That may sound a little easier said than done right now since we are hovering near 100 degrees!! We had an unusually cold winter and now we are having an unusually hot summer. We seem to go from one extreme to the other without much in between. How about a little moderation here? It seems a  lot of people are hitting the beach; and who could blame them?

They tell us to drink lots of fluids when the temperatures are this hot, and try as I might, that doesn’t even seem to be an easy thing to do. You see most vending machines have “their own system” and you have to know the code. You see in our vending machines where I work, if you want an orange soda-you press grape, and if you want a grape soda-you press orange. You have to know the system. And yes it does reject certain dollars, and at times require the correct change only. But if you hold your head just right and put in the correct change and hit “the right button” you are sure to hit the jack pot and receive your soda.

In all  seriousness though, try to stay cool and enjoy your summer!!

There is a softly falling rain outside gently cleansing the earth and filling the atmosphere with it’s fresh clean scent. It has brought the temperature down to a comfortable level. How wonderful it is when nature works as it is suppose to. It knows the seasons and the times,and what it’s job is. I wish it were as easy for us; sometimes we don’t know our place or our purpose in life. And some people spend their whole lives trying to find that out.

I was just looking at Winston Rockwell’s photo of the day at www.todaysphoto.org, “Late Winter Afternoon”, and it started me thinking about the “good ole days”, and how times have certainly changed. I love pictures like this; it makes us remember our heritage, and by looking back, maybe we can go forward with a newer awareness than we had to begin with. That is one of the reasons I love this site, it brings so many diverse things to our attention each day; it is a wonderful way to start each day. And when you find a jewel like this, it is especially sweet! I love all of Mr. Rockwell’s photos, but I am especially drawn to this type of his work; and his commentaries are so thought provoking!! Well written, and thoroughly executed. Great job, Mr. Rockwell!!!

Hope you had a wonderful Holiday week-end, and now you are ready to get back to work.

July has come in as a “scorcher” here; as I am sure it has in most parts of the country.

There seems to be a lot of people “out and about” enjoying the beginning of summer; I hope you have  a wonderful season as we begin this July. Keep it safe, and try to stay cool.

Summer has definitely arrived bringing the heat and humidity that it is famous for. I have heard many people say they will not complain since we had such a terribly hard winter; but come on-it is the human condition to complain about uncomfortable situations. We are driven to find our comfort zone, whether it be the weather or life in general. We strive to find fulfillment in our work and in our personal life, and when things aren’t going well, we are uncomfortable. How we handle these situations depends on the person of course.

We have the complainers-who just complain and go on with life. We have the fixers-who try to fix everything. And we have the avoiders-who try to avoid anything that is uncomfortable to them. And then we have the walk-offs-who just leave at the first sign of trouble.

Life is not always comfortable or pleasurable; but we are called to do the best we can with the situation we are given. Sometimes we can change things; and sometimes things are beyond our control. But how we handle uncomfortable situations tells a lot about who we really are.

Stay as cool as you can, and enjoy another sizzling summer!!

One of my little grandchildren just loves fishing. And although he is only two years old, he can already fish with the best of them. He doesn’t use “toy” fish supplies, he uses a real fishing pole and shares his daddy’s tackle box. He already has a favorite “spot” and he doesn’t like to be crowded. His older brother fishes as well, but he seems to take the sport more seriously.

On a recent trip to Wal-Mart, he wanted a new fishing pole, but his mother explained to him that he didn’t need a new fishing pole because he already had one. Well, it seems  a few days later, that his old pole somehow managed to find it’s way under his daddy’s jeep, and his daddy backed over it and broke it. Of course amid all of the tears, his daddy promised him a new pole. Now, I ask you; coincidence, or a little politician in the making?

Sometimes when I have the time, I wonder about things in life, and just the other day, I was thinking about why there are atheists in the world, and people who do not believe in a living God. This is a very deep subject and one that  a lot of people smarter than me have tried to figure out. But when I look at the trees, the sun, the moon, the stars, the ocean, the mountains, and all of God’s  creation, I just can’t imagine not believing in a Higher Power. I just can’t buy evolution; it just won’t wash with me. But then it is too late for me for I am already a believer.

I had a “born again” experience when I was only twelve years old, and since then I have seen the wonders and miracles and power of a living God. I know He is real.It is too late for me not to believe, because I have felt His Spirit. I have seen Him do miraculous things.I have felt His love.I can’t go back to being a non believer; nor would I ever want to.

Does that mean that I get everything that I want? Absolutely not! And it is a good thing at times that I don’t. There is a country song called, “Thank God for unanswered prayer.” And it is so filled with wisdom. If we got everything we prayed for, sometimes we would find ourselves in a terrible situation. Only God knows what is truly best for us, and He is not some “Jeannie in a bottle” waiting to grant our every wish. Unfortunately, there are people who think that they can do anything they want and God still loves them above all others. God may still love you if you sin, but He is a righteous God who cannot tolerate sin. And there will be a price to pay.

Living in today’s world with all of the destruction, malice, immoral values, and people who profess to love Jesus, and then do whatever they want to do; sometimes with little difference between “believers” and “non believers”, I think if I wasn’t already a Christian, I just might become an atheist. If you had never had a spiritual experience yourself, and you looked at some of those who professed too, how would you know that He is real?

Do I live a perfect life? Absolutely not!! But I really try to. And I do love God with all of my heart. And when I do something wrong, I really know it. And it grieves me in my spirit until I confess it and try to make it right. You can’t always right all of your wrongs, but you can do the best that you can.

We all have different experiences that make up our belief system, and I am not about to judge someone who hasn’t experienced God’s love for themselves. I only ask that they allow me the same privilege to believe the way that I do. And I sincerely pray that they will feel God’s love for themselves before it is too late.

The world doesn’t have the answers. The Devil is a thief, a liar, and a destroyer. Only Jesus Christ can give you true peace. Don’t let Satan deceive you. I could never convince someone to believe; only God can do that. But it is too late for me; for I am already a believer.

For those of you that are undecided, please choose Christ. And may His love and peace guide you, and may He bring a joy into your life that you have never felt before, and may your days be prosperous and full of hope. Love to you all.

We have all had experiences where we have been disappointed in people. Sometimes it is a close friend, family member, or someone you barely know. It seems the human condition is very frail, and so often wants to lean toward destruction. Our minds are equipped to accomplish great good in the world, but we so often use that ability for destruction instead.

The Bible clearly lays out a plan for our peace and happiness, but the Devil comes behind us and whispers sweetly in our ear, “But wouldn’t you rather do this instead? Wouldn’t it feel good? Who cares what anyone else thinks about it? You know you want to.” And God’s Spirit quietly gives you a warning signal–”Beware!!! Danger ahead!!!” Which do you answer to?

We have an inner signal that will try to warn us of trouble ahead of time, but do we heed the warning, or go blindly on our way heading toward destruction, screaming, “Leave me alone, I will do what I want to do.” And then we fall suddenly into the ditch. We look around and cry, “Please help me, God!” And you know what? He does! He loves us that much! But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we would use our senses to avoid the ditch in the first place.

We don’t always heed the warning signals because the Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:24-25 that there is pleasure in sin for a season; but the wages of sin is death it states in Romans 6:16.

We try so hard to ignore that little quite nudging of our spirit to avoid the danger. At first we are a little uncomfortable, we know it is not right, and then we feel a little less and less uncomfortable as sin progresses until we don’t feel the warning signals any more. The Bible states that sin will take you farther than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay, and keep you longer than you want to stay.

Don’t fall into sin’s trap; it is much easier to avoid the danger of sin than to get out of it once entrapped. Don’t fall victim to sin; heed those early warning signals!!

It is that time of the year when most brides choose to make their walk down the isle. June is a lovely month for a wedding.

With all of the divorce statistics, I do hope that all of these bride and grooms are fully prepared for their future together.

The vows do say “in sickness and in health”, sickness may come….

“for richer or poorer”, a person’s financial situation could change…

“for better or worse”, worse days will surely arrive at some point….

If you do not want to be with this person should any adversity arrive, and it surely will at some point, do not make this kind of commitment to this person.

Marriage is an honorable, binding, commitment between two people who love each other, and is not to be taken lightly. Joys will come, and so will pain and suffering. They are all a part of the marriage contract and this thing called life. Do not attempt to make this journey without someone that you can truly make the commitment to be there no matter what your life together may bring.

I wish joy, peace, and love to all of you beautiful brides, as well as your handsome husbands. May all of your days together be joyful, prosperous ones.

It is that time of the year once again when we honor our fallen soldiers and decorate the graves of those who have gone before us; and once again it is time to break out the grills and let the barbecuing begin! Summer has officially begun!!

I wish you a very joyful one with your family and friends! As we wave the flag and consider the cost of the ones who have left their all so that we may enjoy the freedom we enjoy, let us take a moment to thank them and remember them and then let the festivities begin!!!

Have a wonderful week-end!!