[star!]

Ok, what are we all doing up in the middle of the night?

Charity...algebra dropped from my life before high school was over except one basic formula that I still find use for. lol

Mike, I have NOT yet mastered keeping my eyes on Jesus and off the waves but in small spurts. Sometimes I SHOUT with joy that I have it and then another wave sweeps over me and a little pain or an unexpected expense or a snide look from someone sends me reeling. I am getting more sturdy on my feet as I weather through another wave. 

When a teen, my grandmother lived with us. She would tell tales of her life and I found her life to be so full of sad times that I marveled that she seemed calm telling it and happy. She had dad late in life so was sixty when I was born. She survived her husband and several of her nine children. She lived in abandoned houses in Kentucky under the cruelist of poverty and no assistance from the government. She had no money for doctors and her four year old son, Joseph, died of a curable illness because she owed the doctor and he refused to treat him. 

Charity, think it may be Psalm thirty seven and I will look it up when I get off here...your adjusting the earthly scope is brilliant. 

We are growing up aren't we Mike? Getting it right....and it is a painful process. I am experiencing growing pains here in Moyock for sure and for certain. 

Love you guys...hold on...and Turn your Eyes Upon Jesus (singing)

ok Charity, I had to find it....and yours was the Isaiah and my Psalm was another withering grass talking about evildoers. Good plan not to be an evildoer. 

I just had a flicker of memory of Ms. Cathy of Romper Room fame in the early sixties singing 

Do be a do bee. Don't be a don't bee. Do be a do bee, a do bee all day long.

She had bees in picture form all about.So don't be an evildoer. I must go back to bed now...and hope I don't wake up singing this all day Saturday. 

Brother Mike, hope I didn't silly up your serious message too lightly because I take it DIRECTLY to my heart. This is sobering and should be pasted on our bathroom mirrors to remember while we brush our teeth. ly

Mike great thoughts on the importance of eternity.I thought you might like the following quote:

There are three huge gates that lead into the Cathedral of Milan. Over one gate there is an inscription in marble under a beautiful flower bouquet that says, "The things that please are temporary." Over the second gate, there is a cross with this inscription: "The things that disturb us are temporary." However, over the central gate, there is a big inscription saying, "Eternal are the important ones."

Good morning!! I see that I wasn't alone in the wee hours of the morning!! :)

Marilyn, this thought of yours captured the essence of my blog: "you have to take your eyes off your self, and your pain... once you do, you can see hope..."

GraceAlone (Dennis)- I don't mean to discount life here entirely. But in comparison to eternity, the temporary things are not so important....at least according to Paul in this verse! Of course health is important to a degree, or else God wouldn't have designed us to feel pain (and pleasure). Jesus wouldn't have spent so much time healing. (But he spent even MORE time teaching, and a main purpose of the phys. healing was to validate his eternal teachings to phys. beings.) Thanks for commenting, now star my blog! (jk)

Penny (JoyfulServ) - like Marilyn said, I'm takin my eyes off my self and pain to see the hope of what you wrote about. Paul also said "hope that is seen is no hope at all." When we go through times where all we can see is pain, it HELPS to know that our hope is in wonders millions of times greater than what we suffer from!

Cubbie, that quote nails the thought too! Thanks for sharing it, what an encouragement!

Thanks Kimbery! And Cindy, good point....the BIG pic!! Deb, thanks so much!

Tangela...you have your own didctionary? Wow, I can think of so many times where it would have been so great to have my own too!

racunpoode(Sarah), I might have been wrong about the cat? lol

Megan, thanks dear. Yes I was up late...unfortunately not meditating on the deep things of God, but rather balancing the checkbook. :(

Pandora (Charity) - thankfully, math class is not eternal either. Oh, I should have mentioned homeschooling too! Though I am an outspoken believer in it, it's TOUGH! and FRUSTRATING!! But the kids turn out so much better, I think. 

Wow, I just reread your post (Charity)....how old are you? Those are really mature observations! I may have to point my daughter to your blogs!

[star!]

Thanks for the reminder mike...

(and I can't say I blame shelock for hating sherry..... its horrible stuff! lol! Now... give me a nice glas of white wine then we'll talk!)

amen. I think there are believers who can go to a bar and be a witness but many can't. I have NO desire to drink so probably could but never felt called to myself. I am going to a pagan wedding on june 13 as she is in my flower swap group and i am the only Christian she likes ...her words...and I was invited. been praying for heather for about three or four years.

her five kids climb on me like monkey bars and i know loving her in her wiccan anyways will bring her to the Lord with huge prayer and faith and i want those kids in the kingdom too...pray for Sharon, Thomas, Kimberly, Elora and Katy too!

[star!]

Good post! God knows what we need to hear when we need to hear it... very true. :)

P.S.... Yeah, don't ever try sherry, it's HORRIBLE stuff!! Definitely not sweet... more like a forest fire in your throat!! I don't see how people can stand it.

[star!]

I'm reaching for  the Big One...

Hi Panda! Thanks, and amen to "just passing through!" :)

Gil, another extremely thoughtful/insightful comment. lol, no it doesn't make sense to stumble over things we "see", lol. (good point)

Thanks Mary, Joey, Sharon....appreciate that you read this. =)

Thanks Sheree! You and I both are still on the path of learning, and I am certainly not too proud to admit with you and many others that I need reminders too, daily in fact, if not hourly! May the Lord bless you on this Memorial Day!

Juanita wanted me to post this on your blog.... 

Hope this blesses someone!  

xoxoxo

[star!]

Hi Mike, another poignant post, brother! This is a great example of the duality of Christianity, that is, living in both earth and spirit so the two coexist together. What a great way to say it.

5 Stars!

I've fallen behind in responding....

Jonathan, thanks so much, brother! Thanks for pointing out that duality of existence. It's difficult to see spiritually, so often we simply "forget" that the seen is just a tiny part of our eternal existence!

Thanks Deb! Yes, I too will trade sorrows, aches, and pains for the joy of the Lord!

Thank you Maureen, and David &Pam! And Mrs W (and Juanita), thanks for the image post, it blessed me! (so it worked!)