Missing our family and friends, whether they are on earth, in heaven or other are a natural part of the human heart, it seems to me. We often miss a way of life, an age, a time gone by, a career, a friend? 🚣🏽🏇🚕⛹🏿⛳️🏀🏈⚾️🎾⛱🎊

I hear young parents often today say we are making memories. That’s true, and they do render happy thoughts. We seem to have longings for those happy memories yet at times those same memories often ache the heart because they grow in mind in glamour or other but the act doesn’t fit our season of now life. They don’t fit our adult size like a knit sweater made by grandma that only fits age three not thirty-three.. But the memory tries to stretch the knit to fit just about any size. You know one size fits all.

I love memories that have been made by family and friends. Yet, I often am perplexed, puzzled and sad when myself or/and others give me their ‘now story’ that needs so much more than an ice cream escape when we just scratched our knee.

I started a list of memories that are mine that has lasted through seasons of life. And, some memories that give me a social tea time. One of my very favorites that medicates all my needs is; my Mother, her one Bible, her knees bent in prayer 🙏🏻 and those magical words spoken about me as her warm hand held mine. I still feel the warmth as it seemed to leave her hand and give strength to my whole being that melted away whatever that had brought us to our knees. Now, on to my social tea time. Growing up in a family of ten we were in giggles, mischief, sandwiched among gifts and talents to benefit our ten. Those memories 🏀⚾️🏈⛹🏿🎣 make me blush with pride to share with family and friends over tea. Well, more like coffee for me! ☕️🍩🍦🍰

We would love to hear your memories that means a lot to you. Also, ones that carry a built in parachute when a Mickey Mouse band-aide just won’t do. 💟✝✡☮

A thought that keeps recurring to me. The leader of a nation does not make the people what they are but the people make the leader.

Think about this, God didn’t want to give Israel, His people a King but they wanted one. (1 Samuel 8:10) God didn’t want to punish His people but they choose their rewards. “They shall eat the fruit of their doings”….(Isaiah 3:11-12) “Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.” (Psalm 28:4)

We, the people, have heard from the mouths of two want to be leaders of the free world. We have heard very distinctly what each candidate  stands for? Their ideals, ideology, principles, and moral beliefs are very well documented. We, the people will speak on November 8, 2016 and show the world what we as a nation stand for.

Let us do as Dr Ben Carson, the notably brain surgeon has suggested, “use our minds to think.” Do as Mr Pence, a VP running mate has suggested, “pray”. Do as both candidates have suggested, VOTE!

 

“For the LORD Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth.” Psalm 47:2

When I was a young girl I would often swim in this very place. I was even baptized here as a teenager. It captured my imagination then and has never ever faded but only intensified my mindful and thoughtful moments.

In thinking today, I ask myself what one thing has this body of water with its many facets of a body taught me? I would have to answer; “For the LORD Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet.…” Psalm 47:2,3 (NAS) The sun, 🌞the moon, 🌚the stars,🌟💫 the winds and the movement of the  ‘Albermarle Sound’ answers to no man or woman. But, yet the Lord most high knows the intricate working of each of these untouchable created beauties.

I would like to invite you to stroll with me on the shores of creation and inhale the awesomeness of God and exhale in words of joy that He is the great King of all the earth.

Then place the president to be of the US in the setting of the sun and share how small or how large all this rhetoric from pundits, media, candidates, politicians, friends, family and churches loom in the Eye that has been set in both the rising and setting of the sun.  🌕🌖🌝🌛🌜🌞🌓

 

 

Psalm 46:10 (NIV) He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth…

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fish🎏🎎🎣⛹🏼⛷ for people.”- Matthew 4:19 (NRSV)

Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of ⛪️💡✝💓Christ.”- 1 Corinthians 4:19 (NIV)

Mike Pence said,  “I’m a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.”-

Tim Kaine, said, “Clinton’s a good Methodist and I’m a good Catholic even though We Support Abortion.”

WHAT SAY YOU?

 

Encouragement from St Paul. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2, NRSV

Does etiquette ever interfere with your spiritual mind and growth? It does mine big time. Sometimes I feel the need to focus on spirituality, feelings, and soul care development? About the time I read a few  great popular books  and  get the freedom to  be me, so they tell me, I stumble across a passage of  Bible Scripture that I read many times but now it  starts to interfere with my new self help books. My new modern etiquette gets a little test.

Here is an example that muddles my mind taken right from the Bible:

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” Luke 14:13, NRSV

Why, if I might ask?   “He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid… 14 ) And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

No, something is really wrong here. I want to be invited back. I believe that is owed to me. I want to enjoy  the sharing and rewards of gathering. Don’t you? Or, is this just me?