A Closed Door that Finally Opened a New Window of Opportunity!

For those of you who have followed the saga of the "Ben's Country Woodshop" Page on this blog...you will remember that "Ben's Country Woodshop" was the result of a closed door and what a young man did to explore the possibilities of open windows that were available.  After months of rejection in his job search for a "real job", this determined person would not allow the "no" responses to overcome his spirit of adventure and drive...and he created his own opportunities for self-employment.  God provided the tools, the talent, the support of friends and family, the space to work, and he supplied his own ingenuity and dreams to create products that would not only be useful and practical, but also interesting and unique.  Although this did not lead to wealth and prosperity, it did provide a sense of accomplishment and a way to obtain the necessary experience to build self-confidence and hone his skills so they would become more marketable. 

Day by day this wanna-be entrepreneur worked and studied and experimented with new designs and techniques...and kept busy with new projects instead of giving up hope and becoming a "couch potato".  But after months of no real income he was becoming a bit discouraged and began to wonder if he should just give up on the woodworking and try something else.  Then something wonderful happened...an acquaintance told him about a local furniture manufacturing company that just might be hiring.  As a matter of fact, this acquaintance actually knew the general manager of the company and put in a good word for our self-taught woodworker.  And lo! and behold!  About two weeks later this manager called up and invited our young man to come in for an interview, which resulted in his being hired for a full time position which started immediately!  The question the man asked him was, "Do you know how to operate saws and woodworking equipment?"  Well, guess what?  About a year and a half ago he would not have been able to answer that question with the same confidence and truth with which he was able to respond at this particular time.  You see, God knew way back when that this was exactly the kind of training and experience he would need to get this job today.  God provided the tools, the determination to learn and experiment, and the encouragement from friends and family that drove him forward.  Then, when the time was right, God provided the Open Window of opportunity for which he had been completely prepared.  God's timing is always perfect...and His plans are always exact and complete.  We just have to learn to trust and obey the nudges He gives us to move forward in the right direction.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."  Jeremiah 29:11

Thank you, Lord, for giving our son the proper guidance at the right time...and for helping him to believe that what appeared to be a "closed door" was actually a path to the "open window" that You were preparing for him ahead of time.  May we all be encouraged by this story today. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

You can see more of Ben's Country Woodshop on the link provided above to the page on this blog. http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/p/closed-doors-open-windowsand-motivation.html Also, go to http://www.start-with-free-woodworking-plans.com/  for more ideas and products that have come as a result of this "open window".   We give God all the glory!!

"Someone Worth Dying For"

"To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him."  Deuteronomy 4:35

Last week was a very traumatic time in our house...and yet a very awesome thing happened in the midst of it all.  The picture of the van at the left is the wreckage of a vehicle in which a man was killed.  We did not know this man or his family.  We still don't...only his name.  But this man did something amazing for us...and you may not understand this...and neither may his family. First of all let me say that my heart has been burdened greatly for this man's family...and I have prayed for them daily ever since this has happened. Perhaps one day there will be an opportunity for me to tell them so,  not just yet...but in God's time.  You see, last week this man had a divine appointment with eternity.  I am certain that on the morning of July 27th,when he left his home for work, he had no idea that he was heading for this divine appointment.  I would imagine that if he had known he probably would not have left his house. But he did was he was supposed to do on that day, which appeared to be an ordinary day for him of going to his job. 

At about the same time that morning my son also left our home and was headed for his new job up the highway about 50 miles away. Everything was looking good for him...he had just recently decided to come back home from up north and look for work down here since things weren't going all that well for him in his previous location.  He was amazed that he had found a job so quickly upon arriving here, and he was actually enjoying working outdoors again in the fresh air and sunshine after being cooped up indoors in the cold north for so long. He was feeling pretty good and enjoying the ride in his pretty car that he was so proud of..."the love of his life" you might say. 

Suddenly everything changed for these two men on the same road heading for different places...due to a series of unexplainable and terrible events their lives literally collided on that highway...and as the beautiful red car strangely spun out of control and into the path of the van, the man in the van did what I am sure any of us would have done...he tried his best to avoid that vehicle and the person sliding right before his eyes...and as he swerved to miss him, he too lost control of his vehicle, and the two vehicles went careening down over the embankment to the swamp down alongside the road.  As my son looked back up toward the highway from his backwardly skidding car, he was shocked to see the van hurtling and flipping directly toward him.  He barely had time to duck down in the front seat as he felt the spray of glass from his t-tops above showering down on top of him.  Then he heard the loud thud of the van landing in the swamp just behind his own car, and he leaped out of his car to see what had happened and called to the man in the van...but there was no reply.

As he wandered around in shock he called us on his cell phone and cried as he told us about the accident and we could hear the fear and anguish in his voice as he told us that he thought the other man had died. We dressed as quickly as we could and headed up the road to be with our son and bring him home.  We did not get to see his car as it had already been towed away, but we saw the van as they were dragging it out of the swamp, and our hearts throbbed for the soul of the man who had lost his life in that mangled hunk of steel.
When we reached our son we held him and cried and thanked God for saving his life and restoring him to us whole.  And again we prayed for the soul of the man who had met his destiny that day...and for his grieving family.

Little by little the details came out...and even a few days later as our son viewed his vehicle for the first time since the accident...the true impact of what had happened that morning began to make its impression on his and our hearts and souls.  When our son saw his car he realized that it was much much worse than he had known the day of the accident...he had not known that the hood of his car was badly smashed by the other vehicle, and that only an angelic bubble could have stood between him and the crushing weight of that hurling missile that apparently had literally bounced off his hood and over the top of his car, completely missing him and leaving him physically unscathed.  What really hit all of us hard was the fact that this man had actually sacrificed his own life in attempting to avoid hitting our son's car...and his life was taken away, while our son's life was spared.  That is what really came through loud and clear...this man died and our son lived. Why? Only God knows for certain.  We can't explain or understand...we can only be grateful.  I think the thing that has hit my son the hardest is that his life has been spared for a reason...and he wants to be worthy of that.

We all have a date with destiny...a moment in time when we will meet our Savior face to face.  We hope that we will be counted worthy of heaven at that time...but the truth is, none of us is worthy in our own strength.  It is only because of Christ that we can even hope for eternal life...not because of our good works or "worth". 

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."  Romans 5:6-11

Someone Worth Dying For by Mikeschair  Please click on the link and listen to the song by "Mikeschair"... maybe you are the one who doesn't believe that you are someone worth dying for...but you are precious in God's sight...so precious that He sent His own Son to die for you so that you would be redeemed to God for eternity.   If you don't know this Jesus...I hope you will just ask Him to reveal Himself to you...and give you a purpose for living...and a hope for eternity.  We never know what may lie ahead in the road for us each day...we need to be reconciled to God  while there is yet time.  You ARE someone worth dying for.

The Second Chance...

• "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.  See how great a forest a little fire kindles!" James 3:5

• "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." James 3:6
• "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind." James 3:7
• "But no man can tame the tongue.  It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." James 3:8
• "With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God." James 3:9
• "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." James 3:10

Enuff Said!

Well, maybe...I always have a few things to add...

People who have known me most of my life will tell you "lovingly" that I have a propensity for opening my mouth and inserting my foot.  It's called "putting my mouth in motion before I put my brain in gear."  It's also known as not thinking before speaking...and it can get me into a lot of trouble!  That is one reason why I have taken up writing...my computer has a "delete" button...my mouth does not!  I can write something here and go back and look at it and re-read it and think about it before I push the "publish" button on my blog page.  I honestly do try to do that religiously...proofread, check for typos, check for spelling errors, and most of all...check for how honestly and kindly I have spoken in word and print.  Sometimes things slip through the cracks...I get in a hurry to get it finished and published so I can get to bed.  I hate to leave something unfinished to complete in the morning...I'm always afraid I will lose the "moment" and won't be able to complete the writing with the same fervor with which I started it.  But I am always thankful when I re-read something I've written and don't feel embarrassed by what I see in print.

Last night I made a mistake.  I spoke too quickly without thinking, partly in jest, but without weighing the possible ramifications and consequences that could happen by inflicting these remarks upon the heart of someone I love.  As soon as the words escaped my lips I knew I had said the wrong thing and that a barbed arrow had stricken the heart of my child. I could not recapture my words...the damage was done, and my son was gone...out the door...for a ride in his car...to escape before the hurt and anger my careless words had incited could flare up and respond back to me with fury.

When the full impact of what I had said and how it was taken hit me, I immediately repented in "dust and ashes"...but all that I could see was the dust stirred up by his retreating vehicle. Repeated attempts to call him on his cell phone elicited no response.  I knew I had made a horrible mistake. So all I could do was pray...pray to God confessing my error, asking forgiveness from God, and also asking God to help my son find forgiveness for me somewhere in his heart.  As I paced back and forth in my yard I pleaded to God to give me another chance to tell him how sorry I was...I prayed for his safe return and an opportunity to confess my mistake and ask for his forgiveness.  You can only imagine how grateful I was when I saw his car returning up the road a few minutes later.  Even though he was not quite ready to talk about it right away, after a few minutes he opened his door to me and let me back into his heart.  We had a wonderful mother-son talk, and cleared the air about things that were troubling him and me as well. It was a happy ending, with tears from both of us, and hugs and forgiveness.  Thank you, Jesus, for this second chance!

This morning my son left for his 40 minute commute to his job up the interstate highway.  He was in good spirits and I knew that everything was back to normal between us.  As he went out the door I told him to have a safe trip and that I loved him. He said he would be careful as always, and that he loved me too. 

Thirty minutes later he called us on his cell phone, crying and scared. He had just been in an accident. He was okay, his car was damaged but not totally destroyed as far as he could tell, but another vehicle involved in the accident did not fare as well...the driver of that vehicle was killed instantly when his van rolled and flipped and literally flew over my son's car and landed on the other end of it in the swamp alongside the highway.  My son jumped out of his car, unhurt, and called to the other vehicle, but there was no response. It was a horrible, grisly scene.  My son was alive...but someone else's son was not. 

Tonight I am praying for the mother and father and possible wife or children of that man, who remains unknown to us. My son was restored to me safe and sound...and with a second chance to live his life.  This other man was not given another chance.  I can only pray that he had left his home this morning with nothing left hanging between himself and his loved ones...or his Savior. I pray that tonight he his safe in the arms of Jesus...and that God Himself is comforting his family and undergirding them with His love and strength.

Tonight I will hug my son again and tell him how much I love him, and how thankful I am that God has spared his life for whatever purpose He desires.  I will again thank the Lord for giving me a second chance to repent and be forgiven for words spoken in haste.  I will think before I speak again...and pray before I put my mouth in motion.  I may not get another chance next time.

"Mi Casa Es Su Casa" -Recycled from August 2010

I was just thinking about this earlier post, originally published about a year ago.  Thought it was worth "recycling" again.  Hope you enjoy and will think about the ideas at the end...maybe God is nudging YOU to open your door to someone experiencing difficult times in their lives...We are called to share what God has given us with those in need...so perhaps this will be a challenge to someone today...Just a thought...

"The Cabin", as drawn by my Dad, William F. Mursch, circa 1939

When I was just a little girl living on the farm in Pennsylvania, the highlight of each year was the annual corn roast at my grandparents' log cabin in the forest. My dad, grandfather, and uncles would all gather in fresh sweet corn from the fields and carry it over to "The Cabin", as it was affectionately called, for a family reunion. All the cousins, aunts, uncles, great uncles and great aunts, and grandparents would come together for a day of feasting and celebration. We children would play hide and go seek, climb trees, swing on the swing, eat, and see what kind of mischief we could get into. It was the kind of day in which happy family memories are made.


Unfortunately, "The Cabin" was sold to another family when my grandparents retired and moved to Florida and the family clan dispersed to various distant parts of the country. But the sights, sounds and smells of those happy days have lingered in my mind for all these years. When I grew up and got married, I told my husband that if we ever had an opportunity to do so, we would have a log cabin or home to share with our family and friends in the same way that my grandparents had done.

A Birdhouse Model of  "The Cabin", built by my son

Throughout our years of serving in the ministry we not only personally experienced, but also witnessed among our colleagues a real need for a "haven of rest" or a place of refuge from the stresses and strains of life in the "goldfish bowl" of the parsonage. Many dedicated servants of God suffer greatly from "burn-out" and have even had to leave the ministry because of the overload of stress on their families and homes. Oftentimes the course they decided to take could have been changed if they had only had an opportunity to get away from it all for a little while for a refreshing vacation. Unfortunately, most ministers live on a very strict budget and are unable to afford a Disney vacation or even a week at the ocean or the mountains or a cruise to the Bahamas. The only vacation most clergy families get might be a trip to visit the relatives in another state, which is hardly ever relaxing or restful!

It has long been our desire to provide such a place of refuge for those who need it the most; a "home away from home" where a worn out pastor and his wife and family could rest and read and walk and talk and relax in whatever way they found helpful. A place where the telephone (including cell phone, laptop) and the television would not get in the way of their time of communing with God and with each other. Nothing could make us happier than to be able to hand a haggard looking minister and his equally exhausted wife the keys to our home and tell them to just "enjoy"! We know from experience what a blessing even just a few days away from the pressures of a busy ministry can be in the life of the pastor and his family.

A further area of need we personally have experienced is that of the family who has been through traumatic illness or injury. Quite a few years ago now, our eighteen year-old son was diagnosed with having a brain tumor. Fortunately for him, his was not a malignant tumor, but the ordeal of major brain surgery and consequent changes in lifestyle for our son and for us, along with the accumulated medical bills, added more stresses to an already overstressed home. We were so blessed in that our son survived and went on to get married and have a son and a happy, productive life. However, just recently he has been diagnosed with another form of cancer, and is going through chemotherapy and all the misery and uncertainty that goes along with that. Even though he has a strong marriage and family support, this is a very traumatic time in their lives.** Oftentimes following such a difficult experience, many families simply break up. They can't cope with the sorrow and pain. I know from our own experience that there were many times when we really needed to get away from it all and have some time alone to cry, pray, think, and hope. However, when faced with insurmountable medical bills and other expenses adding up daily, how could we even think of getting away? We were extremely thankful when some loving friends opened their vacation cottage to us and told us to "enjoy".

The one phrase that has stuck with me from my years of studying Spanish in high school is "Mi casa es su casa", which means, "My house is your house." I have so often wished that we could have such a place to share with others in this way; a home where the door would always be open for those who need to get away from it all. A cottage or a cabin or even a spare guest room, and a welcoming invitation... Even though we are now buying a home, it is rather small and not conducive to having a lot of company. However, I’m not giving up the dream...one of these days I do believe God will make a way possible for us to do exactly what we have dreamed of doing, and when He does, I hope you will be around to hear me say, “Mi casa es su casa,” Enjoy!!

 Perhaps you have a such a place that could be a blessing to a family going through some kind of crisis, burn-out, or who just need a place to get away.  Maybe God is speaking to you about sharing your home, cottage, cabin, timeshare, or even an RVwith someone for whom it could be a life-saver...or marriage saver!  Think about it...pray about it...and if the idea could work...call your Pastor or someone you know and make the offer..."Mi Casa Es Su Casa"...Enjoy!!!  It could be the best gift you ever gave.

**UPDATE 5/10/2018: An update regarding our son mentioned above when this was originally written...sadly our precious son passed away from his four year battle with cancer in 2014. The need for a place to rest and be ministered to was very real for us then, and still is today....and our dream is still to provide such a place for others going through this difficult time of sorrow.  Our current home has a guest room, but we are still somewhat limited as to being able to make it available to others since we still have other family members living in our home. Still praying for that special little guest cabin to become a reality. Keep praying!!

Surprise Packages...

"Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy..." Psalm 33:2-3

The past week I had some "minor" surgery..."minor" only in the sense that it wasn't "major"...not a serious illness or problem...but something that needed to be "fixed", nonetheless.  And yet, anytime we place our bodies under the complete control of others, i.e.; doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, nursing assistants, dieticians, etc...it is a "major" situation requiring the guidance and complete control of the One Who sees all and knows all and is all powerful...God Almighty.  Without Him, my "minor" surgery could have become a "major" problem.  So, I pause to give thanks, and to praise Him for His marvelous acts of kindness on my behalf. 
I can truly say with the Psalmist:

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."  Psalm 34:4

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

So, I am taking some time off from work and my daily duties and am recovering, one day at a time.  I am thankful for this time at home with my husband and two of my sons.  They have blessed me with their constant attention and ready and willing assistance (most of the time :)).  I am being spoiled, and I love it...and I think I deserve it, don't you?  :)    Seriously, I am so thankful to have my family here with me...all except for our #2 son, Matthew and his wife Nicole and our grandson, Noah, who live in Maine...too far to come for now.  But, after the year Matthew has had with his own illness...I am just thankful to know he is there, alive and well and enjoying life again! That is comfort enough for me.

Right now I am being especially blessed by some special "music" from my youngest son,  (#3 ) who recently came back home to live with us after being away and working up north for over a year.  #3 son is a unique individual (aren't we all?)...with varied talents and a gift for being very creative in a way that others may not readily see or understand.  Oftentimes the outside world never sees the inside heart and soul of a person like him, because he keeps it covered with feelings of lack of self-confidence and fear of someone discovering what is really going on under the surface and exposing his more tender side. This has always been a frustration to me as a mother, because I could  see the true talents waiting there to be discovered, but others totally missed it because he didn't meet up to their standards of ability and/or behavior.  When he was in elementary school he struggled to keep up in some areas, and yet excelled in so many others.  Unfortunately, the areas in which he struggled to keep up were the ones deemed more important to the testing authorities in "higher education".  So, that lack of confidence coupled with our frequent moves due to our service in the ministry, created a difficult educational atmosphere for our son, and he eventually dropped out of school.  After wandering around both emotionally and spiritually for a few years, he finally persevered and completed his high school diploma by taking and passing the GED exam the first time around.  I won't say that solved all his problems, but it helped restore some of his self-esteem and confidence and it was a very positive step in the right direction.

Scott, (#3), at age 11 playing the organ at Grandma and
Grandpa's house

So, anyway, to sum this up...recently when my father passed away, our son asked if there was anyway I could get the electric "Wurlitzer" organ at my parents' home.  All of the grandkids and great-grandkids loved playing this organ when visiting at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but our son had a special affinity with this instrument. You see, he spent several years living there with my parents and helping with the caregiving while my mother was failing and then also when my father was left alone after her death.  Although "#3" never had any real music lessons, he has this creative drive to make music within, and claimed that playing the organ was a form of "therapy" for him after a long day at work.  Fortunately for those around, the organ works beautifully when the player uses headphones...and this gives the instrumentalist the freedom to make any kind of music he so desires without bothering anyone else.  I always assumed this was a really good thing when our son was playing, knowing the style of music he seemed to like best.  :)

Scott (#3) today- a surprise package!

However, since our son has come home, and yes, the organ is now a part of the very crowded furnishing of our home,  he has actually taken off the headphones so that we can hear what he is playing, and we have been blessed.  I have been very pleasantly surprised at the beautiful and calming music that he has been playing for me each evening since I came home from the hospital. The melodies are soothing and tranquil, peaceful and comforting.  No, he doesn't read music...he has no idea what he is playing in the technical sense...but in the realm of melody and tone, the music is heavenly.  A gift from God...whether he realizes it or not.  It is one of those unique presents that has true presence...the presence of God's Spirit ministering to my soul. And I give thanks.

Sometimes gifts come in surprise packages....

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continuously be in my mouth."  Psalm 34:1

Rainy Days Are Meant for Family Time UPDATED 2-20-2015

SEE THE  2-20-2015 UPDATE AT THE END OF THIS ORIGINAL POST, WRITTEN ON 7/10/2011




"I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."  Psalm 13:6

July 10, 2011:

I love rainy afternoons...and it seems like we've had a few here recently...which is much appreciated after a season of drought.

What do you like to do on a rainy afternoon?  When I am at home and not working I love to do several different things when it is cloudy and rainy and cozy inside my house.  One, I love to cook and bake.
Two, I love to read and sip hot cups of tea and stay in my comfy pj's. Three, I love to write this blog...

What is even more fun is when the family is home with me and we can do things together on a rainy afternoon...like play a game, or watch a movie, or bake cookies together!

Now, you must understand that I live in a house full of men...having a husband and three sons I have always been outnumbered.  And now, even though one of my sons is married, they had a son also...so the men still outnumber the girls. Oh well, I am very thankful for ALL the wonderful men in my life...and the one daughter in law as well!

Recently our #3 son decided to move back home from New Hampshire...said he didn't want to face another winter up there living in the cold basement of his friend's apartment with barely enough work (as a cook at a restaurant) to survive and keep warm...so he took his chances and came back home.  Fortunately, he found a job the first day he got here and so far so good!  One of the benefits of having son #3 back home is that he loves to cook and bake in addition to working on his car, doing lawn maintenance for a living, and fixing things very creatively...(but that's another story). 

So today, being a rainy afternoon, he suggested that we make Grandma Mursch's (my mother) famous Orange Cookies! Now, this is a family treat that my mother lovingly made for her family (and especially the grandkids) every chance she could.  It was her special recipe that was always in demand for bake sales, parties, and just because.  Many people have requested her recipe (and actually, it originated from a bakery in Pennsylvania, but it was given to her when we moved to Florida in the 50's), but few people have been able to duplicate it as perfectly as she.  You see, Mama always said the secret to making good Orange Cookies was in the way you "folded in the buttermilk".  If you didn't "fold in the buttermilk" just right, the cookies would go flat. 



Me and My boys baking cookies...circa 1979
Front to Back: Matt, Benton, Scott, Me

I was, of course, delighted to have my old cookie-baking son-buddy back home again. We have baked cookies together ever since he was old enough to lick the batter from the beaters...but this was the first time he had ever asked to try his hand at this particular recipe.

I will post the progression of our baking time together here...and you can judge for yourself if this was a worthy way to spend a rainy afternoon with one of my handsome, sweet sons...

Mixing up the cookies...2011

Scott ~ Sampling the Batter...yep, it's good!

Folding in the buttermilk

"now be sure to fold in the buttermilk this way",  I can almost hear my mother saying...



Yeah, You got it!  Just don't over-do it or they'll go flat!!



Oh, man! They sure smell good! 

Next you have to frost the cookies with an orange-flavored glaze...I can't wait to taste them...

easy does it...just a thin glaze

Oh, please...can I eat one now?  They look perfect!!!!

Ready, set...go....!

Oh Yeah....They are GREAT!!!!!

(remember to click on the picture to enlarge, then back-arrow to return to blog)

This is the original recipe typed by my mother....pretty priceless way to spend a rainy day, wouldn't you say?

My Mom on the 4th of July, 2001.
Sure do miss you, Mom!!!
Love,
Pam

Yes, "I will sing unto the Lord, for He has dealt bountifully with me!!!"

NOW GO HERE FOR THE LINK TO THE UPDATE WRITTEN ON 2-20-2015. 

I'm a Little Teapot

My New Red Teapot!

I have a confession to make...I NEED a whistling tea-kettle!  Why do I NEED a whistling tea-kettle?  Because I have tendency to occasionally fill my teakettle full of water, put it on the stove, turn the stove on to high, and go off and forget that I did that!  Now, I know none of the rest of you are guilty of ever doing anything that stupid...and I'm certain that none of you have ever gone so far as to let a teakettle boil dry...so I'm sure that none of you can relate to my problem!  My comment to you today is...Just wait!  Sooner or later, if you ever even use a teakettle without a whistle, you will understand why some of us NEED a whistling teakettle!

Therefore, even though the truth is that I did not let my former teakettle boil dry...the whistler broke off some time ago...and I've noticed the past few times that I've put the teakettle on to boil that I have only discovered it boiling just in the nick of time...before it totally boiled dry...and there wasn't enough water left in the kettle to even make one cup of tea!  So, before tragedy strikes...I decided to do something about it...and I went out and bought myself a new teakettle...a whistling teakettle, that is also BRIGHT RED...so that I will not only hear it whistling, I will also notice it sitting brightly on my stove, all red and shiny and new, and I will pay more attention to it before something bad happens to it!

I know some of you probably have no clue what I am talking about, but I thought I would share my confession with you today...and perhaps there may be someone who may smile and say, "Oh yes, I perfectly understand!"

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/teapot.htm    click on this link and enjoy a little song that some of you may have learned way back in kindergarten.  Now, go put on your teakettle full of water, and listen to it shout and sing!! (and hopefully whistle!)

Enjoy!!!

"You Otter Be In Maine"

I love the title of this blog today...it came from a notepad that we were given way back when we used to live in Maine...and I have just one page of it left...in my Bible, with a few scribbled notes and scripture references jotted down on the dog-eared piece of notepaper, which is now being used as a Bible bookmark.

What is interesting is that a couple of weeks ago in my morning devotions I was reading the prescribed scripture reading for the day in II Corinthians 8:1-9, and I kept on reading down through verses 10 and 11 as follows:

"And in this I give advice: it is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have..."

As I read those verses, I had to scratch my head and try to figure out, "Now, what was I desiring to do a year ago that I must now complete?"  Hmmm...I'm not sure...except that we had gone up to visit our son and family in Maine because he was in the beginning battle against the aggressive cancer that had just previously been diagnosed in his abdomen.  I know the desire of my heart at that time was to be with him and try to help him and his family in some way...but because we had major issues of our own here at home to deal with we weren't in any position to be of much help at that time.  Thank the Lord, Matthew successfully completed his course of chemotherapy and now, a year later, seems to be managing amazingly well, all things considered. He still has some residual issues, but we are trusting God for his complete healing.

But, back to the scripture reading for that day...here we are a year later, and we still have the desire to be closer to our kids in Maine and also one in New Hampshire.  A lot of things have changed in our circumstances here in the past year.  My dear father recently passed away, my mother-in-law has moved up to live with her other son and family, and my husband has just lost his job and had to take an early retirement (such as it is) to try to survive until (or if) he can find other appropriate employment.  I have a good job, but without any health insurance benefits, which, at our age, is crucial. 

So, anyway, a few days after reading those particular scripture verses and contemplating just what God was trying to say to us, I was turning in my Bible to find the new reading for that day, and this piece of paper fell out of my Bible that said, "You Otter Be In Maine".  I showed it to my husband, and we both laughed at the funny picture of the little otter in the corner of the page and said, "yeah, we otter be in Maine if we could figure out how to get there."  Well, then I looked at the words I had jotted down on that note at some point in time...(it's dated July 2, but without the year)  and it was a scripture reference and my scribbled note of that verse....yep, you guessed it...

2 Corinthians 8:10-11 "Do what you began and were desiring to do a year ago (complete the doing of it..."

There were a couple of other things written on there at different times as well..."June 17th: Matt. 5:33-37..."Let your yes be yes"...and a note "Divine counseling at night"...and "Little girl, get up!"  (I believe I was listening to T.D. Jakes on TV when I wrote that note).

So now...what does one do with such messages being put before them in such a strange way?  Well, if you are people like us, you start praying and asking God just what He is trying to tell you.  I don't believe in coincidences...I look for God literally in everything I do...especially when it happens in an unusual way.  Now, I don't want my family to panic, or my employers to get nervous, or friends to tell me I'm crazy...but I have to consider that there may be a message here for us...and I am the type of person who prefers to listen to what God may be saying.  Of course, there needs to be some corroborative action on His part to convince me further before I pack my bags and move...but I want to be ready for action..."ready to go...ready to stay...ready to do His will..."  (from an old hymn entitled, "Ready", written by A.C. Palmer back in the mide 1800's)

I guess what I am trying to say here is, don't be surprised if God moves us back to Maine in the near future. I don't know anything specific yet...and I am not even sure it would be smart at this age to move back into those long, frigid winters when I am already living where most of the population of Maine would probably prefer to be (at least in the winter)...but I am open to God's leading.  I am listening for His voice...and if I hear "you otter be in Maine" again, I may have to start packing...

What would you do?

Ben's Country Woodshop has some new ideas!

We haven't posted much lately from Ben's Country Woodshop, because our chief woodcrafter was busy helping to care for his elderly grandfather, who recently passed away.  Now Ben is getting ready to tune up his saws and drills and get back to work...so we have posted a few new items and some neat ideas on the page for Ben's Country Woodshop.  Check it out and give us some ideas of your own. We are looking for some unique ways to repurpose and rejuvenate some old furniture and items and bring them back to life. We'll be posting some of those ideas in the upcoming weeks and months, so stay tuned!! Thanks!!

You may just see a pile of old chairs and stacks of wood,
but I guarantee you there is great potential waiting to be
re-discovered there.  This may be the new chapter in the life of
Ben's Country Woodshop...so keep watching for updates!

I love this bucket of antique china doorknobs...they are from old
"Closed Doors" waiting to be re-opened!  Can't wait to see what they will become in their new life!

Be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge for details.

See you over on "Ben's Country Woodshop" page....

A New Dawn...A New Beginning...



Sunrise on a new beginning

 Ecclesiastes 11:7 "Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun..."

This morning I beheld the sun rise on the ocean...one of my most favorite things to do...Not only for its beauty and magnificence...which is beyond description...but for its promise...

"Promise of what?" you may ask.  Promise of re-creation...a new day...a new beginning...a fresh start...
   Promise of redemption...of hope...of forgiveness...of renewal...of salvation...
       Promise of a future...fulfillment... life everlasting...joy...peace... love...eternity

"All of this you see in the sunrise?"   Yes, all of this...and much much more.  Every day the sun rises on this earth...every day we have a new opportunity to live, to laugh, to love...to give life, to give laughter, to give love...to offer hope, forgiveness and salvation...every day that we have life...we have all this and more.

Today I beheld the sun rise on my life...and I felt the SON rise in my heart.  For it is the SON Who rises within my soul Who gives this hope, forgiveness, love, peace, joy, fulfillment, a future, redemption and salvation...it is the SON Who enables me to laugh, to receive and offer hope, to dream and see dreams come true, to forgive and be forgiven...without the SON in my life I would be hopeless, loveless, joyless...and lost.

Yes, today I beheld both the SUN rise and the SON rise on the dawning of a new day...and I have hope.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.  Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.  In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.  Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat."  Psalm 19:1-6

"O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!"  Psalm 8:1 

"This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 Amen.