This is the card Tom gave me for our anniversary day before yesterday. It is special cause this is the special way we held hands while in Israel. We held just little fingers while walking... it was our special Israel connection!!! 
I love it! 
Thank you so much, Lord, for all the awesome work you have done to make us so wonderfully one! You said it would be worthwhile and it is way worthwhile, WAY, WAY WORTHWHILE!!!! Be Glorified! 
Got home last Wednesday around 10 PM. Was so mentally exhausted and physically exhausted......... I was so grateful my sis in law went with me, she made the trip seem fast. I drove all the way down and all the way back.... I was like a control freak, refusing to let my sis in law drive even one mile. She did offer to drive. What was wrong with me??? I was like on a mission and I didn't want anyone to drive cause they might not drive as efficiently as me! I will just say it like that.
It was 12 hours down and 12 hours back. We pretty much drove straight through, except for the detour (45 minutes) to find a DQ which had closed two minutes before we arrived. They closed at 8PM. The guy inside asked if we were pregnant. This was in response to our begging at the door... saying we had driven all the way from WA state to Sacramento, CA that day with that DQ in our Garmin..... I showed them the Garmin, plainly stating DQ, Truxel Blvd, Sacramento, CA ... I showed them my WA state tabs... but would they let us in.... NO!!!! (We were speaking through the crack in the door... with the keys dangling on the other side.)
Tomorrow morning we head back to Napa. Only Uncle Tom is staying home to work.... so it will be Caryn and myself for this trip. We have to go get the last of Aunt Norma June's & Uncle Doug's stuff. I still can hear Norma saying to me, "Don't forget to come back to get this stuff when we leave here!" She was so cute and impractical at times!
Here is a picture I took Friday at the store. I couldn't believe how much this driver looked like a dog.
A friend sent me this video. If you haven't seen it already, you surely won't want to miss seeing it. For you viewing convenience.... click here:
I read on one of my blog subscriptions that Paul Harvey, referring to America, said something to the effect that "we need to go back to being a good example and stop trying to be a good influence". I like that thought a lot. It is simple and serves to make us a good influence also.
I think that is a good principle to practice in my own personal life too! I think I am gonna need some help with this one Lord. Thanks for being here. 
Home again....... so nice to be back. The trip had some nice experiences. Visited some neighbors/friends from the 70's. They had us over for dinner. They live in Surprise, AZ. It was a very good time. We also got to visit our cousins who live only 3 minutes from Uncle Doug. That was a good time also. We took Uncle Doug on two drives for sight seeing. Got him a milkshake, which is his favorite. Took some pictures for your viewing pleasure. See below.
Uncle Doug
Uncle Dougs Room
Out Front
A cool duck we saw. He has a puff on his head.
View out the window in hall by Doug's room
One of many elderly Cactus' in AZ
Cousin John & Tom
Notice how the Palm Tree Trunks turn. Tom thought that was very interesting.
Below is a song that plays in my heart frequently. We bought it in Israel last month. May it play in your heart also, enjoy!
I heard a quote this morning that really blessed me and helped a lot. It was this, "God is the only one who can break something and make it more valuable!". He breaks us inorder to increase our value. How awesome is that!?!?!?!?
Well, we must do the right thing. What is the right thing? The right thing is the thing one does that benefits others. In other words it would "seem" the right thing is to just want peace with all. I will just mind my own business and be nice to everyone. And kindness is a wonderful gift to give someone, but it turns out to be a very selfish thing most of the time, many times, or sometimes because it is based on self centeredness. In other words... I just want to love so I will be loved in return. I sure don't want to meddle. On the flip side people can meddle and butt in where they should not be. The whole point is motive. What is the motive behind getting involved or staying out of it? Is it to benefit others or to just express yourself? Is it just to make some trouble for someone who has made trouble for you? I guess what I am saying is we can so easily deceive our own selves into believing we are "right" when our motive makes whatever we are involved in...so wrong!
My great grandma used to say, "one side or a wheel off" when she wanted to get past you. And that is our attitude so much of the time. We don't want to lose our wheel so we move aside. Or we are the one saying "one side or a wheel off" to someone standing in the way of our goal. Both can be selfish actions all depending on the motive. But I have to add what the scriptures say that the prudent man sees trouble and hides himself from it. So in other words don't be stupid and pretend trouble isn't coming.
I heard a message years ago that still bothers me to this very day. It was a message on the "spirit of non-commitment" which says "you don't bug me and I won't bug you". The point was that attitude is not the peace God calls us to embrace or promote. We will have to account for the things we have done in this body... and the basis will be the "motive". Did I do what I did for the eyes of men? Did I do what I did for the love of me? Did I do what I did to save me from trouble and if so does that leave others vulnerable to that same trouble?
I have done everything wrong and a few times I have done something right. I think this heart issue or motive is the reason God is the only righteous judge. For our hearts are laid bare before Him. We cannot deceive Him. He knows.
This whole post stems from some soul searching regarding our Uncle. When I think of him and the things that have been done I am saddened through and through. If we could go back and do things differently.. but I think my motive definitely wasn't right. Another thing I have learned is that so many times when our motive is right, we won't want to do what we are being called to do. But this is the way to see God's power released in our life. It is the narrow road that leads to life and few there are that go that way. Broad is the road that leads to destruction and many there are who go that way. WE CAN DO HARD THINGS! Lord help us!
Well, we need to fly to Arizona on Thursday. I wish it was a trip for fun but unfortunately that is not the case. We are so worn down by the continual lies and deception that has gone on in regard to our Uncle. We don't know whether he is just going along because as some have said, he has been brain washed. Unfortunately it is looking like that is true. Poor Uncle.... I cannot tolerate liars. My sister used to have a poster that said something like, "Yes, the truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable." As I recall, it had a picture of a person going through an old fashioned washing machine wringer and coming out flat as a graphic.
Here is a recording of an elderly lady as she says, "well seasoned and into her 80's". She was so entertaining. I loved listening to her talk. This will give you a pretty good idea of what I am talking about. Here is a re-inactment of Marguerite talking to me last Fall:
PS. I wanted to share this with you last Fall, but my voice recorder cord was missing. I asked the Lord to show me where it was a few days ago and He did yesterday. It was in the case with our video camera.
What is the meaning behind April Fool's Day? Have you ever been an April Fool? Any good April Fool's stories to tell?
Can anyone read this sign?............ Me either.
What is the name of the river below?
(If you said "The Jordan River" you are correct.)
Do you know what this is?
(If you said "olive press" you are correct.) DUH - I first said "winepress"... April Fools!!!
Thanks Martna!
Below are pictures of one of the hikes we took in Petra. Lots of fun!!!
Tom said he was gonna buy me this outfit for next Valentines Day! See the hearts?
I better go now. Lots to get done, but I just read that "multitasking" they now believe is connected to memory loss.
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