Day 297 Lawn Dinner

Oct. 31, 2015

Day 297

A party motivates the Burkholders. It does not overwhelm us. It motivates us. We clean, we tidy, we dream, we create, and we love anticipating the moment! We love every square inch, nook, and cranny of any planned event. It pumps us up. The Lawn Dinner is no exception. We are only sixteen hours away from this event and my mind is filled with Lawn Dinners past and present.

I know we will eat well.  The PotLuck Dinner extraordinare will be in our back yard as comfort food will be full and overflowing with everyone bringing a dish to pass.There will be laughter and lots of it. Reconnecting and discovering connections and making plans for future events will take place. At one of the lawn dinners a matchmaking event occurred and we celebrate Brynn Patchel from that union of Whitney and Brandon. This time is enchanted and I can envision tomorrow night almost like it is here.

Kathryn originated the Lawn Dinner, her reasoning, she wanted to see everyone in her favorite attire, fall clothing. She anticipated taking copious amounts of photos at the first dinner. Interestingly enough, it did not happen. The girl was too busy. She wanted the tables to be all in a row, think the first Thanksgiving. She wanted everyone eating outside. You see, the size of a room is not a Burkholder limiting factor, nor are other things for that matter. If you want to invite a lot of people over, you do it outside. Weather limitations? What? You worry about that? We pray about it, but worry? Nah! Honestly, what's the worse that can happen??? You all come inside. That did happen for Lynn and my 25th! :) We LOVED IT. This modest home was filled with 125 folks.

The lawn is mowed, the hedges trimmed, pumpkins and flowers purchased, chocolate chess pies are baked (Go Kathryn and Nicky!), potato soup is in process, hot apple cider is ready to go, tables and chairs are delivered and we anticipate a wonderful 2015 Lawn Dinner.

And now join me in a humble prayer, "Dear Jesus, please provide us with a warm evening, a clear sky, and little to no wind. You hold the weather in your hands and we ask that you would allow for fellowship to flow. Amen!" We might not worry about the weather but we are not stupid, prayer is essential!

And if you did not get the invite- come anyway. Bring a dish to pass, think comfort food and you will be welcomed! :)

Day 296 Aslan is on the Move

Followers Gathering Sharing His Love

October 30, 2015
Day 296

The Holy Spirit is astir among the family of His followers. We feel Him, we hear Him, and we want more of Him and He wants more of us. We are in love with our Lover as we snuggle, hug, smile, and laugh while moving where He wants us to go. We follow Him like stupid sheep, moving in and out of troubling places for we just want to be with Him. Though times are dark we follow Him knowing He leads us to pastures of goodness, joy, peace and love. We eat only love therefore He keeps us from pastures of division, shame, and discouragement.

Like never before we feel the intimate connection our family shares - the precious blood of Jesus. We look at one another and without words we see Love. His love calls us to a banqueting table filled up and overflowing with tasty morsels, deep satisfying comfort foods of love. His love also calls us to dance in love. Joy dances, shame stumbles. Let no one convince you otherwise. Come dance with our Lover. He is astir.

Like never before we see the disconnect between those in our midst whose masks fall revealing a computer chip hard wired to a theology, a tradition, another gospel entwined in a lifestyle, old ways, or even a christian social club that restricts following the Lover. We are sad.

But the Lover speaks to us, Do not use your words to point them to the banquet, the dance, use my love. Only my Spirit can explain my call to love. For My love makes no sense. My love goes beyond comprehension. My love sails past the wisdom of the world. My love pulls the hesitant, the wounded, the fallen, the sick, the lonely, the backslidden, the misunderstood onto the dance floor. And they will find themselves dancing.

For, I AM loves freely and unashamedly with sinners. The one who sees calls sinners to freedom, to love, to dance, to eat, and to rest. The One who provides made it possible for you to freely love sinners.  Dance on sweet lover, dance on. They will find themselves dancing.

He continues speaking while holding a finger over our mouth. You want to follow me? Love me, love yourself and love others. I am the only one who saves and it is only by my Spirit. You simply follow. You rest for I am the only One who calls. I am the Only one who chooses. I am the doer. You are the follower. I love therefore you love.

We feed, we consume, and we pant for more and more and more and more of Him. And we do not stop. Each taste and bite, of Him, pulls us further into a craving - a more-ness of Him, of Love. His Love, His freedom, puts wind in our sails, tap shoes on our feet, breath in our spirit.

The pursuit of honoring our Lover bodes us well. As we daily choose to love, doing what is right, sin's pull and crouching corner presence dissipates. For Love fills the room. Joyfully we dance with Him. The Holy Spirit is astir among the family of followers.

We follow Him by loving you.



Notes:
"Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, Cain, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.'" Gen. 4:6,7

Day 295 Walking Slowly

October 29, 2015

Day 295

The day is busy, it is full of many things to do. I take one step at a time walking slowly and deliberately. This soothes my soul. Drying my hair is an event I look forward to, I take my time, there is no rush. My list is extensive and yet I am calmed by just simply, moving, slowly. Taking time to put that top on the jar, slowly, allows me a moment of repose. Moving carefully across the kitchen floor as if any faster, I might trip, allows for a time of reflection. Speed is everything. It either allows you to be or it shoves you into a frenzy pushing people and opportunities to the margins. I choose people and moments.

I have learned that getting things done in advance, even just a day, often ricochets on me and leaves me with a hurried mess. So, I do what today requires. I prepare food on Monday for my Philly venture on Monday. Tuesday, I prepare appetizers for the hosting of a Trunk Show for Tuesday night. It all works out and I am grateful that I am not in a hospital bed. The puzzle of my busy life fits together with ease. I enjoy everything on my list, every piece of the puzzle.

It is all about intentionality which allows for clear and definite focus and purpose. I have learned from many individuals over the course of my lifetime. They have helped me move through my day with ease and taught me to keep an eye on the look out for opportunities that matter.

Primrose and Nicole

Day 294 Jesus Feminist

October 28, 2015
Day 294

Sarah is a wordsmith. She pulled me in, immediately. Dale Cupo urged me to get this book. Erin Bale spoke of this woman and probably this book. Thank you, women! Pulling me quickly into a book is not easy to do, you really need hooks for me and many of them. I want to write like her but for now I will read her.  

I am going to include some quotes from this "must purchase" book. I mean it. You must purchase it. 

Quotes:  

"It might surprise antifeminist and anti-christians equally to know that feminism's roots are tangled up with the strong Christian women's commitments to the temperance movement, suffragist movements, and in America and England in particular, the abolitionist movements of the nineteenth century." p. 12

"I know some people like to poke holes in each other's arguments, pointing out inconsistencies and trading jabs of verses and scholars and church history like scrappy boxers." p. 15 

"Scholar David Joel Hamilton calls Jesus' words and actions toward women 'controversial, provocative, even revolutionary.' " p.17

"When Mary of Bethany sat at his feet, she was in the posture of a rabbinical pupil. Men and women rarely sat together, let alone for religious training, but there she was among them, at his feet. She was formally learning from him, the way the sons of Abraham had always sat - the daughters never had that spot." p. 19

"God has a global dream for his daughters and his sons, and it is bigger than our frozen-in-time arguments or cultural biases, bigger than socioeconomics (or the lack thereof), bigger than marital status, bigger than our place, bigger than all of us- bigger than any one of us." p. 26

"Lean into the pain. Stay there in the questions, in the doubts, in the wonderings and loneliness, the tension of living in the Now and the Not Yet of the Kingdom of God, your wounds and hurts and aches, until you are satisfied that Abba is there too." p.52

She quotes, Carolyn Custis James from "Half the Church," 

"The community of God's people should be the epicenter of human flourishing - where men and women are encouraged and supported in their efforts to develop and use the gifts God has given them whereever he stations them in the world... God never envisioned a world where his image bearers would do life in low gear or be encouraged to hold back, especially when suffering is rampant, people are lost, and there is so much kingdom work to do."

Day 293 Expanding Love

October 27, 2015
Day 293

Expand. Expand. Expand. There is love.
There is freedom. Do not give in to the tight corners. Do not give in to the ways of men. Be careful where you walk. Be careful who you trust. Trust only in Him. Be discerning. Know His love letter. Read it over and over and over and over. Meditate.

Expand. Expand. Expand. Do not allow someone else's view of you inhibit God's view of you. Do not be surprised at those you are with to be limiters. Only Jesus says yes all the time to you,  despite you. Only Jesus.

We are a community of lovers and love we should. Expand. Expand. Expand.
There is freedom. Do not give in to the tight corners.
Do not give in to the ways of men.
Careful, there are wolves in sheep's clothing. There really are.
Trust only in Him. Know His love letter. Read it over and over and over and over.

Expand. Expand. Expand. There is love.
There is freedom. Do not give in to the tight corners.
Do not give in to the ways of men. Be careful where you walk. Be careful
who you trust. Trust only in Him. Be discerning. Know His love letter.
Read it over and over and over and over. Meditate.

Day 292 Pride and Hannah

Nebin Surprised her Mom and Tiffany
Mary is holding Maeve - Tiffany's little girl

Day 292

October 27, 2015

To gain my strength is not my goal. Humility is.

Humility is understanding what God does, 

what God did, what God is doing, 

and what God will do.

In 1Samuel Chapters 1 and 2, Hannah was not able to get pregnant. The LORD had closed her womb. And she knew it was He who closed her womb. 

She knew who she had to pray to, even though her emotions might not have looked “faith like.” She persevered even though she was made fun of and provoked.

 Mary and Nebin

Though she was in despair, downcast, miserable, and deeply troubled – she prayed. She did not clean up for the prayer, she just kept praying. She prayed out of great anguish and grief. And she just kept praying. Even when the priest thought she was drunk, she just kept praying. For she knew who had the strength, who had the power to change her status – only the LORD!

Sometimes I paraphrase to "see" scripture. Here is my  paraphrase of 1 Samuel 1 and 2:

My heart rejoices in the Lord. not in me.

In the Lord my horn is lifted high. not in my accomplishments.

I delight in your deliverance. not in how I delivered myself.

There is only ONE holy.

There is no one besides HIM.

There is no Rock like our GOD.

Do not keep talking so proudly.

Why? The LORD knows.

He weighs your deeds.

Bows of warriors are broken.

But the stumblers are armed with strength.

This is upside down from the way the world views things.

They once were full but now out of food and in need.

Once hungry but now hungry no more. Their need was filled.

Once no children, and made fun of, but now she has seven. Her need was filled.

She who had many sons and lots of pride, now she pines away. She did not give credit where credit was due.

LORD brings death. not you.

The LORD makes alive, not you.

He brings down to the grave or raises up. not you.

LORD sends poverty. not you.

LORD sends wealth. Who knew – not you.

LORD humbles you. not you.

LORD exalts you. not you.

LORD raises poor from the dust. not you.

LORD lifts the needy from the ash heap. not you.

LORD seats them with princes. not you.

LORD has them inherit the throne of honor. not you.

Guess what?!

The foundations of the earth have nothing to do with you!

They are the LORD’s.

He has set the world on His Foundations. not yours.

Who will guard the feet of His saints? You? No.

The LORD will guard the feet of His saints.

But the wicked will be silenced.

Where?

in darkness. 

No one can see. 

Pride loves audience but will end up in darkness. Lights out.

It is not by strength that one prevails.

Wait, what??? Not by strength???

This affects a lot of people. Me, in particular.

Not by strength will I prevail. Not by strength will I prevail.

( This is a cheer I need to get down with. )

Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.

(If I think it is by my strength, am I opposing the LORD?)

He will thunder against them from heaven – my opposing can be seen – even from heaven.

The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He sees, the LORD knows, He weighs my deeds. My audience is the LORD. 

He will give strength to His King

and exalt the horn of His anointed – Masiyah (one of the most important words in the OT)

His anointed is Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.

Luke 1: 69 – “He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant David.”

Jesus is lifted up. I am not.

---

Day 291 Dr. Seuss Does Spiritual

October 25, 2015
Day 291

This doesn't relate - I just like it!

I can worship in the air.
I can worship in a chair
I can worship driving bus.
I can worship and I must.

I can worship on a hill.
I can worship being still.
I can worship in a storm.
I can worship in a dorm.

I can worship singing songs.
I can worship using tongs.
I can worship with a brush.
I can worship while I push.

I can worship in a church.
I can worship with research.
I can worship on a beach.
I can worship eating peach.

Day 290 Full and Overflowing

October 24, 2015
Day 290

The day is coming to a close. There is not enough time to write all that I desire. I just finished a letter to the Wider Robotics team congratulating them and discussing about how we proceed from here. We won third place and our team goes to Regionals, December 3. The interesting twist is that Regionals is in Fargo, North Dakota. Cold.

Relationships are king and this robotics experience is full to the brim and overflowing with deepened relationships. I really enjoy the overflow! For the next five weeks we will be focused on tweaking the robot and all the other areas intertwined with this BEST Robotics competition. We are having way too much fun!

Day 289 Links

October 23, 2015

Day 289

This is my daughter, Robyn Saunders. She is a strong young mother of Theo and wife of RJ. She lives in PA, works for a company in Florida and runs a school that desires to teach students 21st Century skills. When Theo is eighteen months, Robyn will give him a sister. Robyn can do it all and she does it well.

She has now started to blog for which I am really grateful. She publishes every Friday a blog called Links. I would encourage you to take a look. Robyn has always been true to herself and her writing reveals her strong "voice."  

Check her out.  You will enjoy her writing and her links! She is the quintessential 21st century writer. Keep it up dear woman, keep it up!

Day 288 Posting

Oct. 22, 2015
Day 288

Thank you for taking the time to read these posts. It means a lot to me. I so enjoy writing. Doing this everyday has only increased my enjoyment. My family honors this time and I do not take their respect for granted.  The time is nearing to a close and I am praying about what God wants me to do when January arrives.

For now, this young lady is going to go and gather some rest for the Wider Robotics Weekend. Tomorrow we travel to the BEST Robotics Competition in DuBois, PA. Wish us luck and throw some prayers up!

Day 287 Father and His Daughter's Envelope

October 20, 2015
Day 287

Every time I walked out the door, my father spoke these words to me, "Lynne, demand respect." Along with, "remember who you represent." A father has the power to lead his daughter to her envelope, and likewise he has the power to keep her from her uniqueness, her envelope.

These words were empowering, encouraging, and full of hope. He respected and loved my uniqueness. The impact a father has on his daughter is profound and I am forever grateful for my father's love. He offered me significance. He led me to my envelope and encouraged me to look inside and take out what I found. I am grateful for him.

Day 286 Dusting

October 19, 2015
Day 286


Dust covers spiritual truths. I have interfaced with scripture from the womb. I have listened to hundreds of pastors, teachers, speakers, radio show hosts, speaking from the same book and using the same jargon. These truths become liturgical, rung dry of meaning and covered in dust. Ho hum, yes, of course, Jesus died for my sins. And, yes, He rose again the third day. But, SO NOT HO HUM! My relentless, intense pursuit is to dust off the thick layer of indifference, and to remain thirsty.

The dust job for the past month has been for John chapter 14, 15, and 16. The Trinity explained and dissected in these three chapters is causing me to rub my forehead, scratch my head, and is straining the brain. There is something underneath this familiarity. There is a lure, a beckoning to spiritual curiosity. I am thirsty. So, I must dust off the familiarity.

My dusting, in the wee hours of the morning, is meditating on the truths found in chapters 14, 15 and 16. I am studying and analyzing His Word in these chapters. I am discussing these truths with others throughout the day. And I am pondering these truths while I am devotionally praying through the content. My comprehension remains dim, but my desire is peeked. I am thirsty therefore I dust. And I dust and remain thirstier.

I have all I need to mine through the rock, to find, to search and to know. I am content because I have found the treasure, the search is over and the dig is on.  I explore, seek, and dig for an understanding of the treasure. I rest in His truth as I become more sure of its foundation. The enemy will do all he can to keep the spiritual truths covered in dust and to keep me from digging. He loves indifference, boredom. Interestingly enough, however, boredom spells discontent, the opposite of rest. The ploy of the enemy is to keep me disinterested and bored.

The more I dust off these ancient truths the more desire I have  for more understanding of His treasure. I move forward. I remain thirsty for more. Jesus is the treasure trove and He makes me want more and more of Him. Do you want to dust with me?  I love company.

Day 285 The Obvious

October 19, 2015
Day 285


Me: I want to state the obvious.
Family: (they stare at me)
Me: Yes, well, I think we need to think of this family as an organization.
Family: (they look out the window as if sychronized swimmers)
Me: So, as organizations have organized ways, yes, well, I think, maybe, perhaps, we should add some organization to our organization.
Family: (they look out the other window in like manner)
Me: So, tomorrow, for instance, we are going to create a chart.
Family: (in unison they groan)
Me: Not to worry, it is really going to be fun, a lot of fun. Capital F, Capital U, Capital N!
Me: Any questions so far?
Family: (no answer)
Me: Well, then ok. We can move on. Actually, I think that is all I have to say for tonight. So, good night.

Thank you 311 - 327

311. Thank you for Christian friendships and the community that we find when we are all striving to live for Christ. ~Elizabeth Lantz
312. Thank you for fellowship with other believers.~Elizabeth Lantz
313. Thank you that God's love can join together people from all different cultures and backgrounds and languages! ~Elizabeth Lantz
314. Thank you for Samaritan's Purse and the ministry they have through Operation Christmas child (everybody should pack a box...I believe it will bless both you and the child who receives it!). ~Elizabeth Lantz
315. Thank you for all the godly examples God has put in my life.~Elizabeth Lantz
316. Thank you for those older and wiser than me who are willing to share their wisdom! ~Elizabeth Lantz
317. Thank you for safety everyday as we travel so many places and do so many things. ~Elizabeth Lantz
318. Thank you for fall!! ~Elizabeth Lantz
319. Thank you for JOY! ~Elizabeth Lantz
320. Thank you for young children. It fascinates me to watch them grow and think and process life. There are so many things for us  to learn (or re-learn!) from them! ~Elizabeth Lantz
321. Thank you for school. I am loving most of my classes! ~Elizabeth Lantz
322. Thank you for Mrs. B and her thankful heart! ~Elizabeth Lantz
323. Thank you for Elizabeth Lantz! I love her fiestyness, zest for life, love for learning and love for Jesus.
324. Thank you for the hike through Nolde Forest yesterday with the RCC folks! Curt, Karen, Kaylea, Alyssa Musser, Karalee, Jeff, and Lydia Tuck, Abby Buckles, Elizabeth, Justin, Daniel, Joseph, Kayla, Talia, Robyn, RJ, Theo, Kathryn, Nicky Sue, Jesse, Lynn.
325. Thank you for the time with Aaron Bostelle and James Miller. It was a very enjoyable and helpful conversation. 
326. Thank you God for that amazing concert at RCC on Friday night. 
327. Thank you for another day.

My goal is 1,000 entries.  It is inspired by Ann Voskamp's beautifully written book, "One Thousand gifts."

Add to this "Thank You!" list. Send your entry to lynneburkholder@gmail.com and I will add it to the "Thank You!" list. Or if you are friends with me on facebook, you can let me know there.

Day 284 The Little Woman

Oct. 19, 2015
Day 284

One day a little woman fell off the turnip truck. She did not know where she landed she just knew it hurt. Suddenly, it seemed, she was surrounded by six others. Some of them were big, some of them were small but all of them were unusual. She did not choose these others, they were given to her in such an unusual way. We won't go into detail. But she had to call them her family. It's just the way it was. And they stayed with her for a very long time.

These six constantly reminded her about the
turnip truck. Every time she made no sense to them they brought it up.
And this made no sense to her. She knew she thought in complete sentences.
She knew she spoke their same language, but to no avail. They raised their brows at her. All the time. Life.

The little woman wanted to organize her six others, might as well.  She thought she would give them something to do, tasks. A cat herder had better success than she. But she continued to try. She would call meetings. They would always follow the same pattern. She would talk, their brows would raise, she would stop, and they would leave. Not much was accomplished.

The six secretly plotted. They knew she would never figure out their plan. The fall had made an impact. Unfortunate for her and, now, fortunate for them. They waited for the perfect time.

One night the little woman called a meeting. She wanted the others to be aware. That's all. Aware. Again, this made no sense to them. She noted their raised brows. Concern grew steadily within her. Why were they looking at her like that? For she knew she thought in complete sentences. She knew she spoke their same language, but again it was to no avail.

They looked each other in the eye, time to execute the plan. They asked her to repeat herself. She was confused. Repeat myself? She could hardly believe they wanted her to repeat herself. She had to ask, "Why?" They told her it was because they wanted to be aware of what she wanted them to be aware of? Wow. Their curiosity delighted her. She was overwhelmed with their interest. So much so that when she tried to remember what she wanted them to be aware of, she couldn't remember. She became confused.

Their plan worked. She was befuddled. The little woman who had fallen from the turnip truck was easily distracted. They could lead her to confusion with a snap of their fingers. This plan would be played out again and again. The little woman would never know for she had been fooled. She was still trying to remember what she wanted them to be aware of.

The moral of the story - if you have fallen off of a turnip truck and you find yourself surrounded by others who do not understand you, do not fret. They probably never will, but they will always find something with which to occupy your mind. All is well.

Thank You God 291 - 311

Jesse and Primrose

291. Thank you for the herbs in my garden.
292. Thank you for the intense smell of the oregano, the basil, the thyme.
293. Thank you for the soil.
294. Thank you for speaking to me, Lord, so gently, so firmly, so consistently and so lovingly.
295. Thank you for always directing me towards love.
296. Thank you for continually reminding me of my need for confession.
297. Thank you for the large tract of time I was able to be at Barnes and Nobles yesterday.
298. Thank you for the time with my Geoffrey.
299. Thank you for Geoff's wisdom and his direction.
300. Thank you for the walk through French Creek yesterday with Pam.
301. Thank you for the paths through French Creek.

A judge unveiling the course at DuBois, PA 

302. Thank you for Katie, the environmental educator at French Creek. 
303. Thank you for the crisp morning and the sunshine.
304. Thank you for the hike that will take place at Nolde Forest today with friends and children. Many are not able to anticipate such things.
305. Thank you for this Robotic Competition.
306. Thank you for the life skills that are being learned through this competition.
307. Thank you for parents who have given a lot of time with this competition!
317. Thank you for our time with Orlando and Josie last Sunday. Thank you for your leading in their life, what a testimony in the making.
308. Thank you for Gary and Lily. They are an amazing couple.
309. Thank you for the times at the Cupos eating and laughing during this Robotic Competition. 
310. Thank you for the Cupos intense generosity!
311. Thank you for the dogs - Prim and Fergie.



My goal is 1,000 entries.  It is inspired by Ann Voskamp's beautifully written book, "One Thousand gifts."

Add to this "Thank You!" list. Send your entry to lynneburkholder@gmail.com and I will add it to the "Thank You!" list. Or if you are friends with me on facebook, you can let me know there.

Day 283 My Eldest the Elder

October 16, 2015
Day 283

Add caption

Quick Draw Lynne, my guns are always loaded. No, I do not need time to process my thoughts.
Yes, you need time to recover from my thoughts. It is my Eldest, the true Elder of the tribe, who often redirects me. Geesh, I'd be wandering in a wilderness if it were not for her.

Recent phone call with the Elder...

Me: Robyn I am writing a letter.
Robyn: Why?
Me: Because I am. The universe is waiting.
Robyn: Ok.
Me: It is. You know it is. They must know my thoughts.
Robyn: Mom, I would really love to talk about this. But I would like to spend some time with RJ.
Me: Of course.

End of phone call. I am left thinking. Who needs my letter or all the other letters stuck in the bottom of the drawer - words pointed and full of punch. Who needs them?

Me: You know, maybe I will delete the letter.
Myself: Robyn is right.
Me: She usually is.
Myself: Yes, I am deleting the letter.
Me: She didn't say anything.
Myself: I know, but I know what she is thinking....

He shows up.

God: Lynne, tell them to me.
Me: What?
God: Your thoughts.
Me: Oh, yeah, I could do that.
God: I can handle all your angst.
Me: It's kinda a lot.
God: I know. I see your angst stockpiled.
Lynne: So sorry.
God: No problem.
Lynne: Thanks.
God: Hey Lynne.
Lynne: Yeah?
God: I know how to work this stuff out. Trust me on this one.
Lynne: <sigh>

Day 282 All Things

October 16, 2015
Day 282

This morning I was allowed to wake up.
I am not able to do that on my own,
the air must provide oxygen.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I am given new mercies.
The way in which I did or did not handle
something yesterday is behind me.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I am able to dive
into an ancient text
that has stood the test of time.
I am able to meditate on truths
that bring more clarity
and life rather than confusion and irritation.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning gravity is still in operation
and my feet will hit the floor
to travel where I want to go.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I will go to the sink and
from the faucet will get myself a cup of water.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I will have food.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning our family is able to work
on our very own project - Twin Valley Coffee.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning my daughter,
her husband, their son
and unborn daughter will wake up
to a new day just five miles down the road.
I have hopes of seeing them.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I will be able to watch,
as I walk by the roasting area,
my older son roasting coffee.
He is a vibrant part of the family buisness.
I will not take this for granted.

Last night my son came home from
a bonfire with friends.
I will not take this for granted.

My younger son is feeling better.
I will not take this for granted.

Terri Stroud Leamer Photography

My Nicky Sue has completed
an ambitious project. I will not
take this for granted.

My daughter has planned
another Lawn party.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I know that my children
lived through another day. Today they are given
a chance to wake up into this day.

Nicole Photography

I will not take this for granted.

This morning I was able to put on clean clothing.
I have a washer and dryer in my own home.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I am able to write on my laptop.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I am able to see as I type these
words. I am able to hear the
traffic outside my window.
I am able to smell the coffee roasting.
I will not take this for granted.

Hayley Photography

God has given me great and wonderful things.
My wealth is beyond what I can hold.
No one can steal it from me.
It does not get dusty, rusty or moldy.
But instead grows and grows as my
relationships continue to grow under
God's grace.

This morning I am able to hug a man,
my husband who has loved me sweetly.
I will not take this for granted.

This morning I am redeemed.
I have been set free. I am a new creation in Christ.
This I will not take for granted.

I will now have my cup of coffee...oh the simple
joys of life.

Day 281 Ghost Boat

October 15, 2015
Day 281

I found Ghost Boat on Medium.com and I can not wrap my brain around it. I knew you would be highly interested as well. I want 2-3 hours of space to follow every link that is available. 

I discovered it when I first read my daughter's new blog called Links. Not only are her posts informative and plain fun, her blog is hosted on this cool site called Medium. com. This site is clean, crisp, clear and leads one to chewable meat. Let me allow them to explain Ghost Boat.

"Start Here

Each week we’re publishing a new episode of the story as it unfolds. Follow the Medium publication and you’ll get notified when new material goes live— as well as get regular email updates on progress.
• Use the Ghost Boat tag on Medium, or #GhostBoat on other networks
• Follow @FindGhostBoat on Twitter and Facebook.

You can help us try to find out what happened.

Read episode one. Think about ways you can contribute. Here are some things we’re working on so far:
• Building a timeline
• Creating a log of boat incidents in the Mediterranean
• Hunting the human traffickers
• Looking for expertise

You’ll have to be careful, there’s a lot of incorrect information out there. Fortunately, we’re partnering with First Draft to help share best practices in verification, using social media, satellite imagery, shipping records, and more: They have variety of useful guides to get you started. Dig through the data and write your own post on Medium."

Day 280 Christopher's Thoughts (penny for 'em)

October 14, 2015
Day 280

I asked Chris to give me his thoughts tonight for the blog, some would call it cheating, I do not. Chris has been doing research on tobacco and I have been learning so much listening to all his findings. He recently found a cache of videos he has been watching. The one he watched today is called, "Tobacco and Health", March 26, 2015 by Dr. Judith Mackay. She is a senior advisor to the World Lung Foundation in the Bloomburg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. He has been amazed at the lack of "views" for this piece.

The point that hit home for Chris was that nobody is independent of each other no matter how far apart from each other we might be. The whole world is dependent on the rest of the world. The lecture spoke of the effects of tobacco worldwide. It is crucial for everyone to stop smoking for the health of everyone. To stop smoking is not just for the family, or the neighbor, or the town but for the world. The economical and environmental problems are huge and smoking perpetuates this.

He learned from the video that one of the best things we can do for our world is to make sure Chinese women don't smoke. I'm out. This is random. Chris is losing his way. The logical stepping stones are being missed. He continued, the point that was being made, is that tobacco companies are targeting Chinese women. If they would begin to smoke this is an entire population that has yet to be targeted. This would not be good.

The woman giving the lecture had been a doctor but realized she was too late, by the time they reached the office, to help the people affected by tobacco. So instead, today, she primarily deals with the government and legislation. However, it is hard to get the government to push through legislation. Why? They receive much money in taxes. But, if they would be able to look past the immediate quick fix they would discover a net gain in the end with less health care costs.

Smoking affects everyone. Good word.