that He will never again
destroy the earth with a flood.

Check it out for yourself in Genesis 9:14~16

"When I (God) bring clouds over the earth
and the rainbow is seen in the clouds,
I will remember My covenant
that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. 
When the rainbow is in the clouds,
I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God
and every living creature that is on the earth."

You know...
God never breaks His promises.
cathy

the umbrella is blue......

spent the morning relaxing under it
and soaking up some rays.
I read half of my "beach book" in one sitting....
ate some "goldfish,"
and reflected on the beauty of the ocean.

I only wish I could get my pictures on this computer.
Took some gorgeous shots of the sunrise over the waves
early, early this morning.
The coming-up of the "greater light" is
always breathtaking to me.

"I am the Lord,
there is no other;
Besides Me there is no God.

That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
that there is no one besides Me.

I am the Lord and there is no other,
The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing well-being and creating calamity:
I am the Lord who does all these."
Isaiah 45: 5~7

The Bible is filled with references
to our great God
and the wonders that He does.

I began to know Him
when I started to read about Him in His word.
I can't wait to get back to it every morning.

"Forming light,
creating darkness,
causing well-being,
creating calamity."

God is amazing!
Read all about Him!
What's holding you back?
cathy

a respite

Florida......
heavenly air
feels like California tonight
been walking for about an hour
i feel so good when i move.

Tomorrow
and the next day and the next
and maybe one more......
a beach
a chair
an umbrella
a beach book (different from what i normally read)
quiet
peace
rest
a major unwinding.

i want to die staring at the ocean.
i love it so much.
it restores me,
body
mind
soul.

Look at this good news.....

"It is God who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness,
for He has cast all of my sins behind His back."
Isaiah 38:17

Thank you God for accepting Christ's scacrificial death on our behalf.

would you consider Him?

Consider the love that bound Jesus to the cross.
There on the hill
He suffered,
and bled,
and died,
to pay the penalty of our sins.

Consider His mercy
to ask His Father to forgive
those who had done such terrible things to Him.

Consider His sacrifice to leave heaven,
empty Himself of all of His glory,
come to this earth
to live as a man~servant
so that He could redeem us from satan
and deliver us back to God.

Consider His triumph over death and hell
so that we can live victoriously here on this earth
in the power of His resurrection and then
forever in heaven with Him.

Consider this verse....
"yet you refuse to come to Me
that you may have life."
John 5:40

Someone asked this question today on facebook....
"Who is this "He" everyone is writing about?

So many people don't know Jesus.
If that is you,
will you at the very least consider Him?

May I suggest that you read
the book of John
prayerfully
asking God to reveal the truth about Jesus.

cathyc

dyeing eggs the old fashioned way

Lucy did all the work on these.
I think they turned out gorgeous.
She does too.

Well it is almost over.
We will be at the airport at 6:30 to meet David and Erika.
I hear they have already landed in DC and been through customs.

Before we leave,
Lucy and I will have one final bike race. (as she calls them)
I bought her a helmet at Target just now.
It is in the shape of a kitty.
It even has kitty ears.

After that we will have an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.
I will reflect more on some things later,
but for now...it's off to the races!!!!

ps.....If I was supposed to get back to you and haven't,
I will.
c

"amazing love....

how can it be
that Thou my God shouldst
die for me?"                                                             (charles wesley)

the joys of my life.....

all dressed up for Easter.

Just heard from David by phone...
he had eight minutes to convey his message.
He blew his power converter this morning
on the day he had important news.

Sadly they did not pass court.
One small document was missing.
They are hopeful that this can be taken care of quickly
and that Gus will be able to come home soon.

One thing is true...
God's timing is always perfect,
and so we rest in that.

They leave Ethiopia
tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 pm
and will arrive back in Savannah
on Saturday at 6:30 pm.

Amanda will leave with Jake and Eli
in the morning to be home for Easter.
They have made this time so much fun
and I am so thankful for my precious daughter
who has gotten me through some tough times this week.
She has spoken the truth to me...
always in love!

Because of the high level of distractions in my life right now
I am striving to keep my thoughts centered on my Savior,
Jesus Christ.

"Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy
 he has given us birth
into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 
I Peter 1:3

somehow....

we have managed to get them all up riding bikes
in a matter of three days.

There have been falls
and blood
and hysterics
from every one of them,
but they have all gotten up and ridden again....

I can't tell you how much fun and laughter
has been our days....(and nights)

All is well in Addis, Ababa.
There is so much to tell and I'm too tired to tell it.
From this morning's e-mail
we heard of a three hour authentic Ethiopian meal
which included some strange and bizarre dancing
that both David and Erika partook in. (very reluctantly)

Please pray that they will "pass court" on Thursday.
That is the next hurdle.

Notice I am up late posting tonight.
Went to JH and ate fried chicken and drank sweet tea
while listening to oldies and laughing.
It gave me some kind of caffeine high that I can't come off of.
Hope sleep will find me soon because...
tomorrow will be here and it all starts over again.

"Hey Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me."
cc

news from preschool building 104

Many exciting things are happening here.

Yesterday evening when Jake learned to ride his bike,
He and his grammy
went soaring around the neighborhood streets
screaming with excitement.

Meanwhile, Lucy and Harry
were having a ball tooling around in the
battery powered jeep.

Keeping up with the meals and the laundry
for four "five and under"
is quite a feat.
Bathing them and keeping them wiped down is another.

That's why I've been blogging
in the afternoon
instead of my normal time at night....
just don't have anything left
after the last book has been read
and the lights are out in the nursery.

I will follow this with news from
Addis Ababa.

"the first time ever i saw your face"

Oh everybody....
David and Erika have been with Gus.
They have seen his face for the very first time.
They have held him,
hugged him,
played with him,
and smelled his baby skin.

Here are some of David's comments.....
"Gus is
tiny,
sweet,
happy,
well cared for,
full of personality,
really, really cute,
hard to leave."

My heart is so full right now.
And all of you have been so
interested,
loving,
supportive,
generous....

I think I will throw a big old huge party
so that everyone can come meet Gus when he gets home.

Davids last comment...
"We are up on the roof of the guest house.
The full moon has lit up this city of
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
How in the world
are we ever going to be able to leave him here on Friday?

God's grace.....that's the only way.

this may be my only chance.....

to blog today.
I better grab it and run.
Lucy and I just returned from
Sandra Rushing's birthday party
at the Toucan Cafe.

Kellie treated us all to a wonderful meal
in honor of her mom.
I am very thankful!

In the picture above you see
me, Sandra, and Beverly Hathaway.
We all have been friends for almost 50 years.
That in itself is enough to celebrate wildly.

That's Lucy and Bryson in the other pic.
Sandy and I each have one granddaughter....
What a splendid blessing that is.

From Wicked (the Musical)
the song is "Good"

"I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
and we are led
to those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return.
Well, I don't know if I beleive that's true
but I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you."

Keep the faith, dear friend.
love always, cathy

it's finally almost here

Tomorrow at 11:00 am
David and Erika
leave for Ethiopia, Africa,
to meet their little boy Gus for the first time.
We all can hardly contain the excitement and joy.

The home front will be held down by
Bubba, Amanda, and myself.
Bubba will do the meals,

Amanda will be in charge of
coming up with fun and exciting
activites for each day,

And I, well I, will provide
love and support in all of these endeavors.

Oh, and Amanda will handle and dispense discipline
according to the guidelines found in God's word.

I foresee swimming in the condo's heated pool,
lots of easter egg dying & hunts,
trips to the playground,
picnic lunches, etc.

Survival possibilities for a week of this?
Good if I can just get my sleep at night.

Here's the truth:
It is as you do for others
that you are blessed and find contentment.
and prayer....lots of prayer.
c

Let me add the link to the adoption blog.
David is going to try to keep us posted while they are over.

http://ethiopiancleland.blogspot.com/

a woman waiting for Jesus

"And there was a prophetess,
Anna, the daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Asher.

She was advanced in years
having lived with a husband seven years
after her marriage,

and then as a widow
to the age of eighty-four.

And she never left the temple,
serving night and day,
with fastings and prayers.

And at that very moment
(when the Christ child was presented in the temple)
she came up
and began giving thanks to God,
and continued to speak of Him
to all those who were looking for
the redemption of Jerusalem."
Luke 2: 36~38

These verses struck me early this morning.
O to be a woman like that!

my nurse.....

yesterday at the hospital was no nonsense....
all business,
no fun.
I needed you, Lou!!!

her..."have you eaten anything since midnight last night?"
me..."yes, I stopped by the Sunnyside Up and had sausage and hashbrowns right before I came here to have this stomach surgery even though I had been warned 100 times not to do that."

her...."do you have anything loose in your mouth?
me...."only these couple of teeth that got knocked out just before I got here."

her..."do you know why you are here today?"
me..."I haven't the faintest idea."

her..."take off all of you clothes and put on this gown..it opens in the back."
me..."I think it would be more stylish if it opens in the front."

her..."do you have any decent veins?"
me..."I'm quite proud of all of my veins, thank you."

her..."stick.....oh no, I lost your vein, where did it go?"
me..."oh no, this nurse is incompetent and I can't run and hide."

her..."would you like a warm blanket?'
me..."yes, with every fiber of my being."

After laying there for a very long time
I hear them talking that a mistake has been made.
I am not where I am supposed to be
and Dr. Mark has been waiting for 30 minutes.

Off we go...
me laying on a stretcher
hooked up to every wire and device
known in the medical world
through unknown corriders at the speed of sound.
Finally, there is my doctor,
standing by the row of coke machines
talking on his cell phone
waiting for me to arrive.

After assuring everyone that yes I taught Mark in the third grade,
things began to happen rather rapidly.

The last thing I remember is someone saying,
"Here comes the happy juice."
After that all was bliss.

cathy

home from the hospital

I am woozy and drowsy and hungry.
Just wanted everyone to know that I got a good report.
Some mending was done and I am a little sore,
but praise God it was not a bad report.
I thank everyone for all of the prayers
and my sister Teri for the chicken soup.
cathy

forty-one years ago today......

Bubba and I were married
on a beautiful,
sunny,
April afternoon.
I honestly know not where the years have gone.

Forty-one years,
two children,
and five grandchildren later,
I can only say.....
we have been continually blessed.
I love you sweet husband of mine!

I have to be at the hospital
at one
for a 2:30 procedure
which will take one and a half hours
under general anesthesia.
It all has to do with a blocked duct.
Hopefully,
I will come out a pain-free women.

My prayer is that I honor God
by keeping my mind completely occupied
with thoughts of Him.
cathy

you know me and my flowers

"You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You."
Isaiah 26:3

some things......

My sister Teri and I took Dad to River Street this morning
to see the new World War II Memorial.
He had bought the above brick
to be put down as a paver around the monument.
We searched and searched
and were about to give up when Teri found it.

Did you know that there are 6.5 billion people
in this world
and no two fingerprints are alike. 
Our God is quite amazing, isn't He?

I just finished reading the book "Killer Cane"
about the 1928 hurricane
that slammed into the Everglades
killling  upwards of 3,000 people. 
They didn't even have a clue it was coming until it got there. 
I love to read this kind of history to see
how the people coped with tragedy.

My thoughts on Gods beauty in creation
as expressed magnificently by the poet Wordsworth...

"To me the meanest flower that blooms
can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears."

I just cannot get over what He does for us to enjoy!
c

the thing about friends

A new friend is always a little bit unexpected.....
especially one that seems to know your soul.
There is a drawing together,
a sweet spirit of fellowship
that comes only from the Holy Spirit.
She saw this at a little thrift shop
over on Hilton Head and
thought of me.

I thought of this verse...
"You (God) deal bountifully with me."
Psalm 143:7
Friends, both old ones and new ones
are bountiful blessings.

I read this quote today...

"A man can easily test
whether he is a true Christian or not
by asking if he can say truthfully
that his relationship with God
is the most important thing in his mind and heart."
Martyn-Lloyd Jones

Many distractions...
trying hard to be able to answer yes.
cathy

okay...

I've been dying to get back to this blog all day.
Last night when I put the picture of the globe on my post 
it kept moving all around
and limiting where I could write
so I just gave up.

As I have to be somewhat brief in my writing
I will get soon to the point.....

God created the earth.
He tells us that in the first verse
of the first book of the Bible.....

Genesis 1:1..."In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth."

The scientists say that the earth is millions of years old.
According to biblical scholars
the earth is between 5000 and 6000 years old.
All of the fossils and mountains and canyons
were the result of one cataclysmic event...the Genesis Flood.

We know also that inside the earth
is enough heat and power
to completely destroy this globe when the time comes.
Just read II Peter.

When I think of the wonders of this earth
 I am thinking about it from a biblical perspective.

As per yesterday's blog....
yes, the scientists will probably succeed
in drilling way down
and bringing up pieces
of the deep mantle of this earth. 
And yes, there will be quite a lot of initial interest in them.

The moon rocks
are in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, 
under heavy protection. 
I have seen them with my own eyes.

What good are they?
Not much.

What is really important is that we know
all that God says about this earth...
It's origin,
it's purpose for mankind,
it's eventual end,
and how to be ready for that.

Everything we need to know about this earth is in the Bible.
Are you reading it every day and seeking Him?

fun writing,
cathy

interesting look at the earth

I love all things about the earth.

Recently I read a article that scientists are going to dig a hole through the earth's crust deep into it's mantle. The purpose of this mission would be to retrieve never before seen samples of the area. They say that these samples will be as important as the rocks that were brought home from the moon.

no one told me

I heard from several friends and acquaintances
yesterday and today
that my blog was not jumbled when it made it's way to you.
Someone said, "I had no idea what you were talking about."
I feel kind of silly,
but it was a problem on my end
and I fixed it myself of which I am proud.
I like my new editor very much.

You know....
I like to go on trips occassionally,
but it is alwys so good to get back home.
No bed feels as good as my bed.

The Tenth Mountain reunion was great and
I made some new "old" friends.
I like how they dote on me
because I am "Shirley's daughter."
They all loved her so much!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
Bless His holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagles."
Psalm 103: 1~5

Who could turn their back on this kind of love?

perserverance

When my blog started jumbling up my posts, I was dismayed.
As most of you know, it is impossible to find anyone to help.
You are simply "flying alone."

Having some time yesterday afternoon here in Greenville,
I started looking for answers.
Bubba told me to back off and not get stressed out,
but I was determined.

That's something you probably don't know about me.
I will persevere until I get to the bottom of an "issue."

After looking at every help and Q&A on the Internet
I finally found the answer....
I merely had to switch to an updated editor and,
to my benefit,
it is 100 times better than the old one.

Over the years of writing I have developed my own "style."
I had decided that if all of my posts were jumbled
I would either have to stop writing or create a new blog.
I didn't want to do that as I would lose all of my readers.
so....
I am very thankful and I hope you are too.

I fixed the last four blogs,
so go back and read them if you couldn't
bear to when they were all jammed together.
And again,
thanks for reading!
cathy

"rivers of living water"

"Those who believe in Me,(Jesus)
as the Scripture said,
from his innermost being shall flow
rivers of living waters." John7:38

I read this verse a few days ago.
It caused me great pause for the immensity of what it says.

Scripture, you know,
"is living,
and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword."
When one believes,
it is because the heart
has been pierced
by the word of God with it's truth.

As you grow "in Christ,"
the truth of Scripture
impacts you more and more
until you learn to "think like Christ."
(as much as humanly possible)

So when I read
that "rivers of living waters" flow from my soul,
I began to examine myself.
What should my life look like?

Am I telling others about Jesus' blessed salvation for them?

Am I building up other believers
with sweet,gracious words of encouragement
and deeds of love?

Is everything I do bringing glory to God?

Falling so far short,
I feel ashamed
but also inspired
to be a source of "living water" for my family and friends.

Up here in Greenville, SC,
for a few days with my Dad
at his Tenth Mountain reunion.
Cold, but beautiful.
Getting to see the beginning of spring all over again.

cathy