I'm thankful I knew Clinton's grandparents. These are his Wall grandparents. Nice folks. Love their glasses!

Fresh Find: What a fun tape dispenser!

As far as I know there is suffering within everyone's lives. We can look around and see people who we think have it great, but they still have pain at some point that they face. They walk valleys just like us. I bet they even ask the age old question, "Why me."

As followers of Christ, we have choices just like the non-believer. When we face trials we can blame God and cut ourselves off from him. Many choose this route. They may turn their backs for a while or a lifetime.

We can have a pity-party and cry a river of tears. We can shout to the world that God's love isn't big enough because if God loved us he would never allow 'this' to happen.

Something that I have come to realize is that suffering is an attitude. There is no doubt that the pain of suffering hurts. Whether we find ourselves in physical pain or emotional pain, it hurts. Pain is distressing. There can be moments of agony when we might think that God seems so unfair and that there is no possible help or answer.

Temporary relief may seem adequate, but the real solution to suffering is not to isolate it in an attempt to do away with it, or even to grit our teeth and endure it. The solution, rather, is to condition our attitudes so that we learn to triumph in and through suffering. 

“My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness”  2 Corinthians 12:9

Billy Graham has commented: “Nowhere does the Bible teach that Christians are exempt from the tribulations and natural disasters that come upon the world. Scripture does teach that the Christian can face tribulation, crisis, calamity, and personal suffering with a supernatural power that is not available to the person outside of Christ.”

I think we all too easily forget that we are created in the image of God. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27. We are loved. We are special. As Believers God's Word is being revealed to us so that we can face the suffering with grace. Christ suffered on the cross for me, for us. His example should be our lesson in how to endure trouble. Christ endured the cross!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

We can choose to be bitter or better and since E comes before I  in the alphabet I'm going to choose to find myself turning towards God in my suffering to be a better person through his Word; gaining comfort, strength, growth, and power from him.

We may suffer for a while or all our lives. We should not give up hope or engage in self-pity or find ourselves bitter. The end-result is what we all look forward to. Being with the Lord in heaven will put all things into perspective!

Then, we can ask God, "Why me?" Why did you love me so?

Fresh Find: I like this patriotic beanie! :)

One of the phases of grief is the time of claiming transitional objects. I guess this chair sitting in our backyard might be classified as such. It wasn't from my Mother's home or that she ever sat in. It is just an empty chair that I have tied wings on.  

Once the weather warms and I go back outside to enjoy God's beautiful blessings of nature in the shade of the sun warmed day, Mother's empty chair will remind me that she is always with me because of DNA. More than that though is all she taught me, feeling blessed!!!

Fresh Find: Wow, love the beauty of these crocheted stones!

Somebody (Copyright © 1901)

Words: John R. Clements

Music: W. S. Weeden

Somebody did a golden deed
Proving himself a friend indeed;
Somebody sang a cheerful song,
Bright’ning the sky the whole day long,
Was that somebody you?
Was that somebody you?

Somebody tho’t ‘tis sweet to live,
Willingly said, "I’m glad to give;"
Somebody fought a valiant fight,
Bravely he lived to shield the right,
Was that somebody you?
Was that somebody you?

Somebody made a loving gift,
Cheerfully tried a load to lift;
Somebody told the love of Christ,
Told how His will was sacrificed,
Was that somebody you?
Was that somebody you?

Somebody idled all the hours,
Carelessly crushed life’s fairest flow’rs;
Somebody made life loss, not gain,
Tho’tlessly seemed to live in vain,
Was that somebody you?
Was that somebody you?

Somebody filled the days with light,
Constantly chased away the night;
Somebody’s work bore joy and peace,
Surely his life will never cease,
Was that somebody you?
Was that somebody you?

Today I had a snippet of time after a lunchtime with precious Parker (a friend's granddaughter). I needed to deliver Artwalk Plainview posters to fellow artwalk volunteer, Greg, at Plainview Antiques. I decided to spend some time looking around in their new shop. They have some amazing pieces, a pretty extensive Elvis record collection, fine art, a book nook area and primitives, too. 

I got caught up browsing in the nook...books just draw me in. I found two hymn books and I am enjoying reading the words of the poetry with notes.

The song above is from Glory Songs that belonged to Plainviewan, Earl William Miller. The hymns are from the early 1900s. You could order a sample copy, leatherette, for 25 cents or full cloth for 30 cents.

The other hymn book is from a Billy Graham Crusade for those who sang in the choir. Handwritten, in the back, are these words:

Blessed Saviour, thou will guide us 'til we reach that blissful shore. Where the angels wait to join us in God's praise for evermore.

So I Googled them and found this wonderful song, Life's Railway to Heaven. Oh boy, my dad would have loved this. I love the words.

I enjoy how God works in my life each day. Singing evangelism, oh, except I don't read music or sing. God doesn't care. He still blesses me with song.  

Fresh Find: This birthday set is just CUTE!

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.  Hebrews 10:23

When God brought me to this place, I looked up and he showed me the hold he has on me is strong. He is my strength. when he is before me, with me, holding me, I can do all things, (Philippians 4:13).

Just a beautiful reminder of the power, the strength, the security that God reveals to us as Believers.

Fresh Find: World? Trinity? Beautiful colors in this felted necklace.

Old family pictures mean so much more when you know who they are. This is another time I need to ask my mother a question. I'm not sure if she knew who these family members were, but I could ask. I think she would at least know what side of the family. These are beautiful pictures in lovely frames.

Then, with this one my Grandmother, Lucy May Etter, had a piece of paper with handwritten notes. THANK YOU, Cranny!!! :)

Fresh Find: Cute handbag!!!

I'm not sure how much is snow and how much is ice, but I am sure it is cold and slick out.

Icing the table with sparkles!

Chalkboard snow.

Out the back door colors of cold.

Fresh Find: LOVE this bracelet. I'm ready for warm weather!!!

I made it to 6th grade. This is the proof!

Fresh Find: Fun Polaroid Cube!

Wishing this little girl a BIG 5th birthday today! We are very blessed by you Jonci!

Fresh Find: Cute space heroes!

Melanie Daniels, a young socialite, meets lawyer Mitch Brenner in a San Francisco bird shop. He wants to purchase a pair of lovebirds for his sister's eleventh birthday, but the shop has none. He recognizes her from a previous encounter, but she does not remember him, so he plays a prank by pretending to mistake her for a salesperson. She is infuriated when she realizes this, even though she also likes to play practical jokes. Intrigued, she finds his address in Bodega Bay, purchases a pair of lovebirds, and takes the long drive to deliver them. She secretly deposits the birdcage inside his mother's house, with a note. He spots her on the water through a pair of binoculars during her retreat and manages to talk to her after she is attacked and injured by a seagull. He invites her to dinner, and she hesitantly agrees.

Melanie develops a relationship with Mitch, his widowed mother, Lydia, and his younger sister, Cathy. She also befriends local schoolteacher Annie Hayworth, who is Mitch's ex-lover. When she spends the night at Annie's house, they are startled by a loud thud; a gull has killed itself by flying into the front door. At Cathy's birthday party the next day, the guests are set upon by seagulls. The following evening, sparrows invade the Brenner home through the chimney.

The next morning, Lydia visits a neighboring farmer to discuss the unusual behavior of their chickens. She discovers his eyeless corpse, the result of a bird assault on his house. She flees the scene in terror. After being comforted by Melanie and Mitch, she expresses concern for Cathy's safety at school. Melanie drives there and waits for class to end, unaware that a huge number of crows are massing nearby. Horrified when she sees the jungle gym engulfed by them, she warns Annie, and they evacuate the children. The commotion stirs the crows, and they attack, injuring several of the children.

Melanie meets Mitch at a local restaurant. Several patrons describe their own encounters with strange bird behavior. A drunken doomsayer believes the attacks are a sign of the Apocalypse, and a traveling salesman suggests exterminating them all. An amateur ornithologist dismisses the reports of attacks as fanciful and argues about it with Melanie. A young mother becomes increasingly distressed by the conversation and chides them all for frightening her children. The birds begin to attack people outside the restaurant. A gas station attendant is attacked while filling a car with gasoline; he is knocked unconscious, and the gasoline pours out onto the street. The salesman from the restaurant, unaware that he is standing in a puddle of the gasoline, attempts to light a cigar. The gasoline ignites, killing him. The birds attack in greater numbers as people pour from the restaurant to survey the damage; Melanie is forced to take refuge in a phone booth as the birds create chaos outside. Mitch rescues her, and they return to the restaurant, where the young mother becomes hysterical and accuses Melanie of causing the attacks. The ornithologist sits in stunned silence. Melanie and Mitch return to Annie's house and find that she has been killed by the birds while ushering Cathy to safety.

Melanie and the Brenners barricade themselves inside the Brenner home. It is attacked by waves of birds, which several times nearly break in through the sealed doors and windows. During a night-time lull between attacks, Melanie becomes curious about the 2nd floor. Not wanting to disturb the others' sleep, she enters Cathy's bedroom and finds that the birds have broken through the roof. They violently attack her, trapping her in the room until Mitch comes to her rescue. She is badly injured and nearly catatonic; Mitch insists they must get her to the hospital. A sea of birds ripples menacingly around the Brenner house as he prepares her car for their escape. The radio reports the spread of bird attacks on nearby communities and suggests that the National Guard may be required to intervene because civil authorities are unable to combat the inexplicable attacks. The film concludes ambiguously, as the car carrying Melanie, the Brenners, and the lovebirds slowly makes its way through a landscape in which thousands of birds are perching.

The Birds, the Alfred Hitchcock movie that weighed heavy on my mind for a long time. I never could make sense of it. I watched many scary movies growing up and it is my belief and experience that they change your inner being like no other. Be careful littles eyes what you see and little ears what you hear.

The Grackles at dusk remind me of that movie.

Fresh Find: Love this yard art!