Lutheran Lucy

My "Beloved" Lucy's Birthday!!

2011-08-06T19:21:00.007-05:00

Well today would be the 100th birthday of Lucille Ball, the ABSOLUTE BEST comedienne EVER! No matter how many times I can watch an episode, I still laugh and laugh as if it's the 1st time I ever watched it!!!

Here's one of my favorite episodes.

I hope that some day when I go to heaven that I will see Lucy up there as well!!! She was and still is a blessing to so many of us!!! We can still pray for her kids and grand kids with the hope that they are Christians!!

My Cactus Lives!!!

2011-05-13T23:56:00.002-05:00

Hot doggies! My cactus is still alive and looking great!! It is by God's grace though!! It's just another testament of the beauty of God's miracles, isn't it?

Planting my Cactus

2011-05-05T13:12:00.003-05:00

Well Chimpie, I am making a post!! Can you believe it? And even more shocking, I am going to plant my barely surviving cactus today! Now the question is: Will it survive?

George Meets Scottius

2008-10-03T15:06:00.007-05:00

Folks, I just had to share the news with you!! George, Ape, and Shep of George of the Jungle, is coming to our house for a visit! Boy, I better stock up on "ape" food, don't you think? Scottius is just besides himself!! Right Chimpie? :)

Lucy's 2008

2008-10-02T16:26:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! I didn't fall off the face of the earth!! For many months I have wanted to post, but too many events in our lives have prevented me from doing so. Most of all, Little Spock (not actual name :)) has kept us on the go as he is almost 20 mths. old and very busy but fun!!! (Scottius and Angus keep me going too! :)) In addition, my mother's health deteriorated even more, and we had to hospitalize her the last day of January. After much suffering, she passed away in the hospital on February 26th of this year and went to be with Christ in heaven. I am sure that my father who died in February of 1983 and my step-father who died in August of 2005, were elated to see her finally home. Time doesn't permit me to get into the specifics of her dying, etc., but I am so grateful that she is finally at peace and without pain and suffering. I miss her terribly, and have tears in my eyes as I write this. She was a great Christian mother and person. However, I go on each day with much joy because I have my faith, my family, and knowledge that she is better off than ever before.

I pray that all of you are doing well. You have been in my thoughts and prayers often!! For ones of you who have posted a comment on my Remarriage post, I hope I wrote a comment back. It has been a crazy year, trying to get her house sold, etc., but all is final now! Anyway, I pray that your marriages are being restored! Put your hope in Christ and trust in His leading!

I will be posting more because I have A LOT TO SAY about THIS ELECTION and "so called" "crisis"!! I am fired up to say the least! Just ask Scottius and Angus!!!!!

2007-12-25T22:39:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everybody!! This has been a GREAT Christmas for us!! Our little "Spock" is doing very well and quite the ham! (Just had to put the name in for Angus! :)) Scottius and I are blessed to have two wonderful sons!! We have had a BLAST with Angus, still are, and enjoy watching him grow and mature!! He is a rare breed! :) And "Spock" is his own special person too!! I will have to write more on him sometime soon!! Blessings to you all!!

He is Coming Today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-21T04:59:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!!!! Our precious little one is coming to O'Hare International today, actually later this morning!!!!!!! We received word Monday morning that we would have our Thanksgiving and Christmas gift today!!!!!!!!!! Scottius, Angus, and I are leaving very shortly to meet Scottius' cousin who is very familiar with O'Hare international flights so she will drive the most hectic part of the trip for us on the most traveled day of the year, the day before Thanksgiving!! This will be a wonderful Thanksgiving gift along with the fact that my mom is doing better too! Angus is making us so very proud too as he is getting ready to start some of his college classes at our community college next spring!! We are very blessed! Please continue to keep us in your prayers that the four of us will bond in a very special way with Christ as our center!!! You are in my prayers too!! Have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Adoption Update

2007-10-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

Well, I decided to make a post about our adoption for Barb and Marie. Since July 24th we have known that we were getting a little boy; however, we did not want to make it public until it was more official. We just started showing pictures of him in the past few weeks and are very anxious to get him home with us. We are just waiting for Seoul to contact our agency to let us know when he will be arriving at O'Hare International Airport!! I know that I will need to bring a lot of kleenexes that day as I weep tears of joy for this little one whom we have waited for for so long.

He is very healthy and weighed 6 pds. and so many ounces when he was born. His mother and father were going to get married; however, he was killed in an automobile accident last summer. The mother was so grief stricken that she gave him up for adoption. He is right on target with his growth, weight, etc. and seems to be in good hands with a foster mother who has been taking care of these little ones for 23 years! One of the neatest things about him is that he was born on the 24th anniversary of my dad's passing to heaven! When we get him, I will let everyone know!!!! Right now we still are very busy helping out my mom who still continues to have very serious health problems: right side of her heart isn't working, thyroid problems, gastro-intestinal problems, as well obstructive sleep apnea. I have seen my mom go from being an independent woman to a dependent woman. She is very gracious in her suffering though and is quite a witness despite the major changes in her life as well as the aggravation and pain from her health problems. We are all hoping for the best but also preparing for the worst. We have already had one death in our family just in the past few weeks with my cousin passing away from a drug overdose. He had been clean and starting a new life out of prison but just had a weak moment. He was a Christian though so we know that he is in heaven. Thank God that our family has faith in Christ. We know that although we are going through difficult times right now, we know that Christ is our strength, shield, and Saviour.
And, our circumstaces could always be worse!! We are very very blessed!!

I'm Sorry

2007-09-05T09:55:00.000-05:00

I am sorry that I haven't posted for a long time. My mom has been very ill since we got back from our trip in early August. She really needs a lot of help right now so I do not know when I will be able to post again. I miss posting and commenting with all of you though. And I am praying for all of you, including the Anonymous people who have commented on my remarriage post in early 2006. Take care everybody.

Vacation

2007-07-23T07:24:00.000-05:00

Well, Angus and I are off for a couple of trips for the next two weeks while Scottius and Sammy fend for themselves at home. We will miss them! If you think about it, please keep us all in your prayers!! Thanks!!

This is The Beast, one of the rides at King's Island where our youth group will be going this week; however, Lucy will not be on this ride!! I rode on this ride three years ago and did NOT enjoy this ride one bit!! Ugh!!
There are some other good roller-coaster rides though!

2007-07-17T04:18:00.001-05:00

The ape, Scottius Maximus is getting his beauty sleep this very minute as I type away on the computer! Thunder woke me up so I am taking advantage of having the computer all to myself this early morning!! He is such a sound sleeper! Isn't he
cute? :)

Eight Babies to Go!!

2007-07-17T04:03:00.001-05:00

Well, I thought I would update everyone that we are now #8 on the waiting list for adopting our baby from South Korea!! Since July 1st, 3 babies have been matched with 3 families so we are moving on up!! :) We could also pass up others on the list who do not have their paperwork done since ours is completed! So...we are thinking we will probably get our baby by the end of the year or early next year, God willing. We are planning to be done home-schooling Angus by this December which is pretty amazing too! I even have his transcript completed!! Yeah!!! It is hard to believe that he is almost done - we have been home-schooling him for 11 years!!! Wow, what a blessing and privilege it has been to teach him at home! He will make a GREAT big brother!! :)

2007-07-04T08:21:00.001-05:00

This isn't our church, just a similar picture of it. Anyway, we are having our regular Wednesday service tonight even though it is the Fourth of July. That's pretty cool. What better way to celebrate our freedoms (that we still have them at this point) than to be at church, celebrating the Lord's Supper and hearing God's Word!

Help! My Poinsetta is Dying!

2007-06-23T04:25:00.000-05:00

Scottius and I have been so excited because our Christmas poinsetta was actually looking great after I had pruned it back about 5 weeks ago. It has been exciting to see the new growth - all the new leaves! However, suddenly it has taken a turn for the worse! I have been trying to keep it moist without overwatering it, but the leaves have began to wilt. I have also had it in indirect light as the instructions suggested. Any suggestions from any of you green thumbers? :) I would so love to keep it alive this year!!

Happy Father's Day (and Son's Day) to Scottius and Angus (and all fathers)

2007-06-17T11:29:00.001-05:00

Happy Father's Day to Scottius and Happy Son's Day to Angus!! (When Angus was a little tike we decided to have a special day for him and named it Son's Day. A few years later he asked that we celebrate it on Father's Day too. ) Those two are pretty special even though they tease me endlessly! I deserve it most of the time though! :)

Of course, I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to all fathers too. Thanks to God, we still have Scottius' dad. My real dad died when I was nineteen, and then my step-father died a couple of years ago. We still have both our moms too which is great. They are the best parents we could ever have!

Frasier

2007-06-17T11:27:00.001-05:00

I use to hate this show, but now I love it except for when they add in perverted lines or the swearing or "Oh, my God!" I like to fast forward it when it gets suggestive.

The cast of Marty,Eddy, Frasier, Niles, Daphne, and Roz really click together. It is particularly fun to watch Frasier and Niles go back and forth about their common cultural and "psychological" interests or their competiveness. They are really good and captivating actors! My prayer is that Christ will touch each of them in a life-changing way, and that we will see them in heaven someday.

Oops! Sorry!

2007-06-17T11:03:00.000-05:00

Lucy goofs up again!! Goodness!! :) For some reason, I cannot edit my last post. I am just not the computer whiz like Scottius or Angus!! Anyway, the one correction I can make is about the time of passing of Billy Graham's wife, Ruth. I posted that she died on Friday instead of Thursday.

Although they are of different denominations with different doctrine from our Lutheran doctrine (She was a Presbyterian but still supported Billy Graham in his Baptist faith.), the one thing that always struck me about them was their humility. I remember him especially saying many times that the older he got, the more aware he was of his many sins and his unworthiness to be granted the gift of eternal life. That's it for all of us. None of us are worthy of ANYTHING Christ give us, especially of our faith and gift of living in heaven someday with Him by believing in Him as our Savior. That is our greatest gift. Yes, our spouses, family, loved ones, and friends are so very precious but can never be more important than Christ. He is the only way to heaven. May Christ comfort Billy Graham and his family as they await their time of going to heaven as well.

True Love

2007-06-16T11:54:00.000-05:00













This is so sweet what Billy Graham said about his wife, Ruth, after her passing yesterday.

“Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team.  No one
else could have borne the load that she carried.  She was a vital and
integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have
been impossible without her encouragement and support.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that he gave me Ruth, and especially for
these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together.  We’ve rekindled
the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper
every day.  I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day
I can join her in Heaven.”

Ruth Bell Graham Dies
Wife of Billy Graham Succumbs to Lingering Illness, Surrounded by Loved Ones at Her Deathbed

ONTREAT, N.C., JUNE 14—Mrs. Ruth Bell Graham, beloved wife of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, died at 5:05 p.m. today, at her home at Little Piney Cove in Montreat, N.C., surrounded by her husband and all five children. She was 87. A public funeral service to honor Mrs. Graham has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 16 in Anderson Auditorium at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, N.C. Learn more about the public service

“Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team,” Mr. Graham said of his life-long marriage and ministry partner. “No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together,” Mr. Graham continued. “We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.”

Mr. Graham confirmed today that his wife’s final resting place will be at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the Prayer Garden on the grounds of the recently dedicated Library bearing his name adjacent to his ministry headquarters in Charlotte. Earlier this year the Grahams agreed together that they would be buried side-by-side at the Library, a decision made by the two of them alone.

Ruth Bell was born June 10, 1920, in Qingjiang, Kiangsu, China, the daughter of medical missionaries L. Nelson and Virginia Leftwich Bell. She attended high school in Pyongyang, (now North) Korea. She first came to the United States at the age of 7, while her parents were on furlough. She returned to the U.S. at the age of 17 to attend Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. Shortly after his arrival on campus, she was introduced to “Preacher,” the nickname other students gave the strapping Billy Graham from Charlotte, North Carolina. They were married in August, 1943, following their graduating together that June.

Between 1945 and 1958, Mrs. Graham gave birth to five children, whom she raised—sometimes single-handedly—while her husband was away on extended national and international evangelistic crusades. The three daughters and two sons who survive her are all actively involved in ministry, including eldest son Franklin, who heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) founded by his father.

“My father would not have been what he is today if it wasn’t for my mother,” Franklin said. “She stood strong for what was biblically correct and accurate. She would help my father prepare his messages, listening with an attentive ear, and if she saw something that wasn’t right or heard something that she felt wasn’t as strong as it could be, she was a voice to strengthen this or eliminate that. Every person needs that kind of input in their life and she was that to my father.”

In 1959, Mrs. Graham published her first book, “Our Christmas Story,” an illustrated volume for children. She went on to write or co-author 13 other books, many of them works of poetry she wrote as an emotional release while her husband was so often on the road through the years.

“I don’t believe Mother has adequately been recognized and honored for what she had done; because, without her, Daddy’s ministry would not have been possible,” said Ruth Graham, youngest daughter—and namesake—regarding her mother’s influence and partnership in her father’s ministry.

“How does one live with one of the world’s most famous men?” daughter Ruth continued. “God began training my mother for this position years ago in China. Her parents exercised a profound effect upon the development of her character, and laid the foundations for who she was. What she witnessed in her family home, she practiced for herself—dependence on God in every circumstance, love for His Word, concern for others above self, and an indomitable spirit displayed with a smile.

“Her happiness and fulfillment did not depend on her circumstances,” the younger Ruth concluded. “She was a lovely, beautiful and wise woman, because early in life she made Christ her home, her purpose, her center, her confidant, and her vision.”

Mrs. Graham’s significant role in Mr. Graham’s ministry was recognized in 1996, when they were jointly awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a special ceremony in the Capital Rotunda in Washington, which reflected a consensus of love and support from all branches of government in attendance.

Ruth Graham was always a vital part of Mr. Graham’s evangelistic career, and he turned to her for advice and input about many ministry decisions. One of the early uses of media by the BGEA was the “Hour of Decision” radio program begun in 1950, which she named. After her upbringing in China and high school experience in Korea, she continued to have a burden for the people of Asia. She encouraged her husband to visit and later accompanied him during his historic visits to the People’s Republic of China.

Ruth Graham has been in frail health since suffering spinal meningitis in 1995. That was exacerbated by a degenerative back condition that began with a fall out of a tree while helping a grandchild fix a swing in 1974 that resulted in chronic back pain for many years. Bedridden or wheelchair-bound since the late 1990s, Mrs. Graham wasn’t able to accompany her husband during his last few years of ministry, but was always a continued source of inspiration and support for him through her prayers and wise biblical counsel.

Mrs. Graham is survived by her husband Billy; daughters Virginia, Anne Morrow, and Ruth Bell; sons William Franklin, III, and Nelson Edman; 19 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.

2007-06-12T14:20:00.000-05:00







As I have noted before, this is a very hot issue with me as it is with many Americans.  I respect President Bush for being strong to protect our country through the War on Terror, Patriot Act, and enforcing important legalities to thwart future terrorist attacks; HOWEVER, I am VERY upset with him and his administration about backing this ludicrous amnesty bill.  As noted below, if the proposed amendments outlined in this end of the day bulletin had passed, then I would be more supportive of this bill.   Scottius has a great idea though:  just enforce the present law and build the fence!!!  And also, let's make sure that our border patrol agents are protected when they are trying to enforce the law and protect our country.   And while we are on the changes that need to be made, let's start by adopting English as our official and natural language of the United States of America!!  This is the United States, and if someone wants to live here, then abide by the rules and learn to be an American!!!!!!!  I have nothing against immigrants, but I am against illegal immigrants who want to make America like Mexico culturally and take advantage of our
"free" health care systems and social programs!!!  Did you know that if we cross the Mexican border and try to do what these illegals are doing, we would get kicked out of the country immediately?    Shouldn't that give our politicians a little clue what is going on here?   Well,this redhead better stop soapboxing for now or she will have to be dealing with high blood pressure problems. :)


To: Friends and Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families

Date: Monday, June 11, 2007



It’s Back

We warned you Friday that the so-called comprehensive immigration reform
bill wasn’t dead, but wounded.  Forty-eight hours later, the White House is
engaged in a full court press to resuscitate the bill.  Administration
spokesmen made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows vowing to fight on, and
President Bush will be making a rare Capitol Hill visit tomorrow to sell
the plan to skeptical senators in his own party – three-quarters of whom
voted against the bill Thursday night.

But the expenditure of additional political capital on this bill – as a
matter of politics and policy – makes little sense.  In tackling
immigration reform in a “comprehensive” manner, the politicians are putting
the cart before the horse (amnesty before border security) and they have
lost the confidence of the American people.

The respected polling firm Rasmussen Reports has done outstanding work
tracking this debate, and I wanted to share some of Rasmussen’s post-mortem
commentary:

“There is no mystery to why the public opposed the bill.  In the minds of
most Americans, immigration reform means reducing illegal immigration and
enforcing the border.  Only 16% believed the Senate bill would accomplish
that goal. …

“From the beginning, the Senate approached the issue with [the] top
priority of addressing the legal status of the illegal aliens. They
addressed concerns about guest-worker programs and questions about whether
family or skill level should be more important when determining who could
enter the country.

“All of those are important questions, but they are not the most important
question.  Rasmussen Reports polling found that 72% of Americans believe
it’s Very Important to reduce illegal immigration and enforce the borders.
Just 29% said it was Very Important to legalize the status of those
illegally living in the country today.”

Yesterday on Fox News Sunday, White House spokesman Tony Snow said, “Our
sense is that if Majority Leader Harry Reid brings it back up, which he
should, and permits a full debate, …we’re not only going to get a bill, but
we’re going to get a better bill.”

Really?  Knowing that border security and enforcement is the main concern
of the public, let’s recap just a few of the amendments that were defeated
in two weeks of debate:

--The Coleman amendment to end the policy of “sanctuary cities,” defeated
48-to-49;

--The McConnell amendment to require a photo ID for voting in order to
combat voter fraud, defeated 41-to-52;

--The Cornyn amendment to deny amnesty to gang members and illegal aliens
with criminal records, defeated 46-to-51;

--The Vitter amendment to guarantee a secure, biometric check in / check
out visa system be in place prior to any guest worker program going into
effect, defeated 48-to-49; and

--The Coburn-DeMint amendment to guarantee full border security prior to
amnesty, defeated 42-to-54.

(To see how your senators vote on these amendments, be certain check out
CWF’s online Congressional Scorecard at http://www.cwfpac.com)

Maybe President Bush is going to go to Capitol Hill tomorrow and urge
senators to reconsider their votes on these important border security
amendments.  That would be a debate worth having.  I suspect Harry Reid
decided to cut off the debate last week because all these votes against
commonsense border security issues was getting a little embarrassing.

As Rasmussen Reports noted, border security could rally the overwhelming
majority of Americans and unite the conservative base against Ted Kennedy
and the pro-amnesty liberals in the Senate.  But without these amendments,
it’s hard to imagine how we will “get a better bill,” and the insistence of
Washington’s political elites on forcing something through that the public
clearly does not want will only infuriate the grass roots even more.

I Love That Diet Dr. Pepper!!!

2007-06-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

Well for about four long years I have gone without my Diet Dr. Pepper because of the nutrasweet controversy. Therefore, I decided to start using Splenda and drinking Diet Rite instead until I heard about the Splenda controversy about six weeks ago.
But...reading about the false claims towards Nutrasweet on Snopes.com finally clinched it. I am going to drink it with moderation and not worry about it.

Hello...Hello...Hello...Scottius, I'm Back

2007-06-07T16:59:00.000-05:00

HELLO...HELLO...HELLO SCOTTIUS, I'M BACK (but not in black :))!! It took Scottius giving me a good kick to get going on my posts again!! Well, I also have to admit that I was having trouble getting into my blog until Scottius helped me out! This "Lucyitis" is pretty sad, isn't it? Anyway, we are done with school and are just doing a few things for school on a very flexible and easygoing schedule. We want to have a fun and relaxing summer! Anyway, I hope I can do more blogging this summer than I have been able to do this past year!

There is No Easter Apart from Good Friday

2007-04-06T20:43:00.000-05:00

There is no Easter apart from Good Friday. There is no resurrection without the cross, no rising with Christ except in dying to self that we might live again, or rather that the risen Christ might live through us.

Leonard T. Wolcott

A Poor Miserable Sinner

2007-04-06T14:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Barb the evil genious I am posting this other Lutheran confession. Barb says that she likes this one better, and I have to agree with her. May your Easter be a blessed one as you focus on Christ's love for you and the free gift of eternal salvation with Him someday. He is the ONLY way to heaven.

O Almighty God, merciful Father, I a poor, miserable sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended you and justly deserved your punishment now and forever. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray you of your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being.

Confession

2007-03-31T16:50:00.000-05:00

Confession

Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

It is amazing that Holy Week is already approaching as we celebrate Palm Sunday tomorrow. May we daily repent of our sins and remember how our Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins that we committed yesterday, today, and in the future. There are NO GREATER GIFTS than the gifts of forgiveness from Christ and our eternal salvation.

Lucy is Still Alive

2007-03-24T14:24:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! It has been a very long time since I have posted anything. There has been SO MUCH going on, and I haven't had the chance to post. Angus and I have been sick off and on (Somehow Scottius has managed to stay well. :)); our sewer backed up and flooded 2/3 of our partly finished basement about 3 weeks ago; my mother has been having a lot of health problems; and just the ordinary routine of keeping this family going, home-schooling Angus, helping Scottius out at the office, making bracelets for our jewelry business, and working on the adoption, etc. has kept me on the move. I am definitely not complaining though because God has been VERY GOOD to us. I really believe in not having too many "irons in the fire"; however, there are times when one has no other choice. Anyway, we three work together and get done what needs to be done. By the way, we are now going "off hold" for the adoption and are #11 on the list. With all the policy changes in South Korea's adoption program, we are not sure how long it will take to get our baby, but we are thinking or hoping the end of this year or springtime of 2008. That will give me time to finish home-schooling Angus and getting him ready for college and getting my mom more settled with some help, etc. God always works out his plans for our lives in HIS OWN TIMING AND WAYS!!

Well, I will try to do a better job of keeping up with posting. I know all of you have a lot going on in your lives too. I continue to keep my posting buddies in my prayers!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2007-02-14T16:07:00.000-06:00

Have a BLESSED Valentine's Day!!

Digging Out!!

2007-02-14T14:55:00.000-06:00

I am SO EXCITED because I FINALLY got "my blizzard"!!!!!!!! :) I don't know how many times and how many winters that I have told Scottius how much I missed our old winters with lots of snow and cold weather! For the past several winters, winter has just not been the same with the warmer temperatures, etc. Now, I am looking forward to spring and do appreciate those warm days, especially since our electric rates are to be INCREASED by 30 - 55%, as of January 1st of this year. We have been able to keep our thermostat on 60 - 61 degrees, wear lots of layers of clothing, and grown accustomed to it. Because of that we have had cheaper bills. This next one will probably be a lot though with the new rates and colder weather.

Anyway, Samson our dog and I have been having fun with the colder weather and playing out in the snow. He is a Golden mix with husky and shepherd, leaning more to the husky side with a love for playing in the snow as well as eating chunks of it at a time. He also has that "pulling instinct" and will suddenly just lunge and pull me right along with him! We have a 45 foot leash so it doesn't take long for little old Lucy to be suddenly dragged across the yard! I have to be on my toes and ready for action at ALL times. :) Of course, I am exagerating just a tad!

Well, as I think about it, it probably is time for another "snow adventure" with Sammy!! After that, I am planning on enjoying the rest of the day being "snowed in" with Scottius and Angus and having that busyness come to a little halt!!

Lock-In

2007-02-02T16:58:00.000-06:00

Well, Angus and I are off to church for an overnight lock-in at church, a yearly event for our youth group. Poor old dad, Scottius, and Samson, our big pooch, will rough it out at home
(and get sleep I might add). I did take a little nap this afternoon and will have to finally give in about 2:30 to get some sleep. It is a lot of fun though, and I look forward to it every year.

You Just Have to Read This One!!

2007-01-24T07:23:00.000-06:00

Senior Banking
>
> Shown below, is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year

> old woman. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it
> published in the New York Times. (I trust that they returned her $30
> penalty.)
>
> Dear Sir:
>
> I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I
> endeavored to pay my plumber last month.
>
> By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his
> presenting the check and the arrival in my account of my monthly
> pension funds needed to honor it.
>
> I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire
> pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only
> eight years.
>
> You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity,
> and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the
> inconvenience caused to your bank.
>
> My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has
> caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.
>
> I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and
> letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the
> impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your
> bank has become.
>
> From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood
> person.
>
> My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer

> be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed
> personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you
> must nominate.
>
> Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other
> person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application
> Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete.
>
> I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much
> about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.
>
> Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be
> countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her

> financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be
> accompanied by documented proof.
>
> In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a
> PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me.
>
> I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have
> modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my

> account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is
> the sincerest form of flattery.
>
> Let me level the playing field even further.
>
> When you call me, press buttons as follows:
> #1 To make an appointment to see me
> #2. To query a missing payment.
> #3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
> #4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
> #5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to
nature.
> #6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home #7.
> To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is
required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that

> Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.
> #8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
>
> #9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be
> put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.
> While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music
> will play for the duration of the call.
>
> Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an
> establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement with

> the phone company.
>
> May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?
>
> Your Humble Client
>
> (Remember: This was written by a 86 year old woman.)

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

2007-01-20T09:59:00.000-06:00

               
                                Text From:
                    THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
               (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942)



1. All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.

2. Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse's rod
And crown Him Lord of all.

3. Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the Fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.

4. Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.

5. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.

6. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.

7. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.

      ____________________________________________________________
      Notes:
      Hymn #339 from _The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_
      Text: Rev. 19:16
      Author: Edward Perronet, 1779, ab., alt.
      Composer: Oliver Holden, 1793
      Tune: "Coronation"

Victory for Free Speech (for Now Anyway)!!!

2007-01-20T09:55:00.000-06:00

This was reported in Gary Bauer's End of the Day Bulletin for Friday, January 19th!!

Victory!

Evidently, neither party wanted to get blamed for derailing the lobbying
reform legislation in the Senate.  Late yesterday evening an agreement was
reached after furious behind the scenes dealings that allowed the
legislation to move forward.  Senators agreed to take up the line item veto
amendment offered by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) when the Senate begins debate
on the minimum wage bill next week. 

Around 8:30 PM, the Senate voted 55-to-43 in favor of an amendment by
Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) stripping the grassroots lobbying
restrictions out of the bill -- a victory for free speech.  We may not win
every battle, my friends, but this episode demonstrates that it is still
possible, in spite of the new majority, for the grassroots to prevail when
we work together!  I promise we will continue to defend our values here in
Washington!

A Precious Moment in Pro-Life History

2007-01-19T07:01:00.000-06:00

This has been circulating for a couple of years (maybe three), but it is a great time to share as a witness to how life begins at conception. May more and more people wake up to the horrors of abortion and honor life as a true gift from God. And may we pray for all on the abortion side as well as for the women who are lied to about abortion and then have to deal with life-long issues of the abortion afterwards. We on the pro-life side need to approach each person on the other side with truth and grace in a gentle and loving way and not a militant way. When I see young girls or woman carrying their baby after getting pregnant out of wedlock, I thank God that at least they aren't aborting their babies.

A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it. The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.
During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of a newborn;21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life." Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person." Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful. Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible....and hey, pass it on. The world needs to see this one!

P.S. Don't tell me God isn't Aawesome!!!!!

There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.

Albert Einstein

This Is GREAT!!!

2007-01-18T23:45:00.000-06:00

My dear in-laws sent this via e-mail so I just had to post this about my good old hometown! My brother, living out that way, appreciated this as well!

From Denver

Up here, in the "Mile-HiCity", we just recovered from a Historic event---
may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with
ahistoric blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH
that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds
ofmotorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores
ofcommunities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FYI:

George Bush did not come.

FEMA did nothing.

No one howled for the government.

No one blamed the government.

No one even uttered an expletive on TV.

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.

Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.

CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this
Category 5 snowstorm. Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.

No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.

No one looted.

Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.

Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.

No Larry King, No Bill O'Reilly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No
Geraldo Rivera.

No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be
found.

Nope, we just melted the snow for water.

Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed
cars.

The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask
for a penny.

Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments
delivered it to the snowbound families.

Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.

We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman
lanterns.

We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or
Die".

We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us
out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades
votes for 'sittin at home' checks.

Even though a Category "5"blizzard of this scale has never fallen
thisearly, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of
about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of the world's social problems
evaporate."

It does seem that way, at least to me.

I hope this gets passed on.

Maybe SOME people (Like New Orleans and Wash. DC freeloaders) will
get the message.

The world does Not owe you a living. The Government and Tax $ are
not your insurance company.

Follow Up from "Stop Bothering Me"

2007-01-13T15:43:00.000-06:00

From Gary Bauer's End of the Day Bulletin, Thursday, January 11, 2007:

Keep It Up!

Yesterday, I reported that pro-family leaders are very concerned about a
dangerous provision buried in the Senate’s lobbying “reform” bill that
could silence the ability of grassroots organizations to keep people
informed about key issues in Congress.

I’m pleased to report that Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT), one of the bill’s
co-sponsors, introduced an amendment last night to strip these provisions
and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is co-sponsoring the Bennett
amendment. I understand that Senator Trent Lott (R-MS), a co-sponsor of
the lobbying reform bill, has also objected to the provisions restricting
grassroots communications.

This is a good start, but it’s too early to declare victory. Stay tuned,
and please keep calling your senators at (202) 224-3121.

"Stop Bothering Me!"

2007-01-13T15:16:00.000-06:00

To: Friends and Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families

Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2007

“Stop Bothering Me!”

That’s the message members of Congress are sending to the American people
with a proposed lobbying reform bill under consideration right now. In a
symbolic gesture reacting to the Abramoff scandals, Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid made the lobbying reform legislation the first bill on the
calendar. But S. 1 contains a provision that appears aimed directly at the
American people. Seeking to silence criticism, section 220 of S. 1
includes burdensome new reporting requirements for grassroots organizations
that attempt to inform the American people about the important issues under
debate in Congress. Any communication, such as this daily report, to more
than 500 people that seeks to stimulate grassroots lobbying, defined as
“the voluntary efforts of members of the general public to communicate
their own views on an issue to federal officials,” would have to be
reported to the government. Failure to do so could result in huge fines,
which could bankrupt many pro-family organizations.

While I’m not opposed to transparency in government, the reasoning behind
this provision is extremely obtuse. Members of Congress are simply sick
and tired of hearing from you, and they are hoping that groups like ours
will stop asking you to call and email if we are faced with endless
reporting requirements and draconian fines. So, even though Jack Abramoff
has gone to jail, some politicians in Congress are trying to use “lobbying
reform” as an excuse to silence the American people!

But This Is NOT Good News!

2007-01-04T12:45:00.000-06:00

I realize that these protests are going on more and more in America, but it still irritates me to no end!! I am not against immigration, but I am against immigrants who think that they can dictate to us how we should conduct the laws, etc. in our county. This is the United States. If someone wants to live here then that person needs to adopt our form of law, learn our language, etc. Period!!! If that person doesn't like how we do things over here then they are more than welcome to go back to their country.

The Bad News: Islamists Marching In Minneapolis

When Ethiopian troops and their Somali allies marched into Mogadishu, many
residents there cheered. For months they had been living under Sharia law,
enforced in Islamic courts. The courts were brutal and their rulings were
enforced by jihadist thugs in each neighborhood. People were shot if they
were caught watching a soccer game on TV, for example, and beaten if they
failed to pray five times a day. There were public floggings and bans on
music and women swimming.

But there is evidence that some Somalis here in the United States support
the brutal Islamic courts. Last Saturday, 1,500 Somalis demonstrated in
Minneapolis in favor of a Sharia law regime in Somalia. They demanded that
the United States stop supporting Ethiopia. Hassan Mohamud, imam of St.
Paul’s Al Taqwa Mosque, praised the brutal courts for bringing so-called
“peace and security.” Some Germans once said the exact same thing about
Adolf Hitler.

That 1,500 Somalis in Minneapolis were willing to rally publicly for this
kind of oppression is deeply disturbing. I can’t help but notice that none
of the demonstrators have chosen to live in Somalia, but rather have come
here.

Illegal immigration is one problem, but how many people are we allowing
into the country LEGALLY who are bringing with them the murderous worldview
of the Islamic fascists? We will continue to work very hard to press both
the White House and Congress for immigration reform that places America’s
national security first.

TK, Did you hear about this matter in your local news?

This Is Encouraging News!

2007-01-04T12:44:00.000-06:00

To: Friends and Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families

Date: Wednesday, January 3, 2007

The Good News: Islamists Losing In Somalia

While we were celebrating Christmas, a war was raging halfway around the
world that has gone totally unnoticed by Big Media. The war-torn nation of
Somalia was once again on the verge of being overrun by radical Islamist
militias, infiltrated by Al Qaeda and supported by Islamic nations in the
Middle East. On Christmas Eve, Ethiopian troops entered Somalia and took
up the fight against the Islamist militias alongside forces loyal to the
Somali government.

Within days, they had driven the jihadists out of Mogadishu – the very city
where U.S. forces were ambushed in 1993. (You may recall that this ambush
and America’s subsequent withdrawal led Osama bin Laden to conclude that
America was a “paper tiger” that “after a few blows ran in defeat.”) The
combined Ethiopian/Somali forces pressed their offensive and eventually
routed the Islamists out of their stronghold in Kismayo.

Interestingly, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, representing 57
Muslim countries, issued a statement in Saudi Arabia denouncing the
Ethiopian intervention, even though it has ended the fighting and brought
peace to the troubled nation.

Lucy's Expert NFL Picks for Week 17

2006-12-31T12:13:00.000-06:00

Philadelphia
Baltimore
New Orleans
Houston
Detroit
Chicago
Kansas City
Indianapolis
New England
New York Jets
Cincinnatti
Seatle
St. Louis
San Diego
Denver

Good Old Rocky!!!

2006-12-29T12:10:00.000-06:00

As Scottius mentioned in his post yesterday, he and I just saw the new Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa. We got a bucket full of popcorn (about 16 cups) for .$50 each. That's the special on Tuesdays! Of course, we went to the matinee too so we went out to the movies for about $15.75 total!! Now that is a pretty cheap movie date!

Anyway, we thought that it was a pretty good movie. Of course, you have to like the other Rocky movies to like it. As always Rocky was that same neat character who was very genuine and caring which made the story more interesting and inviting. I appreciated the reference to Jesus Christ too. There was some cussing and a couple of women dressed in revealing outfits which I can always do without, but at least it was only a few times. It is worth the money to go and see, in my humble opinion.

Can Coldwater Clean Dishes?

2006-12-26T19:51:00.000-06:00

Can Cold Water Clean Dishes?

This is for all the germ conscious folks that worry about using cold water to clean.

John went to visit his 90 year old grandfather in a very secluded, rural area of Georgia.

After spending a great evening chatting the night away, John's grandfather prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate, and questioned his grandfather asking, "Are these plates clean?"

His grandfather replied, "They're as clean as cold water can get them. Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!"

For lunch the old man made hamburgers. Again, John was concerned about the plates as his appeared to have tiny specks around the edge that looked like dried egg and asked, "Are you sure these plates are clean?"

Without looking up the old man said, "I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now don't you fret, I don't want to hear another word about it!"

Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather's dog started to growl, and wouldn't let him pass. John yelled and said, "Grandfather, your dog won't let me get to my car".

Without diverting his attention from the football game he was watching on TV, the old man shouted...

"COLDWATER, GO LAY DOWN!!!!"

Meet Coldwater.....................

Can Cold Water Clean Dishes?

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-24T00:46:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone, especially Rebecca, Barb the Evil Genius, Quipper, Marie, TK, DMG, Lauren, Kathy, Pastor Snyder, and Polly! If I left someone out, please forgive me. It is almost 1:00 in the morning, and my Lucy brain needs a rest!! :)
Hopefully I will be able to blog more in the near future! Anyway, you guys are really special and are in my prayers!! May the true meaning of Christmas reign in our hearts everyday!!

Lucy's "Expert" Picks for Week 15

2006-12-17T12:05:00.000-06:00

Baltimore
Detroit
New England
Tennessee
Miami
Minnesota
Philadelphia
Carolina
Chicago
New Orleans
Denver
Kansas City
St. Louis

Monday night:
Indianapolis

Lucy's Expert NFL picks for Week 14

2006-12-09T13:31:00.000-06:00

Pittsburgh
Atlanta
Kansas City
New York Jets
Indianapolis
Detroit
New England
New Orleans
Carolina
Cincinnati
Washington
Tennessee
San Fransisco
Seattle
Denver

Monday night:
Chicago

L.A. at Last

2006-12-09T13:16:00.000-06:00

On February 7, 1955 one of the funniest ILove Lucy episodes was filmed!! Seeing Lucy's fake nose catch on fire right before Bill Holden and Ricky's eyes is hilarious!! We had fun watching this one along with some of the other California episodes last night! She was absolutely the BEST!!!

The Latest on Adoption

2006-12-09T13:10:00.000-06:00

Well, Scottius and I traveled once again out of state to get his fingerprints redone with the immigration officer. God was very gracious to us and provided a really kind immigration officer from our state to inform the immigration officers in St. Louis that he would probably need to give a sworn statement after his second fingerprinting was completed. At first it looked as if we were not going to get any help; however, God intervened and another very kind woman working in the St. Louis office got it all set up for us. We just had to wait until late afternoon for him to give his statement since the immigration officer doing the interview with him was doing interviews with
many foreigners, probably wanting visas or citizenship. Scottius and I agreed that we were glad that we were not going over to South Korea to get our baby because it would be frustrating to go through so many steps of finalization in a foreign country. God bless the parents who can do this!!:)

Anyway, now we have to get the information on fundraising that one organization is going to help us with should we decide to go this route and continue applying for grants. I am beginning to sell my bracelets now so hopefully we can get our yahoo website up and going to sell more in addition to some other unique items.

Yeah!! We survived!!!

2006-12-09T12:57:00.000-06:00

Although this is not a picture from the winter/ice storm that we just had last week, it gets the point across!! It was a rather scary night, hearing all the crackling and falling limbs!
Scottius said that he would not like to be with me during a hurricane!! :) (I would not like to be with me either in a hurricane! I am not that adventurous!) I tried very hard to be calm, but it is a little unnerving having a couple of huge trees near our house and wondering if they were going to fall on top of us!! Thanks to God we only had limbs down in the yard and not on our house! It has been amazing to see the devastation all over our city though - some people had huge trees just topple over or split in half! Power is restored in most of the city from what I hear. Now some of the tree companies are making a big hunk of money, cutting down trees, etc. One couple we know paid $6000 for one tree company to cut down three trees in their backyard!! That is highway robbery if you ask good old Lucy!!

Adoption Update: November 29, 2006

2006-11-29T19:20:00.000-06:00

I talked with our social worker about the little rumor that Scottius and I had heard about a month ago. For the first 6 months of 2007, no one will be able to adopt babies (internationally) from South Korea so that South Koreans will have a chance to adopt these babies. After the 6 months are up then any of us on lists for adopting these sweet little ones will be able to adopt them!

Now, we are still not on the actual list but are still on hold until God gives us further notice to push ahead! We heard from one of the ministries who will help us with fundraising but will not be able to provide a grant for us (They do not have money at this time.) However, we know of more ministries and organizations who provide grants so we will pursue on!

Remember the fingerprinting we had to do about 5 weeks ago? Well, Scottius has to have his fingerprints redone because his didn't show up good enough. At that time, we will then just have to have a little interview with the immigration officer, and the fingerprinting will be complete. We all feel pretty certain that his fingerprints will not go through again so the immigration officer I talked to from another city said that she would set this up for us. She was very kind and gracious, and we really appreciate her help. Otherwise we would have to go to an entirely different city miles away.

Obstacles, obstacles, obstacles only make us more determined! It will all work out in the end, and we will get just the little boy that God wants us to have! Now in the next post, I will have to have Scottius' help to set up a little voting thing so we can see "which" name you think is best for our new baby! Be on the lookout for it! Oh, also be on the lookout for our new yahoo website called Lucy's Creations!

Lucy's "Expert" NFL Picks for Week 11

2006-11-20T18:42:00.000-06:00

Baltimore
Houston
Chicago
New Orleans
Indianapolis
Miami
Green Bay
Kansas City
Pittsburgh
Carolina
Philadelphia
Washington
Arizona
Seattle
Denver

Monday Night:
New York Giants

I Couldn't Resist Posting This Quote!!

2006-11-14T17:50:00.000-06:00

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are,
'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' "
-- President Ronald Reagan

Lucy's Fantastic NFL Picks for Week 10

2006-11-12T00:30:00.000-06:00

Baltimore
Buffalo
Chicago
Atlanta
Minnesota
Jacksonville
Miami
New Orleans
New England
San Diego
Detroit
Philadelphia
Denver
Dallas
Seattle

Monday night:
Carolina

Lucy's "Expert" NFL Picks for Week 9

2006-11-03T18:38:00.000-06:00

Atlanta
Baltimore
Washington
Buffalo
New York Giants
Kansas City
Chicago
New Orleans
Jacksonville
Minnesota
San Diego
Denver
Indianapolis

Monday Night:
Seattle

Your Mother Should Know

2006-10-31T20:58:00.000-06:00

I don't know why, but I just love this video of the Beatles! It must be the
tuxes!! :)

Lucy's "Expert" NFL Picks for Week 8

2006-10-29T11:06:00.000-06:00

Arizona
Cincinatti
New Orleans
Houston
Jacksonville
Seattle
Chicago
Tampa Bay
St. Louis
Indianapolis
New York Jets
Pittsburgh
Dallas

Monday night:
New England

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-10-28T00:40:00.000-05:00

THEY DID IT!!! HOT DIGGITY DOG!!!! THEY ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-10-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

The Cardinals are having a TERRIFIC post-season!! Could it be because they don't have all the tensions and dreaded fear of Izzy pitching and losing another ball game for them just as the absence of Charlie Brown's pitching usually guaranteed more games won for Charlie Brown's team?

Who knows?!! They just seem more relaxed and able to get the hits and homers we need to win those games!! Even the Cardinal pitchers seem more relaxed!! All I know is that it is fun watching them in the World Series! GO CARDINALS!!!! :)

Adoption Update

2006-10-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

Well, we are getting our last set of fingerprints done this week so it will be nice to get them done. We just heard by the grapevine that the Korean adoptions will be closed in January of 2007. What does that mean for us then? We don't know. We don't know if that means we have to expedite the process, or if we will not get to adopt a Korean boy. We will have to call our social worker and find out the details. It is a little discouraging; however, we know that God knows best and will work it out for everyone's best interest! What else can we do but trust? May His will be done!! If you think about it, please keep us in your prayers. We really need God's guidance, strength, and courage right now. Thanks so much!

Lucy's "Expert" NFL Picks for Week 7

2006-10-22T17:02:00.000-05:00

Carolina
New York Jets
Miami
Jacksonville
New England
Philadelphia
Atlanta
San Diego
Denver
Arizona
Minnesota
Indianapolis

Monday night
Dallas

Lucy's Expert NFL Picks for Week 6

2006-10-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

Buffalo
Carolina
Cincinnati
Dallas
Atlanta
Philadelphia
St. Louis
Tennessee
Kansas City
New York Jets
San Diego
Denver

Monday night:
Chicago

Welcome AngusGVanHalen

2006-10-09T22:10:00.000-05:00

I just had to put in a good word for our son and his new blog, AngusGVanHalen! It should be a very interesting blog because he is quite witty and usually has pretty good insight into life, etc. I'm sorry, I am just a little proud and biased! :)

Oops! I Didn't Get My NFL Picks Posted for Week 5!

2006-10-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

Chicago
Carolina
Minnesota
New England
St. Louis
New Orleans
Indianapolis
Washington
Kansas City
Jacksonville
Oakland
Philadelphia

Monday Night
Baltimore

Lucy - Slow As A Tortoise?

2006-10-02T22:14:00.000-05:00

Lucy couldn't possibly be as slow as a tortoise, right? Wrong! Just ask the chimp, and he'll tell you! :)

I just wanted to thank everybody for such great comments these past few days, and I am sorry for being "slow" in responding! It has been a busy, busy day, and the brain and body need a rest.
Everyone has those days, right? Anyway, you are all in my prayers, and I will be responding hopefully very soon!

Lucy's Fantastic NFL Picks for Week 4

2006-10-01T11:22:00.000-05:00

Atlanta
Tennessee
Indianapolis
Miami
Minnesota
New Orleans
Baltimore
San Francisco
St. Louis
Cleveland
Jacksonville
Cincinatti
Chicago

Monday Night:
Philadelphia

"Jesus You Stink!" - Okay, I've Heard It All

2006-09-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

Scottius and I read this for our devotions for the appointed day, Saturday, September 16th and immediately thought that this was a strange devotion. Yes, Jesus is the one who handles the "stink" of our sin, but this was just written in a very weird way. This woman's expression was weird too. I wanted to share it with all of you to see what you think!"

"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me. " Matthew 25:40

"Early in the twentieth century, Dorothy Day was active in spurring the Roman Catholic Church to respond to the needs of the poor in New York City. She was not a distant executive director of relief work, but was involved personally in the lives of the people her organizations helped.

A movie about Dorothy Day pictures her at a point of frustration. Praying at the altar in an empty church, she has a heart-to-heart talk with God. She believed that Jesus was present in the poor people calling her to serve, yet that meant that she had to see Him in the filthy faces and awful conditions in which these people came to her. She finally cried out in her prayer, "Jesus, You Stink." As the words of her own strange prayer registered within her, she went back to minister to the poor, remembering Christ's promise that He was there for her as well as in the smelly conditions.

This story is another picture of what Jesus did on the cross. There, He took all of the stink of our sin and willingly bore it for us in order to make us clean. As we serve others in His name, He again remains the One who handles the stink."

Lucy's World

2006-09-27T17:46:00.000-05:00

My dear sweet husband, Scottius, will probably roll his eyes when he takes a look at the title of this post because he knows all too well what goes on in Lucy's world! :) Oh well, we have a lot of fun!!

Anyway, I haven't been able to make too many posts these days as I am very busy with home-schooling and trying to give school all I got this year. Our dear son is growing up and approaching college age so quickly so college prep is one of my top priorities (besides God and dear Scottius of course).

Also, we are starting to fill out applications for adoption grants which can be quite time-consuming! I never realized how many organizations actually provide adoption grants until we started our adoption a couple of years ago. Therefore, for people who think that money is an issue for adoption, I am here to say that God does provide many ways to help a family with the funding of adoptions. The $10,000 tax credit is very much a blessing as well; however, the adoption has to be final before the tax credit can obviously take effect.

As far as the actual adoption goes, most likely we will be adopting a little boy. Only little girls with special needs are available for international adoptions because the baby girls are being adopted domestically. In essence it seems that little boys are not wanted in South Korea, totally opposite of China. After the 1st of the year, newborn Korean babies will be put on a roster list for 6 months in order to give South Koreans opportunities to adopt these babies. Any babies not adopted will then be placed on a list for families like us who want to adopt these sweeties. This will mean that most likely our little boy will be closer to 10 - 12 months old before we get him. Prior to this upcoming change, families could get their babies anywhere from 5 - 12 months old. Although we would love to get our baby at a much younger age, we are thankful that at least he will receive foster care for his time in Korea and not be placed in an orphanage.

Now for the names, our son and dear Scottius think that Angus would be a great name for our little one! Me? I like the name Daniel! I would imagine that most people would think of a cow whenever they hear the name Angus. Of course,there is the possibility that they may also think of Angus Young from ACDC. I do think he is talented, and I do like a few of their songs. However, I would rather not put our son through the questioning of why he was named Angus!:) All kidding aside, they just like to get me frazzled and tease me. At least, I think they are teasing!!! :)

2006-09-27T17:29:00.000-05:00

Does anyone remember this hilarious episode?! And, does anyone remember the name of this horse?

Lucy's NFL Picks - Week 3

2006-09-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

Tampa Bay
Chicago
Pittsburgh
Detroit
Jacksonville
N.Y. Jets
Tennessee
Houston
Baltimore
Seattle
Philadelphia
Arizona
Denver
Atlanta

NFL Picks: Week 2

2006-09-17T00:05:00.000-05:00

Miami
Minnesota
Cincinnati
Chicago
Indianapolis
Green Bay
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Atlanta
Arizona
St.Louis
Denver
New England
San Diego
Washington

Pittsburgh

May Christ Touch Our Hearts

2006-09-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

May Christ be with the families and victims of September 11th as well as with all of our soldiers whether they are active, reservists, veterans, etc. And may Christ have mercy on our country and may we repent of our sins and lean on Him as our Savior. We will never be a Christian nation, but we must always pray for the salvation of each soul.

A Man of Courage and Truth

2006-09-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

I know that this man and our president, George W. Bush, may not have the best "approval" ratings according to the media; however, I am proud that he is the President of the United States. Is he perfect? Of course not. He has made mistakes and sins like the rest of us; however, he has had the courage to stand for truth and liberty when others would not. He has made TOUGH decisions, knowing that it may cost him popularity in the polls or with some people. He has been a witness to the truth of Christ and a compassionate president who has hurt for every loss of life from September 11th and the War on Terror.

I don't believe in all of his theology or his policies, but I believe that he is trying to do the very best job as a president could do for our country. I am proud to be an American, and I am proud of President Bush!

2006-09-10T18:22:00.000-05:00

This comes from Rush Limbaugh's website, Friday, Sept. 8, 2006.

"The reaction to this movie illustrates that the Democrats fear, deathly fear, the issue of national security becoming forefront in this campaign. They deadly are afraid of it, because they cannot compete against it."

Here's more of what Rush said

Monday Night Football Picks

2006-09-10T17:18:00.000-05:00

Minnesota
San Diego

Dick Van Dyke

2006-09-09T22:49:00.000-05:00

Here's the great Dick Van Dyke performing from the show of his name. This was the last episode filmed during their first season. Here Mr. Van Dyke shows that he is truly gifted with slapstick comedy.

Enjoy TK!

BTW.............. Our son posted this himself at the request of his dear mother and has so far kept him on a tight, tight leash as to what he can type...... about certain people... who make posts on this blog.

Okay Here Goes Week 1 for Football Picks

2006-09-09T22:24:00.000-05:00

Tampa Bay
Carolina
Denver
Buffalo
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Seattle
NY Jets
Cincinnati
Chicago
Dallas
San Francisco
Indianapolis

I picked Cleveland just for Barb!! :)

Oops! The Wrong Team Won!

2006-09-08T16:35:00.000-05:00

Oops! My team didn't win! Oh well, hopefully my Sunday picks will be more successful! :)

Not Such a Bad Show After All

2006-09-08T16:09:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl, I hated Star Trek. I guess that it was too far out for me and too much into the future. Anyway, here it is the 40th anniversary of the show, and I can appreciate it much better now. It is a good show that our family can watch together and enjoy the humor, especially when it comes to Spock. So ... I think we will be watching quite a few episodes this weekend and taping as many as we can as well!!

Isn't it amazing how things we don't like at first can grow on us?

LutheranLucy: The NFL Expert

2006-09-07T21:18:00.000-05:00

Okay bloggers, Lutheran Lucy turns expert on NFL picks! Yeah right, you say!
Well, let's just say, I will give it my best shot! :) For tonight, I picked Miami!
We will see what happens!

The Dash Between the Dates

2006-09-07T16:52:00.000-05:00

What a good reminder this is especially as many of us are reminded of how quickly God can take us from this world as He did Steve Irwin.
Devotional Reading for: 9/7/2006	Associated Scripture Readings: 1 Corinthians Psalm 39
The Dash between the Dates
Teach us to number our days aright. Psalm 90:12
You see it in obituaries and funeral bulletins. You probably don’t even notice it, because you really are looking at what comes before and after it. It’s the dash, the mark that connects the dates of birth and death. It looks so small, but it stands for all the days that mattered—the days of that person’s life. The Bible reminds us of the shortness of life. Psalm 39:5 calls its span a “mere handbreadth”—a fleeting breath. Whether long or short, that span of days is very important to God. That is the time He breaks into our lives with His love and labors to bring us His gift of faith through His Word, by the power of the Holy Spirit. That little dash is so important that God squeezed Himself into it. Jesus Christ, true God, became man, taking our created flesh into Himself. He stepped into time, taking on a birth date. On the day of His death on the cross, He broke the power of death. His resurrection proclaims that Christ has blown open the end of the dash. Death is no longer the end for those who trust in Him. We have been baptized into Christ. Life with Him has begun, and it will last forever. The dash no longer has power over us.
Merciful God and Father, renew me today in Jesus’ love, and show me eternal life, that I may live all my days in You. Amen.

2006-09-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

What a man of adventure Steve Irwin was, and how he entertained us with his daring acts with those dangerous crocodiles, snakes, and other animals! We used to watch him on television all the time when our son was younger. Even though we no longer watched his shows (too many reruns), he will still be GREATLY missed! I pray that he was a Christian though I never heard him talk about Christ. May his wife Terry, their children, Steve's dad, and others so close to him be comforted by God's truth. I would imagine that most of us around the world knew that this day would come although not through a freakish accident with a stingray; a crocodile yes, but not a stingray!!

"Hummingbird Lane"

2006-09-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

The household of Scottius Maximus and LutheranLucy are blessed to live on "Hummingbird Lane"! No, that isn't the name of our street, but it is for our hummingbirds! We have a feeder somewhat like the one pictured here and usually have a couple of hummingbirds feed off of it throughout the day. Just yesterday we started receiving a third visitor. They are so much fun to watch and are actually quite fearless as they buzz above our heads back and forth to the feeder and then to the trees or wires. They are not very good about sharing either and are constantly chasing each other off from the feeder! Pretty soon they will be migrating South for the winter so we will miss them a lot! We were watching a show about them not too long ago, and it was said that about only 20% of the hummingbirds who fly across the Gulf of Mexico (with their fattened up bodies for the journey) make it across the Gulf! It is a wonder that any of them survive at all across that vast amount of water! That is just another proof of God's provision and care for all of life!

"I Love Lucy" : Series Summary

2006-09-02T10:44:00.000-05:00

I would imagine that most of you know the story behind "I Love Lucy", but I thought it would be fun to post it anyway. Maybe you will end up reading a fact or two that you didn't know! :)

Series Summary:

Lucille Ball had spent three seasons on CBS radio as the female lead in the situation comedy My Favorite Husband when she decided to give the new medium, television, a try. In her radio role as Liz Cooper, she perfected many of the mannerisms that she would use in I Love Lucy, including the scatterbrained quality and the loud crying fits when things weren't going her way. CBS was enthusiastic about the concept of the show, but the network nabobs had two major objections--they were positive nobody would believe Desi was her husband (despite the fact that they were married in real life), and they wanted the show done live from New York, like most of the other early television comedies. Lucy was determined to use Desi and had no desire to commute from Hollywood to New York for the show. In the summer of 1950 the two of them went on tour performing before live audiences to prove that Desi was believable as her husband, and early in 1951 they produced a film pilot for the series with $5,000 of their own money. The pilot convinced the CBS brass that they had something special and I Love Lucy was given a berth on the fall schedule.

The premise of I Love Lucy was not that much different from that of other family situation comedies on television and radio--a wacky wife making life difficult for a loving but perpetually irritated husband--but the people involved made it something very special. Lucy Ricardo was an American of Scottish ancestry (maiden name MacGillicuddy) married to a Cuban bandleader. Husband Ricky was employed at the Tropicana Club and since she was constantly trying to prove to him that she could be in show business too, he spent much of his time trying to keep Lucy off the nightclub's stage. Ricky just wanted her to be a simple housewife. Whenever he became particularly exasperated with one of her schemes, Ricky's already broken English would degenerate into a stream of Spanish epithets. The Tropicana Club was in Manhattan, and so was the Ricardo apartment, in a middle-class building in the East Sixties where their neighbors, best friends, and landlords were Fred and Ethel Mertz. Lucy's partner in mischief was Ethel, and both Ricky and Fred had to endure the foolishness perpetrated by their wives.

I Love Lucy was an immediate smash hit and during its six years in originals, never ranked lower than third in popularity among all television programs. The plots, by series creator and producer Jess Oppenheimer and writers Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr., were superb, the gags were inventive, and Lucy's clowning the piece de resistance that took I Love Lucy beyond the realm of other contemporary comedies. As wacky as she was, audiences could emphathize with and adore her. Watching I Love Lucy in the early 1950s became as much a part of life as watching Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater had been in the late 1940s. It was a national event when, on January 19, 1953, Lucy Ricard gave birth to Little Ricky on the air, the same night that Lucille Ball gave birth to her second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV.

Over the years, within the context of the show, Ricky became more successful. He got a movie offer that prompted a cross-country trip by car with the Mertzes, during the 1954-1955 season. During the 1955-1956 season they took a trip to Europe, also with the Mertzes, and at the start of the 1956-1957 season Ricky opened his own club, the Ricky Ricardo Babaloo Club. He had also gotten a TV show and, with his good fortune, bought a country home in Connecticut early in 1957. It was also during the 1956-1957 season that little Ricky was added to the regular cast. He had been played on an occasional basis in the previous seasons by a pair of infant twins, Joseph David Mayer and Michael Lee Mayer. Also seen on an irregular basis over the years were Ricky's agent Jerry, the Ricardos' elderly neighbor Mrs. Trumbull, Lucy's snooty friend Caroline Appleby, and Mrs. MacGillicuddy, Lucy's mother.

Everyone has certain favorite episodes of I Love Lucy, and there were so many memorable ones that trying to cite the "best" is particularly difficult. Even CBS executives had problems doing it. During the summer of 1958 there was a collection of reruns titled The Top Ten Lucy Shows--there were 13 different episodes in that "top 10." There was the show in which Lucy maneuvered her way onto Ricky's TV show to do a health-tonic commercial, and got drunk sampling the high-alcohol-content product. There was the time she tried to bake her own bread, and was pinned to the far wall of her kitchen when the loaf--into which she had thrown two entire packages of yeast--was released from the oven. While looking for souvenirs to take back to New York from their trip to Hollywood, Lucy and Ethel tried to pry loose the block of cement with John Wayne's footprints from in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. There was the time Lucy tried to get into Ricky's nightclub show by impersonating a clown. When they were going to be interviewed on the TV show Face to Face they almost got into a fight with the Mertzes because Ricky's new agent wanted them to move into a classier apartment. The messiest episode, however, had to be the one that was part of their trip to Europe. Lucy had been offered a minor role in a film by an Italian producer and, in an effort to absorb atmosphere, ended up in a vat of unpressed grapes fighting with a professional grape stomper.

The success of I Love Lucy is unparalleled in the history of television. The decision to film it, rather than do it live, made it possible to have a high-quality print of each episode available for endless rebroadcasts, as opposed to the poor quality kinescopes of live shows. The reruns, sold to independent stations after I Love Lucy left the network, and translated into virtually every language for foreign distribution, made millions. This set the pattern for all of television. The appeal of reusable filmed programs, all started by I Love Lucy, eventually resulted in the shift of television production from New York, where it had all started, to Hollywood, where the film facilities were. I Love Lucy was practically unique in that it was filmed before a live audience, something that did not become widespread in the situation comedy world until the 1970s, and the technique of simultaneously using thee cameras during the filming to allow for editing of the finished product was also a Lucy first.

By the end of the 1956-1957 season, despite the fact it was still the number one program in all of television, I Love Lucy ceased production as weekly series. For the two years prior to the suspension of production, both Lucy and Desi had been seeking to cut down on their workload. They finally succeeded. After the fall of 1957 there was no I Love Lucy, but there was a number of Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Shows, full-hour specials about the continuing travels and tribulations of the Ricardos and the Mertzes. Reruns of I Love Lucy had aired during the summer of 1955 as The Sunday Lucy Show and during the 1955-1956 season on Saturdays as The Lucy Show. With the original show out of production, prime-time reruns of I Love Lucy were aired for another two years on CBS, showed up briefly in 1961, and ran in daytime on CBS until 1967. The syndicated reruns have been running continuously ever since, and there is no end in sight.

Series summary from The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows: 1946-Present

Did You Know?

The "valentine" opening credits seen in syndication were *not* the original opening credits. When the series originally aired on CBS, the credits featured animated stick figures of Lucy and Desi along with the sponsor's product--Phillip Morris cigarettes, for instance. The "valentine" credits were added when CBS began rerunning the series in 1958.

References to the series' original sponsor, Phillip Morris, can still be seen in some episodes today. Most notable is the scene in "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" in which Lucy dresses up as Johnny the Bellhop, the Phillip Morris icon.

Bea Benederet and Gale Gordon were Lucy and Desi's first choice to play the Mertzes.

Desi Arnaz invented the rerun during the pregnancy episodes of this series by re-airing some episodes from the first season to give Lucy some rest.

When Lucy was pregnant with Little Ricky, network censors wouldn't permit her to say "pregnant." She had to say "expectant".

You won't hear the word "lucky" in "I Love Lucy." Phillip Morris, the sponsor, forbade it because they did not want their audience thinking of their main cigarrette rival, "Lucky Strikes."

I Love Lucy was one of the first TV shows to be filmed, in Hollywood, at a time when many shows were done live in New York. It pioneered the use of three cameras simultaneously, and the results were high-quality prints of a classic comedy series preserved for future TV audiences.

The full names of Fred and Ethel are Fredrick Hobart Mertz and Ethel Louise Roberta Mae Potter Mertz

Because of limited space on the sound stage, the Ricardo's bedroom and the Mertz's living room is the same set with different furniture.

Lucie and Desi Arnaz Jr. appear in the final first run episode of the series. Their parents wanted them on the show to help them celebrate the final episode of the series.

Gale Gordon was the first choice to play Fred Mertz, but he was unavailable. When they came across William Frawley, Desi Arnez wanted him, but he was told that Frawley would be a poor choice because he was a womanizer, a gambler, and a drunk. Arnez said, "He's perfect!"

The Ricardos' address was 623 East 68th Street. E. 68th Street in Manhattan only goes up to 600, which means that the Ricardos' building in the middle of the East River.

Three "flashback" episodes were shown during the period when Lucille Ball was recovering after giving birth to Desi Jr. These episodes were filmed in advance after Miss Ball found out she was pregnant.

Lucy's birthday is 6 August 1921. She was born in West Jamestown, NY. Her birth year was always kept secret as a running gag on the show, but it was revealed in the episode "The Passport".

Ethel was from Albequerque, New Mexico and her father ran the candy store. Also, one of her neighbors was Betty Ramsey, who would later become a neighbor of Ethel's and Lucy's when they moved to Connecticut in the final season.

Did You Know Facts from The Internet Movie Database

One Really Can be Frugile and Not Go Hungry

2006-08-31T15:30:00.000-05:00

When my husband said that we were going to budget $250 for groceries a month, I thought he was nuts. He has a lot of great ideas, but this didn't seem to be one of them. I have come to see that he had another great idea!! Instead of shopping for the month at Walmart and buying "ahead", we now just shop for the week ahead, alternating from Walmart one week and then to a discount grocery store the next week! I am amazed at how much money we have saved and what we can actually do without!!! And, we are not wasting food as much as we were before! Being on this adoption journey and really trying to cut corners with our expenses has not only been educational but fun!! The wild thing about it too is that we are spending even less than $250! :)

Lucy's Household

2006-08-30T15:42:00.000-05:00

Polly found this picture for me! Isn't it neat? Thanks so much Polly!! :)

Let the Dog Drive

2006-08-29T19:36:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had the urge to let your dog drive? Well, one lady in China decided to let her dog try to drive because he had "been watching" her drive! She controlled the brake and accelerator
while the dog "drove". And guess what happened? They crashed into another car!! Imagine that?

Did anybody else hear this story on Rush Limbaugh's show today?

Maturity

2006-08-29T16:11:00.000-05:00


Portals of Prayer - A Daily Devotion from Concordia Publishing House Start your day with faith-filled daily devotions. Each reading leads you to the foot of the cross with Scripture, prayer, and a life-applicable message.
Devotional Reading for: 8/29/2006	Associated Scripture Readings: Hebrews 5:12-14 Psalm 119:9-16
Maturity
Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. Hebrews 5:13
My toddler grandson much prefers to continue to receive his nourishment by way of milk from his bottle. He has very little interest in solid foods and is quite comfortable with the method by which he has always eaten. His parents, however, recognize that he must begin to change his eating habits. He has sufficient teeth now, but he must develop a taste for new foods. He also must gain the patience required for chewing and for sitting through a meal. The author of Hebrews reminds us that we are not to remain as infants in our faith. We need teeth to study God’s Word. With teething comes some discomfort, and we bear that discomfort as the Lord shows us our shortcomings by His Word. As we mature in faith, we move beyond our level of comfort to attain something better. Increased time spent in study of God’s Word develops a taste for the Word, which grows into a ravenous appetite. It does require time and some chewing, but the more time spent in meditation, the closer our walk with Jesus and the greater our joy in Him and His salvation.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word to guide and instruct us, to correct us, and to draw us closer to You; in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Did Anyone See This Animal on HGTV (on pets) Last Week?

2006-08-26T01:30:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw an animal like THIS one in THIS picture in someone's family room, laying on the carpet!!! I have heard of tigers living in an apartment but a bison? Actually I must confess, I am not totally sure what it was. It was black and very shaggy-looking like a bison! Can you imagine the stench in this family's house? It did look pretty "normal" and neat in the house from what I could see, but why would anyone want this creature in their house?

I also saw someone having an alligator in their house (with a chain or some type of controlling device around it's neck) as well as a childless couple with a couple of monkeys wearing diapers in their house. The monkeys had at least one "play room" with some jungle gyms to boot! And this was a gorgeous house too! I guess that is called "adventuresome living, huh? But then again, I live with an ape so I must be pretty adventuresome too!! :)

Here is Scottius Maximus sitting outside our house (needed some fresh air), contemplating his next meal!! Sometimes he is kind of difficult to please about his food! :) But I love him just the same! :)
He is rather distinguished looking for his age, don't you think?

2006-08-25T08:09:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow we will finish our last visit of our home-study for our adoption. I am so thankful that we are making some progress in this process. It is fun wondering if we will adopt a boy or girl. We probably won't know for awhile! Either way, we will be happy to have a new little one who needs a Christian home! We will need God's help each step of the way! :)

This Is the Day and the Place

2006-08-25T07:55:00.000-05:00

There are times when I do wish we lived back in the "simpler days" as in Andy Griffith, but then I realize that there would still be problems we would have to deal with that have already been resolved in this era. God has us in this particular time of events for a specific reason. May we be content with His will for us. This Portals of Prayer devotion for today says it so well.
Devotional Reading for: 8/25/2006	Associated Scripture Readings: Ephesians 2:12–22 Psalm 145
This Is the Day and the Place
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
During my grandma’s lifetime, from 1894 to 1992, she witnessed the advent of electric lighting, central heating, telephones, automobiles, airplanes, indoor plumbing, radio, television, computers, and space exploration. Penicillin and the polio vaccine removed many horrors of disease. What an incredible time to be alive! We often hear the question “If you could choose any time in history to live, what era would you choose?” In answer, we often romanticize the past, longing for simpler times, yet forgetting the struggles with the elements, dire diseases, poor sanitation, and so forth. Or we romanticize the future, citing our advances as evidence that the human race can and will solve all our ills. Both answers falsely assume that true peace comes from within ourselves. Because we are corrupted by sin, true peace can only come from outside of us. And it does. It comes from Christ. It is Christ. Christ is our peace. He made peace by His cross. Jesus grants peace and joy for every age, every day, and every place.
Heavenly Father, we praise You for the hope, peace, and joy that are ours each day because of Your great love through Jesus. Help us be content wherever You have placed us. Amen.

2006-08-12T22:54:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well! Our computer has been on the blink and not much blogging has been going on here! We have also been busy with office work as well as getting ready for school and our last home visit for the adoption in a couple of weeks. So ... I don't know how much blogging I will be doing in the next couple of weeks. I will do my best. God has been very good to us and helped us in so many ways. Through all this busyness may we be truly thankful and humble and keep Christ first always. Blessings to all!! :)

2006-08-12T22:50:00.000-05:00

I had this posted and do not know how it got back to a draft! Oh Lucy!!

Book Meme

Barb the evil genius has tagged me for this little questionnaire.

1. One book that changed your life: The Bible has definitely transformed me in a most miraculous way and will continue to change me throughout my life. I would be totally lost without it. Wouldn't we all be lost? Besides the Bible, I would have to say that the one life-changing book would be For Better or Best, Understand Your Man by Gary Smalley. Although I do not agree with some of his theology, I did learn to apply a few life-changing ideas which helped me see my husband in a much different way. Now our pastor would probably say that this is a "how to book", but it still has some value in it. It helped me to appreciate my husband and understand why he may think and do things differently than me.

2. One book that you have read more than once: This book would have to be Gone With the Wind which I read two or three times back in high school.

3. One book you would want on a desert island: Besides my Bible, I would want to have Love Lucy, an autobiography of Lucille Ball or a good biography of Lucy.

4. One book that made you laugh: It was a book about Lucy.

5. One book that made you cry: The book, The Other Side of the Mountain, written about Jill Kinmont who was an Olympic skier from the '50s, was definitely a good book but a tear jerker.

6. One book that you wish had been written: I wish there would be a fast reading book (and not too lengthy) about time management. I know that there are books on this subject. I just need a little one with a few good tips.

7. One book that you wish had never been written: This would have to be the first book of the Left Behind series, Left Behind. This is a book (and all its sequels) that has brought and will continue to bring mass confusion about the end times.

8. The book you are currently reading: I am currently reading two books at the time so I must mention them both. One is The Book of Concord, and the other is Answer to Anxiety by Herman Glockel. The latter is a book I wrote a post on a few months ago.

9. One book you have been meaning to read: Actually I have "been meaning to read" an A Beka history book for quite some time now to brush up on my history a little more.

10. Now tag five people:
Scottius Maximus, Favorite Apron

2006-08-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

After Barb the evil genious' comment on my previous post about faith and education, I thought I should clarify myself. She brought up some great points. I apologize if I gave anyone the wrong impression. I believe that parents should instill in their children but not cram down their throats the importance of having a solid faith in Christ, relying upon His Word daily, and seeking His will daily through prayer so that they will discover their interests and God-given talents, pursue their goals, and be able to support themselves. This should be for both girls and boys. Our children need to be strong and able to survive in this world spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and educationally. It doesn't mean that we should just focus on the spiritual side and let the educational side or other parts of their lives just blow off into the wind. There has to be balance.

My main intention for posting Martin Luther's comment was to offer encouragement to other parents, particularly home-schooling parents (All parents teach though.). As a home-schooling mom I go through my times when I doubt that I am doing a good job as our children's teacher. As with all issues, I just have to pray for God's grace, truth, wisdom, and discernment. I know that this is the path that our family has chosen, and we believe that it is the right choice. And though I must always strive to teach all the necessary subjects and skills, teaching our children about Christ is the top priority.
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

I hope that I have expressed my points more clearly!! :)

Another Luther Saying ...

2006-07-31T18:51:00.000-05:00

"The truth is mightier than eloquence, the Spirit greater than the genius, faith more than education."

To me this is very encouraging as a home-schooling mother, but I would think it would be encouraging for all parents. The greatest gift we can give our children is the gift of faith. With the help of Christ, we must give them a good, solid foundation in Jesus Christ first and foremost for they need to know how to survive in this land as Pilgrims. We Christians are but strangers in this world; this is not our home. Our children do need education, but above all else they, like us, need truth, wisdom, discernment, strength, and grace from God's Word to get them home safely to heaven.

Abide With Me

2006-07-29T23:56:00.000-05:00








May these last three verses of the hymn, Abide With Me,
comfort you and give you hope that our dear Shepherd,
Jesus, is lovingly holding you in His arms and will
NEVER leave you or forsake you.   He gives an
EVERLASTING peace that NO other person or thing of
this world can give.


     6. I need Thy presence every passing hour;
     What but Thy grace can foil the Tempter's power?
     Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
     Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!

     7. I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
     Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness.
     Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?
     I triumph still if Thou abide with me.

     8. Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes,
     Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.
     Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
     In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

The Living Word

2006-07-29T23:50:00.000-05:00

From Martin Luther's Little Instruction Book: "The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me."

One Day at a Time

2006-07-28T16:30:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest lessons that I have had to learn this past year is to
take life one day at a time. Now I have always known that, but somehow
God has had to wack me over the head with His frying pan to make it
hit home!!!! Being a teacher, I have always tried to be a planner and
plan in advance. Now, there is nothing wrong with planning. Just don't
try to get ahead of God. This poem that I am about to share with you
fellow bloggers was given to me by my husband's business partner,
and Matthew 6:25-34 comes to my mind when I read this poem.

One Day at a Time

There are two days in every week about which you should not
worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares, its faults
(better known as sins) and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday
has passed forever beyond our control.

All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot
undo a single act we performed: we cannot erase a single word we
said. Yesterday is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow with its
possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor
performance.

Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask
of clouds-but it will rise. Until it does we have no stake in
tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.

This leaves only one day-today. Any person can fight the battles
of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burdens of
these two awful eternities-yesterday and tomorrow- that we break down.

It is not the experience of today that drives men mad-it is remorse
or bitterness for something that happened yesterday and the dread
of what tomorrow may bring.

Let us therefore, live but one day at a time. Author Unknown

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Are You Thankful for Your Spouse?

2006-07-26T21:20:00.000-05:00

When is the last time you told your spouse thank you for something or for doing something for you? Are you truly thankful for him or her, or are you always thinking of things that disturb you about him or her? Do you encourage him or her? If we are all truly honest with ourselves, we can most likely think of a time or period of time when we have all focused more on the faults of our spouses than our own faults, rather sins. But then we need to look at ourselves. Have we been treating our spouse with unconditional love and respect? One of the many things that I have learned from our two pastors is that before I start pointing the finger at my spouse or anyone else for that matter, I need to look at my own sins first. There is a time for lovingly expressing my hurts and frustrations with my spouse, don't get me wrong. However, I really need to reflect upon my thoughts, attitudes, and actions and see if I am being a blessing or a disturbance to my spouse or whomever in my life. Believe me, I will be the first one to tell you that I am a selfish human being and can be really good about putting my needs first. I am just thankful that my Scottius is gracious and forgiving. Even though it has been many years since our troubles, I still remember so vividly HOW HARD it was without him and HOW BLESSED I am to have him! I think we both learned from those days the hard way how lonely life was without each other. Thanks to God we have each other! What a real blessing that is!! :)

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Is That You Bob?

2006-07-25T07:10:00.000-05:00

I just had to post this cartoon for my blog! It seems that this is a picture of a cat in the frying pan! It reminds me of Sam, our dog, who does not like this one cat, Bob, roaming around in our neighborhood! If Sam could talk or do a few more tasks such as using frying pans then uh oh, we
would be in trouble! We would have to put out a bulletin alert for all cats, bunnies, and squirrels!!

Blueberries for Sal and the Scottius Maximus family

2006-07-24T23:53:00.000-05:00

As a kid, I loved this book! Of course, I loved blueberries and still do! Tomorrow we will go to a little community to pick up our annual order of 50 pounds of blueberries. This supply will only last us until about February or March! I like to eat mine frozen with just a little bit of splenda or powdered sugar sprinkled on top if needed. They are one of the best fruits one can ever eat!

You Have to Love This Comeback!

2006-07-23T22:40:00.000-05:00

I received this in an e-mail and thought it would be good to share on my blog.

A woman writes:
My son serves in the military. He is still stateside right now. He called me yesterday to let me know how warm and welcoming people were to him, and his troops, everywhere he goes, telling me how people shake their hands, and thank them for being willing to serve, and fight, for not only our own freedoms but so that others may have them also. But he also told me about an incident in the grocery store he stopped at yesterday, on his way home from the base. He said that ahead of several people in front of him stood a woman dressed in a burkha. He said when she got to the cashier she loudly remarked about the U.S. flag lapel pin the cashier wore on her smock. The cashier reached up and touched the pin, and said proudly, "Yes, I always wear it and I probably always will." The woman in the burkha then asked the cashier when she was going to stop bombing her countrymen, explaining that she was Iraqi.

A gentleman standing behind my son stepped forward, putting his arm around my son's shoulders, and nodding towards my son, said in a calm and gentle voice to the Iraqi woman: "Lady, hundreds of thousands of men and women like this young man have fought and died so that YOU could stand here, in MY country and accuse a check-out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen. It is my belief that had you been this outspoken in YOUR own country, we wouldn't need to be there today. But, hey, if you have now learned how to speak out so loudly and clearly, I'll gladly buy you a ticket and pay your way back to Iraq so you can straighten out the mess in YOUR country that you are obviously here in MY country to avoid." Everyone within hearing distance cheered!

2006-07-22T20:47:00.000-05:00

I just had to post this picture after Scottius Maximus previously posted another Gary Larson cartoon! We have always loved this cartoon since we have had A LOT of experiences with wiener dogs! If you have had one or know of someone who does have one then you will understand this cartoon!

Lutheran Lucy Becomes a Cowgirl?

2006-07-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

Well, it was good to go on vacation to see my family out West and to also go with our son on our church youth group trip, but it is so nice to be back home and settled in once again with my dear Scottius. There were a lot of highlights to our trip, but one in particular was horseback riding. I now own cowgirl boots which is a thrill! (I do need to break them in just a little bit though! :) ) Anyway, I was able to go horseback riding a couple of times which makes my grand total of going about five or six times. (It helped that my sister-in-law gave me a little riding lesson the week before.) This last time of riding on a trail with our youth group was probably the most relaxing to me. Of course, I wasn't too thrilled when Lady, my horse, would try to go too far to the sides of the trail which allowed me the thrill of brushing against trees and bushes! Once I learned how to keep her from doing that she and I did just fine. I am just thankful that I didn't brush against any poison ivy. I don't need any skin problems at the moment! :) When do I ever need poison ivy or skin problems though? Anyway, I even trotted a little which is a big step for me! I don't know if I will ever be galloping material or become a full-blooded cowgirl though!! :)