Target McDonalds

I'm a Walmart gal. But, this morning I needed to venture into Target in order to procure the gift for the upcoming birthday buddy's baby shower. I know Target and Walmart are just trying to save money by keeping their thermostats at 80 degrees, but I sweat easily at 80 degrees, and come home needing another shower. Yikes. I think it was cooler outside, and there is a breeze outside.

The post office is another one that keeps their temps way too high. But, I braved the machine today as the line was too long. And I was mailing stuff to our Sunday School secret pals and did not want grief about no return address. I just hope they get delivered.

Now about McDonalds. I like their cute little glass old-timey coke glasses they are giving away with a meal. Last time, I received fries WITHOUT salt and they tasted so good, I ordered them this way. I was fully prepared if they argued that they did not do fries that way, that I had enjoyed them that way last time. But, there was NO argument. I spoke no salt into the speaker, and at first she thought I meant no tartar sauce, as that is what appeared on the screen. But, I said, no, I like tartar sauce, its the fries I want no salt upon. And they did it. Yipeee !!! It says "designer" on my receipt. I could hear them yelling "no salt" from the lady who takes your order over her headset to the guys who make the fries. This local McDonalds is usually super heavy on the salt. So, this is great. Now to remember to order it thataway next time.

I like Chick-fill-you-up salads. But, our Chick-fill-you-ups are across town. I will make a special trip but try to wait until we are over that way to save gas. I saw a story the other day about a guy who lost weight eating McDonald's salads. One of these days I will have to try one. They do feature Newman's Own salad dressing which is yummy. Anybody tried the McDonald's salads??

Housework

I put it off too long. Time for some housework. So, I vacuumed, and then dis-assembled the washable filter. Yuck. But, good to go for next time. And I mopped the kitchen floor. Those cheap $5 plastic foam shoes from Walmart are great for keeping your grip on a slippery kitchen floor. And I cleaned toilets, and the sheets and blanket from the bed are in the washer and dryer. Even the dishwasher is humming. See, even though I was tempted to hire a maid, I got'er done. And because its just the two of us now, it'll stay clean a little while. Ha.

I sure miss our boys. Andy is busy with his own now, and James sounded kinda down last night, and no word from Ben since my birthday.

I can hear the washer beeping.

update: clean sheets tonight, dearest, so you know what that means !

Definition

Prophets: God's servants. God's anointed.

Founding Fathers for the Fourth

Wasn’t there an old mother-in-law joke, where the punch line is: “Take my mother-in-law, no, seriously, take her, please!”??

Well, it is no joke in the Bible in the book of James chapter five. We are told to be patient, do not complain, and as an example of how to cope with suffering and patience, TAKE THE PROPHETS who spoke in the name of the Lord.

I just love that phrase, “take the prophets”. It doesn’t say, “consider” nor does it say, worship. But, in order to TAKE the prophets, we are responsible for knowing who they are, and their story. In other words, we are responsible for the Old Testament, too. And since JESUS called John the Baptist a prophet, he is one, too!

How many prophets do you know? How many will you be able to ask intelligent questions in heaven?? When you do a search on the word, prophet, in Quickverse, the prophetess Miriam is first on the list. Hers is not a sterling example. There was that leprosy thing at the end. But, she was healed.

What did the job profile of prophet look like? It was a calling. And sometimes they were called forward for one speech, one sermon, one warning. They lived their whole lives doing what they were suppose to do, and maybe one or two big events are highlighted in the Old Testament. And the hearers, the ones they are sent to warn are not always happy to receive the news that they have messed up. Theirs was often a downer message. But, delivered with courage, with stories, with sermons, and even a miracle, they bravely girded their loins and got the job done. And then faded away. We don’t often hear the end of their story, but Jesus does say that many were murdered.

Was Miriam the first? Who else is sandwiched between her and John the Baptist??

Take the prophets. Take two prophets and call me in the morning.

The word, PROPHET, occurs 486 times in 451 verses according to a Quickverse search. The book of Jeremiah has the most instances of the word.

Gen. 20:7 …restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live…

Abraham

Exodus 7:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I make you as God to Pharoah and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

Aaron

Exodus 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing.

Miriam

Numbers 12:6 Moses: more than a prophet

Moses

Deut 18:15,18,20,22 God promises to raise up a prophet like Moses: “…I will put My words in His mouth…”
And the command to put to death any prophet who speaks presumptuously in God’s Name.

Judges 4:4 Deborah, prophetess and judge

Judges 6:8 an unnamed prophet? (right before the Lord appeared to Gideon and called him, “O valiant warrior.”

I Samuel 3:20 Samuel confirmed as prophet of the Lord. The Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh. (v.21)

I Samuel 22:5 the prophet Gad warns David (2 Sam. 24:11)

2 Samuel 7:2 Nathan the prophet (12:25, I K 1:8, 10, 22, 23-)

Shemaiah the prophet (2 Chr 12:15)
Iddo
Azariah

Ahijah the prophet (I K 14)

Jehu the prophet (I K 16)

Elijah (I K 18)

Elisha (I K 19)

Isaiah

Huldah the prophetess (2 K 22:14)
Oded (2 Chr 28:9) a prophet of the Lord meets an army

Jeremiah

Haggai

Ezekiel

Daniel
Joel
Habakkuk

Zechariah

John (the Baptist)

Anna (Luke 2:36)

I Cor. 12:28, 29 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, …

Acts 21:9,10 prophetesses, and a prophet warns Paul

Ephesians 4:11

I Tim 4:14

Beware false prophets

Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Me
This year I’m fifty-two
And, next year fifty-three
(rhymes better)

And Bob and I trade this year in that I was born in ’56 and he turned 56. And he was born in ’52 and now I am 52. Should be easy to remember how old I am. Ha

My folks called and sang to me already this morning.

When I was a little girl, I thought the fireworks were just for me. My Grandpa would take me to this fireworks extravaganza at the old stadium in Champaign, Illinois. And I thought that fireworks and my birthday went together.

I don’t remember getting a good watermelon last year, but the first one I picked out at Walmart yesterday was good. It sure was heavy. And thankfully, it had this tough skin rind as it rolled around the back of the minivan trunk area. I had hemmed it in with one of the seats which collapse into the spot, but I should have collapsed the bigger one making a smaller square to contain it.

And I am sure you have all heard the news, Walmart is dropping the dash. So, the way I have been spelling it for years is finally correct.
Big parade in town tomorrow, but since it is suppose to get up to 97 degrees, we will probably wimp out on going to that this year. When our boys were in the local high school marching band, we went to the parade probably six years in a row. I’ll never forget the year that my folks were holding the double plastic couch over their heads during a rain shower and the chair got heavy with rainwater and when they dumped it out, causing a mini waterfall. It was so funny.

We have pictures of our boys when they were toddlers sitting in their chairs watching the parade. The expressions on their faces show a mixture of fear and awe looking up at the firetrucks and clowns.





What do I want for my birthday? More pictures of the grandbaby. A grannie cannot get enough pictures.

And Bob’s meeting got cancelled, so he gets to stay home and play with me. Yipeee!!!!!!!!

Update: Bob gave me a pedicure, and a haircut 'round the ears, and I gave him a haircut, and he gave the back yard a haircut. And we enjoyed the silly movie, "Get Smart" and since it is hot as blazes, we enjoyed just poking around on our computers today improving our minds.

Thanks to all who called---my folk get the earliest prize, James, and Mary and Andy and Benjamin. And a few "unknowns" on the caller ID thingy. We finished off the watermelon. And have watched the doves try to get into the squirrel-proof birdfeeder. Must be the peanuts in this mix that is attracting squirrels and doves? And thanks for all the emails--Nance and James... The pictures of you repelling are great !

To Grant Us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve HIM without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days

What if you were a miracle child of an older couple who had given up ever having kids? What if you were raised with specific instructions and heard over and over all the neat things that happened at your birth? What if you did your job to the best of your ability even though it meant never getting married nor having a family? What if you ended up in prison and were beheaded for doing your best?

For the past few days, I have been reading again the story of John the Baptist. And I have been noticing things for the first time. And I have been wondering what did John know, when did he know it, and was his a covert operation?

First, let me say, I am not a “Baptist”. I attend a Bible Church. I think John the Baptist is so named as to not confuse him with the author of the Gospel of John. But, God named him. And God just called him just John.

Matthew 3 states that John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The Voice

Of one crying in the wilderness
Make ready the way of the Lord
Make His paths straight

John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt. His food: locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem was going out to him and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

Look at what John said to the religious rulers coming out for baptism: you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves “we have Abraham for our father” for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees…

John was not given a diplomatic message.

Wrath coming.
Just because you are Abraham’s descendants, repent.

John thought The Judge was coming.

When imprisoned for openly criticizing Herod’s adultery, John questions Jesus via his disciples---Are You the One Promised? Or should we look for another?

John waited for further instructions, but Jesus only said, in reply, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind receive sight, the lepers are cleansed, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me.

Strange comfort. Matthew 11 states that after the disciples left to convey this criptic message to John, then Jesus praised John to the crowd. In the Mark account, after John is imprisioned, Jesus takes up the same message. Jesus picking up John’s message is like a tribute. Like a baton. See Mark chapter one.

What were John’s final thoughts? Was he at peace confident that God knows best? That God had a plan?

I love the story of John’s birth. A true miracle baby. Born to mature, Godly parents. I am sure his parents told him over and over about how he was born and how pregnant Mary came to visit John’s mother, Elizabeth, and what all they said.

Instead of following in his father’s footsteps in temple activities which he had every right to do, the instructions at his birth included: no wine. Wine was a part of temple activities, especially at Passover. John’s father told him his marching orders, and the promise of Luke 1:16-

John the Baptist will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah…to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. John’s father probably told John how he had argued with the angel Gabriel and the consequences, and how when the Holy Spirit loosened his tongue, he proclaimed: a horn of salvation, in the house of David, salvation from our enemies, salvation from the hands of all who hate us…the fulfillment of all He promised Abraham.

That, for the purpose, that we, being delivered might serve Him without fear, in holiness, and righteousness before Him all our days. You, child, John will be called the prophet of the Most High. You will go before the Lord to prepare His Ways to give His people the knowledge of salvation…by the forgiveness of their sins because of God’s tender mercy.

John lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel. Did John’s parents encourage him to live apart? Did they die soon after John became a man? They instilled in him his job, his vocation, his purpose of herald and forerunner. But we do not read of Jesus and John ever seeing each other or meeting until Jesus comes to be baptized. John was kept in the dark about that. Elizabeth, John’s mother, knew Jesus was Mary’s son. Surely, she told.

Luke 3 The Voice of one crying in the wilderness quoting Isaiah exams John’s message:

Share
Take care of each other (clothing and food)
To tax-gatherers, be fair
To soldiers: do not take bribes, be content with your wages.

John said: I baptize with water, but One is coming who is mightier, I am not fit to untie His sandals. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John argues with Jesus when Jesus came to be baptized. Matthew 3:13 Jesus told John: Permit it at this time, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Is it the same word in the Greek—contrast John’s “I am not fit…” to Jesus’ “it is fitting…”??

John sees the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descending as a dove and God the Father, The Voice from heaven say: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

John saw and observed and witnessed.

Once John is imprisoned, Jesus picks up John the Baptist’s message. Matthew 4:17 Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand.

I may be wrong, but I get the impression that John, like Jesus, took care of his family until he was almost thirty. And then sprang onto the scene, when God told him the time was right. Someday, we will have to ask John what that was like. To go stand out in the wilderness by himself and start yelling. When one or two walked by, he stayed faithful, and I am sure those one or two went back home and said, hey, come see this nut who is yelling to himself in the desert. And the crowds increased, and he became somewhat of a circus show. The wilderness had plenty of water. Because John baptized folks there. And someone needs to address how this new ritual of baptism did not surprise or scare anyone. The Jews were used to ritual cleansing. But, full-body dipping was reserved for the strange leper cleansing of a Gentile in the Old Testament, and the monthly seven dip of women after their period.

Maybe John lived and preached in the wilderness from age 13 on. Maybe he had a tent just like Abraham. He had disciples, so maybe they brought him supplements of fish and bread. But, why did Jesus never visit? Why weren’t they pals? Why didn’t John become one of the Twelve? Did he know too much?

John proclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John had seen lambs sacrificed on the alters for his whole life. How exactly did he think this Lamb of God was going to take away the sins of the world?? If he had guessed the cross, he might have blabbed, and this was hidden from the enemy for if the enemy had known, then Jesus would have been beheaded or worse, too. God was in control. God needed Jesus on the cross to die for our sins. And when God is in control, sometimes that includes keeping us in the dark about some things. It will all make sense in heaven. But, here, when things don’t make sense, maybe God is giving me a taste of what John experienced.

Full Circle

Since our middle son is busy in the military now, I had the privilege of picking up his college diploma this morning. He received an email saying it was ready last week, but we were out of town, and unable to do it. When I tried yesterday, I found out that this was going to require a fax from middle son of his college ID, and a signed note from him that he had given me permission. So, after procuring the said documentation, I trouped back to the offices of administration, records, and registration, took a number, and waited again. This time, I was armed with a email copy of whatall the fax should look like. And the nice lady was able to call back into the bowels of the cubicles for said fax. And thankfully, she recognized him from taking a class with him. Whew. I realized that showing my drivers license does not prove I am his mom, but it does prove we have the same address. I got to sign my name and "for..." and today's date. And she handed it over. That diploma represents four years of our middle son's blood, sweat and late nights of studying. classes. labs. And I think he had perfect attendance, not that they keep track of that kinda thing in college. I don't think middle son ever missed, skipped, or was even late to a class. He finished high school in three years, and entered college that summer, so to finish college in four years shows it IS doable. And we are so proud of him. The bureaucratic nightmares are over.

As I drove away, there was a huge herd of newbies, soon-to-be freshmen clutching orientation plastic bags on a tour of the campus. I resisted the urge to yell something not very ladylike out the window. And I realized we had come full circle.

Some of the liberal-slanted classes required to graduate made college a less than enjoyable experience. Listening to the worst ever graduation speeches made us wonder what we had invited friends and relatives to experience. But, we are done. The mine field successfully navigated. Now we can safely bad-mouth the whole AISD experience. And laugh when the local college asks for more money. We are done contributing. Bitter? No, we just learned the hard way. Would I recommend the local college for someone? Only in the engineering, or nursing venue. Someday, we will ask our middle son if ROTC prepared him properly for whatall he is doing now. Someday, maybe he can go back and make it better, if that is his desire.