"I'll have aMcMoment please?' Part two

So, anyway, fast forward about a week. Our pastor of Christian Education was doing the announcements at church and he had a McMoment of his own to tell.

He and his wife Wanda had gone to McDonalds to eat a "Healthy" breakfast. While they were there, they saw this older guy come in and order a cup of coffee. He was on his cell phone talking to some people.

At first, Pastor Mike thought he was talking about models of planes. Then, it became obvious to him after a while, that what he was doing, was trying to help help bring the plane down. Pastor Mike and his wife stayed past the time they had intended, because they wanted to know the end of the story.

It turns out the couple was flying with their children on their way somewhere from Canada, when the husband past out over the controls. The guy was an on call airplane specialist. They called him while he was driving, and he pulled into the McDonalds and bought a cup of coffee while he helped the people via phone. What a story!

It pays to be there to pray for peple while they go through times like that.

I'll have a McMoment, please?

I know. Fast Food is not healthy for you. However, what happens inside some of those places is.

I don't know how many times I've gotten the post about the woman who feeds the two homeless men breakfast, or the one about the guy walking around the country with Bibles to hand out, or the children who order ice cream after the little boy prays for his mother to do so. Who knows whether any of those stories are true. However, most of the time, when you go into one of those places, you see way too many people behaving badly.

Whenever I'm on worship team between the months of September and July, Bert and I are invariably seen cutting out of the church parking lot after worship team rehearsal and going to one of the fast food places to grab breakfast before church. We've been frequenting the McDonalds by the church more and more of late.

About a month ago, we went into McDonalds, bought our meal, sat down, blest the meal before we began to eat and began talking about the mundane things that had been happening through the week. Suddenly, one of the counter help came over and told us what a blessing we were to her and the other Christians who work there on Sunday, because we came through the line and treated everyone decently and then prayed over our meal. She said that a lot of times, they see people coming through the line behaving so badly and then praying over their meal. How sad!

We walked out of there, more determined than we had been before to always display that servan'ts attitude. I like how in "The Traveler's Gift" Andy Andrews has King Soloman point out the obvious that when you treat someone with the attitude of a servant, you truly will become a king. But, when you start treating people like you own them, you will lose your position of power. May I always remember the importance of treating people always with kindness.

Continued...

been a while

I know I have not done a post in a very long time. At least, it seems like nearly five months is a long time. (Smile)

The truth is, I haven't felt very creative until lately, and I really have not had the urge to work on blogging for a while, until recently.

I'm still working. What with all the changes that are going on in the economy, I'm afraid I might not make enough to actually pay taxes this year, because expenses are what they have to be , still there, and massage clients for a while were where they had to be, nearly non-existent except for regulars and a few new ones.

Bert is still working at Charlie's Pub and Grill, though lately, I've begun to pray that God would get him out of there. The hours are crappy for a number of reasons. First of all, he's only working approximately twenty-five to thirty hours a week. Secondly, they're night time hours, which means we're not doing as much musically. But, that's okay. I think I needed a break from doing much musically for a while. I'm believeing gigs will pick up again, once life gets back to a normal routine.

We finished getting what we could from Mom's estate in May. Plenty of pottery, artwork, and of course all the music that no one wanted. Thus, my music colection has drastically expanded.

This year, we finally purchased our tandem bike that we had been meaning to purchase and couldn't last year, due to none being available. Apparently, companies that make tandem bikes, only make a certain amount to be sold each year. More's the pitty. I think more husbands and wives could learn about the art of communicating if they had a bike.

Anyway, this is just a general catch up note to say, I'm back to doing this on a regular basis. Thanks for dropping by.

The heart of an American

It's been a while since I wrote anything. But, a lot of the reason I have not written has to do with just not feeling like I had anything to say. It's been hard for me to write anything.

Work is at a standstill. I don't know if it has to do with me running out of ideas to advertise for massage, my website being down or just what everyone wants to blame it on... The Economy, president Obama's stimulus package, everyone worried about their jobs.

Bert is working hard at Charlie's, whatever hours they can give him. He has not been able to find another job to supplement what he is making there. If we still didn't have enough money from what's left of Mom's estate, we would have to worry about losing our home. But, for a little while, we're secure that way. But, how much time do we still have to borrow from?

I fear for my country. Every time I turn around, it seems like a little more of our liberty is being chipped away before our very eyes. And, while I can thank God for every blessing I receive, I find myself asking how much time do we have left before He pours his wrath out on our nation? My prayer is that we as a people would gather together and drop to our knees to pray for our country.

Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only two days away. Yet, this year has been a year of lots of blessings, and yet...

When I think about my husband losing his job and then everything we have endured since, I'm amazed that I can still find it in my heart to do what I can for others. I know that only can be from the Grace of God, nothing else.

At the hearing Vista Grande Villa felt Bert needed to have to stop his unemployment benefits, all matter of accusations were made aginst him. While there are those who feel Bert should fight it, I don't happen to be one of them. Sitting there, listening to what people had to say about him, my heart broke. I realize there are those who probably think I'm being a coward by suggesting that my husband not fight it. But, I watched him walk out of the hearing room, barely able to stand, because it had taken him every inch of courage to be calm, I realized that if he won, it would have to be by the Grace of God. Yet, I knew God had a purposed in that room, though I was not sure of what that purpose was. I'm still not. But, God is.

Bert has been denied unemployment and has thirty days to appeal it. But, I'm concerned that if he did fight it, he would lose more than he has. I'm not sure the self-respect he had never truly felt until recently would still be there. I'm not sure his faith in Christ would be the same should he fight this. It could mean we will have to pay it back. But, I'm believing that whatever MESC's decision, we will be okay. For that matter, I'm not so sure it would be good for me to fight this again.

I'm finding that each day since Saturday, I wake up with the attitude of reaching out to be a blessing to those around something I have always felt to be important. Yet, I have not always acted on it. If we don't tithe our blessings, or love and our God given grace, then how do we expect God to pay us back fully?

On Sunday morning, a woman sat next to us in Sunday School, afraid that she might not find some support in our church. She said that she was not sure why she felt it necessary to sit with us and to reach out for support. I told her that I would love to pray with her and spend some time with her. God used her to bless us with a book Bert wanted and a gift certificate for me to purchase another book for myself. Not sure what I will purchase, though I have some ideas.

This morning, I called a client of mine who meant something to me to wish him a Happy Thanksgiving. He appologized to me for not coming for appointments, since he has been having some trouble with his son's spending cutting into his own. It was a blessing to talk to him.''After that, I was sitting in my office reading my Daily Bread when the man came to my door who was plowing the snow that had fallen outside. He told me that he remembered who I was and asked if it was me who had written "Peace Be Still". My original title for that song is "The Boat Song". He said that he had enjoyed hearing me singing when I came with Kelly to the cofeehouse where we played. This confirmed in me that I am doing what I can for God and that he will make sure I receive payment for such, whether it be financially or spiritually.

As we approach this Thanksgiving, we aare in one of the economically poor times all over the world. We should realize that the blessings we can bring to others will bring peace to a troubled heart, maybe more than one. Let us remember that it is important for us to raise the song of harvest home in our hearts and give to others what we can from our store of blessings, just like the Pilgrims and Native Americans did with and for each other.

Happy Thanksgiving.

More on Bert and other stuff

Now that the piano is moved here into the house, I am enjoying sitting at it and playing songs whenever I can.

It's hard to believe that I've had a blog for nearly a year. The last couple of months, I have not posted much. But, it has not been because I don't want to. Life has gotten in the way.

I have managed to keep busy on the days that I've worked at the office. I ahve not had less than two massages a day, each day that I've worked accept for a couple of days here and there. I'm grateful to have my massage chair, even though I don't use it every day. I'll go in spurts where I'll have a lot of appointments that require it and then have long dry spells where I'll only have massages that require the table.

Bert is still working at Charlie's Pub and Grill. However, the guy who hired him is gone. They fired him on Saturday. The blessing of that is that Bert all of as sudden has more hours.

Next week, unless things work out differently, he will have to appear before an arbitrator at Michigan Works for a re-determination hearing. Apparently, Vista Grande Villa filed for a hearing and they got it. He's worried about it, though the advocate he found on Monday and the lawyers he talked to said that there is nothing to worry about.

The other day, I actually asked a friend if I was losing my mind, because I am not worried about how things will go. He told me that no, I don't have to worry.

I thank God that all is well.

We enjoyed turkey dinner this afternoonand as I ate, I found myself thinking how we were celebrating Thanksgiving early. I am so thankful that God is watching over both of us and our cats.

Some would say we don't have a lot to be thankful for, since the election did not go the way of the conservative vobe. But, we can be thankful for the roof over our heads, the blessings we experience in just living out each day.

A day of mourning

Well, it looks like our country has become a nation of hypocrites and blind guides.

I remember talking with one of my friends who is an African American anda driver for our local transportation agency.. This man is a conservative and a Christian. When I heard him praising Mr. Obamma, my blood ran cold. I asked him if he realized what he was saying, that he would be leading other Christians he comes in contact with astray by his lauding the praises of someone who is a murderer of the unborn, a supporter of the pro homosexual agenda, oh and a supporter of a universal health care/socialistic medicine agenda. His response was that he felt he would do better than anyone who would follow Bush's lead from the past eight years.

This is not the first person I spoke to who esspoused such views. It's also not the first former leadership position person from a church that I heard say such things.

You say you follow the cross of Christ? Well, how can you say you're pro life, yet vote for someone who would insist on socialized abortions? Oh, and you helped support a proposal for the harvesting of embryonic stem cells here in Michigan, which tells me you're not as pro life as you claim to be. Away from me you hypocrites!

You say you're antihomosexual? Yet, you voted someone into office who supports such a pro homosexual agenda.

You say you want to protect our children from drugs and other harmful substances? Well, you voted for the legalization of medical Marijuana here in Michigan. How can you be sure that your friends who are growing weed are not growing it to sell to others, even though they say they're growing it for medical purposes?

You say that this man will have a good health care package in place? Not exactly. Everyting about you will be put on a little strip on a universal health card, if Mr. Obamma has his way, and don't think that your life as a disabled person is safe. Maybe not Mr. Obamma. But, some president in the near future, as he will have the building blocks in place, may decide that you're useless to society, thus ask that your life be terminated.

I will pray for you, because in doing this, you have gone against the Bible and against God. I don't know how many of you were dicieved by such a false prophet, and Obamma is that. But, you have defiled my country and my faith. Read the book of Daniel and then tell me how it is you could have willingly done so.