Well, we made a real mess at my 79 year old mother's house on Saturday. We always get together for Saturday dinner and she had a faucet that she needed installed in the kitchen. My husband, Glenn, has had quite a bit of experience installing faucets and thought this would be no problem to do and we would have it done in about 20 minutes. Well this was not to be!
First, he went downstairs and found that the carpet was soaked! What the heck caused that? Water was coming from the water heater. Leaking slowly but leaking none the less. Well, mom decided that she would save that for another day. She would check the prices and get a new one and Glenn could come over and install it. So, she showed Glenn where the shut off for the city water was. and he took care of that. Unfortunately, both she and I forgot about the fact that the cold water in the kitchen was still supplied by the well. What a mess! Water all over the floor of the kitchen, in the cabinet and if that wasn't the worst of it, it began raining from the suspended ceiling in the finished off family room downstairs. I felt so bad! Here we were trying to help her save money and ended up adding to the misery.
Well, she called a plumber who put shut off valves under the kitchen sink, but now she had no faucet and no water to the kitchen. The plumber also found that the valve in the basement for the city water was leaking. This required the city to come out and shut off the water at the street to fix. When he left my mom, husband and I understood that he would be coming back on Sunday to fix everything but the valve. We understood that he couldn't do that without the city shutting off the water at the street and fat chance that you could get ahold of the city on a Sunday. When my mom called him Sunday, he had changed his story. He'd had a no heat call and it was taking a bit longer than he expected. He also said that he couldn't get ahold of the city and he was going to do everything in one shot. He told her that she must have misunderstood what he had said. Well, if she did we all did. Well, it really must have been the last straw when she called the office today to find out when they were coming and was told that the city required 24 hours notice to shut the water off. She got a little heated and used what she calls "the age card". I won't say here what her age is but I am 51 and I am the baby of the family. She told them that it was not acceptable to her to have to go another day hauling water from the bathroom to the kitchen. Well, they must have taken her at her word because not long after they called and said the city would be out to turn off the water.
Hopefully they can get most of it done today and finish it up tomorrow. Then the fun part will begin, the cleanup. The plumber did give her a card for a company that can take care of flood cleanup. And they will work with her insurance company. So, maybe we won't have to use shop vacs and rug doctor. But, we will see what happens on that. If we have to do it we will, because that is what families do.
Why did I title this peice this way? If we hadn't had the flood we wouldn't have realized that the water heater was in as bad of shape as it was. There is a huge bulge in the side. It would have been a worse mess if that had completely gone. And we wouldn't have known at all about the valve for the city water corroding. If that valve would have gone the whole basement would have been underwater before the city would have come to shut it off. So God does work in our lives in mysterious ways. And even though the repairs are going to cost close to $3,000 that's only money. The roof over my mother's head is much more important at this point. All of her memories are there. For now we can keep her there a bit longer. Thank you, Lord.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
New Blog postings.
Well, my blog is now in transition. I haven't been here in awhile and my shops are closing. Business hasn't been good and time is very much minimized since I started back to school for my Bachelor's. Anyway, I wanted to keep my blogspot so that I could really use it for the betterment of our (my) Christian principles. I want to spread the gospel to the corners of the earth like our Lord and Savior has asked of us. I am going to try to put together blogs that inspire but also those that make you think. Everyday, things happen around us that we need to take notice of, but most of all we do, say and emote things that are not Godly. As human beings this is to be expected, but we need to see them for what they are: SIN! That is what I am going to point out in this blog. Some of the things that happen will relate to what I have done. Some will be others showing me the error of my ways either directly or indirectly. I will also show where you can find the corrective behavior in the Bible. Don't take my word for it. Get a Bible and a Concordance and see for yourself. I am not infallible. And if you catch me saying something you don't agree with, please, please, please respond to the post. I would love to have a verbal debate with anyone willing. Anyway, that is where I am heading. Let me know if you feel that it is an idea you want to be part of. You can just read or respond or whatever you want to do. I am sure that God is leading me on this path and am so ready for it.
God Bless my friends,
First post in the next day or two.
Nancy
God Bless my friends,
First post in the next day or two.
Nancy
Friday, April 10, 2009
Some say he is just a Man!
It amazes me to think that there are some that still think that Jesus Christ was just a man. They say that he was a lunatic or a blasphemer. He, Himself told those living in his day that he was the Son of God! He performed miracles and raised people from the dead. He has saved me from a life of desperation and destruction. He couldn't do that if he was just a man.
We had a missionary that was very learned in the torture that Jesus endured prior to and during his time on the cross give us the message last two Sunday's ago. It has taken me this long to process the information. It was horrible. The paintings that we have depicting our Jesus do nothing to set that picture in our minds. Our puny human minds could not imagine what his poor body looked like before he went on the cross.
The first thing that was mentioned by our missionary was that no Jew was ever arrested at night. Except for Jesus. A Jewish tribunal would never have been held at night yet Jesus stood before that group after his arrest at night. Jesus had three trials. First in front of the Romans, then in front of the Jews and then back in front of the Romans. Between this trials Jesus was beaten, given a crown of thorns, mocked, ridiculed and given lashes. Yet, he did not say a word in his own defense.
Second, the Crown of thorns was talked about. We Americans think about the thorns of the rose bush. Those thorns can poke you until you bleed but those are not the thorns that were used for Jesus. The Thorns used in Jesus crown were much longer, sharper and stronger. The crown was not simply placed on his head, it was mashed into the skin of the scalp and face. His beautiful face had already been beaten and was swollen, battered and bruised. This extra insult would have resulted in many rivers of blood running down his face. My poor Savior took the insults, the pain and the humiliation so that I would not have to go through that. He did not cry out and did not say a word in his own defense.
Third, the lashings. This was probably more horrific than it is made out to be in most churches. Most people think of a lash as a whip. In fact that is the way that it is depicted in most of the major movie productions. That was not the rule of the day. They did not use a whip, they used a cat'o'nine tails. This was a whip with nine strips of leather at the end of a handle. At the tip of the leather straps was a small hook. The hook would bite into the skin of the back and rip the flesh from the body. After the number of lashes that Jesus took his back would have been ripped open and the muscle and bones would have been showing.
Then he was forced to carry the cross to the hill of Golgotha. Once there the cross was laid on the ground next to a hole that had been dug there. Jesus was laid on the cross and nails were driven into his wrists. Nails that were 15-20 cm long and 6 cm around. Not everyone who died on the cross were nailed to it. This particular procedure was held for only the worst of the worst! This was for the meanest and cruelest criminals, yet my Savior endured it. He lived on that Cross for 3 hours and granted salvation to one of the thieves with him.
Here is what I find very interesting. Not that all of this is not, but when they put Jesus up on the cross....you remember I talked about a hole that had been dug....the foot of the cross sits in that hole. When the Roman Soldiers hoisted the Cross with my beloved Savior on in the literally dropped the cross into the hole. Not gently mind you, but hard enough that it was to break every joint in the body. If you have ever dislocated a joint you know how painful that can be. Yet, Jesus endured this and stayed on that cross for 3 hours.
He also endured a spear being jabbed into his side.
What is amazing is that not one internal organ was pierced. It says so in the bible. It says that not a bone was broken nor an organ was pierced. You see that is how the Romans made sure that a criminal was dead. They brought them off of the cross and broke the legs or stabbed them in the chest. With Jesus it wasn't necessary. They knew he had died. There was no blood left in his body. That is why he was leaking water.
Then, the MOST GLORIOUS thing happened! He rose from the dead! He neatly folded his burial head cloth. He appeared to more than 3000 people! The diciples didn't take his body from the tomb, it was the sabbath! No work is to be done! The Roman soldiers didn't see a thing. When it happened they ran away! Want to know why they ran? Because, some of Jesus fate would have fallen on them. They would have had to been lashed for shirking their duties. So they ran away. They were men. Jesus was and is God!
This is Easter. This is the celebration of what our Wonderful, Marvelous Savior did for us. At one point on the cross Jesus asks the Father, "My Lord, My Lord why have you forsaken me?" For that one moment the Father turned his face from his Son because he could not look upon the sin that Jesus had received from the world. Your sin, my sin, everyone's sin. Jesus took it all. Now all you have to do is accept his gift of salvation. Your works won't get you into heaven. You can be the most giving, caring, wonderful human being, but unless you have Jesus Christ and have accepted him into your heart, the gates of heaven will remain closed. Jesus said, "There is no way to the Father except through Me."
I pray that you all have a very Happy Easter. Easter is a time to rejoice in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a time for family. It is a time to join together in the Lord.
God Bless you all!
We had a missionary that was very learned in the torture that Jesus endured prior to and during his time on the cross give us the message last two Sunday's ago. It has taken me this long to process the information. It was horrible. The paintings that we have depicting our Jesus do nothing to set that picture in our minds. Our puny human minds could not imagine what his poor body looked like before he went on the cross.
The first thing that was mentioned by our missionary was that no Jew was ever arrested at night. Except for Jesus. A Jewish tribunal would never have been held at night yet Jesus stood before that group after his arrest at night. Jesus had three trials. First in front of the Romans, then in front of the Jews and then back in front of the Romans. Between this trials Jesus was beaten, given a crown of thorns, mocked, ridiculed and given lashes. Yet, he did not say a word in his own defense.
Second, the Crown of thorns was talked about. We Americans think about the thorns of the rose bush. Those thorns can poke you until you bleed but those are not the thorns that were used for Jesus. The Thorns used in Jesus crown were much longer, sharper and stronger. The crown was not simply placed on his head, it was mashed into the skin of the scalp and face. His beautiful face had already been beaten and was swollen, battered and bruised. This extra insult would have resulted in many rivers of blood running down his face. My poor Savior took the insults, the pain and the humiliation so that I would not have to go through that. He did not cry out and did not say a word in his own defense.
Third, the lashings. This was probably more horrific than it is made out to be in most churches. Most people think of a lash as a whip. In fact that is the way that it is depicted in most of the major movie productions. That was not the rule of the day. They did not use a whip, they used a cat'o'nine tails. This was a whip with nine strips of leather at the end of a handle. At the tip of the leather straps was a small hook. The hook would bite into the skin of the back and rip the flesh from the body. After the number of lashes that Jesus took his back would have been ripped open and the muscle and bones would have been showing.
Then he was forced to carry the cross to the hill of Golgotha. Once there the cross was laid on the ground next to a hole that had been dug there. Jesus was laid on the cross and nails were driven into his wrists. Nails that were 15-20 cm long and 6 cm around. Not everyone who died on the cross were nailed to it. This particular procedure was held for only the worst of the worst! This was for the meanest and cruelest criminals, yet my Savior endured it. He lived on that Cross for 3 hours and granted salvation to one of the thieves with him.
Here is what I find very interesting. Not that all of this is not, but when they put Jesus up on the cross....you remember I talked about a hole that had been dug....the foot of the cross sits in that hole. When the Roman Soldiers hoisted the Cross with my beloved Savior on in the literally dropped the cross into the hole. Not gently mind you, but hard enough that it was to break every joint in the body. If you have ever dislocated a joint you know how painful that can be. Yet, Jesus endured this and stayed on that cross for 3 hours.
He also endured a spear being jabbed into his side.
What is amazing is that not one internal organ was pierced. It says so in the bible. It says that not a bone was broken nor an organ was pierced. You see that is how the Romans made sure that a criminal was dead. They brought them off of the cross and broke the legs or stabbed them in the chest. With Jesus it wasn't necessary. They knew he had died. There was no blood left in his body. That is why he was leaking water.
Then, the MOST GLORIOUS thing happened! He rose from the dead! He neatly folded his burial head cloth. He appeared to more than 3000 people! The diciples didn't take his body from the tomb, it was the sabbath! No work is to be done! The Roman soldiers didn't see a thing. When it happened they ran away! Want to know why they ran? Because, some of Jesus fate would have fallen on them. They would have had to been lashed for shirking their duties. So they ran away. They were men. Jesus was and is God!
This is Easter. This is the celebration of what our Wonderful, Marvelous Savior did for us. At one point on the cross Jesus asks the Father, "My Lord, My Lord why have you forsaken me?" For that one moment the Father turned his face from his Son because he could not look upon the sin that Jesus had received from the world. Your sin, my sin, everyone's sin. Jesus took it all. Now all you have to do is accept his gift of salvation. Your works won't get you into heaven. You can be the most giving, caring, wonderful human being, but unless you have Jesus Christ and have accepted him into your heart, the gates of heaven will remain closed. Jesus said, "There is no way to the Father except through Me."
I pray that you all have a very Happy Easter. Easter is a time to rejoice in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a time for family. It is a time to join together in the Lord.
God Bless you all!
Monday, March 23, 2009
In the Shadow of the Cross
This morning, as I was going to work, we hit a red light at one of the most violent street corners in North Minneapolis. It seems that this is the corner where most of the drug sales, prostution and other unsavory acts happen. I often go the the drug store and grocery on this corner and don't feel unsafe, but then I know that at any moment something could happen between rival gangs or drug dealers and police officers. Let's just say I don't go down there at night. Only during the daytime. This morning all was quiet and nothing was going on. The reason I bring up the history and possibilities of this place is because this morning I looked up. I have gone this route several times a day for the last 10 years and never noticed it before. I was amazed and in awe. Standing like a sentry, past Cub Foods, above all other buildings, it is there. On the steeple of the Catholic church....The Cross.
This dangerous street corner sits in the shadow of that cross. I wonder if this is a sign of how deeply our society has fallen. Is this what Christ sees when he looks down on America from heaven? Does he see how far we have fallen from what we once were? 90% of all Americans say that they are Christian. Yet we have forced God out of our schools, government, court systems and lives. Generally, we don't look up when we have problems but instead look inward. We don't rely on each other to help in time of need, we look to the government. Our Country has become a country of self-centered individuals that care for no one but themselves. The only time, it seems, that we look to help our fellow man is when there is a disaster. It seems to be the only thing that brings us from our reverence of self.
As I sit and write this, I think about the catastrophe of Huricane Katrena. The reports were angry because of the governments indifference. They could have, should have gotten busses to the people so that they could evacuate. They could have, should have seen this coming and come to the aid of those poor people. My questions: Where was the owner of the bus company? Why didn't he step up and send the school busses? Where were the taxi driver's? Why didn't they go into the area of town that had the most to lose and bring people out? Where was the outcry over this injustice? Our society does not look to the individual, nor do we blame the individual that didn't consider his fellow man.
There is something else that sits in the shadow of that cross. I noticed this some months ago. Up a block from the corner where I sat this morning is a Mosque. They have recently renovated this mosque and made it larger. Yet, it sits in the shadow of the Catholic Church and the cross on that steeple. This is a unique parallel to what will happen for us at the end of days. Jesus will win! And for all of us that believe on him, look to him and rejoice in him it will be a glorious day.
God Bless each and every person that reads this. This is a message of hope. If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your Personal Savior and would like to, please pray the prayer at the bottom of this post. Jesus walked the earth as Man, but was wholy God. He came to save each of us from our sins. The only difference between me and the unsaved person is that I have an intercessor before the Father. It does not mean that I will never commit another sin, although I try not to, it just means that when I get to heaven and am standing in front of the Great Judge, Jesus will step forward and say she is mine. Then I will be pardoned of all that I have done.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner and I know I need you in my life. You are the everlasting Lord, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. Lord I ask that you come into my heart today and clean me white as snow. I can't go another day without you ruling my life. I know that I am not worthy that you do this by grace and not works. Please, Dear Jesus, I want the gift that you present. These things I ask in Jesus name. Amen.
This dangerous street corner sits in the shadow of that cross. I wonder if this is a sign of how deeply our society has fallen. Is this what Christ sees when he looks down on America from heaven? Does he see how far we have fallen from what we once were? 90% of all Americans say that they are Christian. Yet we have forced God out of our schools, government, court systems and lives. Generally, we don't look up when we have problems but instead look inward. We don't rely on each other to help in time of need, we look to the government. Our Country has become a country of self-centered individuals that care for no one but themselves. The only time, it seems, that we look to help our fellow man is when there is a disaster. It seems to be the only thing that brings us from our reverence of self.
As I sit and write this, I think about the catastrophe of Huricane Katrena. The reports were angry because of the governments indifference. They could have, should have gotten busses to the people so that they could evacuate. They could have, should have seen this coming and come to the aid of those poor people. My questions: Where was the owner of the bus company? Why didn't he step up and send the school busses? Where were the taxi driver's? Why didn't they go into the area of town that had the most to lose and bring people out? Where was the outcry over this injustice? Our society does not look to the individual, nor do we blame the individual that didn't consider his fellow man.
There is something else that sits in the shadow of that cross. I noticed this some months ago. Up a block from the corner where I sat this morning is a Mosque. They have recently renovated this mosque and made it larger. Yet, it sits in the shadow of the Catholic Church and the cross on that steeple. This is a unique parallel to what will happen for us at the end of days. Jesus will win! And for all of us that believe on him, look to him and rejoice in him it will be a glorious day.
God Bless each and every person that reads this. This is a message of hope. If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your Personal Savior and would like to, please pray the prayer at the bottom of this post. Jesus walked the earth as Man, but was wholy God. He came to save each of us from our sins. The only difference between me and the unsaved person is that I have an intercessor before the Father. It does not mean that I will never commit another sin, although I try not to, it just means that when I get to heaven and am standing in front of the Great Judge, Jesus will step forward and say she is mine. Then I will be pardoned of all that I have done.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner and I know I need you in my life. You are the everlasting Lord, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. Lord I ask that you come into my heart today and clean me white as snow. I can't go another day without you ruling my life. I know that I am not worthy that you do this by grace and not works. Please, Dear Jesus, I want the gift that you present. These things I ask in Jesus name. Amen.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Late at Night things always hit me.
I guess I am going to bear my soul for a few minutes and forgive me if I ramble a bit. I have been sitting here by myself for about a half an hour well not by myself but with my savior. I have been trying very hard to listen for that quiet voice to see if it is in front of me or behind me. I heard someone preaching on the subject not too long ago, unfortunately, I can't remember the verse, but it had to do with the voice of Christ being behind you. He said that many preachers miss this portion. If you hear the voice of your savior behind you, you are not following him. You are going your own way not the way that he wants you to go. We always seem to want to do everything bigger and better than anyone else and we are such selfish creatures. We want to get to the front, even if it is before Jesus. And that is why I am sitting here in the dark with just my computer and my Lord bearing my soul.
I began this evening with a bit of a pity party for Nancy. I have been so discouraged over my lack of sales. I went out this weekend a purchased over $200 in supplies for new product. I was so excited Friday that my patterns had come. I wanted to get started making them. These are really cute Christmas and Holiday patterns. But they are a departure from the focus I ususally have in my art product. I got patterns for Baskets that I made that represent Holloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Not one of them however shows the awesome goodness of our Lord. Bet you could guess what the shapes are: a Jack-o-Lantern, Turkey, Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, Snowman and Bunny. After I made them I began to think about how I could put together one for the true meaning of Christmas, but I haven't done it yet. Instead, I kept thinking about how cute these will be when I get them on line. Then tonight it hit me between the eyes. Am I really doing my business to please God, or have I departed from my original business plan and made my own way?
That is my dilemma as I sit here and write this blog. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against Santa or the Easter Bunny. I think they are great for kids. It gives them something beyond themselves and their family to believe in. It sets them up for believing in God. See Santa and the Easter Bunny can't be seen and God can't be seen, so it just makes sense that kids come to believe in God because when they were little they believed in Santa and the Easter Bunny. I just want to make sure that this is where God wants me to be. I want to make sure that the true meaning of Christmas is acknowledged with my Christmas items. I want to make sure that everyone that sees my work knows that God has his hand in everything I do.
I think when I go through one of these dry spells where I haven't had any sales for awhile I start doubting myself. I don't doubt God, His way is perfect, but I doubt myself in knowing what his will is in my life. So, I sit, in the dark, with my Lord and hash it out. I have never blogged about it before. I have never written down the process I go through before. But for some reason God wanted me to do this and now. Not tomorrow morning when the struggles of the world come upon me again. Right now. When I am sitting in the dark by the light of my computer wondering where my life is going and if I am on the path He wants me to be on.
I'm still unsure of where this is going. I am still unsure of where he is leading me. But at least now I know that his voice is in front of me and not behind me. He is in the lead and whereever he goes I must follow.
Hope that this is a help to someone else who might be feeling the same way. I hope that if you are you will let me know. And if you aren't feeling this way right now I ask that you pray for me and everyone else that is unsure of where life is leading them. We can do anything and get through everything with God as our Forward Guard.
May God Bless and Keep you. May He Shine His Face Upon you and make you Glad.
Yours forever in Christ,
Nancy
I began this evening with a bit of a pity party for Nancy. I have been so discouraged over my lack of sales. I went out this weekend a purchased over $200 in supplies for new product. I was so excited Friday that my patterns had come. I wanted to get started making them. These are really cute Christmas and Holiday patterns. But they are a departure from the focus I ususally have in my art product. I got patterns for Baskets that I made that represent Holloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Not one of them however shows the awesome goodness of our Lord. Bet you could guess what the shapes are: a Jack-o-Lantern, Turkey, Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, Snowman and Bunny. After I made them I began to think about how I could put together one for the true meaning of Christmas, but I haven't done it yet. Instead, I kept thinking about how cute these will be when I get them on line. Then tonight it hit me between the eyes. Am I really doing my business to please God, or have I departed from my original business plan and made my own way?
That is my dilemma as I sit here and write this blog. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against Santa or the Easter Bunny. I think they are great for kids. It gives them something beyond themselves and their family to believe in. It sets them up for believing in God. See Santa and the Easter Bunny can't be seen and God can't be seen, so it just makes sense that kids come to believe in God because when they were little they believed in Santa and the Easter Bunny. I just want to make sure that this is where God wants me to be. I want to make sure that the true meaning of Christmas is acknowledged with my Christmas items. I want to make sure that everyone that sees my work knows that God has his hand in everything I do.
I think when I go through one of these dry spells where I haven't had any sales for awhile I start doubting myself. I don't doubt God, His way is perfect, but I doubt myself in knowing what his will is in my life. So, I sit, in the dark, with my Lord and hash it out. I have never blogged about it before. I have never written down the process I go through before. But for some reason God wanted me to do this and now. Not tomorrow morning when the struggles of the world come upon me again. Right now. When I am sitting in the dark by the light of my computer wondering where my life is going and if I am on the path He wants me to be on.
I'm still unsure of where this is going. I am still unsure of where he is leading me. But at least now I know that his voice is in front of me and not behind me. He is in the lead and whereever he goes I must follow.
Hope that this is a help to someone else who might be feeling the same way. I hope that if you are you will let me know. And if you aren't feeling this way right now I ask that you pray for me and everyone else that is unsure of where life is leading them. We can do anything and get through everything with God as our Forward Guard.
May God Bless and Keep you. May He Shine His Face Upon you and make you Glad.
Yours forever in Christ,
Nancy
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