Good Sunday morning, Everyfriend  There's a full breakfast to go with your coffee or tea.  Have a blessed Sunday.







Top Ten Reasons to Come to Church Even Though It's Summer
(By L. Lee Sissel)

10. Because praying for a 10 foot putt does NOT constitute an active prayer life.
9. Because saving people from the "heat" is what Christianity is all about!
8. Because this week's absentee equals next week's sermon illustration.
7. Because you helped pay for the church's central air conditioning, you might as well enjoy it!
6. Because your quest to make the immortal words, "Give me wax for my board, keep me surfing for the Lord," a lifestyle choice, just hasn't been as "gnarly" as you thought it would be!
5. Because the combination of sweaty bare legs and varnished pews makes you feel like you're suffering for the cause of Christ!
4. Because the youth minister is preaching for the month of August and someone has to keep a record of his inappropriate illustrations and theological blunders!
3. Because all new sermons are a big plus in a season of reruns!
2. Because it makes your day to see the preacher sweat!

And the number one reason to come to church even though it is Summer is:

1. Because when we say that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, we do NOT mean 9/12ths of our lives!




All Things Possible
(By Michael Newnham)


The announcement came this week that Rogie Vachon had been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. I had tears in my eyes as I joyously posted the news on social media.

It drew the expected yawn from most, but it was a big deal to me.

You see, Vachon taught me something very important.

I was 15 and I had never been more than 50 miles from home; had never crossed the state border. The tallest building I had ever seen was the five story whorehouse/hotel in downtown Medford. (I had never been inside, though it was also acclaimed as a steakhouse...)

Now, I was standing outside the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California waiting for my hero, Vachon to appear.

Standing next to me was the radio voice of the Los Angeles Kings, Bob Miller.

A week before I would have considered such a scene improbable at best, and virtually impossible except in a young mans dreams.

I had "met" Miller as we were at the common urinal at the Forum...when I realized who it was, I stammered out a request for an autograph.

"Perhaps when we're finished", he graciously answered.

When we finished, he signed my game program and asked where I was from.

He could tell I wasn't from LA...

He told me where to go after the game to wait for the players...I didn't know he would wait there with me.

As each King came out he would introduce me..."this is Michael from Oregon...Michael, meet Dan Corrigan...and Whitey Widing...and Danny Maloney"...and on and on.

Finally, the one we all had been waiting for came out... "Rogie...Michael came here from Oregon"...I went deaf after that.

I handed the program to Vachon to sign and my pen ran out of ink half way through...he saw me panic, smiled, and took from his suit pocket the most elegant silver pen I had ever seen.

He finished signing the program, autographed a puck for me, then handed me the pen. "There may be someone else you want to sign...you'll need this". He then moved on to the rest and was still signing when we finally left.

I told you all that to tell you this...

My friends asked me what I thought of this magical night...and what I thought I had learned was that all things are possible...

I lived from that moment on believing that no matter how improbable something was, all things are possible.

I learned later in life that God agreed with me...

However...

What I should say is that I lived that way, believing that truth...until I turned about 50.

Then the belief changed to all things WERE possible.

Back then...back before age and affliction started robbing my vitality of body and spirit...back then, all things were possible.

Those days are gone. The possibilities are limited now.

That is a lie from the pit of hell!

If you belong to God, then as long as you're breathing, all things are possible in Him and through Him.

The dreams will be different, the goals more fluid...but if He's called you to do or be something, then you will be and do those things.

The enemy wants you to believe it's over.

The Lord may say we're just getting started.

The end of things may be greater than the beginning...

I wrote this for me, more than for you.

Congratulations and God Bless You, Rogie.




Removing all risks from your life renders faith unnecessary. Faith requires risks!

--Author Unknown

Good Morning Everyfriend!  Joanie, you put that inspirational reading in there this morning JUST FOR ME.  Right?  Thank you!

Good morning everyone.

A beautiful morning here,sun is shining ,no humidity and a much cooler temp...54° but I am sure it will climb back up fast. I am sitting here with the widows open ,the breeze blowing in and the birds singing...especially the crow and her 4 babies .Not much of a song from them ,babies as big as the mom and they are squawking to be fed!!

A day of rest here today,I had one of these yesterday too,just did the essentials and went and sewed.Perfect day

Phyllis ,the graphic looks so inviting.

Jane good morning to you. I finally got a good nights sleep,no storm to keep the dogs (and me) up.

Jackie, love your dogs and how happy they both look.That is a nice park to enjoy,thank you for sharing.

Joan, thank you for breakfast.

Enjoy your day everyone

Good morning everyone, rained over night and just heard local news, might have thunderstorms this afternoon and summer temperatures return tomorrow. At least the AC has had a break.

JANE  I have frozen food  with eggs in them but not raw eggs by themselves. Glad the day improved for you yesterday.

JENNY  many years ago when my 3 were still young we traveled up the coast of Maine and stayed in a cabin overnight. Not far from the ocean and there was a stream nearby rushing to the ocean. We sat on the little porch in the dusk and could hear that water rushing down. Could hear it inside when we went to bed. So peaceful.

JUNE  I have seen several of Andre Rieu videos on youtube. He is good.

SHIRLEY  with every thing that has been on TV about everyone going in a boat of any kind wearing a life jacket there is always someone who doesn't pay attention. Sad.

PHYLLIS  I would love to be there in your graphic, in shade with a nice breeze, might even doze there. Thanks for sharing your talent.

JOAN  I am ready for your full breakfast this morning. Your chuckles this morning is already copied to send on. Thank you for all today's goodies.

AMY  in the upper 50's here when I woke, now 62°.

Good morning,  Joan.  The breakfast choice today is very welcomed.   

Good morning to Amy, Jane and Gloria, also.

Jane, Hope you will have a better day.  Hope it is as beautiful up your way, as it is down here in Carroll County, Md.  Just a beautiful morning.

Hope everyone will enjoy Joan's breakfast this morning.  You will have a lot of choices, it sounds like.

Joy

Janie--Good morning.  Of course, I put that there just for you.

Good morning, Amy.  54° would be nice.  It's already 82° at my house.  It's about time for those baby bird to "fly the nest" it seems.

Gloria--Good morning.  No rain here--darn.   I'll bet if you "google" you'll get many hits about how to freeze eggs.  Enjoy your cool weather.

Good morning, Joy.  Enjoy the "full" breakfast.

I value those of you here and thank you for your appreciation of the graphic I send to Joan for her to show each Sunday morning.  I make graphics for my own pleasure but when others seem to enjoy them then my pleasure is doubled. 

It has been hot and very humid here for several days, but many of you have the same weather so I won't complain too much.  This time of year is just something that has to be gotten through, I think.  I am grateful that the A/C makes it comfortable inside house, car, or store.  Jenny, I loved living in Colorado during summer because even though it got hot it would always be cool and pleasant in the shade and the nights were usually blanket weather.  And, best of all, the humidity level was low.

Shirley, it is sad to hear about the young man who has apparently disappeared in the river.  The last time I saw the Arkansas it was so dry that they had to call off the annual boat parade because there wasn't enough water for the boats to stay afloat but, I know when it is running full it can be dangerous.

Jane, we all have "punk" days.  Things pile up on us until everything seems too hard to even think about much less find a way out.  We just get through those dark days until something comes along to make the days brighter.  Hope your brighter days are not too far away.

I don't use the rollator inside my house either, June, but on some days I would be smarter and safer if I did.  I'm glad your fall wasn't disastrous and that you are getting such good attention.  That must be a lovely place to live.

I hear David stirring around upstairs so I must be off and thinking about breakfast.  Fruit juice and bowls of mixed fresh fruit (blue berries, strawberries, apples, mandarin oranges, red grapes) and warm cinnamon rolls with real butter this morning.  Y'all come!

Hi everyone.  It looks like today will be a repeat of yesterday and the last several days as it is going to probably get to the century mark temperature wise.  I had my first South Carolina peach of the season this morning and it was so good and juicy I had to stand over the kitchen sink to eat it.  I also had a big dish of watermelon and the nutrition bar and nutrition drink for breakfast so I am ready for the day.  I will be going to Sunday School and Church alone as Pat isn't yet up to going and sitting on those hard chairs in Sunday School and the pew in Church. However, she is beginning to feel better so maybe in a few more days she will be OK.  Nothing else planned for today. 

Hal, I think you are right that people seem to think free things grow on trees.  Someone has to pay for them.  Attitudes have certainly changed over what was the norm when I was growing up in terms of welfare and getting something free and expecting it to be a right.  I do believe we should take care of those who legitimately can't support themselves but when you read that close to $100 million people have just dropped out of the workforce it sends a big message.

Joan, I still have one bird on the nest and it may be she is sitting on eggs and there will be a new crop of birds to watch (and clean up after). 

Gloria, I agree with you about how foolish it is when pride keeps someone from doing things like using the walker or  rolator when needed.  It reminds me of old saying from Proverbs that "Pride goes before a fall".  When the price of eggs got so high Pat froze some and they were fine.  She froze them in a muffin pan and then put them in a bag for future use in baking or having scrambled eggs. 

Jackie, nice pictures from what was obviously an enjoyable day for you all.  Glad you were up to getting and going to that park. 

June, I would be personally alarmed if my blood pressure reading was much about 100.  They must be concerned about your pressure if they awake you in the middle of the night to take it.   Was the Andre Rieu program the one where a bull walks down the isle and then chases a lady in the red dress?  There was a lot of laughter on that one. 

Good morning, Phyllis.  I sure do appreciate the graphics you make and send me for use here in the SS.  Your breakfast sounds sooooooo good.  I'll fire up my broom and be there to join you in a jiffy.

Larry--Good morning.  Hope Pat continues to get a bit better each day.  Yes--the birds are cute but they do usually make a mess.  I haven't had a GA peach this year and will have to check to see if Publix has any.

Good Morning Everyone!

Just a hurried note.  Got to get dressed for church.  I do hope everyone has a great day.

Shirley, what a sad thing.  Some family is in deep grief.  God bless them and comfort them.

Good Morning.   No news from my little corner of the world.

Wishing Everyfriend Everywhere a lovely day.

Good morning halkel and Callie.

Good Morning from a cloudy Inteior day with a clammy feel to it.

To freeze individual eggs, a simple way is to use a standard or silicone ice cube tray, Whisk the egg and pour it into the tray. You can freeze them and then pop the frozen eggs from the tray for use or after freezing, place them in a bag for later use.

We are under an alert for a series of brief but violent thunder showers with hail this afternoon and evening. Since hail is a rarity here, I'm a bit skeptical.

Good morning, Angelface.  Thanks for the information about freezing eggs.  We seldom get hail here--maybe twice a year.

Joan, I've seen hail here perhaps three times in my sixty-five years, but, I would have been skeptical of seeing any ice storm here and we have had three since 2005. I can no longer claim any type of knowledge of the weather here. We rarely even have snow or not that much of it these past years and this is part of the Arctic, for goodness sake!

Good Morning all, I am here...sort of. Couldn't fall asleep till after midnight, then someone came in to do my b.p. check 2 a.m. stayed awake till  6, the slept for another two hours. So this will the the day that was. I will stagger down to Church after stopping at the clinic for the last b.p. check of the series. If I stay awake I will go to lunch after Church. Then is will see what the day brings. It is sunny this morning, so will be a warmer day, alas. I like cool.

Sad news about the young man dying in saving another. Just like some of our police in Texas.

angelface--It seems in many places the weather is fickle.

June--They sure are checking you BP closely.  You sure get good care there.

Before I got my rollator I used a cane. and I resisted that for quite some time until my doctor imparted some words of wisdom: "don't be so darn stupid!"  I immediately complied and graduated to the rollator without resistance.

Good Sunday Afternoon Everyone,
from the warm but overcast,  rocky
coast of Maine.

All is well, here!

Sandy

Joan, I think you missed breakfast because it was just David and me at the table.  Couldn't you get your broom started?     How about coming for dinner around 5-5:30?  I'm having Low Country Boil--without the shrimp because I forgot to get some, and without the crab because I'm not fond of it.  I do have Old Bay, red potatoes, corn on the cob, and hot sausage.  That will take care of today and give us some leftovers for a couple of days.  And maybe, before I set the pot on to boil, I'll run out and get some shrimp.  We'll see.

I'm here today but not much happening.  There's a lot to be done but I don't feel like doing it.  Vacuumed but I started it yesterday and just now finished it.  It does seem to take me longer than it once did. 

Beautiful weather here today...only 74º for the high.

Just checking in. I did not go to Church even though I was up and dressed and ready to leave. Just felt like I was pushing a button that could cause a problem. So I changed into leisure clothing and am staying home. This body is determined that it is going to rule in what it allows me to do and what not to do.

Don, as far as the walker/rollator is concerned, I never leave home without it, but I felt in the apartment, there was always a wall, a chair , a desk.....something to reach out to  if necessary. Well this time it didn't work. I reached out to the chair but it was just a couple inches too far away, so down I went. So I had my lesson learned and if i stand, the walker is right there to hang onto. And if that should start to take off, the hand brakes are right there under my fingers and they work very well.

I hated missing Church and Sunday dinnner, but it couldn't be helped. I had a bowl of soup and some potato salad at home. Now it is time for a nap.

Good afternoon, rained durning the night, I just have the windowns open now.  Looks like rain any min. now.

Gloria, I wore a light sweather yesterday, setting on the sun porch.
When I use to freeze eggs, I always broke the yoke, then put them in a continer.

Joan, enjoyre reading church post. thanks

Phyllis, I always enjoy your graphics.  I always like to go out on my lounge on the sunporch and read,  Where I am headed when I finish here. I am tired also, it is oly 3:30, and I have had 3 differnt neighbors in to visit.  Last night the neighbor across the street had a BBQ, and bought me over a big plate of food. Including steak, and salad.

Larry hope Pat keeps feeling better.  I seem not to feel that great when the weather is so hot. We had up to 90 twice last week, yesterday low 70's
I watch the Hallmark channels all the timealso Barney Miller, Murder She wrote late at night.
Amy, glad to see you slept well last night,  I was up a 4, watched soom TV.

Some one is at the door again, have to go

Good afternoon, Sandy.

Phyllis--That darned broom is not very reliable, but I'll be there for supper.

JaneS--You sure are having ideal weather.

June--Hope you have a good nap.

Linedancer--We could use some of that rain.  Glad you enjoyed reading the post.  It's nice you have company coming and going.

Don. the only thing that bothers me on the Rollators is. I have 2 friends  who had their knees done. Both were using them. Now they have a bigger problem. Their backs are giving trouble. I suppose bending when walking with the Rollator could cause it.
Both now weight close to 300 lbs and I blame that. Not about to tell them though.

People do not realize just how much
added pounds affects ones body.....   

I only realize it now that I have lost 50 pounds... 
(and still have more to go)... I walk better, sleep better,
and feel better now that the weight has come off.   

I am really looking forward to when I begin again
losing  the rest of it...  Which right now seems to be
in a holding pattern...    But I am determined
to keep loosing again soon. 

(Knowing just how much better I feel, having
lost the first 50!)

You are correct though,   telling someone
else what they should do,  just does not
work.     The desire and the will to loose
weight,  and continue to do so,   must come
from with in.   (Like giving up any
other bad habit)   

Sandy

Sandy, I totally agree with what you're saying. Telling someone what they already know is seen as unwanted and unfair criticism.  It is the same as many years ago when I lost 168 pounds. Many of the remarks made while probably meant as complementary I took as insensitive and insulting and they made me uncomfortable.

The Pharoah returned to Egypt on July 7th and I have been straightening up the house for a few days.  While he was here, he thoroughly cleaned our large basement, donated a lot of what he called "treasures" to local organizations, offered to donate some more to the fellows who mow the lawn regularly - they were absolutely thrilled ! - traveled to Maryland to visit friends for about a week, which gave me some time to take a deep breath!

The hot weather we had (and continue to have) did not see, to bother Mohamed as he had become accustomed to the 100+ temps in Egypt.  I sure kept the AC working regularly!  Friends came to visit, neighbors shared some beautiful Watermelon and Cantaloupe to welcome Mohamed and we had great visits.  Our former landlord offered to take Mohamed to the Charlotte airport when he departed on the 7th, which was a great relief for me.

I received an email from my son ("Chaps") at his current post in Korea, but could not access the photo included in the email.  I sure feel sorry about that, but it was good to hear from him even without the attachment.

I planned recently to donate some of my business clothes to a local society and spent some time trying on suits, etc.  Sure surprised me as it appears I've lost about two sizes!  In retirement I'm much more a "blue jeans Lady" and that's fine with me! 

Still dealing with the intense head pains and have an appointment with my Dr. soon.  Doesn't seem there is much he can suggest to get the pains to disappear, so being the Irish Gal that I am, I just deal with it.

Interesting to read the recent posts and hope everyone has enjoyed the weekend with many blessings still to come.

Molly

JeanneP--Seems to me your friends out to figure that our for themselves.

Sandy--Kudos to you for losing that 50 lbs.

angelface--Wow--you did lost a lot of weight.  Congratulations.

Molly--Mohamed was sure busy while he was in the US.  Too bad you couldn't open the picture Chaps sent, but at least you could read the mail.  I wish you could get relief from those head pains you've suffered with for so long.