Chasing the Wind

December 4tih Our Daily Bread

The epic film based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With the Wind opens with these lines:

“There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. . . . Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, a Civilization gone with the wind.”

Not only does a way of life disappear but also the dreams that drive the main characters. Throughout the Civil War, Scarlett O’Hara is preoccupied with her love for Ashley Wilkes. But by story’s end, she is disillusioned.

Solomon saw the futility of seeking satisfaction in people and things. Despite amassing wealth and knowledge, completing great projects, and marrying many wives, he said, “All is vanity and grasping for the wind” (Eccl. 1:14).

Why does chasing transitory things leave us unfulfilled? The biblical answer is that we were created to find our ultimate fulfillment in God. Jesus promised, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

People and things come and go. But the spiritual satisfaction Christ offers sustains us in this world and will endure into eternity. — Dennis Fisher

What comes from man will never last,
It’s here today, tomorrow past;
What comes from God will always be
The same for all eternity! —Spencer

Invest your life in what pays eternal dividends.

Ecclesiastes 1:2-9, 14

Everything Is Meaningless

2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.

14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Turkey Stuffing Burgers

Well, I felt creative last night. I grounded up some leftover turkey (about 2 cups was what it came out tobe after I grounded it up) in our magic bullet, and mixed it in with the leftover stuffing (about a cup and a 1/2) and then added 3 eggs to it and some salt and pepper. I molded the mixture into patties and then baked them at 350 for 25 minutes. They were actually pretty good! I put swiss cheese on top of mine. The kids aren't too fond of stuffing, but they ate most of the burger. Just another 'leftover' idea.

Thanksgiving Fun!

It was just us on Thanksgiving Day, and you know, for someone who enjoys being around people (especially for Holidays) I was excited that it was just the six of us. We had a most wonderful meal consisting of ham - major kudos to my Honey!!, loaded mashed potatoes - kudos to CountryCrock!, corn, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. For desert we made turkeys out of cookies and candies - the idea was from one of Cora's teachers Ms. Madison - thanks! The kids had a blast, though not many turkeys got fully assembled ;o). Even though Kennedy didn't get make a cookie, she was scouring the floor for any crumbs that may have fallen. She is too stinkin smart for our good! (I think that's what I meant to say....well, you know what I mean, I hope)

Okay, so how do I get the pictures to post after what I've typed, and then to be able to add a caption to each picture!?

To Play or NOT to play, that is the question

This was today's "You Make Me Laugh" email from crosswalk. I found it thoroughly amusing.

A Primer For Accordion Beginners*

Get an accordion. The cheaper the better because they all sound the same.

Do not tell anyone what you have done. It will only cause them to worry.

They will find out soon enough.

Take the accordion out of the case and strap it on. It is better if the accordion rests on your chest instead of your back but, for the first few weeks, it doesn't really make that much difference.

For sounds to be produced, three things must happen. The third is the most important:

1. The bellows must be moving in or out.
2. One or more of the keys or buttons must be pressed.
3. All potential weapons within a one mile radius must be collected and secured.

The buttons on the left side are chord buttons. The "C" button has a dimple or nipple so you can find it without looking. This is a safety feature. Before it was invented, thousands of accordion players suffered painful and sometimes disabling injuries, much to the delight of the general public.

Never use more than three buttons. "Professional" accordionists appear to be using lots of buttons but they are actually just desperately trying to find the stupid "C".

By the way, "Professional" means they have learned to smile while they do it.

Play the black and white keys. The high notes are at the bottom and the low notes are at the top. That arrangement isn't supposed to make any sense. Accept it.

Note: If you find the high notes at the top and the low notes at the bottom, you have either put the accordion on upside down or you have tried to repair it yourself. If the former, turn the accordion over. If the latter, pack your accordion up with hundreds of dollars and mail it far away for a long, long time.

Continue playing until someone begs you to stop or threatens your life, whichever comes first.

Put the accordion back in its case, order an accordion t-shirt and wear it to your state's Accordion Fest.

Prayer for hope

Dear Lord, In times of grief, help me remember You are my Hope and You are right there with me. I pray You open my eyes and heart to others who are hurting and help me remind them of the Hope. Please give me boldness and compassion during this season to introduce the ultimate Hope to others in need of hope. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

He still holds My hand

Today's 'Our Daily Bread' was based out of Psalm 73. How often I question just like Asaph - "Why do they continue to prosper (in monetary wealth)?!" Oh how I loose sight of the grander picture. Sometimes it can be so easy for me to throw a pity party. And that's just it, 'sometimes' are the times that I take my eyes off of the real prize - my heavenly reward, which will be sufficient beyond words.

Joe Stowell expresses it well in a much needed reminder:

"We all face a variety of issues that threaten to make us stumble. For the psalmist Asaph, seeing the prosperity of the wicked caused him to question the goodness of God. But God squeezed his hand and reassured him that, given the judgment of God, the wicked do not really prosper. True prosperity, the psalmist discovered, was found in the fact that God was always with him: “You hold me by my right hand” (v.23). And just for good measure, God reminded him that He would also guide him through life and ultimately welcome him home to heaven (v.24). How good is that!

So, next time you stumble, remember that the powerful hand of God is holding your hand and walking you through life—all the way home!" — Joe Stowell

"Just keep swimmin, just keep swimmin.."

Kennedy is mobile, well, she has been for almost two weeks now. Though, she hasn't quite got the leg part down. She still gets around by 'army' crawling. She also has this 'move' where she appears to be swimming. What was appropriate, only for our amusement, is that she was on the linoleum floor in the kitchen, so her movements were much more fluid. She was awfully excited to be going nowhere, for that point in time anyway, it didn't last long. What's nice about her mobility is that she stays content much longer. I can only imagine how I would be if I was confined, watch out!

When my husband came downstairs to leave for work, he stopped by Clara and started singing, "She's got freckle on her, but I love her.." or, the more commonly punctuated version, "She's got freckles on her butt, I love her..." Clara kept saying, "No I don't," playfully. Dustin kept singing it, she was getting to the last straw...it hadn't broken yet, but you could tell it would only take a couple more times. After Dustin sang the lyrics again Clara proceeded with, "I don't have pickles on my butt!" I seriously need to start a journal of all the things that she says. It probably wouldn't take long to fill one up. :o)

Too often, I take for granted what God has given me, even my legs and definitely my mouth. Father, I pray that I would be a good steward with everything that I have, currently, and everything that You graciously choose to give me. Lord, I pray that I can effectively teach my children to be content with whatever they have; that we need to store up for ourselves things in heaven, where rust and moth do not destroy. Thank you Father for all the blessings you've bestowed upon me.