Garage Sales

Today, Bob and I decided to take in some garage sales. Sometimes we can find some real bargains there. Sometimes these people don't know the treasures they are setting out in a garage sale. Over the years, I have bought a lot of candlewick there. It is no longer being made and I have had mine since the 70's. This time, however, we found nothing of value.

I read my latest book this afternoon. It is called "The Brain that Changes Itself" and it is a fascinating book. I recommend it to anyone. Then I took a nap....something I very seldom do.

A little while ago, I cut Bob's hair. I have cut his hair for years. He seems to like my haircuts and he says he always gets the same haircut from me. He can never depend on barbers to do that.

This evening we are going to Tavern on the Plaza for dinner. We like to go there on Saturday evenings. The food is always good and there is great atmosphere.

So, for some reason, we have had another slow Saturday.

Slow Day

This has been a slow day, for once. I haven't done much of anything today. I cleaned up my computer this morning and that took most of the morning. I went through all my back up files on CD and weeded out those I no longer wanted or needed to keep. I also cleaned the computer desk.

Then I went to the market for a few things. While there, their computer froze up and they had to reboot. It took awhile.

Bob is puttering today too. I guess everyone needs a day now and then where they do nothing...just to catch up. I did wash my car by hand. It needed to be spruced up.

I have been reading blogs this afternoon.

Tomorrow I will go out to church to be sure it has been cleaned for Sunday. I also want to take a picture of it with the new sign up. I need to go out there and wash the windows. That is one of the chores I signed up to do. July is our clean-up month and there have been a lot of odds and ends that need to be done.

Set Your Mind on Life and Peace

Paul described in Romans 8 the Law as “the law of sin and death” and said that the law was powerless to transform us and only weakened us because of our sinful and selfish nature. As we know, we humans will always look for ways to get around the law and to justify our sinful and selfish actions.

The world has the combined wealth and resources to provide the food, technology and education to prosper every country in the world. So then, why do we have children dying of hunger, malnutrition and ailments that we can treat with simple medicine and vaccines?

Greed and corruption are some of the causes of this misery but also ultimately there is a basic problem with the human race. Now we won’t find an answer to this dilemma in mere philosophy or even our traditional religion which helps us to simply focus on our own personal salvation. It is only through the working of the Holy Spirit and our response to that spirit that these immense problems can be overcome.

Most of us think entirely too much about our own problems and do not look around us at the even larger problems of others. We often respond primarily to our own selfish nature and not to God’s Spirit, which prompts us to see the suffering world and attempt to do something to help. We don’t have to go overseas to find that suffering world either. We have only to get beyond ourselves.

Jesus spent his few years of ministry trying to teach his disciples how to live unselfishly in their world and how to respond to other’s need by responding in a positive way. It appears they didn’t get the message until after he was gone. In several different accounts they are found trying to decide who will be the most honoured and where they will be positioned in the afterlife or in the kingdom. This is not a new dilemma. We all tend still to be overly concerned about our own position in life.

Jesus truly taught how to be not merely a concerned onlooker but a participant in making the world a better place for all to live. We all recognize the reality that life is difficult and so what we do with our short lives is very important. We all know what is right and what will bring new life and peace but doing what is right – is the hard part.

That is where we find the Holy Spirit at work. The Holy Spirit, the giver of life who proceeds from God; tries to make a reality in our lives of the things we say we believe. It tries to help us reconcile our beliefs with our actions. It tries to help us refocus.

The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives involves prompting us to action, joining with us in our participation in life, to create a synergy. The better life we live, the easier it gets to accept the difficult times. The Holy Spirit is able to reach us and influence us.

Jesus described the Christian walk as taking up a crucifix because it is a total and complete commitment to life and peace.

I think what Paul is saying in this scripture, is that there are many ways to die but there is only one real way to live. The only real life we have is the life that we have seen illustrated in the life of Jesus, who lived to show each disciple what real life is all about and how to turn away from serving our own selfish natures to be able to see the rest of this struggling world. By doing this and responding the God’s Holy Spirit, we recognize that Holy Spirit is bringing to us the focus on life, not death and on peace, not turmoil.

Tragedy

I have an 87 year old friend who lives in Independence, Kansas . Her daughter, who is not working and is 60 years old has been to the Montgomery County Medical Clinic clinic....basically a free clinic. The daughter's name is Kristi. Kristi has felt bad for months and that's why she gave up her job last year. She has just recently been diagnosed with an ulcer. They have been treating the ulcer.

Last month her disability was approved and she was issued a medical card. Even with treating the ulcer, she has just felt terrible and is in constant pain. She hurts in every bone in her body. She was referred last Thursday to Dr. Patel in Independence to see about removing screws from her hip which was just killing her. She had been in a major auto accident in the past and had broken just about every bone in her body including the hip. Dr. Patel had a bone scan done and discovered that the screws were just fine but there was a large mass in her hip. There is also one in her brain and one in her back.

Her doctor in Independence wants her to go to Chicago to Northwestern, the medical center there, for treatment. Her brother lives in Chicago and six years ago when she had cancer of the soft tissue of the palate, she took experimental treatments there. That cancer is in remission. But she is such pain now that she can't stand to make the flight. An aunt volunteered to take her but she can't stand the 10 hour drive. She would simply like to know the prognosis so she can decide what she wants to do. If it's an inoperable and untreatable cancer, she wants to just be kept as comfortable as possible.

Here's the catch. She had been award her disability in June in the amount of $690. Then she had applied for SSI as well and that was to be $670. Yesterday she received a letter from the SRS office saying they were revoking her medical card as of July 1 because she was "making too much money".

I told Juanita, my 86 year old friend, about the cancer center here at CRMC in Coffeyville and I thought we had an oncologist on staff here. If we do, that oncologist might look at her test results (two MRI's ) and the bone scan and give her a prognosis. I know the administrator of that cancer center. Kristi would only be able to pay on a bill. Her daughter is at the SRS office today to try to get that decision reversed so she can get a medical card again and see a doctor and get treatment or at least a prognosis.

I just learned that she got that accomplished. I called my friend with the news that the cancer center would see her and read her tests. I don't know whether she has the strength to even come.

This is a terrible tragedy. Juanita has outlived three husbands and her elder daughter was murdered twenty years ago.. This is the surviving daughter. It looks like she may outlive her too.

More Bad Taste

As though one bad taste "cartoon" wasn't enough, now the National Review had to get into the act.

This morning's review had this tasteless cartoon featured. When will it end?

Our Daughter's New Home

We went out to Leslie and John's last night to see if the footings for their new home were dug yesterday. Sure enough..they were. They are so excited! They have been married 33 years and this is their first new home. A couple of years after they were married, they bought a double wide mobile home as a starter home. They have been living in it ever since. It has been a constant upkeep problem. The water lines break from time to time and our poor son in law has to climb under the house and fix the pipes. There have been numerous problems over the years as there always is with any home but this was a losing battle. Double wides are just not meant to last a lifetime.

I will be updating their progress from time to time. This is a picture of our son-in-law, John, daughter, Leslie and my husband, Bob out at the home site last night.

A Lot Done Today

I got a lot done today. This morning I cleaned house...my usual Monday job. Then I decided to paint the yard swing. I have been wanting to do that for a month but it has rained every time I schedule it to be done. Well, I got it done today and it looks good. I want to buy a cushion for it but so far have not taken the time to go find one. I sit out there in the evening and enjoy a glass of iced tea. It's cooler there then on the patio in the middle of the day too.

I helped Bob to get his shed door leveled again too. Then I worked on my current scrapbook for a couple of hours and caught it up to date.

Just as I was about to start dinner, Bob came in and wanted me to fix an apple brown betty for dessert. He cored the apples and I got it in the oven before I fixed dinner. I just took him a dish of it a little while ago. He said it was delicious.

Above is the newly painted swing. I wish you could be here to sit in it with me.

Tasteless and Dangerous

One of the most tasteless cartoons I have ever seen is one on todays copy of The New Yorker. It depicts Obama and his wife Michele in the Oval Office, he done up as Muslim and she as a terrorist. Don't these people know that most people don't get satire? The ignorant masses will take it all seriously. Don't you know Karl Rove is laughing behind his hand? In this shortened version you can't see the burning American flag on the floor but it's there.
It may backfire on those who planned it since the entire thing is all over the internet today.

Nice Sunday

Sunday is nearly over and I am relieved. I struggled with my sermon all week and ended up changing it at the last minute. I am glad I did. It went better then I anticipated.

Afterward we went to eat out with our daughter and her husband and another couple. We ate at Hong Kong Delight and I must say I was not happy with the food. I am not wild about Chinese food anyhow but today's really left me cold. I had cashew chicken which I ordinarily like o.k. but for some reason today I did not enjoy it.

I have spent half the afternoon doing my notes and getting the bulletins ready for the mail tomorrow.

Tonight I will just watch TV and relax. Everyone needs some strictly relaxing time.