Friday, March 30, 2018

World View

Do yourself a favor and don't get yours from watching the news.  I don't and will not do Face book. I will,  however lose my mind if I don't communicate. I have a nephew in Kansas City who calls this a "blob".

Each morning,  the first thing I do is come to my computer and check reports from workers in other countries. After fortifying myself with a cup of caffeine  I may or may not check on what's going on in our own country. I flip on my phone and listen to a book in the Old Testament and one in the New. Prayer happens.  Phone calls, Emails and texts spice up my day.  I have pretty much cut out of my life people who don't "spice it up" but lean too hard on me to fix their bummed-out relationships.

I check out the progress or regress of elderly friends who have broken a leg, ankle, pelvis, arm or something else. Some of my friends are leaving for Heaven. Some have had to give up taking care of themselves and have moved into a "facility".  Dementia or Alzheimer's have slipped up on some. They're not quite sure where they are. That's the only way I will survive if I am trapped inside a building.

"Driving Miss Jo".  Today C. will drive me into town to restock my freezer and pantry. She is adorable, has accumulated a mess in her life, but then, most of the next generation have done the same.  C. and I laugh. We pray.  I sing to her while she drives.

The Thursday girls come through my door to study Genesis. I am getting re-hooked on the Old Testament. I watch Rabbi Daniel Lapin's  "Ancient Jewish Wisdom". His wife is on the show with him.  Her voice is shrill. She interrupts him.  I tune her out.  Ted and I were on radio together for years. It's good that I don't know how many tuned me out.

After secluding myself for over three weeks to get as well as possible from a wretched virus, my next door neighbors brought their Boston relative and her friend. I love being on their list of tourist attractions. R.and C. walk their guests through my house and explain my life story.  I get a kick out of their version; it's much more interesting than mine. We ended their visit at my piano. ...singing.

Ted and I worked with "Young Life" off and on for many years. That ministry is the best at reaching kids that have never been in a church. We would sometimes open clubs in living rooms,  doing this rap that gets louder with each verse. Come on.  Try it.  By the fourtverse you'll be yelling your head off.

'Way down yonder not so very far off,  a blue jay died with the whooping cough.
He whooped so hard with the whooping cough that he whooped his head and his tail right off. 

These past few weeks I would have sworn that's what happened to me. It's been over three weeks of being alone with two cats who are bored out of their ever lovin' cat-minds. Only today is the weather sunny and warm enough to venture down my driveway where Bootsie and I will sit side by side on my old bench.

Soon I will set up my deck bed and move out to sleep under the stars. I live in "The Land of Four Seasons".  Recently,  all four showed up in one day. Snow and rain will soon stop and we won't see a drop of moisture until after Thanksgiving.

Now, tell me about your life. I would love to hear.

EVERY DAY FOR US IS EASTER!!!

Love, Jo

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

World View

Do yourself a favor and don't get yours from watching the news.  I don't and will not do Face book. I will,  however lose my mind if I don't communicate. I have a nephew in Kansas City who calls this a "blob".

Each morning,  the first thing I do is come to my computer and check reports from workers in other countries. After fortifying myself with a cuppa caffeine  I may or may not check on what's going on in our own country. I flip on my phone and listen to a book in the Old Testament and one in the New. Prayer happens.  Phone calls, Emails and texts spice up my day.  I have pretty much cut out of my life people who don't "spice it up" but lean too hard on me to fix their bummed-out relationships.

I check out the progress or regress of elderly friends who have broken a leg, ankle, pelvis, arm or something else.  Some have had to give up taking care of themselves and have moved into a "facility".  Dementia or Alzheimer's have slipped up on some. They're not quite sure where they are. That's the only way I will survive if I am trapped inside a building.  One by one, my friends are leaving for Heaven.

"Driving Miss Jo".  Today C. will drive me into town to restock my freezer and pantry. She is adorable, has accumulated a mess in her life, but then, most of the next generation have done the same.  C. and I laugh. We pray.  I sing to her while she drives.

The Thursday girls come through my door to study Genesis. I am getting re-hooked on the Old Testament. I watch Rabbi Daniel Lapin's  "Ancient Jewish Wisdom". His wife is on the show with him.  Her voice is shrill. She interrupts him.  I tune her out.  Ted and I were on radio together for years. I wonder how many tuned me out.

After secluding myself for over three weeks to get as well as possible from a wretched virus, my next door neighbors brought their Boston relative and her friend. I love being on their list of tourist attractions. R.and C. walk their guests through my house and explain my life story.  I get a kick out of their version; it's much more interesting than mine. We ended their visit at my piano. ...singing.

Ted and I worked with "Young Life" off and on for many years. That ministry is the best at reaching kids that have never been in a church. We would sometimes open clubs in living rooms,  doing this rap that gets louder with each verse. Come on.  Try it.  By the fourth verse you'll be yelling your head off.

'Way down yonder not so very far off,  a blue jay died with the whooping cough.
He whooped so hard with the whooping cough that he whooped his head and his tail right off. 

These past few weeks I would have sworn that's what happened to me. It's been over three weeks of being alone with two cats who are bored out of their ever lovin' cat-minds. Only today is the weather sunny and warm enough to venture down my driveway where Bootsie and I will sit side by side on my old bench.

Soon I will set up my deck bed and move out to sleep under the stars. I live in "The Land of Four Seasons".  Recently,  all four showed up in one day. Snow and rain will soon stop and we won't see a drop of moisture until after Thanksgiving.

Now, tell me about your life. I would love to hear.

EVERY DAY FOR US IS EASTER!!!

Love, Jo


Friday, March 23, 2018

Where can I go

...from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?  If I go up to the Heavens you are there; if I make my bed in the depths you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 

Today I have hit the "reset" button. I thought for a few days that awful virus was going to usher me to The Gate, but after a week or so I stopped coughing enough to get into the Word of God. I have learned so much.  I have met so many people. Maybe I have met them before but their stories faded into the fabric of life.  Now, when it is time for me to be absent from the body and present with the Lord I won't have to avoid some people because I never read their stories. 

Since I didn't get to go Home, where do I go from here?  Our hope, after all, is in the Lord Jesus Christ Who created the Heavens and the Earth. There are people all around me who don't know that.

Love,  Jo

Friday, March 16, 2018

Until then...

Ted and I were pretty much horrified as crocodiles clamped their jaws around flailing wildebeests, then thrashed them back and forth until the huge animals went limp.

We had been in Kitali, Kenya, East Africa where Ted had taught the Minor Prophets to pastors from Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya at Phil Walker's International Christian Ministry seminary. Now we were on safari in southern Kenya at the Maasai Mara. The largest annual migration of animals on Earth was gathering. We waited, alongside Land Rovers with TV cameras whirring. Our drivers reassured us: "They are deciding."  After a couple of hours the milling-around million or so wildebeests and some zebras moved in single file to the bank of the river. One by one they jumped in.  Across the Mara a half dozen crocodiles hit the water at lightning speed; the river turned to blood. All but a dozen of the wildebeests made it across the Mara where they picked up the trail to the Serengeti.

You probably know that there are hundreds of thousands of good viruses. The one that put me into solitary confinement for the last two weeks is not one of them. I have felt as if a croc has me by the throat and is whipping me back and forth until I go limp. Many of you have prayed for me. The coughing has subsided. I am "limp" but beginning to have some appetite and move around. Thank You, Lord, and thank you, my friends, for praying and Emailing. 

George Beverly Shea often sang "Until Then" in Billy Graham's early ministries. Stuart Hamblen had come to Christ during the Los Angeles Crusade.  He wrote this song that was sung at Billy's Memorial.

                UNTIL THEN

My heart can sing when I pause to remember;
A heartache here  is but a stepping stone.
Along the trail that's winding always upward.
This troubled world is not my final home.

BUT UNTIL THEN MY HEART WILL GO ON SINGING.

UNTIL THEN WITH JOY I'LL CARRY ON. 
UNTIL THE DAY WHEN I BEHOLD THE CITY; 
UNTIL THE DAY GOD CALLS ME HOME.

Love,  Jo

Friday, March 9, 2018

I'd rather not

die of this virus, which travels right up there at the speed of sound. Two weeks ago I dared to come out of my cave for three public events. That would have been o.k. if I'd remembered not to breathe.

I can't talk without bringing on spasms of  coughs that threaten to expunge my inner parts. I have been housebound for over a week. A case of stir-craziness is bearing down. Plus, we are experiencing what passes for winter here in California. Two days without sunshine and we get, well, sort of  "testy".

My medical doctor has shot me with drugs. There is comfort in knowing that only occasionally, an 89-year-old women is put in the slammer for overdosing.

If you are going to bring me chicken soup, wear a mask, drop off your offering, cut  and run.

There are bonuses. I listen to the best of teachers, watch the best of documentaries, enjoy old TV mysteries and listen to scripture on my cell phone by the hour.

I doubt if I'm leavin'.  If there's a blog next week, I didn't.

Love,  Jo

Friday, March 2, 2018

Renewing our minds

I am going to rerun the Little Girl youtube in this week's blog.

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3QivliBtpnY

Note that the little girl stays right on rhythm.  Somebody attempts to distract her, she turns around to see what and who, quickly faces forward again and resumes the beat.

Is it easy to "resume the beat?"  Of course not. But we must. See everything. Put aside most. Do our assignment.  I work now with a handful of people who are intent upon personally teaching others the Word of God. Hebrews 12:1 & 2 daily  reassure me that I am doing His will.

Oh, dear friends and family, if you have not watched the memorial for Billy Graham, please, please do. Millions are watching.  May millions come to know Him!

Love,  Jo

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