"Back of my neck is dirty and gritty"

Well, it's really hot. It's late July, and if this city has experienced a hotter summer in recent years, I can't remember it. Everyone is talking about the weather. One Facebook Group, that I belong to, has been responding to a continuing "When is it going to cool down?" thread, for over a week.
In the past two weeks, our home AC AND my car AC have both needed repair work. Thankfully, both of those machines are up and running. Bless the inventors of air conditioning. We do have relief from the blistering sunshine.
And, of course, although we cannot seem to talk of anything else, it's just talk. We can't do a darn thing about the weather. We cannot control the weather.....just the temperature.
So, sit down, relax and cool off, inside. Winter will be here before we know it.

Good God. All kinds of weather makes life so interesting. Some of us like hot weather, others prefer the cold. Your world is amazing. Help me to focus on things that I can change. I need to relax and leave the weather to YOU.

The Question Is???????

I had the opportunity all this week to teach English to some recent immigrants to the United States. Yesterday, we were cruising right along with our lesson, when we reached a major roadblock. Six blank stares...and their under-trained teacher terrified over just what to do next.
Just then, something from back in my grade school days came bubbling up into my small brain. I recalled a teacher saying "all questions begin with the same 5 or 6 words." Could that be true in all languages?
So, we began talking about WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY,and How (much)? My four Spanish speaking students responded immediately. Que, Quien, Cuando, Donde and Porque? The Sudanese(Arabic)student understood and responded accordingly. The Eritrean (some language that begins with a T) student got it, also.
My lesson was successful. What a breakthrough for all seven of us.

All Knowing God. Not a day goes by when we do not experience your help and guidance.
Help us to recognize your presence. You are all-powerful and all-knowing. We are your children and we need your help. We can't do this life on our own. Stand beside us.

Drumthwacket

It is possible to learn many things from a cross country car trip. Most people prefer to make long trips by airplane these days, but pat-downs and extra baggage costs are not on my list of favorite travel moments.
Traveling by car, offers unique and varied experiences. The brochures at State Highway Rest Stops (well everyone has to rest)fascinate me. I want to look at every one. Those leaflets make me realize that there is still so many things I want to see in this country. And, Rest Stops generally give away maps. Checking out the names of cities and towns, rivers and streams, lakes and colleges can keep me occupied for hours. Did you know that most of our 50 states have a town or city with the name Springfield?
Then, of course, there are the "what the heck was that" moments which always occur on a road trip. Something catches your eye, as you travel past it. And, you wonder if you really saw what you thought you saw.
Driving through Princeton, New Jersey, I saw a sign emblazoned with the word Drumthwacket. What????? I figured it was likely an Indian word. New Jersey has a bunch of those. But, I was stumped. Who or what is a Drumthwacket?
Thanks to the miracle of the Internet, I discovered that Drumthwacket is the residence of New Jersey's Governor. The land was once owned by William Penn, founder of the Pennsylvania Colony. It was also the site of a Revolutionary War Battle. New Jersey purchased it in the 1960's, and after a massive renovation in the 1980's, it became the Governor's Mansion.

Wondrous Lord. I am thankful for this amazing country. I stand in awe of all that you have created. Help me to keep my eyes and heart open to your glorious world.

"to know them is to love them"

Well, I want to talk about pre-teen girls. Some of you are well acquainted with those females. They are those creatures who generally place one hand on one hip and roll their eyes, while asking "Who me?" when they are addressed.
Believe me, as a a Middle School Substitute, I have witnessed enough eye-rolls an attitudes to last a life time. I know their type. I was one.
You know, I generally introduce myself as a former Middle School Teacher. Then I say, don't mess with me, because I can take you down!
This week, however, I was blessed to work with a group of pre-teens from Littleton, Colorado, who made me reassess my opinion of their age group. This group of 15 young women and their leaders came to work at our Mission, and they worked like no other group has!
I was astonished at their work ethic. Wow! They wrapped packages, sorted clothes, filed papers,and made packets better than most adult groups. They would have worked longer, but they wore me out!

God. You are so awesome. I thank you so much for sending me some of the most wonderful young ladies in this universe. I have been so honored to know these young women and their leaders. Bless them. Bless their futures. They are so worthy.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

During the past two weeks, I've been on the road. Della Lamb(my 2 foot high papier mache traveling companion)and I have driven all the way out to Hutchinson, Kansas, then to Springfield, Missouri, and then down to Leawood, Kansas.
As we traveled, we found that most mid western folks were very friendly and all but a very few were willing to listen to my spiel about our urban mission here in the heart of Kansas City. Of course, when you greet people with "say hi to my friend Della" and then lead them to a cotton-ball covered statue, it does have a tendency to break the ice or should I say, soften the message!
But, I'm tired. Last night, I slept in my own bed. I fell asleep quickly. Didn't even have to count......you know what. It was great.
Dorothy Gale was right. "There's no place like home."

Lord. I'm so thankful to be home. I'm thankful that I have a home. My prayers go out to those who are searching for a home or need a home. Help all of us remember that we have a safe place with You.

"Live Like You Were Dying"

In the past few days,our area has experienced some of the most horrific weather imaginable. Everyone I speak to has personal ties to the numerous tornadoes, windstorms and floods that have hit us so hard this Spring. With our instant media sources we have been bombarded with photos of before and after views of the devastation. We have been talking of nothing else.
Lives have been changed in a matter of seconds. People, their homes, and businesses were fine and then, in the blink of an eye, everything is gone. The stories of loss are so moving. A simple afternoon trip to WalMart, and dozens of lives are lost forever.
Everyone affected by the storms needs our prayers and our support. Lots of churches and organizations are participating in relief projects. We can all join in the effort to help the victims.
And, it might just be a good idea to hug on your own loved ones just a little more. Life is so fragile and precious. We take our blessings for granted.

God. We believe that you are the one constant in our lives. We ask for physical, emotional and spiritual healing for all of your people. Help us to be strong. Help us to be the best that we can be during our time on Earth. Show us how to be a truly loving and thankful people.

A Wrinkle in Time

Recently, I viewed a picture of myself taken at age 11 or 12. Well, most of us have photos of ourselves at that age, however, I had never seen the particular photo before. I found it in a book published about my hometown. Never even knew that such a photo existed.
Wow! Seeing it brought back some really sweet memories. There I stand, frozen in time, in a glass window front above the main street in my home town. I'm the ninth little Girl Scout from the left, singing Christmas Carols. All of us are in our uniforms. It's a black and white photo (we're talking the nineteen fifties here, after all), but I can recall the green uniforms, green socks and yellow neck scarves.
I remember the names of almost all of my fellow scouts. The point is, I had forgotten all about doing the caroling on Broadway, all those years ago. It was a big deal then, but it had slipped from my memory.

Gracious Lord. In your wisdom, you have made us imperfect. Our memories are selective. We don't like remembering the unhappy pictures. But, sometimes all we can do is remember the sad and bad pictures. We forget about the good pictures. Thank you for helping us, against our natures, to recall the good pictures.

(I'll try to get this photo posted.)