At the Tabernacle…

Where to begin? I recently had the distinct blessing of sharing a weekend of joy, celebration, music, teaching, praising and glorifying my Precious Lord Jesus in song and prayer, with my dearest friend and sister in Christ. It was a weekend of refreshment in the Lord and the renewal of a precious friendship.
We were fortunate to spend the time there in her family’s little house right in Oak Bluffs.


The setting for this Inspiration Weekend sponsored by In Touch Ministries was the Tabernacle at Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, one of God’s loveliest creations. With The Tabernacle’s history and the idyllic natural beauty surrounding it, it was the perfect place to fill my heart and soul with His glory.

All this, and the highlight of the weekend. The blessings of a humble and eminently gifted messenger of the Lord, Reverend Charles Stanley. His teachings were, as always, profound yet simply stated. Eternal truths from the inerrant Word of God. His messages resounded with the timeless and boundless beauty of God’s wisdom and most of all, His unfailing, unconditional love and grace for all of us. His delivery of the Gospel message was truly inspiring. His messages left me thirsting for more of God’s Word.


Lest you think that a Christian gathering such as this is all “talk”, let me assure you that our joy in the Lord is expressed in many ways. Yep, we love to have fun, and laugh, and sing, and just have a great time…and sometimes we do get a bit rowdy…LOL.

We laughed till we cried at the comic mimicry of Louise DuArt , also called the "woman of a hundred voices," who can carry on conversations between Joan Rivers, Edith Bunker, Barbra Streisand, Barbara Walters, Whoopie Goldberg, Judge Judy, and a few dozen others, all at the same time. As her husband SQuire Rushnell says, "I never know who I'm waking up next to."

We were enchanted by the incredibly talented Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. whom you may remember from The Fifth Dimension. They are currently celebrating 40 years in the entertainment business (and 40 years of marriage!) and performed a musical tribute of the hits and productions that have made up their multi-faceted careers. They have been walking with the Lord for many, many years and they swept us “Up, Up, and Away” with their performance. Listen carefully to the words of the music video I’ve included. It speaks well to the unconditional love of God, as well as the ideal of love between husband and wife.



And last of the featured entertainment, but by no means least, the amazing and multiply talented Annie Moses Band, a “Christian family of Juilliard-trained musicians and award-winning songwriters dedicated to virtuosity in the arts. Led by lead singer/violinist, Annie Wolaver, the Band includes her six siblings: Alex, viola; Benjamin, cello; Camille, harp/keyboard; Gretchen, violin/mandolin; and Jeremiah, on guitar and banjo. Add the veteran song-writing talents of their parents, Bill and Robin Wolaver, and you have a dynamic group with roots in classical, pop, and jazz. Together, they are leading an artistic renaissance in the church through musical excellence, strength of family, and a message of faith, inspiring all generations to join in the discipline, beauty, and excitement of highly skilled musicianship.”


I would be remiss if I did not add the name of Gary Menzies to the list of many blessings the Lord bestowed upon us on this glorious weekend. His incredibly amazing piano artistry is, indeed, a gift of God. I have rarely, if ever, been so enthralled and enchanted by such a beautiful and accomplished performance of classical, semi-classical, and contemporary musical selections. A blessing in ebony and ivory.


Oh yes, we surely, mightily, and loudly praised God in music and song and in prayer. Sing hallelujah, sing praise to the Lord. An Inspirational Weekend indeed!

Off to the Races?

A moose on the loose at upstate NY racetrack
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., Mon Jun 15, 04:16 PM

And it's Bullwinkle by a nose — a really big nose — at Saratoga Race Course. A large moose wandered onto the grounds of the historic upstate New York racetrack where the likes of Man o' War and Secretariat have run. Police said the moose was first reported walking through the city's downtown business district shortly before 4 a.m. Monday.

The animal was later spotted near the track, where it wandered into a parking area just inside the front entrance.

The moose attracted several dozen onlookers, who were kept away from the animal by police.

Police said a state wildlife officer from the Adirondacks later arrived to tranquilize the moose and remove it from the area.

The track opens its six-week season July 29.

…and once again…

Words are inadequate…

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Natural enemies? I think not. God never intended His creation to be adversarial, it is a totally human concept.

This is a video of a homeless man in Santa Barbara and his pets. They work State Street every week for donations. The animals are pretty well fed and are mellow. They are a family. The man who owns them rigged up a harness for his cat so she wouldn't have to walk so much (like the dog and himself). At some juncture the rat came along, and as no one wanted to eat anyone else, the rat started riding with the cat and, often, on the cat!
The dog, will stand all day and let you talk to him and admire him for a few chin scratches. The Mayor of Santa Barbara filmed this clip and sent it out as a holiday card.
A great example of God’s loving creation.

Yummm!

Oh, and by the way, it’s lunchtime…




Gotta love our God who creates all things wise and wonderful.

It’s Friday…but Sunday’s Coming

It’s Friday…

,
…He Himself bore the sin of many.”
“Smitten of God, and afflicted.
… He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
… the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him…
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
…He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due.
… the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many,
He poured out Himself to death

…by His scourging we are healed."

…but Sunday’s coming!

"He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.”

Rejoice, for He has indeed conquered sin and death…
...indeed HE IS RISEN!

The Game’s Afoot

I love to read…no, that’s not quite accurate. I adore reading. Hmmm, still doesn’t quite convey my love for books. Oh well, suffice it to say that I don’t just read, I devour books. Non-fiction for my spiritual and intellectual growth, and of course, good fiction for pure pleasure and entertainment.

My favorite fiction genre is science fiction. Fantasy and “other-worldly” thrillers are other favs. Christian fiction in those categories is another fav. I’d avoided crime/mystery fiction for a long time because it seemed (years ago when I sampled some) they were too simplistic and I solved the “crime” or discovered the solution too soon into the story and naturally lost interest. The blessing and curse of the gift of an inquisitive and analytical mind (yes, as logical and incisive as Spock).

Well, thanks to a Christmas gift from a dear friend, a very fine writer herself (check her blog), I have finally found a mystery writer who not only hooks me in the first few chapters, but keeps me interested, intrigued, and yes, guessing until the very end when she wraps it all up. No, definitely not James Patterson, too simplistic and easy to figure out. This lady is in a league of her own, having earned every major award for crime fiction extant. Her name is Laura Lippman.

Baltimore is Ms. Lippman’s venue. Charm City, Tiny Town, Smalltimore…whatever you call it, you will know it as well as your own home town thanks to her richly painted landscapes and backgrounds. From her able “pen” the city itself becomes an integral character with it‘s own distinct personality.

Her protagonists are characters that are so complex and well developed that they literally grow into people you can not only relate to, but sympathize and empathize with. They are you, me, everyone…you don’t just see them, you feel them. They are human! Not perfect, but real, with all their flaws laid bare along with their strengths. Get to know Tess, Crow, Aunt Kitty and Tyner…and yes, Esskay and Miata…and you’ll love them.

The plots of her stories are fast paced, intriguing and compelling. A veritable olio of riddles, enigmas, conundrums, questions, and finally, unexpected answers producing a thoroughly satisfying brew. Her frequently spicy prose is liberally seasoned with familiar, sometimes contemporary, references to art, theater, cinema, and major media events climaxing in a beautifully wrapped package, somewhat like an old-fashioned box of CrackerJack…a surprise in every package.

All these ingredients combine to produce a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying literary experience delivered by a wonderful writer. Read Laura Lippman - you won’t be disappointed.

…and Jesus laughed!

Have a good chuckle with God.

Hmmm… Hind Tit of a Dead Cow…

The man says it all, and so much more…we the people are
mad as hell and…

God Help Us All!

Wish it was only an April Fool...