Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark
Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark .

ONE: Don't miss the boat.
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat!
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
SIX: Build your future on high ground.
SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

My POW Bracelet

I have had a very special experience this week. When I was in high school in the late 1960's, the Viet Nam war was going on. It was well known that there were many POW's. Some organization put the names of POW's on bracelets and sold them for $5. I ordered one and wore mine faithfully from the 10th grade until 1973 when on TV my Mom, my Aunt Pat and I saw a list of POW's as they were coming home from their captivity and we saw some coming down the steps of an airplane. We saw his name, so we knew my POW was home. I tried back in the 70's to write to him and maybe I did but never heard a reply. OK, still with me? The beginning of this week my friend William went to dinner at his friend's house and one of the reasons he was there was so their high school daughter could interview him about the 60's and what he remembered about the Viet Nam war. It made me think, "What would I say if someone ask me those questions?" Of course my first thought was that POW bracelet that I wore and I prayed for him. I went to my jewelry box to find it and a light went off! Why have I not tried to find him now that we are in this computer world? So I first went to Google and right away information came up about him. He was forced to eject over North Vietnam on May 15th, 1967, and was taken as a Prisoner of War. After spending 2,120 days in captivity, he was released during Operation Homecoming on May 4th 1973. He suffered many injuries during the torture and malnutrition. He retired from the AF in 1981. He has been married for 55 years, has 2 children and 4 grandchildren. Next I went to Facebook to see if I could find him and there were 129 Ben Pollard's. But I found the picture above and by this time I knew his age and family info so I wrote to him via FB asking him if he was the POW on my bracelet. He sent me a brief message back saying "Yes, I am". I wrote him back and told him my story. Today on Thanksgiving Day I received a lovely email from him. I will mail him the bracelet. This was a gift to hear from him after all of these years. God is so good!

In one of the articles I read on line was a quote: "There's no such thing as a bad day when you have a knob on the inside of the door." CDR, Paul Galanti, USN (ret)

Count your blessings!

Thanksgiving Blessings!

Thankful For All Things
Never complain of your birth, your training, your employments, your hardships; never fancy that you could be something if only you had a different lot and sphere assigned you. God understands His own plan, and He knows what you want a great deal better than you do. The very things that you most deprecate, as fatal limitations or obstructions, are probably what you most want. What you call hindrances, obstacles, discouragements, are probably God’s opportunities. –H. Bushnell

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 NKJV

God's Best to You!

God can only give the best to you, because second best is not a part of His nature, His character, or His heart. If you cast yourself upon Him, He will not let you slip through His hands; if you drink from His fountain you will never taste of tainted waters; if you eat at His table you will never find stale bread; if you walk in His footsteps you will never be led into pathways of confusion.

The Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving]! Psalm 84:11 AMP

~meet me in the meadow

Happy 55th Birthday Yvonne!

~ My precious friend, I bear in mind

That faithful friends are hard to find

In you I've found one good and true

And yearly grows my love for you~

~adapted from a Victorian Verse

Dinner out tonight with the "girls" to celebrate Yvonne's Birthday.

Each birthday is such a blessing!

Dad

Dad age 81....not too shabby!

Dad and his daughter in laws....they each claim that they are the favorite!
Linda, Tammy and Carol!

Dad and his favorite son in law...Clarence is #1 for sure!!!

What a crew... Dad, John, Sandi, Jason, Cindy, Susan and Jeff!
What a blessing to have each other!

We miss you Mama!

"Beautiful Christian Sister" by Maya Angelou

By Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living;

'I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.

'When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou;

I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

~I dedicate this to my special Christian Sisters who are an encouragment to me ~Susan

1939-2009 70th Anniversary of the Movie "The Wizard of Oz"

My favorite movie from my childhood, in case you did not know!

And always remember.... "There is no place like home!"

Once

~photo by Toni Drake

You, who were once far from God, have now been drawn close to His heart; (Ephesians 2:13)
You, who were once in spiritual poverty, have now been made lavishly rich; (Ephesians 2:7)
You, who were once without fruit, have now been made to flourish; (John 15:16)
You, who were once extremely needy, have now been made complete; (Colossians 2:10)
You, who were once alone and empty, have now been immersed in love; (Ephesians 3:18-19)
You, who were once a wandering sheep, have now been brought into the fold; (1 Peter 2:25)
You, who were once an alien, have now been made a citizen of heaven; (Ephesians 2:19)
You, who were once an orphan, have now been adopted into God’s family; (Romans 8:15)
You, who were once going your own way, have now been brought into His glorious will and plan. (Galatians 2:20)
~meet me in the meadow

It is all so simple...once we were sinners but once we ask Jesus into our hearts and have a personal relationship with Him, these promises are all ours. Blessings on your life ~Susan

Weekend in Mpls.

Karen, Delia, Susan and Toni

Had the pleasure of spending time with these dear friends this weekend. We scrap booked on Saturday and went out to dinner Saturday night and the Splan guys joined us. Toni and I stayed at a favorite Inn where we could relax in the pool and hot tub. It is a tough life! God is so good to give us such dear friends!

Boo! October 31st, 2009

Passing thru Deer River yesterday I found these children~Taylor, Maddi and Trenton!
Mr.Transformer himself~Preston

What a blessing these great Nieces and Nephews are!

Nothern Minnesota Yesterday October 31, 2009

This is the road to Mt. Tabor Bible Camp in Bigfork, MN
The next 3 pictures were taken on Hwy 6 enroute to Big Falls

Looks like winter has come to Northern Minnesota.