Proverbs for the season 14th

He who oppresses the poor insults his maker, but he who is kind to the needy, honors God.  Proverbs 14:31
Happy is those who are kind to the poor  Proverbs 14:21b.  In as much as you have done it to the least of these my brethen you have done it to me.Matthew 25:40b

In this season of giving gifts let us not forget those who are less fortunate .  It is a great way to give Jesus a birthday gift.

Becca decorated my house

     Last year I finally broke down and bought  "fake Christmas trees".  I am the only one that  liked having the real deal because of my memory of  hunting trees in the woods with family. So, I decided that if I was going to do it , I would go all the way.  I bought a white tree and a small silver tree that changed colors.  Becca called it magical.
     Becca set up the two trees while I looked for the decorations.  All that I could find was the large nativity  and the big white decorations that I bought in North Carolina last week. We put the white decorations on the white tree and red and white candy canes and wrapped it with a red tree scarf. The tree already had a red star on top. Becca went around the house finding angels to put under the tree with a pillow that said "I believe in angels and a glass brick wrapped with red ribbons to look like a present. We loved it.
     Next, we worked on the little silver table top tree. We found Christmas earrings that I bought in bulk and did not find until too late to sell this year.  We put them on the little tree.    Becca put the Nativity under the tree and said that Jesus was the present.  She found her birthday decoration and place it  beside  the tree because it is His birthday.  She put a Santa behind the Nativity because he worships Jesus too. Mark found a drift wood that looked like a cross and she leaned it against the tree trunk.
     Everything she did had a reason behind it and I loved the reason  behind everything she did.  My Christmas decoration look great.  But, more important than that....she gets it.. Jesus IS the reason for the season.  I never did find last years decorations......

Proverbs for the holidays

     Pride leads to arguments and contention, be humble, take advice and become wise.    Proverbs 13:10 LB  

     Self control means controlling the tongue, a quick retort can ruin everything.  Proverbs 13:3 LB

Remember these two verses while dealing with others during the holiday season.  Have a Merry Christmas.

Officially old

I am officially old. Today I walked into Crystal Pharmacy and behind the counter was Matthew, Robert and Kim. I watched every one of these babies grow and now they are taking care of me.

Veterans at the flea market

We stopped at a booth at a North Carolina flea market and bought some stuff from a Vietnam vet. After we thanked him for what he did for us and our country, we talked to him for a while. He had been in for quite a while and out for 20 years. He told us that he really missed it which surprised us until he said that you got real close to the people that you serve with and that he was still having trouble fitting into the real world. He mentioned getting into the selling antique glass business by mistake with some one that he met "at the place that you go when you get depressed. Soon, he realized that he loved the business and that he was good at it. Just then a WW II Vet walked slowly by and he ran around his counter and shook his hand and said, "now this is really the man". The man quietly told us that he was in Normandy on Omaha beach on D day and that the Lord had been with him that day. He said that he was 18 when he enlisted and that when he was 20 and wanted to marry over there, he had to get permission from the Army....and his mama. We Asked about his family and he had children, grand child and great children and great great grand children. I thought of all the the generations that would not have been born, if he had died that day. I asked if he had told them his story and he said that he had a notebook folder with the newspaper clippings , reports and information that surrounded that day in history. I wish that I had a tape recorder and could talk to him all after noon. Soon another Vietnam vet showed up and shook hands with our older gentleman. showing him all the respect that he deserves, the greatest generation. I told him that I hoped his family listened and understood. He told me that the problem that he sees today is lack the of discipline and respect. He told us that if he had come home and said that he got in trouble at school... after he picked himself off the floor, he would have been told to respect his teacher. He also seemed sad that we do not honor our vets by celebrating Veterans day or Memorial day. Mark and I felt honored being with 3 of our American hero in a flea market in the south. This is why we travel.

Holiday work week

Last Tuesday, Mark and Drew picked me up from bible study and headed to Savannah to take Drew home. We made it back this week just in time for the kids to eat supper Monday night and for me to make it to our last bible study this year. When we are working, we eat in the hotel, the R.v. or the van. We decided that we were taking December off, so this was a holiday-buying trip. We stayed in Myrtle Beach for two nights in resort hotels for unbelievable winter rates. We walked the beach and swam in indoor pools and relaxed in the Jaccuzi We watched the sun rise and set from our 21st floor room and kept the window open to listen to the waves. We tried to go to auctions, but never found a good one. So, we bought a lot of stuff one item at a time. We went to flea markets, thrift store and antique malls and yard sales in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Mark calls this grunging it out. We ate hotel breakfast and shopped right through lunch. Every night we found great places to eat. We ate appetizers in one place and another for our meal. We ate at a local, family own seafood place with a sweet waitress named Lisa. This place great decor including one of those signs with arrows that pointed in every direction including cities,the ocean, heaven and hell and great cook. We ate at a crab shack and then an Italian restaurant with an singer with a pure voice that we really enjoyed. We stopped by a raw oyster bar for Mark to eat raw oysters and sat next to people who knew Moultrie folks. We found a German place and ate what we ate when we were in Germany. We had Chinese food and Japanese sushi and on our last night we met his sister in Statesboro at a Greek restaurant attached to our hotel. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it.

November 30th

When we travel, we seldom know the date of the week or the date or even what city we are in. However last Wednesday, I knew that it was November the 30th when we checked into a South Carolina hotel because it was Clint's birthday. There was a bible open on the table. I picked it up and noticed that it was turned to proverbs 30..so I read it. The next morning, I asked the clerk if they did that on purpose and he said no, it must have just happened. Another God wick from God and a reminder to read proverbs daily according to what day of the week it is.