Repost: I Deserve It!

I was searching my blog for something yesterday and found this post.  It was originally posted on August 7, 2014, but I felt it needed to be posted again. 

Les and I had a wonderful conversation last night with Jose and Maylee Munoz.  They are teaching their first home Bible study and had some questions.  We taught them a home Bible study a few years ago and it is great to see them stepping out.  One of the questions their students had was about how "unfair" it is that we as humanity have to suffer for Adam and Eve's sin.  Of course we really aren't suffering for their sin - we suffer for our own sins.  Adam and Eve were the first sinners, but there has only been One born Who had no sin.

On the way home Les and I were talking about how our world has made us think we "deserve" better things.  It is the job of every advertiser to make you feel unhappy.  If you're unhappy with your car, home, clothes, face, or body, you'll buy their stuff!

I've seen several blogs that posted "Pictures that Make Me Feel Beautiful."  Why beautiful?  Why not pictures that bring me joy or remind me of one of the greatest days of my life?  Because we're convinced if we look beautiful then we deserve compliments.  If we don't live up to today's standard of beauty we aren't deserving of good things.

None of us get what we deserve.  We might work hard and be able to enjoy nice things.  But we don't deserve them.

Several years ago I read "Demon: A Memoir" by Tosca Lee.  The one thing that really stuck with me is just how merciful God is to humanity.  One third of the demons rebelled one time and that was it.  There was no repentance, no forgiveness, no grace for them.  We don't get what we deserve.  Our rebellious ways, our unforgiving spirits, our hateful tongues deserve eternal damnation and separation from our Creator. But God shows us mercy over and over and over.

The word deserve is found one time in the Bible, Ezra 9:13.  The entire chapter shows us what Israel has done, what they deserve, and what God gave them:

6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.  7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. 10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, 11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. 12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. 13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? 15 O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

I'm thankful that God has punished me less than my iniquities deserve.  I pray I never get what I deserve.

1968: Spiritual Outpouring

I couldn't find any details about my life in 1967.  I'm sure it included siblings and puppies!  I'm going to fast forward to 1968 for this week's post.

USAToday had a feature on 1968 - The Year That Transformed the Nation.  "History will have the final word, but if you consider the 1960s as a chaotic, tumultuous period of change, the year 1968 rises from that decade as the one of the most transformative and challenging. There are countless moments, some earth-shattering and groundbreaking, others subtle and nuanced, that define that year."

There was a lot of turmoil in our world - Both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated.  North Koreans seized USS Pueblo, a Navy intelligence ship, in the Sea of Japan. Its crew was held captive under harsh conditions for 11 months.  The North Vietnamese launched the Tet Offensive, a massive military push into South Vietnam.  African-American sanitation workers went on strike in Memphis for better working conditions after two workers were killed while sitting in the compactor area of a garbage truck.  The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was marred by massive protests by demonstrators and violence by police and National Guardsmen.

There were also a lot of major steps forward - Apollo 8 astronauts became the first humans to orbit the moon. The crew shot photos of Earth from lunar orbit and, on television, read passages from the Book of Genesis.  Boeing unveiled the 747, the distinctive wide-body passenger and cargo jet. It started flying commercially in 1970.  Semiconductor manufacturer Intel was founded in Santa Clara, Calif. The company built the first microprocessor chip in 1971 and became a computer industry leader.

Under the good and evil category - McDonald's introduced its signature hamburger, the Big Mac, nationally after its first appearance in Pittsburgh.

But for a four year old girl in Fresno, California, the impact of 1968 can be found in Mom's Bible:

Kim - baptized in Jesus name by Bro. Murray Layne on Dec. 1, 1968;
received the Holy Ghost Dec. 2, 1968, Bro. Treadway preaching.

It has been almost fifty years, but I will never forget the night that my older sister received the Holy Ghost. She was 9 1/2 and I was 4 1/2. We were in the old sanctuary (currently the school cafeteria). A group of faithful ladies, including Mom, were gathered around her. God's Spirit was falling. She began speaking in a heavenly language.

Why do I remember this so clearly? I was standing in the middle of that circle and could not stop crying! I remember ladies comforting me, telling me it was okay. It wasn't until many years later that I understood my tears. I was truly feeling God for the first time. He was pouring out His Spirit and it was falling on ME - I just didn't understand what I felt.

So if you see tears well up in my eyes as I watch a child pray, now you know why. Joel 2:28 says, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh..." I'm glad that promise includes four year olds!

I'm thankful for the outpouring of God's Spirit in 1968 and I'm thankful that He's still pouring it out today!

Hawaii Five-O

We are packing up to head home to California today.   We have been staying at the Ilikai Marina, room 382.  Our room overlooks the Ala Wai Boat Harbor with lots of amazing sunsets.  Take last night's, for instance:

 

Our final evening on the island was different than any we've experienced here.   On the street directly below us a set was being put up for filming.  We weren't sure at first, but eventually learned that it was for the TV show Hawaii Five-O.  I've never seen it, but according to Wikipedia it is about "an elite task force whose mission is to eliminate crime on the beaches of the Aloha State."  The original series was on from 1968-1980 and this one was been going since 2010.

Last night's scene (a confrontation between good and evil) took place outside of a disco.  They had transformed the Chart House restaurant into a disco.  The cars and clothes of the actors and extras were definitely a throw back!

We were able to watch from our balcony and the director (or whoever the guy that calls "action" is) had a bull horn and would occasionally explain what was going to happen next. I can't say that I have any interest in the show itself, but the process of filming was interesting to watch.

Filming didn't actually start until after dark so I thought it was funny that people gathered to watch the crew setting up and had their backs to an amazing sunset!  This:

versus this:

Not really a contest in my book!

Trusting God's Plan

I've been enjoying rereading the story of Joseph in Genesis for the past few days.  He was a remarkable man.  The only fault (if you can call it that) we read about is when he told his brothers about his dreams.  When he forgave his brothers, he truly forgave.  I think he also forgave Potiphar's wife.  He certainly could have gotten revenge, but he chose not to.

There is a long dry spell that Joseph lives through before his dreams come to pass, but we never see him complaining or losing his trust in God.  Two quotes from Saturday's devotional stuck with me:

"God was preparing Joseph for something great. It probably did not feel like that at the time. By feeding fellow prisoners in a jail, God prepared Joseph to feed the nations from a palace."

"Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials. We see this exemplified in the life of Joseph."

Multiple times, Joseph tells his brothers that it was God working through the hard times:

Genesis 45:5,7-8 "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 
And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."
Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

Five years ago this week Les started working for his current employer.  We moved, temporarily, to Oahu.  We were going to live here part time for six months before resuming our regularly scheduled life in California.  If you've been reading this blog for the past five years you know our "temporary" time on Oahu continues.  I wrote about the Will of God a few days after we arrived on Oahu five years ago.  I concluded that post with this:

We know that God doesn't change, but His plans for us are more than we can know all at once.  We can trust that He knows where we need to be, who we need to meet, how long we need to stay, and when it's time for a change.  Follow His path, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6.  While you're praying and seeking counsel, while you're waiting in the hallway, and while you're sitting still, remember this:

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

1966: Sister Celebration

My sister, Kim, is the oldest of the Fultz Four.  She was born on April 23, 1959 (hopefully she's not reading my blog and isn't ready to strangle me for revealing this fact!)  I was born five years, four days and two brothers later!

When I turned 2, Mom wrote in my baby book, "I guess we'll always celebrate with Kim.  This year we went to Storyland.  On the date we had cake and ice cream.  Grandma Luella, Marie and Esther came to help us have fun."

Storyland is a fun little place found at Roeding Park in Fresno.  It opened in 1962 and admission today is still only $5 for adults and $3.50 for children.  "At Storyland, fairy tales come to life. Follow the path through the Park and find Humpty Dumpty, “three little pigs,” Mother Goose, Alice in Wonderland, witches, pirates, a castle and much more. Use your magic key to unlock our talking boxes and listen to stories of adventure and danger, fantastic worlds and heroic journeys."

Jack and Jill falling down the hill while Krysten and Lauren fetch a pail of water

I don't remember celebrating my 2nd birthday at Storyland, but I certainly remember going there many times as a child and later taking my nieces, Krysten and Lauren.  There's something special about seeing a book come to life!

We've definitely had our share of sister spats and ups and downs but I'm so thankful to have a sister to celebrate life with!

Repost: Dinah ~ Woman of the Week

My Bible reading this morning included Genesis chapter 34.  Dinah's story is so sad to me.  She made the decision to go "out to see the daughters of the land" and it was the greatest mistake of her life.  It brought rape, then murder.  I believe it is in our Bibles as a warning - going out to see what the world has to offer is a dangerous gamble we can't afford to take.

This is one of the hard to read stories in the Bible.  The Genesis Record, along with other commentaries, gave much insight.

Verses:  Genesis 30:21, Genesis 34:1-31, Genesis 46:15

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings
Dinah was the daughter of Jacob and Leah, she had eleven older brothers and one younger brother, Benjamin.  She and Joseph were probably born around the same time.

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?
There is very little known about Dinah.  One incident in her life is all we read about.  Most commentaries agree that she was between 12 and 15 years old at this time.  Genesis 34:1 seems to start out innocently enough, "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land."  As the only girl in the family, it seemed she was looking for female companionship.  Unfortunately there were no godly young women for her to spend time with so she turned her eyes to the daughters of the land.

Her pretense was to see the daughters of the land, to see how they dressed, and how they danced, and what was fashionable among them. She went to see, yet that was not all, she went to be seen too; she went to see the daughters of the land, but, it may be, with some thoughts of the sons of the land too.  (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible)  It's a dangerous thing when we start looking to the world (fashion magazines, models, celebrities) to help us decide how to act and dress.

The Genesis Record explains how it was in that time:
Unattached young women were considered fair game in cities of the time, in which promiscuity was not only common but, in fact, a part of the very religious system itself. It seems likely that Dinah must have been warned about such dangers by her parents, but perhaps she felt she could look out for herself and resented their overprotective attitude. 

Verse 2 says, "And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her."  A trip to the city to make friends had turned her life upside down.
 
To what extent she may actually have encouraged Shechem, who must have seemed a rather glamorous figure to a young girl like Dinah, is not stated. In any case, it was only a matter of time until she had been seduced by Shechem while she was visiting some of her girl friends in the city. Shechem may or may not have actually forced her, but in view of her age it was at least a case of what today would be called “statutory” rape. (The Genesis Record)

Things went from bad to worse in the event.  Shechem "spake kindly" to her and wanted to marry her.  Dinah seems to have no say in the matter and she is kept in Shechem's house until after her brother's take their revenge.  The Genesis Record says:

Word quickly reached Jacob concerning what had happened to Dinah, probably by way of some of her girl friends in the town. Jacob no doubt was grief-stricken and angry, but decided not to do anything without first consulting Dinah’s brothers, who were still out in the field with the cattle.

While Jacob was waiting for his sons to come home, Hamor appeared at his house, with the proposal that Dinah be given as Shechem’s wife. No word of apology or sympathy was offered, nor any suggestion that his son be punished in any way. He merely suggested a proposition of marriage. As this interchange between Jacob and Hamor was taking place, the sons of Jacob came bursting into the room. They also had heard the story by now, and were grieved and bitterly angry. Dinah had been the only and beloved sister in a large family of boys, and they had all been taught the sacredness of the marriage relation. Even though they had been raised in a polygamous household, at least Jacob had not sought women other than his wives, and his wives had been faithful to him. They all knew of God’s purpose to raise up a holy nation through their family, and that the maintenance of national integrity and purity was essential to assure God’s continued blessing on them. Not only did they resent the affair for Dinah’s sake, but because Shechem had “wrought folly in Israel,” disrupting that national purity which they had regarded as so vital. Their use of the generic name of Israel in this connection indicates that they must have had a substantial comprehension and recognition of the deeper values and implications of this event.

Starting in verse 13, the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father deceitfully.  This is a great example of two wrongs not making a right.  No matter what was done to Dinah, the lying, the murder of every man in the city, the spoiling of all the goods was never justified.  "Simeon and Levi were most unrighteous. Those who act wickedly, under the pretext of religion, are the worst enemies of the truth, and harden the hearts of many to destruction. The crimes of others form no excuse for us. Alas! how one sin leads on to another, and, like flames of fire, spread desolation in every direction! Foolish pleasures lead to seduction; seduction produces wrath; wrath thirsts for revenge; the thirst of revenge has recourse to treachery; treachery issues in murder; and murder is followed by other lawless actions." (Matthew Henry)

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?
As far as we know, there was no reset for Dinah.  I'm left with more questions than answers as she is never mentioned again, other than her name as a daughter of Leah in chapter 46.  What happened to this young teenager?  Did she ever marry?  Was she shamed and scarred for life?  How did she feel about her brothers after they slew all the men of the city? It is a tragedy with more tragedy heaped upon it.

Dinah is certainly a story of warning that we should heed.  "For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14

False Evidence Appearing Real

After yesterday's post about fear, it's crazy that today we had a scare:

We are currently on Oahu.  This alert popped up on phones all over the islands.  Not exactly how I planned to spend my Saturday morning.

I'll admit, I was a little freaked out.  For about 10 minutes it appeared that the alert was legitimate.  I kept searching the internet and finally found out it was a false alarm.  About 40 minutes later it was officially confirmed.  This turned out to be false evidence, but it sure seemed real for a while!

Fear Not

My Bible reading today came from Proverbs chapter 1, Matthew chapter 10, and Genesis chapter 25.  These passages all talk about fear.  The devotional was about unhealthy fear.  The Greek word commonly used in the New Testament is phobos - from which we get the word phobia.  This is unhealthy fear.  They called it False Evidence Appearing Real.  Unhealthy fears can paralyze us in life. 

I wrote in December 2012 about the curse that came upon mankind as a result of sin.  In Genesis 3:16 the first use of the word "sorrow" is not the same as the second usage.  The second word "sorrow" in the Hebrew is as we would expect - "pain," but the first "sorrow" is actually "worrisomeness."  The curse was twofold - both physical and mental.  I believe as long as we are in this life, we will have to fight this battle of the mind.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus says repeatedly "take no thought."  Matthew Henry's commentary says this, "It is the repeated command of the Lord Jesus to his disciples, that they should not divide and pull in pieces their own minds with care about the world. The thought here forbidden is, 1. A disquieting, tormenting thought, which hurries the mind hither and thither, and hangs it in suspense; which disturbs our joy in God, and is a damp upon our hope in him; which breaks the sleep, and hinders our enjoyment of ourselves, of our friends, and of what God has given us. 2. A distrustful, unbelieving thought. God has promised to provide for those that are his all things needful for life."

Isaiah chapter 43:1-7 says:

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

We will all battle fear, but that is the key - battle!  Don't let fear win.  We have a Redeemer Who is with us.  We are precious in His sight and are greatly loved by Him.  Fear Not!

1965: Talking, Walking and My First Hero

My baby book was filled with tidbits from 1965:

Kathy is showing her personality - 11 months.  When she is having a fit she doesn't lay down and scream like most children, she sits down, kicks and screams "mad, mad, mad."  I heard about this my entire childhood and sometimes wondered if it was just a family myth.  When I found my baby book, this particular trait was recorded not once but twice in my baby book!  Does this little angel look capable of such an act?

Kathy took her first step on her ten month birthday.  She had been standing alone for about two weeks.  Now, at eleven months she walks fairly well.  We've stopped counting steps.  Rodney coaxes her, she is practically his shadow.  These two are really close, in every way.

Her walking worries us now - 14 months - she is quite bow legged. 

18 months - pigeon-toed quite badly.  Each foot is in a plaster cast.  The casts were only on for 2 1/2 weeks.  Didn't help at all.  Now she has a Denis-Brown splint which turn her feet out 60 degrees.  This is worn at night.

I don't remember the casts or splints for my legs, but we have an old home movie (reel to reel) of me in the splints.  The scene is pretty funny - Kim was "helping" me walk, then decided to let go.  I fell backwards and was left on the floor like a turtle on its back, unable to get up.  Siblings - can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!

It's kind of amazing that in the middle of the page about my walking, Mom recorded my relationship with Rod.  She could not have known at that time just how close the two of us would grow up to be.  I've written dozens of posts about Rod, but my first post dedicated to him is still a favorite.  He wasn't perfect but he was my first hero, the one I wanted to follow everywhere.  I've got one more place to follow him - heaven!  He won that race in 1994 and I'm still chasing him.  I like to think that somewhere he is among the great cloud of witnesses cheering me on as I continue to run the race (Hebrews 12:1.)

I'm thankful that in 1965 I recognized a hero when I saw him.

1964: Secure in Love

A few highlights of the year in which I was born:

President: Lyndon B. Johnson who was quickly sworn in as President on Air Force One in Dallas on November 22, 1963, just 2 hours and 8 minutes after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, amid suspicions of a conspiracy against the government.  He was elected president in his own right on November 3, 1964.

Average Cost of new house $13,050.00
Average Income per year $6,000.00
Gas per Gallon 30 cents
Average Cost of a new car $3,500.00
Loaf of bread 21 cents

The United States was engaged in the Vietnam War.  The Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo, was captured.  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by President Johnson. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr received the Nobel Peace Prize. The first Beatles US Album Release "Introducing the Beatles," was released on January 10th.  The first Ford Mustang from Ford Motor Company was made.  The most powerful earthquake in U.S. history at a magnitude of 9.2, struck South Central Alaska.  U.S. Surgeon General reported that smoking may lead to lung cancer (can you believe people still smoke 54 years later?)

As you can see, I arrived in a world full of turmoil.  I don't have my own memories of 1964, only what is recorded in my baby book.  There are quite a few sweet notes that Mom jotted down about me:

The smiles started showing before the end of the first month and laughing aloud was commonplace in another month.  Rodney is her idol, if she has one. 
Kathy's laugh is identical to Rodney's.  Real deep, like she really is tickled.
Kathy turned over from back to tummy today - May 11 - she is just 2 weeks old.  We want to keep her an infant but that is an impossibility.
She has started to notice people now - 5 months.  Anyone she's not sure of gets a mighty cold welcome - a stare.  If left alone she'll make friends in a few minutes.  As long as she's on Mama's lap, she loves everyone.
Kathy has the curls in the family.  Her hair looks like spun gold.

Dada is Kathy's first word.  This was said on October 15, age 5 1/2 months.  The others all said Mama first!  Wonder if she'll be a Daddy's girl - she's not now. (I was definitely a Daddy's girl.)
This has been a busy month.  6 months, 2 days, she pulled to a standing position in the crib.
Kathy has a walker - whoever invented this device should be shot.  It's not enough to crawl everywhere, now she can clear the end tables! (This is one of my favorites!)

The sweetest thing Mom wrote in my baby book was, "Kathy is the fulfillment of our fondest dreams, a family of two girls and two boys." Mom was 24 years old, the mother of four.  Rod was diagnosed with hemophilia after Mom was pregnant with me.  Life was uncertain and often difficult, but she was thrilled to have her baby girl.

My heart breaks when I hear of children raised in homes where they don't feel wanted.  No child is an accident.  When God forms the child in the womb, He is not making a mistake.  I don't take the love my parents had for me for granted, just like I never want to take God's love for me for granted.  "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."  Jeremiah 31:3.

I'm thankful that in 1964 I was born into home where I was wanted and loved.

2018: Thankful

Happy New Year!  I've written before that I'm not a big New Years resolutions person.  However, I do love the idea of a fresh start.  As 2017 was winding down I started thinking about a focus for 2018.  One of the most enriching years of my life was in 2015 when I studied women of the Bible.  I didn't rush into it, but week by week, I studied women in the Word  - both good and bad.  I learned so much.  If you weren't following along back then you can read each entry on this page:  Women of the Word.  My word for the year was Reset and I loved learning about women in the Bible who reset and made a difference.

I tried to come up with another study I could do this year and kept drawing a blank.... until I went for a run this morning.  Many of my great ideas happen during a run.  I think of it as my meditation time.  This morning I asked the Lord to give me guidance.  About a mile from home my mind started spinning and I had my plan. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."  On the heels of those verses came a quote from my baby book regarding my first Christmas.  Rod was hospitalized, Mom wrote, "Kathy spent the day with Irene Wilkinson. We had planned a beautiful Christmas - spending the day at home with the children. Of course our plans were shattered by Rodney's sudden attack. Kim and Rickey spent Christmas with Grandpa Hogan and Grandma Luella. We spent the day running back and forth between the hospital and home. We've got a lot to be thankful for anyway."

I am going to spend this year remembering compassions that have never failed.  I want to be thankful for mercies that are new every morning.  I won't be studying anyone from the Bible - I'll be studying my own life.  I want to take time each week to think of one year of my life and find what was significant and what I'm most thankful for.  I plan to include a verse or passage that fits with the year as well.

I'm sure there are years that I'll have a ton to write about and others not as much, but I do know I have a lot to be thankful for.  There may be years that I write about an event in the life of someone close to me (perhaps that little boy in North Dakota who was healed of Muscular Dystrophy.)  There are ministers, Sunday school teachers, family members, and friends who have impacted my life.  I have a lot to be thankful for.

In case you're concerned, no, I am not ill in anyway.  I'm not working on a bucket list.  I just feel like I need to take some time each week to reflect on God's mercies and faithfulness.  It's easy to lump everything together in November and call ourselves thankful, but I have a lot to be thankful for.

I'll also be reading the Bible through this year.  I'm following YouVersion's Bible in One Year 2018 plan.  I've downloaded it to my new tablet and today's reading has been completed.  Each day the reading includes a Psalm or Proverb, chapters from the Old and New Testaments and a short devotional.

So here's to 2018 and being Thankful.

Do you have a word for 2018?  Any great resolutions, plans, or goals?   If you're feeling a little down about how 2017 turned out, I suggest you read The Ballestero Blog from yesterday and begin again!

Friday Foodie ~ 2017 Christmas Baking

I did my annual Christmas baking this week and I have more pictures than usual.  Les has been on an extended business trip (last week he was on the East Coast, then flew to Hawaii from New York on Saturday) so I kept texting pictures to him!  He gets home tonight so he can finally sample some of this goodness.

This year I made an even 10 items, 5 kinds of cookies and 5 kinds of candy.  Gingerbread, chocolate chip, butterscotch oatmeal, peanut butter kissed, and peppermint crunch cookies.  Fudge, Scotcheroos, sugared walnuts, bon bons, and butterscotch haystacks.  None of these are new recipes, but here they are:

Gingerbread cookies - I started with Krusteaz Gingerbread mix.  Add one egg and 1/2 cup flour to recipe on the box for gingerbread cookies.  This dough tends to be very sticky, so I keep more flour close as I roll them out.  These only took 6 minutes to bake.

Chocolate chip cookies - straight from a mix!  I didn't change a thing on these.

Butterscotch oatmeal cookies - another mix, with 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips added in.

Peanut butter kissed cookies - one more mix.  Let cookies cool one minute after removing from oven then top with Hershey kisses.

Peppermint crunch cookies - I made these quite a few years ago.  This time I used Andes Peppermint chips and that took the flavor to a whole new level of goodness!

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 1/2 cups white vanilla baking chips or semisweet chocolate chips (or Andes Peppermint chips)
8 round hard peppermint candies, crushed (1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour until well blended. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown (my oven runs how so these took 8 to 10 minutes. ) Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 5 minutes.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla chips and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil uncovered on Medium (50%) 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving, until melted. Stir until smooth.
Dip half of each cookie into melted chips mixture, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon crushed candy. Let stand until set.

Fantasy Fudge (this recipe is on the marshmallow creme jar)

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)
1 pkg. (12 oz. each)  Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
1 cup chopped Walnuts (optional - I do not put nuts in my fudge, I prefer smooth and creamy!)
1 tsp. vanilla

Line 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-qt. saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 10 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly (*it is very important that the mixture reach the proper temperature.  A candy thermometer is a must!)

Remove from heat.  Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until melted. Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.

Pour into prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into 1-inch squares.

Chocolate Scotcheroos - This recipe has been in our family for years! I thought Mom created it, but it can be found on the Rice Krispies website, although Mom's version uses more chocolate and butterscotch (no surprise). Rick use to request this for his birthday instead of a cake!

1 c. sugar
1 c. Karo syrup
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. Rice Krispies
1-12 oz bag chocolate chips
1-12 oz bag butterscotch chips

Cook sugar and syrup until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, mix well. Add Rice Krispies, mix well. Spread in 9 x 13 cake pan.
Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, spread on top. Refrigerate until set.

Sugared Walnuts
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
3 Tbs. orange juice
2 1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 tsp. orange zest (grated orange peel)

Combine sugar, water and orange juice in large sauce pan. Cook slowly until candy thermometer reaches 240 ("soft ball"). This takes about 10-15 minutes, be patient! I have tried this without a candy thermometer and it never turns out right - I get too impatient and don't let it cook long enough!
Remove from heat, add walnuts and orange zest. Stir until coating is creamy and loses its gloss.
Spread on wax paper to cool.

Peppermint Bon Bons - this is an old family recipe that I never share.  Sorry.

Butterscotch Haystacks - I have made these in the past but found a recipe that included peanut butter and miniature marshmallows.  I left out the peanut butter but did add the marshmallows.

• 2/3 cups (12-oz. pkg.)  Butterscotch chips
• 1 can (8.5 oz.) or 2 cans (5 oz. each) chow mein noodles
• 3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Place morsels in top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Do not cover. When most of the morsels are shiny, stir just until melted. (Prevent water from coming in contact with morsels.)  Remove from heat.
Place chow mein noodles in large bowl.  Pour melted chips and mix well.  Add in marshmallows and stir until coated.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto wax paper.

That's all my goodies for this year. There are some other favorites that I have made in years past.  I added a new category on my Friday Foodie page - at the bottom you can now find five years of Christmas Baking.

What We Tell Our Daughters

Headlines for months now have been filled with stories of men in power abusing women (and in some cases abusing men.)  The hashtag #MeToo has gained much attention.  Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" is the "Silence Breakers" who spoke out about the widespread abuse.  It seems once the doors opened a crack they were thrown off their hinges.

Sadly, abuse is nothing new.  We find it in the book of Genesis with the story of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob.  There is also the story of King David's daughter, Tamar.  Matthew Henry's commentary of the story of Tamar is outstanding.  He introduced the story with this, "We have here a particular account of the abominable wickedness of Amnon in ravishing his sister, a subject not fit to be enlarged upon nor indeed to be mentioned without blushing, that ever any man should be so vile, especially that a son of David should be so.  Can he entertain the thought of betraying that virtue and honor of which, as a brother, he ought to have been the protector?" (You can read my full post about Tamar here.)

I have never personally experienced sexual harassment of any type.  I have had several male bosses but not once was I subjected to any abuse or harassment.  I do have a story about abuse that I believed formed me...

My Mom's dad passed away when I was about 18 months old.  I don't really have any memories of him.  He smoked a pipe and oddly whenever I smell pipe smoke I think of him.  All I know of him were things Mom told me about him.  He was a hard man - he worked hard, but he was also hard towards his family.  Mom told many stories of how he mistreated Grandma Luella.  His abuse included emotional and physical (including broken bones.)

Every time, without fail, that Mom would talk about Grandpa's abuse she followed it up with this:  "I told your Dad he might hit me once but I wouldn't be around for the second time."  I can't tell you how many times I heard that from her.  It was a strong statement that I believe she would have followed through on.  My Dad was never abusive so this was never actually an issue in our home.  Mom did not let the cycle of abuse continue in her life.

What we tell our daughters (and sons) makes a difference.  No one should be afraid to go to work or school or church.  But more importantly they should not be afraid to tell someone if abuse happens.  We must tell them, "don't be around for the second time."  I understand that it is not simple, but with the support of loved ones, escape is possible.

Southern California Wild Fires

"Southern California is currently under assault from a series of wind-driven wildfires that have destroyed more than a hundred homes in Ventura County and threatened thousands more in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties." (LA Times.) It started Monday with the Thomas Fire.  The Rye Fire and the Creek Fire started yesterday.  This morning there was another fire in Brentwood called the Skirball fire.  These are all pictured on the map, clockwise starting in Ventura (Thomas, Rye, Creek and Skirball.)

I received an email from Nextdoor.com yesterday afternoon that first alerted me to possible trouble, "Simi Valley residents are advised that the Rye Fire in Santa Clarita may travel to Simi Valley this evening due to the weather conditions and heavy winds. Residents on the northern side of the City should be aware of this possibility and be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Residents will NOT be encouraged to shelter in place should the fire breach Simi Valley and will be encouraged to evacuate. Please be prepared to Ready, Set, Go if the situation requires."

We live on the northern side of the city so I knew I needed to pay close attention.  As the evening wore on, with winds howling, I decided to pack a few things in the car.  You might be surprised at how little I packed.  Les' trumpet and bass guitar, our wedding photo album, our Bibles (including Mom's), and an overnight bag.  I had all my electronics in a bag by my bed and woke every hour last night checking out the window for the glow of fire (did not see any) and my phone for any updates (did not receive any.)

As of this morning, we have not received any new information.  I'm hoping that no news is good news but I would really love to have more information.  The winds have calmed for now but they are expected to pick back up and continue blowing until Friday.

The pictures below are from October 2003 when a fire came to our property line.  The house on the left is ours, so you as you can imagine I am a little bit nervous.

Prayers for this region are appreciated!

Just as I was finishing this post I received the following update:

Update as of Wednesday, December 6, at 9:50 a.m.

Due to the efforts of Fire personnel dedicating substantial resources on the fire overnight, the Rye Fire’s threat to Simi Valley has been reduced at this time.

The wind situation is expected to remain calmer today, with expectations it will pick up this afternoon/evening and be stronger than in previous days.

With that potential for high winds over the next several days, and the fires continuing to burn across Southern California, the City’s Emergency Operations Center will remain open until Friday in the event that Simi Valley is threatened again by either this fire or another fire event.

There are no voluntary or mandatory evacuation notices in place at this time.  

Prayers for this region are still need and appreciated! 

Christmas Comes to Our House

Come on in, y'all!

The entryway...

Our Christmas card wreath just waiting to be filled...

The living room is filled with a variety of items, but front and center is the nativity.  No matter what else is put out, this comes out every year.

Christmas villages on two half walls...

And a lighthouse on the trunk...

There are carolers on the mantel...

And a few more with their piano player on the stereo...

There are three tall wise men on the dining room table.

And even some pretty dishes in the china cabinet.

The kitchen is filled with gingerbread men and women!

Including a village on the shelf by the sink.

I even brought out my Christmas dishes this year...

Snowmen, snowmen, snowmen in the family room!

Now let's head up the stairs...

Halfway up, on the landing, is another village but this one is a little different - it's Bethlehem!  I love this one.  I created "mountains" out of thin cork...

The mantel in the master bedroom.

And a giant angel in the guestroom.  She lights up the night!

One final look at the living room from upstairs.

Have you decorated yet?  Whole house or just the living room?

P.S.  I haven't bought any new decorations in years and many of these items were gifts.  It takes a long time to get a Christmas house ;)