All About heaven

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Just returned from a visit to a funeral home in Vero.  My friend Dorothy died this past week , last Tuesday.  She was 92 and very active until Christmas day when she had a heart attack which was followed , over the past month, by four strokes.

Dorothy loved Bible Study…my Bible study.  Every week she would be the first one into the room and the last to leave.  As she left, she would hug and kiss me and thank me for that night’s study.  She made me feel worthwhile…and appreciated.  She was my fist student here at the Isles.  She wanted to learn all about heaven. The title of the study was:   Everything you’ve always wanted to know about heaven.  It took six weeks to find out, but during that time she wanted to accept Jesus as her savior and she wanted to be baptized.  She inspired others to want the same.

At one study, I baptized two women who had never read the Word.  Dorothy was one of them.  She smiled and clapped and was the most joyful person I have ever seen.  She told my husband Frank that she’d never felt so clean.  Isn’t that amazing what Jesus can do for someone in their 90’s?  He doesn’t care how old you are.  He is ready to be there for you whenever you decide.  Tonight while saying my goodbye’s, I told her family that she is definitely in heaven.  She is joyful and probably dancing with Jesus.  I am so glad I was a part of her life and her salvation.  She’ll meet me at the door to heaven one day and this time she’ll teach me all about heaven.

God Bless.

Is Life Over at 70?

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All of a sudden, or so it seems, I am now old. I’m sure there are still great things to accomplish.  I don’t think “life” is over at 70.  In fact, there are plenty of people who have achieved greatness after 70.

Ben Franklin helped draft the  Declaration of Independence after 70.

Jessica Tandy earned an oscar for Driving Miss Daisy when she was 80.

Vanderbilt began buying railroads after 70.  

Justice Sirica heard the Watergate case after 70.

Piccasso was still producing drawings and engravings at 90.

Noah was asked to build the ark when he was 500 yrs. old and it didn’t rain until he was 600 yrs. old.  He died at 950 yrs. old.

American composer Elliot Carter wrote his first opera at 90 and produced 40 works between then and when he became 100 yrs. old.

I am going to aim for at least two novels in the next year.  I have been writing them for years.

Wouldn’t it be great to achieve greatness at 71?

Thursday Night Outing

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We have started going to a home group.  Home groups are small groups of Christians who worship, pray, and eat together much like they did when Jesus was here.

Our home group is special.  Most of us are “broken-hearted” Christians who have been healed by the love of Christ and His church.  We share and encourage each other.  We pray for each other as well.

Christ wants us to be with other Christians for just these reasons.  It is not easy being “green” as Kermit would say.  Christ told us that, too.  Along the road of life we have some unexpected twists and turns and sometimes a pot hole or two.  We need to keep the faith, keep on smiling, and keep in the Word.

Doing these things will keep us close to the one who makes life worth living: Jesus.

God Bless.

Picture taken in the Bahamas on board a cruise ship.

Picture taken in the Bahamas on board a cruise ship.

God’s Purpose in My Life

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Hi, readers.  Tonight is Tuesday…Bible Study night, remember?  I think on Tuesday I will blog a little about God’s ways with me.

I’ve had many encounters with God…some obscure and some pretty close…I always meet Him in my Bible Study classes.

Tonight was no different. The group decided to read and study the Book of James.  It is one of my favorites, if there is such a thing.  I love God’s word.  IT is very clear and gives instruction, inspiration, and encouragement.

We only completed 18 verses of Chapter one.  I had put together some questions for them to answer as we read together.  I read the entire book to them last Tuesday.  This week I read the questions and then we reread those verses 1-18.  My ladies enjoyed the read and enjoyed the lessons we learned and talked about.

Chapter one is all about perseverance. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote the book to teach us how to live our Christian lives.  He points out to us that life can be full of trials and temptations.  The trials lead us to a mature life in Christ, but the temptations which come from Satan lead us to sin and therefore death.

While we talked of temptations, I recalled a time in high school when I went to a convention in New York City.  I was supposed to be in a training session, but the girls I was with wanted to go shopping instead.  We did.  I was a little hesitant about skipping the meeting, but I went anyway. While shopping, the other girls decided to shop lift one item each from the store we were in.  I left in a hurry, hoping they wouldn’t hate me for being a coward.  I was a coward.  i could see my mom coming to get me out of jail!  That thought was enough to deter me.

I mentioned that when I was teaching high school that my students were tempted all the time.  Most of the time, they went with the temptation.  I asked them once, what makes a moral child…they did not know what “moral” meant.  I told them that knowing the difference between right and wrong and going with the “right” was moral.  Then my students began to really lay one on their parents.  “You can’t have moral children if the parents have no morals.”  

I was shocked to hear them speak that way.  I asked the students to write up an essay about how they would raise a moral child.  Boy, did I get an ear-full.  They spoke very bluntly about discipline.  They wouldn’t do the same as their parents.  They would punish their child by taking away the TV, the computer, the music, and anything else pleasurable.  In other words, the teen of today does know right from wrong because somewhere along the way, they had learned that their parents were making mistakes by not giving them  discipline when they needed it.  

Isn’t it pleasant to hear that maybe the next generation will do right by their children?

God Bless.

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70 year olds, plus like Superbowl!

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I’ve been at our Superbowl party for the first half of the game.  Quite a few showed up!  I was surprised, but don’t know why.  If you watched before you got old, you’d watch now..right?

Our chef made some great party food:  spinach pie, sesame chicken, mixed nuts, sauces for dipping, chips, drinks, etc.  We even  yell when appropriate.  Imagine that!  

I’m into a new book–an historical romance–which is very interesting…setting is Philly and Richmond, Va before the Civil War.  So…that’s all for today.  I’m going to listen to the rest of the game and read my book…on my Kindle Fire!

Not as energetic as younger folks, but we still can get excited about football and parties.  Being 70 isn’t as bad as we thought.

God Bless

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A Word About Money…

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Money.  Never really worried about it before, but now that all my cash is tied into my “living”, I understand why “mature” people have trouble buying their meds.  Frank needs an electrical mobile chair.  Insurance pays 80%, but that leaves us having to come up with $700 for co-pay..Ha!  Who has that extra cash?  Not us!

Also, when it comes to these expensive medicines… insurance covers 75% and we pay $45 for the bottle of pills…WOW!  

I think pharmacy will cut back the number of pills so I can get the ones I need.  

Remember, we are not the Poor people…but we are med. POOR.

Anyone have any solutions…

It’s February!

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Today is Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014.  I’m one month and one day over 70. Today, I feel fine.  No one asked me to play cards tonight so I am in for duration.  I am playing word games and reading; I will stay busy.

Tomorrow is Sunday!  It will be breakfast , church, lunch, and canasta.  Ate supper tonight with a new resident named Harry (96); he’s very sharp and very smart.  He taught languages in school:  English, French, Italian, and others.  HIs wife, now deceased, was a concert pianist.  He is very nice and easy to talk with.  We had a great time at dinner.

My friend Bea has given up on chemotherapy.  She has called in Hospice to help.  God has given her miracles in the past, so perhaps it’s not her turn to leave us.  Her doctors refer to her as the “miracle woman.”  They thought she only had 3 months to live and she’s been here 10 months. She is Greek and we have become friends.  I took her to many of her chemo sessions down in Jupiter.  she picked up a virus and has not been the same.  She’s very weak.  Please pray for recovery or a quick road to Heaven.  Either way is fine with her.  Thanks!

What’s Fun About Bingo?

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BINGO!  There’s power in that little word!  Three times a week I head for the Bingo room to try my hand at winning.  I figured out there is no strategy with playing the game.  You get to pick three cards for a buck, but the caller never calls my numbers…what gives?  Is there some trick to Bingo that I am not aware of?  Are certain numbers better than others?  Is it where I sit?  Is it with whom I sit?  Please if you have an answer, let me know.  It’s not losing a dollar that bothers me, it’s people winning the money!!

Today we had a session called HIGH STAKES BINGO.  The cost was $2 for three cards.  The winnings were much more than usual:  $10-15 each game and $50 for coverall. Two times I had one number left to be called.  Two times I lost!  Come on you Bingo players universal…what’s the catch?

By the way, I am not a gambler.  I just use the game as an outing for pleasure.  

God Bless.Image