tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89735724011795178682024-03-05T20:52:54.692-08:00Peg's Personal Essays~Memories of Everything Beautiful in My Life!Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-75349262287508531972019-10-26T12:49:00.000-07:002019-10-27T21:46:15.391-07:00God's Precious Gifts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;">Essays on Faith</span></h2>
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<span style="color: black;">
26 October - Charleston Gazette Mail</span></h4>
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Page 5C</span><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></h4>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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God's Precious Gifts</span><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></h2>
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By Peggy Toney Horton</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Let me stay in this moment... forever!” I
said, as I surveyed my surroundings on this glorious October afternoon. The
hills are speckled with color. Dazzling reds, oranges and yellows stand out
amid dull greens and browns. Warm sunshine, less intense than it was a month
ago, highlights the beauty of the mountains.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A few days ago, I was excited about the beautiful orange
maple tree in my front yard. Well, guess what? Millions of orange and
yellow maple leaves now cover my front yard. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They're ankle-deep! </span><br />
</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And the few left on the tree are letting go willingly as the
gentle October breeze nudges them. The scene reminds me of an overnight
snowfall in January – when you go to sleep in one kind of world and awaken in
another. I think it’s odd, too, that the maple tree is nearly naked while
a pear tree standing a few feet from it is still covered with shiny dark green
leaves. It’s as if the ornamental pear tree allows me one last look at summer
even as I relish the splendor of autumn.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ah, how the changing
seasons delight me! </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Spring with the sudden
appearance of a warm, yellow sun, welcome after a long, cold winter; showers
that assist the sun in the gentle awakening of sleeping violets, crocus and
daffodils. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Summer with its sometimes
unbearable heat and humidity; lightning and thunderstorms that both frighten
and amaze us; evenings filled with the giggles of children as they play a
variety of games or catch lightening bugs.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My beloved autumn who
flaunts her cerulean sky, brilliantly colored foliage, shorter days, and a
quietness that foretells a more restful time ahead. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Winter with its cold gray
days, long nights, unexpected snowfalls that delight children of all ages, and
joyous holidays that bring families together in loving celebration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But with only five days left of the month I eagerly
anticipate all year, I plan to enjoy each day to the fullest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How could I not love October?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The first man I ever loved was born in this magnificent
month. My father. And he was every bit as gentle as October. He had a smile
like a soft, white cloud that could melt a chocolate bar at twenty paces. He
hated discord and was a peacemaker his whole life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He was the brightest ray of sunshine in my life. He was
always there for me. My mother worked outside the home and my father worked
shift work, making it easy for him to be with me when she couldn’t. He cooked,
he took me places, he was funny, always cheerful and my friends liked him. Thanks
to this arrangement, I was a happy child.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But nothing ever stays the same. If there’s one thing you can
count on, it’s change!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sometimes, when things are going very well, we wish they’d
never change but, deep down in our soul, we know they will because that’s just
the way life is. Without change, we wouldn’t grow. Without change, we wouldn’t
learn. Without change, life would become stale.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Most of us don’t like change because we fear the unknown. But
it comes whether we want it or not, and whether or not we like it!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some say change is not difficult if you’re in control, but we
all know that God is in control of everything that happens in our lives and He
has a good reason for everything He does. Yet, our human nature often resists
the changes that come and it’s difficult to adjust.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unfortunately, all changes aren’t good. Some alter your life
in ways that aren’t welcome.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the coldest, dreariest day in January, a month that is
nobody’s favorite, my father passed away. It was the darkest day of my life! I
couldn’t understand why God would take such a good man and loving father; a man
who had not one enemy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After he died, my mother never stopped telling me, “You’re exactly
like your dad!” But I didn’t mind. I reasoned that if I were that much like
him, then a part of him still lived.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As time passed, that theory was borne out as I began to see
his face in the warm, yellow glow of springtime and hear his laughter in the
giggles of children as they played games on hot summer evenings; and when I caught
a glimpse of his smile in a clear, blue autumn sky, and recalled his quiet
demeanor on a hushed October evening; and when winter brought an unexpected
snowfall, reminding me that my father loved snow as much as I.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you, God, for each lovely season and for the precious
gift of memory that allows us to hold our loved ones ever near to us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Peggy Toney Horton may be reached at pegylu@suddenlink.net</i></span><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></span></div>
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-10155882743880735742019-08-17T17:03:00.004-07:002019-08-17T17:05:06.372-07:00A Home in the Heavens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">17 Aug 2019 </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Essays on Faith</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">A Home in the Heavens</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We once lived in a two-story house so high on a hill that you could almost reach up and touch the clouds.To get there, you had to drive around and around a hillside on a narrow road, almost meeting yourself coming back in one spot. When you finally reached flat land, you were in front of our house, except you had to look up to see it. It was perched atop another hill and had 30 or 40 steps leading to it.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Higher and higher you climbed until you were on the front porch, which spanned the full width of the house and had a porch swing at one end. We enjoyed many summer evenings swinging on that old squeaky swing while watching lights twinkle in the darkness of the city below.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The front door opened into a large living room with a fireplace on one side and a flight of stairs on the other. Upstairs, the master bedroom, on the front of the house, boasted three adjoining windows. The view was dizzying as your eyes were drawn to the winding road that led to our home.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I couldn't help thinking, "This has to be about as close to Heaven as one can possibly get without dying."</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We moved there in midsummer - a spectacular time! With copious blooming flowers and trees, cultivated by previous owners, surrounding the house, it felt surreal - like another world - and yet, in only five minutes, you could be off the hill and back into civilization.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Winters were beautiful, but difficult. Trying to drive the hill in snow was an exercise in futility and walking it was nearly impossible. However, when snow covered the abundant foliage and long, pointy icicles formed on roof edges, it was a lovely sight to behold and felt even more otherworldly than summer.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Our children played on the hillside that was our front yard. Although it was practically a prerequisite to have one leg shorter than the other, they adjusted and had a wonderful time. One saving grace was the level concrete patio at the back, right outside the kitchen door. It was the width of the house, giving our youngest daughter ample room to ride her tricycle.We bought a 6-foot redwood picnic table where the kids shared their summer lunches with ants and bees and the family dog.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Family picnics were fun, too!</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Our two sons started school during our time on the hill. I felt uneasy when they left each morning to walk down the many steps that took them off the nearly vertical hillside and then several blocks to the school they attended. Fortunately, our next door neighbors had a daughter, a few years older, who agreed to look after them, both going and coming. In those days, people helped each other without expecting anything in return.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That trudge to school, even in wintertime, is still a fond memory for both sons.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They also walked all that distance back home for lunch every day. Most of the "hill kids" did. Those were different times.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Though life seemed near perfect, there was a fly in the ointment.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Our eldest son was a gentle soul, the essence of kindness. He wouldn't even kill a bug! He and his younger brother argued regularly over the fate of insects they often encountered.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When gentle son arrived for lunch one day with tears streaming down his face, I rushed to his side, "What's wrong?" I asked. Flinging his arms around me, he said, "Stevie Jones was mean to me."</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Through clenched teeth, I said, "What did Stevie do?"</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sobbing, he said, "He hit me and called me names."</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Did you hit him back?"</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"No."</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Seething, I asked, "Why not?"</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Looking at me in wide-eyed wonder, my boy said, "I didn't want to hurt him! Why can't he just be nice?"</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stunned, I hugged him and said, "Maybe you should ask him that question."</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I prayed continuously for my son's safety. Happily, Stevie's interest in bullying was short-lived.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After four short years, we were forced to move when we learned we'd soon need more room for a new brother or sister.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Moving day was sad. None of us wanted to leave our home in the Heavens. But God always provides a pleasant memory to ease the pain of a bad experience.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unbeknownst to us, our youngest son smuggled a kitten into the moving van just before its doors were closed. Hours later, when we unloaded and found a hungry black kitty meowing loudly, and learned how it got there, we shared a good laugh and Cleo had a good home until she died many years later.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I thank God for beautiful memories like these that bind families together forever.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"A home in the hilly Heavens" <u>Charleston Gazette Mail</u> 17 Aug 2019: C4</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kanawha Trail Club hikes The Kanawha Trail Club will have a "Bearly Droopy Creeky Hike" on Saturday. Meet at the parking lot at the corner of Ohio Avenue and Randolph Street, across from Sherwin Williams, at 9:30 a.m. Bear Town State Park is a level half-mile boardwalk loop around amazing rock ledges and escarpments. Droop Mountain State Park is a 2.5-mile loop through history with wonderful views. Falls of Hills Creek is a 1-mile round-trip view of 3 waterfalls. On Sunday, meet at the same parking lot for a trip to Eleanor City Park. Hike about 4 miles on moderate trails, including some new sections with short hills. Zumba class The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 314 Donnally St., will offer a Basis 1 Zumba Class from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, starting Aug. 27. Each session will last two weeks. The cost per session is $20. For information, call Dax Miller at 304-348-6404 or email shannon.gerencir@cityofcharleston.org. Girls Who Code West Virginia State University Extension Service will host an information session for the "Plane Janes" Girls Who Code 4-H Club from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 4 at the WVSU Aerospace Education Laboratory on the Institute campus. The free club is for middle school and high school girls interested in learning about and developing skills in computer coding. Space is limited. For information and to RSVP, contact Emma Gardner at 304-437-2448 or emma.gardner@wvstateu.edu. </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How Woodstock - the bird - was inspired by the 1969 music festival</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Michael Cavna The Washington Post Ever since the early '50s beginnings of "Peanuts," creator Charles Schulz feathered his beloved comic strip with anonymous birds that popped in with mischievous, chirping whimsy. Yet it was two decades until a winged "Peanuts" creature finally got a name, becoming a fully nested character. On June 22, 1970, Schulz officially christened Snoopy's little yellow friend Woodstock, naming him for the massive counterculture music festival that was staged 50 years ago this week on the farm in Bethel, New York. Schulz was not particularly a fan of rock music - his record collection leaned toward classical and country-western - yet Life magazine's coverage of the event caught his eye. The Minnesota-born cartoonist lived in the Bay Area, which had been the locus of the "Summer of Love" a couple of years before, but the tumultuous decade was mostly reflected only glancingly in the strip, through the mostly warm and fuzzy filter of situational humor. Yet something about that word, amid the generational rise of a new youth culture, rather fascinated Schulz. "I can see him saying: 'That sounds like a bird species name,'" Benjamin Clark, curator of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California, says of choosing Woodstock. "The character was pretty well-established - the character we had come to love - so he's going: 'OK, we're going to need a name so I can go forward,'" he added. Schulz - who collected words that amused him - was continually experimenting with his cast of characters, and one canary-yellow bird kept emerging as a fun foil to Snoopy, the beagle prone to flights of fancy. So what about the Woodstock name and its associations made it worthy for the cartoonist's star bird? Schulz, it turns out, was "kind of cryptic" about that, says Clark, who guided the museum's current exhibit, "Peace, Love and Woodstock," which runs through March. In one interview, the cartoonist said that the name would "be good for people who like that sort of thing," says Clark before posing the question: Was he being a savvy businessman? "I think it's much more than that," the curator continues. "He's middle-aged and looking at these young people behind him, protesting, and [asking]: 'What's that about?'" Schulz, who served in the Army during World War II, began pulling back some on the war-themed strips during the Woodstock era, including Snoopy's dogfight scenes piloting his fantasy plane, the Sopwith Camel. (The Royal Guardsmen had released the hit novelty song "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" in 1968; the tune can be heard in Quentin Tarantino's new 1969-set film, "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood.") Yet "Peanuts" did sometimes reflect the changing times, including nods to civil rights and the Vietnam War. In one story, Snoopy gets invited to give a commencement speech at Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, where there's a tear-gassed demonstration over the enlistment of dogs being sent to Vietnam. And in the summer of 1968, Schulz integrated "Peanuts" by introducing Franklin, after a California schoolteacher - while grieving the Rev. Martin Luther King's assassination - wrote a letter urging the cartoonist to create a black character. Franklin, whose father is serving in Vietnam, begins by sharing a beach day with Charlie Brown. Beyond the symbolism, "Schulz didn't really take a strong, definite stance on some issues, but you know he was thinking about it," Clark says. "He couldn't quite come out and be an anti-war protester." Still, in "Peanuts" strips of the era, Schulz drew birds holding protesting signs that sported only perplexing punctuation marks. Snoopy, perhaps as the cartoonist's avatar, observes the action with a wary but curious eye. For the "Peace Love and Woodstock" exhibit, the Schulz Museum borrowed historic festival memorabilia from New York's Museum at Bethel Woods, including the original art for the "Aquarian Exposition" poster that features a white bird perched on a guitar neck. For his "3 Days of Peace & Music" paper cut-out artwork, Arnold Skolnick had been influenced by a Matisse exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. The Schulz Museum cannot say for sure whether the cartoonist ever saw that poster. But the naming of Woodstock continued the evolution of this particular bird character, who at one point had been Snoopy's female secretary. Lee Mendelson, the Emmy-winning producer of the classic "Peanuts" TV specials, including "A Charlie Brown Christmas," says that as Woodstock emerged as a sidekick, he became especially useful on screen. "Woodstock gave the animators a chance for action, gave Snoopy someone new to get involved with - and gave viewers a new friend." At times, Snoopy and Woodstock became like a pantomiming comedy team. Mendelson believes the animated Woodstock reached a creative zenith in the Emmy-nominated 1980 special "She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown," in which the bird provides the impromptu musical accompaniment for Peppermint Party's competitive figure-skating routine. Champion whistler Jason Victor Serinus provided the "voice" of Woodstock by recording Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro." Serinus thinks Charles "Sparky" Schulz found a sweet spot of appeal with Woodstock. The key ingredient, he says, is the character's charm. "Sparky had a way," Serinus says, "of capturing the innocence and naïveté, as well as in some ways the dark side, of humanity that speaks to people." Schulz, for example, said that Woodstock wrestled with feeling small and inconsequential. (Serinus notes, too, that Schulz once told him he initially intended the character to be a baby bald eagle.) Sarah Boxer, the writer and graphic novelist ("In the Floyd Archives"), takes a more skeptical view of the rise of Woodstock. By the 1970s, she says, Snoopy had become the rock star of the strip, necessitating a shift in character dynamics. "Woodstock evokes two things at once," says Boxer, a contributor to the forthcoming anthology "The Peanuts Papers." "At his best, he reminds us of what Snoopy used to be in the strip - the id, the sole being who communicates only with gestures, noises and thoughts." Snoopy had spent the early years of the strip walking on all fours, behaving more like an actual dog, but he increasingly assumed human characteristics. "But at his worst," Boxer says, "he reminds us what a huge commercial success Snoopy came to be, and how all superstars need acolytes flitting around them" - as Woodstock indulges Snoopy's various guises of coolness and expanding sense of self. Some readers have long wanted to find aspects of Schulz's personality within such main characters as hard-luck Charlie Brown and the ever-charming Snoopy. Yet was there part of Sparky in the small bird that couldn't fly straight, yet kept seeking to elevate his life? "There's this idea of mattering - it's so easy to feel insignificant," the museum curator says. "Schulz himself struggled with that, and thought about that a lot." And Steve Martino, who directed "The Peanuts Movie," says that sense of insignificance is essential to the character. "I think the secret to capturing Woodstock's essence is to always feel 'the struggle of the little guy,' " he says. "No flight path can be straight, and everything he does takes great effort, but he gives it his all." (Disclosure: The author wrote the foreword for the Peanuts collection "Celebrating Snoopy.") </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Slovenly lifestyle could be a relationship deal-killer</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dear Abby: I've been dating my boyfriend for a year and a half. We're both 30, and we have pretty much decided to tie the knot. The only thing holding me back is his hygiene. When we met, he wasn't all that into showering and using deodorant. Slowly, over time, he has started to shower daily and wear deodorant, but he still doesn't brush his teeth. His apartment is my biggest nightmare. It is filled with opened delivery boxes, there are beard trimmings all over the bathroom, a pink ring of death in his shower, and his stovetop - well, you get the point. Should I mention that I'm one of the cleanest people I know? I grew up with well-dressed, great-smelling men in my life. They're the walking, talking real-life versions of a men's fashion commercial. Is this a make-or-break situation? We get along in so many other ways. - Hygiene's The Problem Dear H.t.p.: I'm glad you asked. Yes, this is a make-or-break situation, and it needs to be resolved before you sign up with this "cellmate" for life. While I appreciate his making the effort to shower as a step in the right direction, his lack of attention to his dental health is a cause for worry. Decaying teeth and periodontal disease can cause serious health problems - including heart issues - later in life and may be related to Alzheimer's disease. If you think his living conditions are a turn-off now, consider how they'll affect you if you marry him. He either never learned or doesn't care to pick up and clean up after himself. That task will be all yours. If you really love him, draw the line now, and perhaps it will put him on the right path. Better late than never. Dear Abby: My boyfriend of several years financially supports his parents for cultural reasons. It was expected of him from an early age because he is the only child, and he intends to support them for the rest of their days. Not only does he pay their mortgage and provide a sizable monthly allowance, but I have just learned that he is paying off all of the debts his father has accumulated over the years as well. This is in addition to the tens of thousands of dollars in spending money he has given them to visit the homeland every few years. Combine this with his massive school loan repayments and it's unlikely he will have enough to be able to retire, let alone for us to have children. I am at the age where if I am going to have kids, it needs to be within the next few years, and it is looking unlikely. I love him dearly, but I'm wondering if I should stay with him, knowing that his parents will eventually need to live with us for the rest of their lives. Even questioning this is making me feel guilty and selfish. (By the way, he has told me he would have proposed by now but couldn't afford a ring as all of his discretionary income goes to his parents.) Advice? - Getting Resentful Dear Resentful: Have you told your boyfriend how you feel? If you haven't discussed it with him, you should. He sounds like a caring and dutiful son. However, unless you intend to join him in becoming a childless indentured servant to his parents, end the relationship. </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Things to do today</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Music JAZZ & BLUES IN THE 'VILLE: 12 p.m. Single day tickets $20. Full weekend $35. Collection of local and regional jazz and blue acts. Historic Fayette Theatre, 115 S. Court St., Fayetteville. Call 304-574-4655. HUNTINGTON BLUES CHALLENGE: 1 p.m. Free. Live music and food vendors. Heritage Station, 210 11th St., Huntington. GOSPEL SING: 6 p.m. Donations accepted. Featuring the Brightside Quartet and The Believers. Elk River Community Center, 1078 Main St., Elkview. Call 304-965-3722. CHESTER WINKLER: 7 p.m. Adults $5. Children $3. Jerry Run Summer Theater, W.Va. 20, Cleveland, near Holly River State Park. Call 304-493-6574. THE MADISON THREE WITH ALAN GRIFFITH: 7 p.m. Free. Bluegrass Kitchen, 1600 Washington St. E. Call 304-346-2871. NO REGRETS BAND WITH BILL WYMER: 7 p.m. Cover $10. Marmet Recreation Center, 8500 MacCorkle Ave. Call 304-590-0238. STEVE HIMES AND PHIL WASHINGTON: 7 p.m. Free. Olive Tree Cafe, 333 Second Ave. SW. South Charleston. Call 681-265-9158. BLUE YONDER AND BANJOU NICKARU & THE WESTERN SCOOCHES: 7:30 p.m. Adults $10. Youth 17 and under free. Pocahontas County Opera House, 818 Third Ave., Marlinton. Call 304-646-9979 or visit www.pocahontasoperahouse.org. BLACK GARLIC AND CURSES: 10 p.m. Cover $7. The Empty Glass, 410 Elizabeth St. Call 304-345-3914 or visit www.emptyglass.com. Film "SWORD OF TRUST": 5 p.m. Adults $9. Students $5. A pawnshop owner and employee team up with a couple trying to sell a sword that perhaps proves the South won the Civil War. Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema, 226 Capitol St. Call 304-767-1293. "GHOST FLEET": 7:30 p.m. Adults $9. Students $5. A group of activists risk their lives to find justice and freedom for enslaved fishermen in Indonesia. Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema, 226 Capitol St. Call 304-767-1293. Theater AUDITIONS FOR "DARK OF THE MOON": 2 p.m. Free. Directed by Robert Hutchens. A Witch Boy falls in love with a human. The play is a blend of folklore, fantasy and Appalachian culture, including musical numbers from mountain ballads and hymns. Some roles are non-singing, some are non-speaking. Pea Ridge United Methodist Church, 5747 East Pea Ridge Road, Huntington. Etc. SUMMERFEST: 9 a.m. Free. Car show. Activities for kids, food and live entertainment. The Mound in South Charleston. </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Associated Press Today in History Today is Saturday, Aug. 17, the 229th day of 2019. There are 136 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 17, 1987, Rudolf Hess, the last member of Adolf Hitler's inner circle, died at Spandau Prison at age 93, an apparent suicide. On this date: In 1863, federal batteries and ships began bombarding Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor during the Civil War, but the Confederates managed to hold on despite several days of pounding.In 1915, a mob in Cobb County, Georgia, lynched Jewish businessman Leo Frank, 31, whose death sentence for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan had been commuted to life imprisonment. (Frank, who had maintained his innocence, was pardoned by the state of Georgia in 1986.)In 1943, the Allied conquest of Sicily during World War II was completed as U.S. and British forces entered Messina.In 1969, Hurricane Camille slammed into the Mississippi coast as a Category 5 storm that was blamed for 256 U.S. deaths, three in Cuba.In 1978, the first successful trans-Atlantic balloon flight ended as Maxie Anderson, Ben Abruzzo and Larry Newman landed their Double Eagle II outside Paris.In 1982, the first commercially produced compact discs, a recording of ABBA's "The Visitors," were pressed at a Philips factory near Hanover, West Germany.In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave grand jury testimony via closed-circuit television from the White House concerning his relationship with Monica Lewinsky; he then delivered a TV address in which he denied previously committing perjury, admitted his relationship with Lewinsky was "wrong," and criticized Kenneth Starr's investigation.In 1999, more than 17,000 people were killed when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Turkey.In 2017, a van plowed through pedestrians along a packed promenade in the Spanish city of Barcelona, killing 13 people and injuring 120. (A 14th victim died later from injuries.) Another man was stabbed to death in a carjacking that night as the van driver made his getaway, and a woman died early the next day in a vehicle-and-knife attack in a nearby coastal town. (Six suspects in the attack were shot dead by police, two more died when a bomb workshop exploded.) </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Robin Thede looks to build legacy in HBO's 'Black Lady Sketch Show'</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Jonathan Landrum Jr. The Associated Press LOS ANGELES - Robin Thede knew plenty of talented African American women comedians, but only a few were getting hired on popular TV comedy shows such as "Saturday Night Live" and "Mad TV." So, Thede decided to create her own show featuring some of the industry's funniest black women. The comic-writer-producer-actress is breaking new ground with her HBO comedy series "A Black Lady Sketch Show," which airs Friday nights. The six-episode series offers sketches written and performed by an all-black woman cast. It stars Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, Gabrielle Dennis and Quinta Brunson. Guests, mostly black women, include Angela Bassett, Kelly Rowland, Marsai Martin, Lena Waithe, Patti LaBelle and Natasha Rothwell. "It's a culmination of a lifelong passion for sketch," said Thede, a co-producer of the series with Issa Rae, who also makes an appearance. "When black women do get on sketch shows, we really stand out. But there are only a handful of black women who have ever been on sketch shows. Why not stack the deck and put them on all at once on one show?" Between each sketch, the four ladies huddle up inside an apartment after a mysterious apocalypse wiped out the rest of civilization. The cast plays more than 100 different characters in sketches exploring a variety of comedic story lines. There's an invisible plus-size black woman spy, for example, and sketches about ashy skin and unexpected marriage proposals. That variety is the point, Thede said. "I wanted to do a show that was challenging the views of black women in comedy for a lot of people and showing we can do anything. We can play men, women, aliens or whatever we want. It's all sorts of genres, styles and characters in this show," she said. "We've never seen black women like this before. ... In a way, this show is a love letter to black women." Thede became the first woman, African American head writer of a late-night talk show in 2015, with "The Nightly Show with Larry Whitmore." She created and executive produced BET's late-night comedy series "The Rundown with Robin Thede," which was canceled after one season. Shortly after that, Thede pitched the idea for "A Black Lady Sketch Show" to HBO. She said the network bought it "within minutes" after a dinner with her, Rae and executives. "I never shot a pilot," she said, adding that the network's quick approval showed "how confident they were in me, the idea, and the partnership between me and Issa. It's one of those ideas that when people hear it, they go, 'Yeah, of course. Why not?' It feels like something we've been missing." Thede said Black, Dennis and Brunson were "no-brainer" choices. They didn't audition for the roles, she said, because she already knew "what they brought to the table." Dennis was a stand-up comedian early in her career before she starred in Netflix's Marvel's "Luke Cage" and as Whitney Houston in the BET miniseries "The Bobby Brown Story." "No casting director would've brought me into this based on my body of work," she said. "I would not have come into someone's head for sketch. But you know luckily, how God places steps and pieces things of that nature along the way, this happened because Robin knew me from my days of sketch and stand-up. It's a full-circle moment. This gave me chills." Black is an actress-comedian who won an Emmy Award in 2017 for her writing on TBS' "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee." Brunson was a social-media sensation before she starred on her own Facebook Watch series, "Quinta vs. Everything," and had recurring roles on ABC's "Single Parents" and CW's "iZombie." Writing for "A Black Lady Sketch Show," Black said, gives her freedom to express herself like never before. "As an actor, you are beholden to a lot of other people's wishes. You get a script, there's a director, and they have an idea of how they're going to use your body to tell a story," she said. "For me, it just was never good because I'm a plus-size black woman. No one really wanted to tell the story where I'm really happy. It was always like, your life is terrible. You're sad. There's a cake hiding in your fridge. That's every script I read. The first time I did sketch, I had a chance to write it. For this show, I get to be in charge of the entire utterance of how I'm being represented." Thede was gratified by rave reviews after the first episode. "I do everything to leave a legacy," she said. "I feel like this is going to be a big part of all our legacies. That will remain true whether one person watches or 100 million. We hope for the latter. But I think this is so revolutionary, because now it exists. It's cinematic. It's beautiful. We feel proud of it. My work is about what we leave behind, not what we take." --- Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MrLandrum31 </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A home in the hilly Heavens</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Peggy Toney Horton We once lived in a two-story house so high on a hill that you could almost reach up and touch the clouds. To get there, you had to drive around and around a hillside on a narrow road, almost meeting yourself coming back in one spot. When you finally reached flat land, you were in front of our house, except you had to look up to see it. It was perched atop another hill and had 30 or 40 steps leading to it. Higher and higher you climbed until you were on the front porch, which spanned the full width of the house and had a porch swing at one end. We enjoyed many summer evenings swinging on that old squeaky swing while watching lights twinkle in the darkness of the city below. The front door opened into a large living room with a fireplace on one side and a flight of stairs on the other. Upstairs, the master bedroom, on the front of the house, boasted three adjoining windows. The view was dizzying as your eyes were drawn to the winding road that led to our home. I couldn't help thinking, "This has to be about as close to Heaven as one can possibly get without dying." We moved there in midsummer - a spectacular time! With copious blooming flowers and trees, cultivated by previous owners, surrounding the house, it felt surreal - like another world - and yet, in only five minutes, you could be off the hill and back into civilization. Winters were beautiful, but difficult. Trying to drive the hill in snow was an exercise in futility and walking it was nearly impossible. However, when snow covered the abundant foliage and long, pointy icicles formed on roof edges, it was a lovely sight to behold and felt even more otherworldly than summer. Our children played on the hillside that was our front yard. Although it was practically a prerequisite to have one leg shorter than the other, they adjusted and had a wonderful time. One saving grace was the level concrete patio at the back, right outside the kitchen door. It was the width of the house, giving our youngest daughter ample room to ride her tricycle. We bought a 6-foot redwood picnic table where the kids shared their summer lunches with ants and bees and the family dog. Family picnics were fun, too! Our two sons started school during our time on the hill. I felt uneasy when they left each morning to walk down the many steps that took them off the nearly vertical hillside and then several blocks to the school they attended. Fortunately, our next door neighbors had a daughter, a few years older, who agreed to look after them, both going and coming. In those days, people helped each other without expecting anything in return. That trudge to school, even in wintertime, is still a fond memory for both sons. They also walked all that distance back home for lunch every day. Most of the "hill kids" did. Those were different times. Though life seemed near perfect, there was a fly in the ointment. Our eldest son was a gentle soul, the essence of kindness. He wouldn't even kill a bug! He and his younger brother argued regularly over the fate of insects they often encountered. When gentle son arrived for lunch one day with tears streaming down his face, I rushed to his side, "What's wrong?" I asked. Flinging his arms around me, he said, "Stevie Jones was mean to me." Through clenched teeth, I said, "What did Stevie do?" Sobbing, he said, "He hit me and called me names." "Did you hit him back?" "No." Seething, I asked, "Why not?" Looking at me in wide-eyed wonder, my boy said, "I didn't want to hurt him! Why can't he just be nice?" Stunned, I hugged him and said, "Maybe you should ask him that question." I prayed continuously for my son's safety. Happily, Stevie's interest in bullying was short-lived. After four short years, we were forced to move when we learned we'd soon need more room for a new brother or sister. Moving day was sad. None of us wanted to leave our home in the Heavens. But God always provides a pleasant memory to ease the pain of a bad experience. Unbeknownst to us, our youngest son smuggled a kitten into the moving van just before its doors were closed. Hours later, when we unloaded and found a hungry black kitty meowing loudly, and learned how it got there, we shared a good laugh and Cleo had a good home until she died many years later. I thank God for beautiful memories like these that bind families together forever. </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Armed churchgoers training in wake of shootings</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Jake Bleiberg The Associated Press HASLET, Texas - Acrid gun smoke clouded the sunny entrance of a Texas church on a recent Sunday. Seven men wearing heavy vests and carrying pistols loaded with blanks ran toward the sound of the shots, stopping at the end of a long hallway. As one peeked into the foyer, the "bad guy" raised the muzzle of an AR-15, took aim and squeezed the trigger. The simulated gunfight at the church in Haslet was part of a niche industry that trains civilians to protect their churches using the techniques and equipment of law enforcement. Rather than a bullet, the rifle fired a laser that hit Stephen Hatherley's vest - triggering an electric shock the 60-year-old Navy veteran later described as a "tingle." The shootings this month killed more than 30 people at an El Paso Walmart and Dayton, Ohio, entertainment district. But gunmen have also targeted houses of worships in recent years, including a church in rural Sutherland Springs, Texas, where more than two dozen people were shot dead in 2017. The anxiety of one mass shooting after another has led some churches to start training and arming their worshippers with guns. Not all security experts support this approach, but it has gained momentum as congregations across the country grapple with how to secure spaces where welcoming strangers is a religious practice. "Ten years ago, this industry was not a thing," said David Riggall, a Texas police officer whose company trains churchgoers to volunteer as security guards. "I mean, sanctuary means a safe place." In 1993, Doug Walker said security wasn't at the fore of his mind when, as a recent Baptist seminary graduate, he founded Fellowship of the Parks church in Fort Worth. But six years later, after a gunman killed seven people and took his own life at another church in the Texas city, the pastor said his thinking changed. Today, the interdenominational church has four campuses and 3,000 worshippers on an average Sunday, Walker said. It has increased security as it has grown, asking off-duty police to carry weapons at church events. And it recently hired Riggall's company, Sheepdog Defense Group, to train volunteers in first aid, threat assessment, de-escalation techniques, using a gun and tactical skills, such as clearing rooms during an active shooting. Walker, 51, said there wasn't a single event that prompted his church to decide its guards needed more training. But Riggall said that after mass shootings congregations reach out. "Every time the news comes on and there's another shooting in a school or church or something like that, the phone starts ringing," Riggall said. The 46-year-old police officer said that he and a colleague had the idea for the company after the 2012 mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. They started doing firearms trainings with parents and, after Riggall became certified under Texas law to train security guards, transitioned to churches. The company incorporates Christian teachings into its courses and more than 90 people at 18 churches have completed the 70 hours of initial training and become state-licensed guards through its program, Riggall said. The so-called sheepdogs are insured and technically employed by the company. But they volunteer doing security at their own churches, which in turn pay Riggall. On a Sunday in July, Brett Faulkner stood with an AR-15 in hand and his back to the cross in the sanctuary of Fellowship of the Parks campus in Haslet, a community about 15 miles north of Fort Worth. He pointed the rifle at a young woman's back and yelled at the armed men advancing into the room, "I'm going to kill this woman. It's going to happen right now." Faulkner, a 46-year-old information technology worker, already completed a Sheepdog session but came to another church's to play the bad guy and keep his skills sharp. "It really just comes down to caring about the people in that building," Faulkner said of choosing to guard his small Baptist church. Faulkner said his congregation re-evaluated its security after recent mass shootings and went with Riggall's company as a cost-effective option. "This is a good balance between the cost of paying professionals and relying on untrained volunteers," he said. Security professionals differ on what balance is right. After 11 worshippers were shot dead during Shabbat morning services at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, the city's Jewish community has added layers of defenses. Since that October attack, congregations that once felt guns were unnecessary or inappropriate have welcomed armed security, said Brad Orsini, security director for The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. But arming worshippers is not an approach the former FBI agent recommends. "Carrying a firearm is an awesome responsibility," said Orsini, who served in the Marine Corps before his nearly three decades with the FBI. "Because you have the ability to have a carry concealed permit does not make you a security expert. Because you have a firearm doesn't necessarily mean you should be carrying it at the church on the weekend." Sheepdog Firearms, a Birmingham, Alabama-area gun range, offers police-style training to people looking to protect their churches. Owner David Youngstrom acknowledged the eight-hour course doesn't produce experts. But, he said, many of the roughly 40 Alabama churches that have sent people to take the class are small, rural congregations with limited means. For them, having armed volunteers can feel like the only option, he said. And the trainings provide churches with evidence of having a security program in place if a tragedy turns into litigation. "It gives a good record for something that will hold up in court," Youngstrom said. Laws about carrying firearms in houses of worship vary from state to state. But as a general matter of liability, churches training members for security is not much different from a business hiring guards, according to Eugene Volokh, a professor at the UCLA School of Law. A church could be sued if people were harmed because its security was badly trained, Volokh said, but also if it generally failed to protect people on its grounds. Both can be insured against and either is unlikely, he said. Brian Higgins, a former police chief for Bergen County, New Jersey, and instructor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said he's seen varied approaches to firearms in his work consulting at houses of worship. Attitudes toward guns differ between urban and rural areas, as do the security needs, he said. And churches comfortable arming members also draw lines to preserve an environment conducive to worship. Fellowship of the Parks allows congregants to have concealed weapons in church. But Walker, the pastor, said that other than security, people carrying openly are asked to put their guns away or leave. "If people open carry who are not uniformed that can be very unsettling," Walker said. "You may not know if that person is a possible shooter or criminal, so we try to balance it." --- Follow Jake Bleiberg at www.twitter.com/jzbleiberg . </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As summer wanes, the gains of fall are in the garden</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Alyce Faye Bragg For the Gazette-Mail A brief shower fell sometime in the night, washing the summertime dust from the leaves of the trees and refreshing the flowerbeds. The evening primrose shines pale yellow after the refreshing rain, and the garden drinks greedily of the needed moisture. The evening primrose is a unique plant. It opens at dusk and remains open through late morning. I have always loved its clean, lemon scent, and it is able to perfume an entire garden. I've always known that primrose oil has many medical uses, but research tells me that the entire plant is also edible. The leaves can be cooked as a green vegetable (greens?) and the flowers make a beautiful salad garnish. I discovered that primrose oil has many uses - it is used for preventing high blood pressure in pregnancy and also for PMS, endometriosis and hot flashes during menopause. Acne and eczema patients find it quite useful for their condition. I've always valued it for its wonderful aroma, but it seems that it is far more valuable for medicinal usage. Summer seems anxious to make her departure, as Joe-pye weed and goldenrod make their appearance. Rose of Sharon bushes still present their warm and colorful blossoms, from deep rose to lavender and deep purple. Mom's mother, Laura Alice Dodd Samples, cherished her "Rosy-churn" bushes. It was years before Mom knew she was speaking of Rose of Sharon! Yard flowers at that time included hollyhocks and black-eyed Susans, which I still favor. I remember the cosmos that Mom planted around our yard when I was a little girl, and in my mind, I can still smell their spicy scent. Fragrances seem to bring back many long ago memories, as honeysuckle brings back high school graduation and heirloom roses remind us of Memorial Day. Autumn flowers are not scented like the delicate flowers of spring, although their colors are more vivid. Ironweed brings the deep purple color and brilliant blue of the flower we once called blue gentians, but that is not their name at all. They are a low-blooming, bushy little flower, and I wish someone would identify it for me. Asters will soon be blooming, and the New England type are some of the most beautiful. There are many varieties here in West Virginia, and they are all lovely. Summer is on the wane - the gardens have a ragged look; bedecked by wild morning glories in a riot of color. A late summer fragrance hangs over the garden composed of ripe corn tassels, sweet clover and late cucumber blossoms. The creek runs low and drowsy, while above it the elderberries hang in glossy black clusters. Potato vines turn dry and brown, and orange pumpkins grow fat as the vines creep through the late corn patch. Harvest time is almost here. Soon the summer will be ended - the farewell dirge of the katydids is a lonesome sound in the night, and the plaintive quirring of the tree frogs add a melancholy note. The nights are becoming blessedly cooler, and the mornings are misty and fall-like. There is a harvest of wild foods for the gathering. Elderberries make a delicious jelly, especially when lemon juice is added. Mom used to combine it with apple juice, and she also combined apple juice and wild grape juice for jams and jellies. Another wild food appearing at this time is green milkweed pods. Believe it or not, they are really good (I think!) I fixed some when we lived on Phillip's Run, near Summersville, and fed them to one of our truck drivers. He chewed them reflectively, and then made his decision, "It's not bad. In fact, it's sort of good. A little different; kind of like a cross between green beans and broccoli." (Thank you, Rusty.) They did look a little peculiar, but the texture was tender and chewy, and the flavor was good. There was a slight tinge of bitterness, but that was probably due to my blanching process. They have to be blanched in boiling water at least three times. If I were able to get out and gather some, I'd try them again. If you are lucky enough to have sweet corn in your garden, I was sent a tip for freezing it from my friend Gloria. She says, "Barely shuck it, leaving several leaves on the cob. Pull out most silks, wrap in waxed paper, and then foil. Place it in freezer bags and freeze. To cook, thaw in refrigerator overnight, and then cook in water, or in covered pot in the microwave oven." She adds that this truly tastes fresh, and it is so easy. She gave another method for cooking fresh corn. She says to put a cooler outside, add the corn, and cover it with boiling water, Close the lid for 30 minutes - no peeking! This is perfect for fresh or thawed corn on the cob. My late friend, Norma Gray, used to cut corn off the cob, simmer it with butter, and then freeze it. It was absolutely delicious! I don't know if she cooled it before she froze it, or how she did it. I do know it was so good. Another late summer wild food is the little meadow mushrooms. They usually appear after a rain shower, and are brownish white on top and pink ruffled underneath. I have always relished them with an egg for breakfast. I remember one year when they were so bountiful that Mom made canned mushroom soup with them. I am so thankful that the Heavenly Father has let us live here in the hills where wild foods are plentiful, and His beautiful handiwork is seen all around us. I have lived here in the same spot for almost all my 84 years. I was a year old when my parents brought me here, and except for a year in Kanawha County and one year in Jackson County, this has been my home. I aim to stay here until God calls me home. </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Church activities: Aug. 17, 2019</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anniversaries/homecomings Ferguson Memorial Baptist Church, 124 Marshall Ave., Dunbar, will celebrate its 101st church anniversary at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday at the church. Guest speaker will be the Rev. Racquel Gill of Winnsboro, South Carolina. For additional information, call 304-768-8351 or 304-768-4232. Sunlight Baptist Church will have its annual homecoming service at the 10 a.m. service on Aug. 25 at the church located on Island Branch in Sissonville. Preacher will be Daniel Davis and special singers include Brenda Griffin-McCutcheon and Alice Bowe. Food will follow the service. Miscellaneous Twice Blessed, a ministry of Christ Church United Methodist, will hold a Consignment Sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Quality children's items will be available at affordable prices. The sale also assists families in selling their gently used items and helps generate funds that support local children's charities and children's areas of the church. Elizabeth Memorial United Methodist Church's Annual Flea Market will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the church, located at 108 Oakwood Road. This giant indoor sale will feature furniture, collectibles, toys, sporting goods, housewares, home décor, art, seasonal and holiday items, small appliances, linens, clothing and more. A bake sale and hot dog sale will also be featured. Proceeds benefit global missions and state and local outreach projects. The Ministers Wives and Ministers Widows (MWMW) is celebrating their annual 5th Sunday Extravaganza at 6 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Marriott Hotel, 200 Lee St. Tickets are $45 each and African dress is requested. The evening features fashion, fun and food. For information, call Linda Ealy at 304-419-4873, Janice Mosley at 304-444-1645 or Roberta Smith at 304-549-2332. The Minister's Wives and Ministers Widows will have a hot dog sale and yard sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on the parking lot of New Covenant Baptist Church, corner of Florida Street and 1st Avenue, across from Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary. Sunlight Baptist Church, Sissonville, service Saturday at 7:00 p.m. with Pastor Daniel Davis preaching. Roger Cunningham will sing. Music Liberty Baptist Church, 2469 Yates Crossing in Milton, will have an outdoor sing at 5 p.m. Saturday at the church. Admission is free and no offering will be taken. The Harvesters Quartet from Sanford, North Carolina, and the Humphreys from Ripley will be guest performers. Bring a lawn chair and friend. For questions, call John Snodgrass at 304-638-0639. The Women's Chorus of Ebenezer Baptist Church, 1530 Third Ave., will have its annual Choir Reunion at 3 p.m. Sunday at the church. Featured will be Pastor Debbie Schultz and the youth team from the south Park Presbyterian Church. The Burs Family, Minister James Reese and the Martin Luther King Junior Male Chorus Band. A gospel sing featuring The BrighterSide Quartet and The Believers Quartet will be at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Elk River Community and Education Center at 902 Main Street in Elkview. No admission charge but donations appreciated. Concessions will be sold. Mountain Heights Church, 1201 Chestnut St., Spring Hill, will present the "Heaven" play, a musical drama, at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Danny Pettit will sing at 7 p.m. on Monday at Lucy Wilson Baptist Church, Wills Creek, Elkview. Special services Men's Day will be celebrated on Sunday at Levi First Missionary Baptist Church, 5125 Church Drive, Rand. Minister Keith Tyler will be guest speaker and Brothers in the Cross will provide music. The men of St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 1108 Second Ave., will celebrate their annual Men's Day on Sunday with an 11 a.m. service featuring Rev. John Sylvia and the Men's Choir, and a 3:30 p.m. service with guest Minister Shaun Shamblin, lay elder at Putney Memorial Church, and music by the Women of Praise from Ohio. Liberty Missionary Baptist Church, 1343 Lewis St., Charleston, will honor First Lady Cassandra Staples on Friday at 7 p.m. Guest speaker will be First Lady Chanel Collins, choirs and congregation of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. The church will celebrate the 7th Pastoral Anniversary of Dr. Jerry Staples on Aug. 25. Guest speaker at 11 a.m. will be Bishop Thomas Murray, Pastor, First Baptist of Montgomery and guest speaker at 3:30 p.m. will be Rev. Walter M. Leach, pastor, St. Paul Baptist Temple, Beckley. Dinner will be served following morning service. Brookside Ministries COGIC in Mount Carbon will feature Dr. Bruce E. Hogan, senior pastor, and a Pastoral Fellowship Service on Aug. 25 at 3:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Apostle Robert Haley from A More Excellent Way Life Center Church in Charleston. Vacation Bible School Pilgrim Home Missionary Baptist Church, at 7015 Kanawha St. in St. Albans, will celebrate its 10th annual Women's Day during the 11 a.m. morning worship service on Sunday. The theme is "Live a life in full bloom with purpose for His Glory." The guest speaker will be Mary Poke, first lady of St. Paul Baptist Church of St. Albans. Items for Church Activities may be submitted by mail to Charleston Gazette-Mail, 1001 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV 25301, faxed to 304-348-1233 or email: news@wvgazettemail.com. Notices will be run one time free. Please include a contact person's name and a daytime telephone number. Information will not be taken by phone. The deadline is noon Thursday. </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Brady McCombs The Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued a warning to members that coffee is prohibited no matter how fancy the name, that vaping is banned despite the alluring flavors and that marijuana is outlawed unless prescribed by "competent" doctors. The new guidance in the August issue of a church youth magazine does not include fundamental changes to the religion's strict health code, but the clarifications are significant and seem to reflect growing concern about young Latter-day Saints' adherence to the rules. The article says it aims to clear up issues that could be confusing for young people within the religion's "Word of Wisdom," a set of rules about what foods and drinks are good for members and what substances they should avoid. The rules prohibit alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs and coffee and tea. They are based on what church members believe was a revelation from God to founder Joseph Smith in 1833. The faith's rejection of coffee has long generated curiosity and more than a few jokes, including a scene in the biting satirical Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon" in which dancing cups of coffee appear in a missionary's nightmare. The new instructions about coffee make clear that there's no gray area allowing coffee infused drinks and allude to the wide variety that could tempt members of the faith widely known as the Mormon church. "The word coffee isn't always in the name of coffee drinks. So, before you try what you think is just some new milkshake flavor, here are a couple of rules of thumb: One, if you're in a coffee shop (or any other shop that's well-known for its coffee), the drink you're ordering probably has coffee in it, so either never buy drinks at coffee shops or always ask if there's coffee in it," the article said. "Two, drinks with names that include cafe or caffe, mocha, latte, espresso, or anything ending in -ccino usually have coffee in them and are against the Word of Wisdom." As coffee shops have become common in the United States, more young church members feel comfortable going to places like Starbucks and drinking iced coffee, said Patrick Mason, a church member and religious scholar who is the Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University. For past generations, just entering coffee shops was considered taboo, he said. The guidance will dash the hopes of some members who hoped the church would loosen the rules about coffee, he said. Starbucks announced recently that it would open its first stand-alone shop in the heavily Mormon city of Provo near the church-owned Brigham Young University next year. Starbucks does offer some non-coffee drinks, including hot chocolate and lemonade. "This is the church clearly responding to higher levels of non-compliance to the Word of Wisdom than we've seen in previous generations," Mason said. Jana Riess, a church member and author, said she was shocked to find that four in 10 active church members under age 51 had drank coffee during the previous six months in a 2016 survey she conducted for her book, "The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church." She also found that younger members are less concerned than older members about obeying the health code, which is one of the ways the religion is distinct from other faiths. Church leaders have occasionally issued similar clarifications based on changing social norms and eating and drinking habits, Mason said. In 2012, church leaders clarified that the health code did not prevent members from drinking caffeinated soft drinks. Church leaders provide additional instructions as needed to help guide members about the health code designed for the "physical and spiritual benefit of God's children," according to a statement sent by spokesman Eric Hawkins on behalf of the church. The church declined to say why it decided to issue the new clarifications now. Brandt Malone, a church member from Detroit who hosts the Mormon News Report podcast, said he wishes the section on coffee would have instead provided guidance to young members about how to order and behave in coffee shops, which are a common place for professional work meetings. "Let's teach people how to make the proper choices and think for themselves based on the construct of your religious health code," Malone said. Malone and Riess both praised the church stance on vaping, which laments the misconception that e-cigarettes contain only flavors. "Most vaping pods contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and all of them contain harmful chemicals," the article says. The passage about marijuana seems to underscore the faith's desire to carve out a space to allow some members to use medical marijuana, while reiterating that recreational use is prohibited. The faith worked with Utah state legislators, many of them church members, and medical marijuana advocates to craft a medical marijuana program last year. "Medical uses are being studied, but just like many pain medications such as opioids, marijuana is an addictive substance," the article said. "Such habit-forming substances should be avoided except under the care of a competent physician, and then used only as prescribed." </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">'Easy Rider' star, writer Peter Fonda has died at 79</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Lindsey Bahr and Andrew Dalton The Associated Press LOS ANGELES - Actor Peter Fonda, the son of a Hollywood legend who became a movie star in his own right after both writing and starring in the counter-culture classic "Easy Rider," has died. His family said in a statement that Fonda died Friday morning at his home in Los Angeles. He was 79. The official cause of death was respiratory failure due to lung cancer. "In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts," the family said in a statement. "As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy." Born into Hollywood royalty as Henry Fonda's only son, Peter Fonda carved his own path with his non-conformist tendencies and earned an Oscar nomination for co-writing the psychedelic road trip movie "Easy Rider." He would never win that golden statuette, but would later be nominated for his leading performance as a Vietnam veteran and widowed beekeeper in "Ulee's Gold." Fonda was born in New York in 1940 and was only 10 years old when his mother Frances Ford Seymour died. Fonda had an estranged relationship with his father, but said that they grew closer over the years before Henry Fonda died in 1982. Although Peter never achieved the status of his father or even his older sister Jane Fonda, the impact of "Easy Rider," which just celebrated its 50th anniversary, was enough to cement his place in popular culture. Fonda collaborated with another struggling young actor, Dennis Hopper, on the script about two weed-smoking, drug-slinging bikers on a trip through the Southwest and Deep South. On the way, Fonda and Hopper befriend a drunken young lawyer - Jack Nicholson in a breakout role - but raise the dander of Southern rednecks and are murdered before they can return home. Fonda's character Wyatt wore a stars-and-stripes helmet and rode a motorcycle called "Captain America," re-purposing traditional images for the counter-culture. Fonda produced "Easy Rider" and Hopper directed it for a meager $380,000. It went on to gross $40 million worldwide, a substantial sum for its time. The film was a hit at Cannes, netted a best-screenplay Oscar nomination for Fonda, Hopper and Terry Southern, and has since been listed on the American Film Institute's ranking of the top 100 American films. The establishment gave its official blessing in 1998 when "Easy Rider" was included in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hundreds defy restrictions, join protests in Kashmir</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Ashok Sharma and Edith M. Lederer The Associated Press NEW DELHI - Hundreds of people protested an unprecedented security crackdown and clashed with police Friday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, as India's government said it was constantly reviewing the situation in the disputed region and the restrictions there will be removed over the next few days. The U.N. Security Council met on Jammu and Kashmir for the first time in decades, and Pakistan's ambassador to the world body said the session showed that people in the region "may be locked up ... but their voices were heard today." The Security Council took no action during the closed meeting, which was called for by China and Pakistan. A heavy troop presence and a near-constant curfew and communications blackout remained in place in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir for a 12th day. The government imposed the lockdown to avoid a violent reaction to its decision on Aug. 5 to downgrade the autonomy of the Muslim-majority Kashmir region. Both India and Pakistan claim the Himalayan region, which is divided between the nuclear-armed rivals. The decision by the Hindu-led government in New Delhi has raised tensions with Pakistan and touched off anger in the Indian-controlled region. Young and old demonstrators took to the streets in Srinagar, the region's main city, after Friday prayers. They carried green Islamic flags and signs reading "Stop Genocide in Kashmir, Wake Up World." Some threw stones and clashed with security forces, who responded with tear gas. Earlier in the day, a senior Indian official in Kashmir, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, confirmed there would be some loosening of restrictions on residents, saying that landline phone services would be restored gradually beginning Friday night and schools reopened as of Monday. He didn't announce any immediate restoration of mobile phone service, which he said could be misused by terrorist groups. India's Supreme Court decided to give the government more time before ruling on a petition demanding the lifting of media restrictions following its assurances that they will be eased soon, attorney Vrinda Grover told reporters. She represents Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin, who said she was unable to publish her newspaper in Srinagar. Subrahmanyam also said that government offices had started functioning normally. He said Friday prayers were held peacefully and life in 12 of the region's 22 districts was almost back to normal. Public transport will be restored gradually after evaluating the security situation, he said. "Some preventive arrests were made in the region as a preventive measure to maintain law and order," Subrahmanyam said, though he did not say how many. "We have prevented any loss of life or serious injuries to anyone despite concerted efforts by terrorist groups, radical groups and continuing efforts by Pakistan to destabilize the situation," he said. Pakistan's ambassador to the U.N., Maleeha Lodhi, called the closed-door consultations of the Security Council "the first and not the last step." "It will only end when justice is done to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Lodhi said. "This is the first time in over 50 years that this issue has been deliberated upon by the Security Council," Lodhi said. "I think this meeting nullifies India's claim that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter for India." India's U.N. Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin insisted its recent actions on Kashmir were "entirely an internal matter" with "no external ramifications." He rejected comments by Lodhi and China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun that Kashmir is an international dispute, insisting it is bilateral. Akbaruddin said India is committed to the 1972 Simla agreement calling for India and Pakistan to peacefully resolve Kashmir's status, saying: "It's now for Pakistan to make that commitment, too - stop terror to start talks." He dismissed a 1948 Security Council resolution promising a U.N.-sponsored referendum on Kashmir's "final disposition," saying "every new agreement overtakes the past." President Donald Trump spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan by phone and conveyed the importance of India and Pakistan reducing tensions through bilateral dialogue, said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also disclosed the conversation, and he added that Trump said he will talk to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. Qureshi described it as "a good conversation," adding that Khan described "how delicate, how concerning and how alarming" the situation was. At a news conference in Islamabad, Qureshi also described the holding of the Security Council meeting as a diplomatic win for Pakistan, saying it was held despite India's opposition. In a tweet, Khan condemned the continued clampdown and warned Modi, that "no nation can be defeated militarily when it rises for independence." He described Modi as a "fascist, Hindu supremacist," and equated him with Adolf Hitler, saying he feared "genocide of Muslims in Kashmir." Before Indian elections in April and May, Khan had expressed hope that the Kashmir issue could be resolved through talks if Modi's Hindu nationalist party won the vote. Modi has defended the Kashmir changes as freeing the territory from separatism, and his supporters welcomed the move. One of the revisions allows anyone to buy land in Indian-controlled Kashmir, which some Kashmiris fear could change the region's culture and demographics. Critics have likened it to Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. Meanwhile, the family of a Kashmiri journalist said he has been detained by the Indian armed forces. Irfan Amin Malik, who works for Greater Kashmir, one of the largest newspapers in Kashmir, was taken into custody Wednesday night at his house in Tral in Pulwama, a southern district in Kashmir, according to his father, Mohammed Amin Malik. "We are worried about our son," he told The Associated Press. Principal Secretary Rohit Kansal of the Jammu and Kashmir region said he was looking into the case. Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh declined comment. Malik is the first journalist known to have been detained since Kashmir's special constitutional status was revoked. Pakistan's military said that Indian firing across the Line of Control dividing the region killed another soldier, raising the death toll to six in less than 24 hours. Pakistan's foreign ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and lodged a protest over the killings. The ministry said the "cease-fire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation." There was no immediate comment from the Indian army. --- Lederer reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed. --- This story has been corrected to show spelling of Indian official's name is Subrahmanyam instead of Subramaniam. </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Critics blast Oregon repeal of tsunami-zone building ban</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Andrew Selsky The Associated Press NEWPORT, Ore. - With sunlight sparkling off surrounding Yaquina Bay, workers are putting up an ocean-studies building, smack in the middle of an area expected to one day be hit by a tsunami. Experts say it's only a matter of time before a shift in a major fault line off the Oregon coast causes a massive earthquake that generates a tsunami as much as seven stories tall. Even as work on Oregon State University's Marine Studies Building was underway in Newport, the Legislature went a step further and repealed a ban on construction of new "critical facilities" in tsunami inundation zones, allowing fire stations, police stations and schools to be built in the potential path of a tsunami. Passage of the bill in June was little noticed during one of the most tumultuous legislative sessions in Oregon history. But it has since been roundly criticized - including by Gov. Kate Brown, who told journalists the bill's passage was one of her disappointments, even though she signed the measure and previously said it benefited economic development. Chris Goldfinger, an Oregon State University professor and an earthquake geologist, says putting the $60 million oceanography building in the path of a tsunami is "beyond ironic," and allowing even more construction threatens lives in favor of development. "It's foolhardy. In every other country in the world, best practice for tsunamis is avoidance, not building in a tsunami zone," Goldfinger said at a symposium for journalists in Newport that included a tour of the construction project. Proponents of the university facility point out that the building will withstand strong earthquakes and be higher than the biggest tsunami. It will feature a rooftop evacuation site that can accommodate more than 900 people, accessed via an exterior ramp. Two days of supplies, including water, food and first aid, will be kept on the roof, said Cinamon Moffett, research facility coordinator for the marine center. Once the water subsides, survivors would be evacuated to a community college on a nearby hill, she said. An earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone, which extends in the ocean off Northern California to Canada's Vancouver Island, has a 37 percent probability of happening off Oregon in the next 50 years, with a slightly lower chance of one striking near Washington state, Goldfinger said. Cascadia earthquakes have an average magnitude of around 9, making them among the world's biggest. Evidence of a Cascadia earthquake's awesome destructive power is visible 30 miles up the coast from Newport. There, a "ghost forest" of Sitka spruces juts up from a beach in the tiny town of Neskowin. An earthquake 2,000 years ago likely caused the ground beneath the trees to plunge, and tsunami debris buried them. The remnants were partially uncovered by storms in 1997. Today, the barnacle-encrusted trees stand like sentinels, facing the Pacific Ocean with vacation homes and a motel nearby. The last time the ocean reared up from a Cascadia earthquake was in 1700. The estimated magnitude 9 quake sent a tsunami across the Pacific into the coast of Japan, where it flooded farm fields, damaged fishermen's shacks and ascended a castle moat. In the Pacific Northwest and Canada, the impact was far worse, and is described in the folklore of indigenous peoples. One tale describes a struggle between a thunderbird and a whale that caused the earth to shake and the ocean to wash away people and homes. Oregon became a leader in tsunami preparedness when the Legislature, in 1995, banned construction of certain public facilities in inundation zones. Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia province was slammed by the 1700 tsunami. But no law prohibits construction of public buildings in tsunami zones there, according to Emergency Management BC. Washington state requires municipalities and counties to establish rules to limit development in areas that are frequently flooded or could be hit by tsunamis, landslides or other calamities. California has no state-mandated development restrictions in tsunami zones, said Rick Wilson, senior engineering geologist with the California Geological Survey. But the state recently adopted new language in its building code requiring that certain types of buildings be constructed to withstand tsunami forces, Wilson said. Other states are moving to do the same, using standards from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Japan, reacting to a 2011 earthquake and tsunami that left more than 18,000 dead or presumed dead, passed a law allowing towns to set tsunami warning zones and make evacuation and reconstruction plans. The government is spending 1 trillion yen ($9 billion) to build giant seawalls around the northern coastline. Moving to higher ground is not required, though some coastal communities have done so. "Oregon has gone from sort of a leader in this to full reverse," said Goldfinger, who was attending a seismology conference in Japan when the 2011 earthquake hit. Oregon lawmakers overwhelmingly repealed the 1995 construction ban in June, as tensions in the Capitol ratcheted up over Republican opposition to a bill addressing global warming. Few people attended hearings at which lawmakers from coastal districts testified in favor of the repeal. Democratic Rep. David Gomberg, one of its sponsors, told members of a House committee to imagine the impacts if the state banned new schools, parking garages and police and fire stations in their communities. "What would be the consequence of that, to your ability to get insurance on your home, your ability to attract a new business into a neighborhood that's not safe enough for fire departments, your ability to resell your home in a neighborhood not safe enough for police departments?" Gomberg asked. He said the state geology department should "help us rather than to stop ... our communities growing, thriving or continuing." Gomberg said his bill gives the department responsibility for advising where a new inundation line should be and how risks can be mitigated. He also said he will introduce legislation for Oregon to adopt the American Society of Civil Engineers' tsunami and earthquake building standards. Republican Sen. Brian Boquist, who was at the center of a Republican walkout over the global warming bill, was the only senator to vote against the repeal. Boquist said in an email that it allows public entities to build, knowing full well the buildings will not survive a tsunami. It is too soon to tell if coastal cities will use the new leeway to build facilities in inundation zones. Some have been doing the opposite. The town of Seaside, 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Portland, is moving schools out of the tsunami zone. Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer said his city has no plans to build critical facilities in the inundation zone. But he praised the Marine Studies Building for its rooftop evacuation site, which can fit the population of an entire neighborhood of his fishing town. "We consider it to be a unique solution," he said. Meanwhile, the Corvallis Gazette-Times noted in an editorial that while it is possible to design a building that can survive an earthquake and tsunami, "that doesn't answer the question of why we should take the risk in the first place." The newspaper urged lawmakers to reassess the new law when they convene next year. </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maryland lags behind other states in compensating wrongfully convicted</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Ovetta Wiggins The Washington Post ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Nearly three dozen wrongly convicted felons have been exonerated over the past 30 years in Maryland which, like most other states, allows individuals to be compensated for years spent behind bars. But only nine exonerees have sought payment - and just three have received money. The most recent damages were awarded 15 years ago. The state lags far behind others in compensating those who were wrongly imprisoned, experts say. Since spring of last year, five exonerees have petitioned the state Board of Public Works for more than $12 million in redress. Their requests have largely gone unanswered. And elected officials are trading blame for why the system doesn't work better. A spokesman for Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said the Democratic-majority General Assembly needs to pass a bill establishing compensation standards before the Board of Public Works can act on requests. Sen. Delores Kelley, D-Baltimore County, who has sponsored such bills, said the board has the power to make awards even without the legislation. Sen. Robert Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, who chairs the Judicial Proceedings Committee, twice has blocked Kelley's bills, which he says were overly broad. "Even when everyone thinks the person is innocent, we still can't get them compensated," said Shawn Armbrust, the executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, which represents several of the men. "For such a progressive state, it's really callous." Together, Lamar Johnson, Jerome Johnson, Walter Lomax, Clarence Shipley Jr. and Hubert James Williams spent 120 years behind bars. Each man was charged with a felony: four with murder, one with attempted murder. Each said he didn't commit the crime. Their petitions were submitted over the past 18 months. "We urge the board to follow Maryland's compensation law and swiftly compensate these individuals, who are working hard to reclaim the lives they lost," attorneys for four of the men wrote in a joint letter to state officials last month. "Each endured unimaginable pain while incarcerated . . . Although they are now physically freed, their suffering continues." The number of exonerations throughout the country has risen steadily over the past three decades as the use of DNA testing by law enforcement officials has become more common, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. Between 1989 and 2018, 2,472 people were released from prison with their convictions overturned, according to the registry. A third of those happened between 2014 and 2018. The data shows that African Americans are disproportionately affected by wrongful convictions, with blacks seven times more likely than whites to be jailed for crimes they didn't commit. The District of Columbia and 35 states, including Maryland and Virginia, have passed legislation authorizing exonerees to be compensated for their time served. In Alabama, exonerees are entitled to at least $50,000 for each year of wrongful imprisonment. An exoneree in Missouri is given $50 for each day of incarceration, but no more than $36,500. Maryland law states that an award may be granted for "actual damages sustained by the individual," but does not set a minimum or maximum amount. A 2018 task force recommended at least $50,000 per year of incarceration, with an additional $10,000 for living expenses and services such as education and health and dental care. A bill to approve those recommendations stalled in the legislature. The state's "convoluted system," Kelley said, leaves exonerees without the resources they need and the justice they deserve. Jeffrey Gutman, co-director of the Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics at George Washington University Law School, said the percentage of Maryland exonerees who have asked for redress is lower than the national average. So is the percentage who have received it. According to Gutman's data, 50 percent of exonerees have been compensated in Virginia and nearly a quarter have received redress in the District of Columbia, compared to 9 percent in Maryland. Until 2017, a wrongly convicted person in Maryland had to obtain a pardon from the governor to be awarded damages from the Board of Public Works, which includes the governor, the state comptroller and treasurer. With few pardons granted by Hogan and his predecessors, including former Democratic governor Martin O'Malley, the General Assembly removed that requirement two years ago. A convicted person now can obtain a "writ of innocence" from a judge and then petition the board for damages. Zirkin said his Senate committee wants exonerees to receive redress, but has yet to come up with the best way to do it. Kelley's bill, he said, could have allowed even those who had not obtained a writ to petition for compensation. "We believe a legislative fix is necessary to address this issue, to have a clear and coherent policy direction for these and future cases," Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said. "Without a legislative fix, the board's decisions could be arbitrary or inconsistent." Susan O'Brien, a spokeswoman for Comptroller Peter Franchot, said Franchot plans to work with Hogan, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Board of Public Works staff "to choose the most appropriate path forward." Jerome Johnson, Lamar Johnson, Shipley and Williams are seeking $8.1 million in compensation from the board - $100,000 for each year of their incarceration. Lomax, 71, who served 39 years in prison, asked for $4 million in his petition. Jerome Johnson, 51, is also suing the Baltimore City Police Department, alleging that police purposely withheld evidence in the 1988 killing of Aaron Taylor, for which he was convicted and then exonerated. He declined an interview request. Lamar Johnson, 36, who is no relation to Jerome Johnson, said he finds it frustrating that the state has not acted on the petitions. "I just want the board to put themselves in our shoes," he said. "Some exonerees don't even have places to live." He was locked up at age 20 and freed in 2017. While family and friends were at his mother's house celebrating, he hid in the bathroom for 45 minutes, sitting on the floor. Confining himself in that closed room, similar in size to his prison cell, was an early indication of how difficult it would be to adjust to his newfound freedom, Johnson said later. He wasn't around when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, or for his cousin's funeral, or to watch his twin sisters grow up. He was released with no identification, no medical insurance and no real job training. "It was like the state admitted, 'We made a mistake, now go fix your life,'" he said. "I had nothing." Williams, 67, a military veteran and recovering addict, was convicted of murder in 1974, at age 22. He had been out of prison and on parole for five months when he was accused in the 1997 shooting and attempted robbery of a bartender in Baltimore County. Back in prison, he twice attempted suicide. A detective who had worked on the case as a uniformed officer eventually started looking into Williams' claims of innocence, and he found witnesses who had lied under oath. His work persuaded prosecutors to push for Williams' release in 2009. Since then, Williams has been homeless at times, living in the woods in Takoma Park. He was recently treated at the VA Medical Center in the District, where he described his time in prison to a reporter. His voice was shaky, and his story rambled. "I had to keep saying to myself, 'James, it's okay. James, it's okay,'" he said, sitting on his hospital bed. After his discharge, he was scheduled to check into a rehab facility in West Virginia. Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby apologized to Shipley in December when he was released after 27 years in prison, exonerated for the 1991 murder of Kevin Smith. Shipley, 47, was convicted based on testimony of a man who, after an investigation by the Innocence Project, admitted to lying to get a shorter sentence for a crime he committed. Prosecutors now say Smith was killed by a man named Larry Davis, who died in 2005. Shipley, who became a Christian during his incarceration, said he carries no bitterness and has forgiven those who played a part in his wrongful conviction. No amount of money, he said, could make up for the time he lost with his family or for having to mourn from prison after his 12-year-old son, Isaiah, died in a house fire in 2002. But, like the other exonerees, he believes the state is obliged to provide redress. "Not only would it help me," Shipley said, his voice cracking. "It would help my family. My family still lives in the projects, still struggling. It would do a lot for me." </span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sealed records on Dayton gunman pit safety against privacy</span></div>
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<span style="display: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Julie Carr Smyth The Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio - Disturbing behavior that the Dayton gunman reportedly exhibited in his youth may be detailed in law enforcement and school files so far off limits to the public, records that could shed light on whether authorities properly handled early warning signs. The measures used to shield 24-year-old shooter Connor Betts' school records and whatever is on his juvenile rap sheet were intended to protect people's privacy as they move from childhood into their adult lives. But could erasing youthful bad behavior from the public record limit insights that could protect public safety? And might such measures also serve to insulate school officials from having their decisions questioned? "Obviously, it's a very, very complex issue," said Rachael Strickland, co-chair of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy. Betts was killed by police after opening fire Aug. 4 in the city's crowded Oregon District entertainment area, killing nine, including his sister, and injuring dozens more. High school classmates have since said Betts was suspended years ago for compiling a "hit list" of fellow students he wanted to harm. Two of the classmates said that followed an earlier suspension after Betts came to school with a list of female students he wanted to sexually assault. Police investigators say they now know that Betts had a "history of obsession with violent ideations with mass shootings and expressed a desire to commit a mass shooting." The FBI said it uncovered evidence Betts "looked into violent ideologies." On Thursday, the Montgomery County coroner said Betts had cocaine, alcohol and an antidepressant in his system and more cocaine on his body at the time of the shooting. Authorities have yet to publicly identify a motive, and the shielded records could provide insights into Betts' previous activities both in and out of school. Dayton police said Tuesday that they're divided on one of the more vexing questions: whether Betts intended to kill his sister, Megan, or whether her death was inadvertent. His school district, Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Schools, has denied media requests for access to Betts' high school files on the grounds that such "records are generally protected by both federal and state law." News organizations, including The Associated Press, CNN, The New York Times and others, have sued. Likewise, his juvenile police record has been expunged, which makes it off limits to the public. Strickland said her coalition mostly focuses on protecting children from the lifelong ramifications of systematic monitoring of their social media. She said the group opposes "as a matter of principle" government surveillance of children without due process, saying it takes staff and police hours to carry out while "unfairly labeling kids." That was part of the thinking of those who championed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the federal law that protects student education records, back in 1974. The act does give districts the option to release a student's records "in connection with an emergency," however. "The mandate to Ohio schools is that we must not divulge confidential student records without clear consent from the student or parents and we have not received such consent," Liz Betz, board president for Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Schools, said in a statement after the shooting. "We know everyone is trying to make sense of the devastation that occurred, but we cannot bypass the law, plain and simple." While the U.S. Department of Education holds that federal privacy protections cease upon death for those over 18, the school district is arguing that Ohio law provides broader protection. The district's lawyer, Tabitha Justice, said that if the protections expire, as the media organizations have argued, that would mean "that the families and estates of all students who pass away, regardless of the manner of death, would be entirely without recourse with respect to those records." In their complaint, the news outlets also argued the records can make a significant contribution to local and national debate that has followed the shooting. "Respondents' failure to comply with their legal obligations under Ohio law should not be tolerated," the complaint said. "This community and the country at large deserve to know why this tragedy happened, what might have led to it, and what may be done to prevent future tragedies." Michael Miller, a former longtime Franklin County prosecutor, said expungement is also a tool aimed at helping people - even well into their adulthood - avoid lifelong negative consequences for the mistakes of their past. Lawyers sometimes offer to expunge a person's record as part of their service agreement or, if the offense is minor, some magistrates do it automatically, he said. Miller said he puts no stock in a person's bad behavior as a teenager being a predictor of future violence. "They're all over the map on why they do these things," he said. "It's virtually impossible to think that if we do this or that, we'll stop violence and killing people. It's been going on since the beginning of time." </span></div>
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-90895820366018202912019-08-03T15:31:00.001-07:002019-08-03T17:53:55.732-07:00Growing Pains as Summer Wanes <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9ykbYAHsAQdFShZQDicljA5yHChJxvFwfJi4P9e53kmAalcJNE_oyL2U1VirMI-FRSu43aRdQongB8EdRlwwiZ3t3d3UZrpgm-lkpWU__FIaE4nB97LtEeFHThQnc8EHt5ptsFZTjf5S/s1600/Charleston+Gazette+-+Best.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="368" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9ykbYAHsAQdFShZQDicljA5yHChJxvFwfJi4P9e53kmAalcJNE_oyL2U1VirMI-FRSu43aRdQongB8EdRlwwiZ3t3d3UZrpgm-lkpWU__FIaE4nB97LtEeFHThQnc8EHt5ptsFZTjf5S/s320/Charleston+Gazette+-+Best.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">03 August, 2019</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.73px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Essays on Faith</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Growing
Pains as Summer Wanes </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, sweet summer! For those who love it,
the sensation that it’s waning is not a happy one. July disappeared like smoke
in the wind and we are now into August, the last month of summer in the
northern hemisphere.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people totally enjoy the summer
months. They travel to the most popular beaches to worship the sun, eat fresh
seafood and enjoy numerous activities that spell summer pleasure. But I can’t
help wondering if some dislike it as I do and just go along so they won’t
appear “different.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s what I call forced merriment!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for me, I’d be perfectly happy if we
had only three seasons: spring, fall and winter. But God didn’t put me in
charge of the weather so I’ve learned to endure whatever He sends and wait
patiently as I only dream of cooler days, colorful foliage, cloudless blue
skies, pumpkins and gourds and scarecrows and haystacks.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The countdown to a new school year has
already begun. Cooler weather and Halloween are just around the corner. The
mere thought triggers a familiar stirring inside me. But, with temperatures
lingering in the high eighties and low nineties, some aren’t thinking ahead, as
I am, but are still busy squeezing the last drop of joy from the remaining days
of summer.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My twelve-year-old granddaughter got into
a little mischief today. She and a friend thought it would be refreshing to
jump off a boat dock and take a dip in the Kanawha River. It was only the two
of them, with no adult anywhere within hearing distance... but somehow; her
mother discovered what she’d done, which resulted in Jennie losing some
privileges during her last precious weeks of freedom. Not only did her mother
feel she’d done something dangerous, but also, she was concerned because the
river is known to be full of chemicals, which could be harmful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as God sometimes allows adversity to
come upon his children in order to get their undivided attention and urge them
to spend more time with Him, a mother knows when she must discipline her
children for their own good. She may not say it, but many times, she feels
deeply the well-known expression, “This is going to hurt me more than it does
you.” However, a Godly mother understands that if there are no consequences for
bad behavior, nothing will be learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And she does what’s best for her child.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twelve-year-olds are special! Not babies
anymore, they’re always prepared to assert that fact, but they are, by no
means, capable of making wise decisions. Fortunately, God loves children and
watches over them. I fear that many would not survive if it weren’t for His
loving guidance.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember things I did at Jennie’s age
that I shouldn’t have. Some – my parents never knew, yet I have wonderful
memories of my childhood and early teens. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the small town where I grew up, there
was a mountain that had to be climbed. It was an unspoken dare! You were
considered a coward if you didn’t climb it by the time you were thirteen or
fourteen years old. It took a couple of hours to get to the top, tramping
through a densely wooded area – some of it very steep. One wrong step resulted
in a downward slide for yards before you could stop and gingerly climb back up
again. When you finally reached the top, you were standing on a huge rock cliff
from where you could see the whole town. It was a beautiful sight, but strictly
natural. There were no fences or railings of any kind to keep you from falling,
which would have been fatal.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My parents surely would have had heart
failure if they’d known I was ever on that mountain.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Jennie, I couldn’t stay away from
the river. It didn’t matter how many times I was threatened or punished, I kept
going, certain my parents would never know. The lure of the river was ever so
much more powerful than the threat of punishment.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
climbed trees - although forbidden, ventured farther from home than my parents
permitted and fought with anyone who dared disagree with me. Someone’s mother
constantly phoned mine to report something I’d done to her daughter or son. I
was punished. A lot.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, under the guidance of
God’s loving hands, I grew up fairly well adjusted.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe Jennie will, too.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She reminds me of myself at her age.
It’ll be interesting - and a little painful - to watch her grow and learn her
lessons the hard way, as I did. Hopefully, she, too, will look back one day and
remember these days with fondness.</span></span></div>
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life's seasons!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Peggy Toney Horton lives in Nitro and can be reached at pegylu@suddenlink.net</span></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">©Charleston Sunday Gazette Mail- 03 August, 2019</span></i></span></span></div>
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-81015746148906406562017-10-30T00:40:00.003-07:002018-10-30T15:04:04.797-07:00Reluctant Trick-or-Treater Had fun Halloween Anyway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;"> Sunday, November 2, 2014</span></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Reluctant Trick-or-Treater Had fun</span></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Halloween Anyway</span></h3>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"> Our house was situated on the banks of the Kanawha River. It had a great yard shaded by large fruit trees. Apple, pear, plum, and peach trees delighted the senses as well as the appetite. What's more, a long arbor laden with succulent purple grapes all summer completed the orchard–like feel of the yard.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Ah, but it was very dark at night. Spooky. Not even the brightest moonlight could find its way around or through the abundant foliage surrounding the house. It was a small town and there were few streetlights – certainly none at the end of the street that led to the river.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span> <span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">As a child, I cared nothing about Halloween. Still don’t. I realize I was then, and still am, among the minority, but the day holds little fascination for me. When my friends said, “What are you gonna be for Halloween?” I crinkled my nose and answered, “I don’t know. Probably nothing."</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Yet, invariably, a few friends came to my house at near-darkness every Halloween night, and insisted I go trick-or-treating with them. It didn’t do any good to refuse. They kept on until I went to my mother’s closet and found something to fashion a costume – an old dress, hat and some make-up was enough to do the trick for me and off we’d go hitting every house in the small town, saying the words, trick-or-treat what seemed like a thousand times and coming home with our bags full of goodies. I enjoyed it in spite of myself, but always vowed never to do it again! It was the same every year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Almost.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">One year stands out in my memory. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><br /></span> <span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">My father loved practical jokes. This particular Halloween, he came up with one that still makes me chuckle.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">There was a weathered old garage standing at the edge of our property in the front. It seemed to have no purpose. I don’t know who owned it or why it was there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">My dad got the bright idea that, since the dilapidated old garage was already scary looking, especially after dark, and one could imagine all sorts of things going on inside, it might be fun to make it even scarier for the trick-or-treaters and see what happened.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">And so… just before dark, he squeezed through the small opening in the garage door, which stood a little ajar at all times but didn’t seem to open fully. The way it creaked when it was moved made it a perfect Halloween prop! The cracks between the vertical boards were just far apart enough so that he could see out without being seen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I was given the honor of sitting on the front porch swing with a bowl of candy to hand out when the little ghosts and goblins said, “Trick or Treat!” </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">My dad watched for the kids through the cracks and allowed them to go to the porch and collect their goodies, but when they turned to leave and reached the end of our walk, which was parallel with the side of the old garage, he’d shine a flashlight through the cracks and let out a horrible monster sound that could have awakened the dead!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Each reaction was almost the same: the child stopped, looked surprised, and then screamed a blood-curdling scream before running away as fast as possible. My dad enjoyed himself to the max.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">But as more kids came, they had been warned by others and were ready for the trick. We thought the fun was over until one little guy decided he wasn’t gonna let a make-believe garage monster scare him. “I’m gonna open the door and see who this person is that’s scaring my friends!” he announced proudly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">He bravely walked up to the partly open door, stopped and was ready to peek inside when suddenly, with a deafening bellow, my father lurched right in front of the boy. But something was different. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">He had no head!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Even I was startled for an instant.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">The little boy’s eyes grew as big as half-dollars and, for a few seconds, he seemed paralyzed, but when he finally managed to move, he turned and ran away. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Fast!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Unbuttoning his jacket and removing it from his head, Dad smiled, winked at me and said, “Let’s go inside. The fun’s over.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">It was the best Halloween I ever had!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoRf6HzE8QA24VHpQpXNVsUw6eg7H4PBGUkBWUP0R_6jyB8wMFiu2vT5_L_5z5SXqTU_SZUJMfdeEjBJalSsu1Hr1Z17QI2am_NqKXDUz5zL6mJ40MdTe-Oj1v5kakIFUmANpAv2jHd-E/s1600/Old+Garage+for+Halloween+Story+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="404" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoRf6HzE8QA24VHpQpXNVsUw6eg7H4PBGUkBWUP0R_6jyB8wMFiu2vT5_L_5z5SXqTU_SZUJMfdeEjBJalSsu1Hr1Z17QI2am_NqKXDUz5zL6mJ40MdTe-Oj1v5kakIFUmANpAv2jHd-E/s320/Old+Garage+for+Halloween+Story+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">Peggy Toney Horton lives in Nitro and can be reached at pegylu@suddenlink.net</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">©Charleston Sunday Gazette Mail-November 2, 2014</span></i></span></span></div>
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-51430677807999704552017-07-23T00:27:00.000-07:002017-09-21T00:38:01.594-07:00Even When we are Alone, God is With Us<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;"> July 23, 2017</span></h3>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Even When we are Alone, God is With Us</span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"></span> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> One
of our lifelong friends passed away recently, leaving a wife he was married to
for more than sixty years. They had no children. Sadly, this wonderful lady is
now all alone.</span></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">When this happens, friends
and relatives are attentive at first – sending cards; bringing food; stopping
by to talk; checking to see if the survivor needs anything and phoning often.
It seems that this might go on indefinitely. But, although these people mean
well, they have jobs and families and obligations. Life soon beckons and they
respond. Suddenly, the survivor finds herself alone—and lonely.<br />
<br />
At some point in our lives, many of us have probably dealt with loneliness –
one of life’s most painful experiences. This can be discouraging, especially
when there is no one to help us through this trying situation.<br />
<br />
After my father died, my mother used to say that weekends were the loneliest
times for her. I never understood that. It seemed to me that every day would
have been about the same, as my father was retired. And even though I visited
her on weekends, it wasn’t enough. She explained it like this: “That was our
quality time together,” she said sweetly. “All week, I stayed busy with
housework, laundry and cooking, while he worked in the yard, washed the car or
piddled around the house. There’s always something to do when you own a house,
you know.” I nodded.<br />
<br />
“But come Saturday morning,” she said, “We lingered a long time over breakfast,
enjoying lengthy conversations as we drank our coffee, and then we’d get
cleaned up and go downtown and do a little shopping. Sometimes we just looked
around, or he’d find something to do while I got my hair done. Finally, we’d go
to a nice restaurant for dinner before going home. We looked forward to
Saturdays. After church on Sunday, we’d have lunch and sit around for hours
sipping coffee or iced tea while we read the Sunday papers. I miss all that,”
she said wistfully.<br />
<br />
My mother lived 25 years after my father died, never remarrying. And she never
stopped referring to her lonely weekends. <br />
<br />
Although it’s difficult for most of us to understand, sometimes God allows such
situations because they are opportunities to bring us into a closer
relationship with Him. When we’re all alone and others are unable or unwilling
to help, God is the One who is always with us! <br />
<br />
While the reality of God’s constant presence with us is a fact, unfortunately,
we are not always aware of Him, especially in lonely periods. Have you
sometimes wondered, if He’s with me, why can’t I sense His presence? Why do I
feel so alone? At times like these, our courage weakens and it’s difficult to
rely on the truth that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Heb. 13:5)<br />
<br />
In his lifetime of walking with Christ, the apostle Paul learned that times of
weakness were God’s invitation to depend on Him. When Paul was struggling with
a “thorn in the flesh,” the Lord said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is perfected in weakness.” <br />
<br />
Christians have a responsibility to visit widows and others who are lonely. It
must be made clear that God is always with them. Our greatest resource for
letting them know that, of course, is the Bible. Throughout its pages, the Lord
tells His people that He is with them. Before Christ ascended to the Father, He
promised His followers, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Matt. 28:20)<br />
<br />
Thus, the Holy Spirit abides within us—and we are never alone!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Peggy Toney Horton lives at Nitro and can be reached at </i></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>pegylu@suddenlink.net</i></span></a></span></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri";"><i>©Sunday Gazette-Mail - July 23, 2017</i></span></span></div>
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-47226742032908835312016-07-24T10:41:00.010-07:002016-07-24T12:05:59.299-07:00The Beauty of Pain and Scars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;"> July 24, 2016</span></h3>
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The Beauty of Pain and Scars</span></h2>
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By Peggy Toney Horton</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Drying off after a shower, I spied a scar on the inside of my left foot. I’m surprised that’s still there, I thought. Should have faded by now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I smiled as I recalled the hot summer day long ago when a friend and I were splashing around in the cool, swirling waters of a shallow creek. Our fun was interrupted suddenly when I screamed in pain. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I had stepped on either a sharp rock or a piece of glass. My foot stung like crazy and started bleeding immediately. My friend held my hand, steadying me as I struggled to walk out of the water and toward home without putting weight on that part of my foot. Every step was painful and blood seemed to be coming out of the wound awfully fast.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When she saw my foot and all the blood, my mother was quite upset at first, but fortunately for children, mothers wear many hats, so, donning her nurse’s cap, she went right to work and, in no time, had stopped the bleeding and patched me up almost like new – except for a small scar that would remain on my foot for the rest of my life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That was not the last scar I got in my lifetime. There were many – both physical and emotional: physical scars from a variety of cuts and scrapes, emotional scars from missed opportunities, lost loved ones and disappointments of all kinds.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We all have scars.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They tell the world we’ve lived. A body or mind without scars means you never took any chances, never learned any lessons.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In order to have a scar, we must first have pain. </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pain corrects. You put your hand on a hot stove and get a message that says, "it's hot" that goes to your brain; your brain says, "move your hand" and you move it, you don't have to think about it. It moves instantly. Lesson learned! You never put your hand on a hot stove again!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why does God allow us to live in a world that is cursed with pain? Because what we call a curse is in fact a blessing. The worst thing God could do is let us live in a world with no pain because it is pain that tells us something is wrong that needs to be corrected.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But what does it say to us when we see the wounds on the hands of Jesus? It says, not only has He suffered and therefore, understands how we feel, but also, that He willingly identified with our humanity that He might take that load and share it with us. He didn't have to suffer this way. He chose to do so.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How could we ever think about our own scars without remembering the nail-scarred hands and feet of Jesus – the gaping wound in his side? </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Christ could easily have erased those scars from His body. He could have removed all the marks of His suffering when He rose from the grave.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But He did not. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Instead, they remain as eternal reminders that He cares about our pain and suffering.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Peggy Toney Horton lives at Nitro and can be reached at </i></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>pegylu@suddenlink.net</i></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>©Charleston Gazette-Mail - July 24, 2016</i></span></span><br />
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-41457066682708991622016-06-19T11:26:00.001-07:002016-06-19T20:19:06.566-07:00My Father’s Example<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">June 19, 2016</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="color: black;">I
awakened early and looked out my window toward the horizon. Although the sun
was still nestled behind the hills, its golden rays were a harbinger of the
beauty that was still to come. Beyond the burst of yellow was a hint of sky,
the promise of blue. It was magnificent to behold!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I thought of my father. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My father was a morning person. I inherited
so much of him, why not that? I’ve never been able to start my day early and
have often been criticized for not being an early riser. My mother liked to tease
that I was “born lazy,” but I prefer to think that God made each of us
different and, as far as I’m concerned, that’s okay.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everyone doesn’t
have to be the same.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, no matter what time I get up – early or
late – I have priorities just like everyone else.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My dad often told me, “It’s good to start
the day by yourself. Just you and your thoughts – alone with God. That’s where
you find direction for your day.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And it stuck! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After many years, I still find it a
necessity to be alone for about thirty minutes each morning before I start
dealing with anyone or anything. If I don’t get that, my whole day is a bit
askew.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As a child, I frequently awakened to find
my mother still in bed and I’d go looking for my dad. On warm, spring days or summer
mornings, I’d find him sitting on the front porch swing. He was sometimes
reading the newspaper, but most often, he’d just be sitting with the most
pleasant look on his face – not exactly a smile – but rather a look of contentment.
Who knows what he was thinking? Knowing him as I do, I suspect he was having an
intimate conversation with God.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But when he saw me, a broad smile would light
up his face and he’d say, “Well, good morning, sunshine! How’s Daddy’s baby
today?” It was always the same. Even after I was grown and had a family of my
own, knowing I’d be up early with my children, he’d phone and say those very
words. I never tired of hearing them. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On this day to honor our fathers, I’m
remembering so many things about my wonderful father: his dark good looks,
tender manner, sense of humor, his kindness toward everyone and his passionate
love for God, his family and baseball – in that order. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s been many years since my father left
us, but his memory remains vivid. I thank God for blessing me with a father who
taught me what my Father in Heaven expects of me, and he taught it in the best
possible way—by example!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">Happy Father’s Day!</span><span style="color: black; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">Peggy Toney Horton</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">112 Brentwood Rd.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">Nitro, WV 25143</span></i></span><br />
<i>pegylu@suddenlink.net</i><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-91926458197534423412016-04-10T10:12:00.002-07:002016-04-10T10:20:16.492-07:00Are You Plugged In?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h3 align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;">
10 Apr
2016 — Charleston Gazette Mail<o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">Are You Plugged In?</span></h2>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">By Peggy
Toney Horton<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A year ago, an unexpected illness
forced my husband to have major surgery. When the doctor informed us it was
necessary, I was terrified, but Mr. H. was as cool as the other side of the
pillow. In the days leading up to surgery, I worried and fretted and lost sleep
but he was not concerned.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">This
was serious. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Throughout
his life, he rarely went to the doctor, and he didn't have periodic tests like
blood work or colonoscopies. Therefore, I feared that, as testing progressed,
the possibility that something life threatening might surface was real. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Although
he had always enjoyed good health - except for painful arthritis - there are so
many things that can go wrong, and, in most cases, early detection is key to
overcoming them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">One
day I asked, "How do you stay so calm knowing what you have facing you?
Aren't you the least bit worried?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">"No,"
he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">"How
do you manage that?" I asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">"I
always assume everything will be all right," he said.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Oh,
how I envy his ability to stay calm no matter what life throws at him. I'm a
world-class worrier. I learned it from my mother, who was an expert. But
worrying is a choice, and we can choose not to do it, especially if we're
fretting about illness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Think
about it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">When
electrical equipment malfunctions, the first thing we do is check to see if
it's plugged in. In the same way, when we experience dysfunction or disease in
our body, we must check to see if we're "plugged in" to God. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">If
we are harboring grudges or unkind thoughts, we let them go. If we have given
power to beliefs of discord or sickness, we disconnect from these thoughts and
reconnect to truth. Once established in right thinking, the light of truth can
heal and transform us. But we must do our part.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Each
of us has been given a wonderful gift - the gift of a physical body made in the
image and likeness of God. It is the housing for our spirit and soul. We show
our gratitude for this gift by treating it with love and respect. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">The
body is a holy temple - a divine creation - and we partner with God in caring
for it. We energize it with healthy food and beverages, strengthen it through
exercise and bless it with affirming thoughts and restful sleep.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Although
our well-being is enhanced by what we take into our bodies, healing is
generally from the inside out. Therefore, we should turn within in prayer and
meditation to affirm health and wholeness and cease all concern about what
could be wrong with our body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">My
husband has been blessed with the capacity to do this. He expects the best
outcome in every situation, never speculating on unpleasant possibilities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I
still have a ways to go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">"So
long as there is disease in your thoughts, there will be disease in your body.
Only when your mind is at rest can your body build health. Worry is an actively
destructive force. Anxiety produces tension and tension is the road to pain.
Whatsoever you sow in your secret thought-life, that shall you reap. Sow praise
and you shall reap joy and well-being and a strong faith." - Frances J.
Roberts<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Peggy Horton lives in Nitro and may
be reached at</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"> <a href="mailto:pegylu@suddenlink.net"><span style="color: blue;">pegylu@suddenlink.net</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></em></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><strong><span style="color: black;">"Are
you plugged in?" <u>Charleston Gazette Mail</u> 10 Apr 2016: B6<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-63533240008621820592015-10-11T00:10:00.000-07:002015-10-12T12:35:29.492-07:00How Well Do You Accept Change <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Sunday, October 11, 2015</strong></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ESSAYS ON FAITH</span></strong><span class="maintitle_large"><b><span style="color: black;"> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How Well Do You Accept Change</span></span></b></span><span class="abody_large"><b><span style="color: black;"> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span></span></b></span><span class="abody_large"><span style="color: black;"> <br /><br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The summer of 2015 appears to have moved on; taking its place in the annals of “Summers Past” as autumn commences to delight us. In a short while, the excitement of the holidays will be upon us, and soon after, winter will usher in a few months of cold, gloomy weather.<br /><br /> Many people are dismayed by such a prediction, just as I am in May when I hear all the cheerful chatter about approaching hot weather. Yes, listening to peoples’ plans for vacations on sandy beaches, trips to faraway places and other kinds of forced merriment for the summer months depresses me. But it seems one must love summertime like the majority of the population, or else he or she appears peculiar, as I do to some of my friends and acquaintances.<br /><br /> A few actually get nasty when I speak of my love for cold weather and snow!<br /><br /> But, I don’t have to think about that today. It’s October — my favorite month of the year, and I intend to enjoy it to the fullest! Not one single soul, no matter what he or she says, can ruin it for me!<br /><br /> October reigns supreme in my book. Though I was born in springtime, I’m quite certain I wasn’t fully awake until October.<br /><br /> God gives us many good gifts—because He loves us. He surely must have been in an especially loving mood when He created autumn! What could be more exciting than an October day? It’s your birthday, Fourth of July and Christmas all rolled into one!<br /><br /> But it’s a distinct change. To some, the very word seems overwhelming. Although I’m not usually quick to accept changes myself, I welcome this one with open arms.<br /><br /> As autumn begins and temperatures cool, the most noticeable change is a colorful display of leaves. The hills are speckled with color. Reds, oranges and yellows stand out amid dull greens and browns. Warm sunshine, less intense than it was a month ago, highlights the beauty of the mountains.<br /><br /> Hopefully, there is also a shift within the spirit of each of us — a sense of fresh energy and excitement. Visible changes should remind us that all is evolving. Seeing God’s dramatic handiwork in nature should trigger an awareness of our potential for positive change.<br /><br /> As our surroundings are altered, we can choose to accept, to adapt, to appreciate and best of all, we can choose to learn and grow. Nature shows us that we die to the old and are reborn in the new. When we see leaves changing color and dropping from tree branches, we know that this will be followed by new growth in springtime and we see that, just as in nature, we must let go of what was, in order to grow anew.<br /><br /> As we evolve in spiritual understanding, we must release the past and welcome the richness of the present in whatever form it takes.<br /><br /> Sometimes the world seems to change too quickly or events in our lives become intimidating or confusing. When that happens, we have only to turn to the power that never changes — our one constant: God. As we connect with the love of God, we know that all things are possible and we can face the world with courage and confidence — no matter what the season.</span></span><span class="abody_large"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br /><br /> <em>Peggy Toney Horton lives in Nitro and can be reached at </em></span><a class="email" href="mailto:pegylu@suddenlink.net" target="_blanks"><em><span style="color: black;">pegylu@suddenlink.net</span></em></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><br />
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-37012639610365208922015-08-23T13:07:00.002-07:002015-08-23T14:02:09.449-07:00Learning a New Trick<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunday Gazette 08/23/15, Page
FO2</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">WRITE YOUR OWN COLUMN</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Learning a New Trick</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Special to
the Sunday Gazette-Mail</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">For a long time now, my husband
and I have wondered: what is all the hullaballoo about cell phones? Everywhere
you go – to the mall, grocery store, or just taking a walk in your
neighborhood, you pass people – youngsters and adults alike – with
their heads down, looking at a little device in their hands called
a “smart phone.” Some will look up long enough to smile or say,
“Hi,” but others never look up – don't even see you. One wonders why
they don’t run into trees or telephone poles, or walk in front of moving
vehicles. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">“What are they doing?” you ask.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Texting.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">It seems that literally everyone
is so caught up in texting that they can’t go anywhere without their texting
device. If you suggest to a family member or friend that she might leave her
smart phone behind while the two of you go shopping, you’re told in no
uncertain terms, “I couldn’t do that!<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Someone may try to reach me.”</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
When did everyone become so important?</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
I remember a day when you could be gone from home from
daylight till dusk and never receive a phone call. <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Texting wasn’t even a reality then. If there were any important events that you needed to hear about, you heard about them when you returned. And the world went right on turning. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Most everything could wait until you got home.</span></div>
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Although there was that one time that my youngest daughter
called the Sears store she knew I’d </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">be </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">shopping in,
and had me paged to tell me she was in the ER because she had cut her hand
badly while washing a glass! When my name was called on the PA system, followed
by the message, “Call your daughter immediately,” I must admit, I panicked!
However, by the time I got to the ER, she’d been taken care of, which proved
she could have handled it without giving her mother heart failure!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Nobody had ever heard of a smart
phone then!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Now that I’ve had my rant, it’s
confession time. A few months ago, I became the proud (?) owner of a
Smart Phone!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">It wasn’t something I needed –
or even wanted for that matter, but for the past year, my grown children have
been complaining because their mother was “out of the loop!” In order to
communicate with me, they had to pick up a phone, push a button and wait for me
to answer – and give up at least twenty minutes of their precious time to talk.
Sometimes they could get away with e-mailing, but even that took time away from
other things they’d rather be doing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">What an inconvenience! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">I’m not dissing my children;
really, I’m not! They’re kind, generous, caring children and I love them
dearly! I understand that times have changed drastically in the past ten
to twenty years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"> But everyone is so busy
these days. I’d give half my life if I could pick up a phone and talk to my
mother for twenty minutes. Or five!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Ah, well, as the saying goes,
“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” So that’s what I’m trying to do. I say
“trying” because this texting thing is not as easy as it looks! I type every
day on the computer with no trouble at all, but have you ever really looked at
the size of one of those keyboards on the new phones? They’re tiny! My fingers
just don’t fit. Most of my words come out looking like “mstz[p or xtorn’t” The
first time I tried to show off my texting ability to my daughter, I wrote,
“This iw fim” (This is fun), “Loo” (Lol). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Trying to sign off with my son,
I typed, “Lat” the first time, “Latre” the second time and, while I was working
on the third try, he helped me out by writing, “Later.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">"Yeah, tha'st it," I
wrote. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">So, as you can see, it’s hard to
teach an old dog new tricks, but they all tell me to keep practicing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">“You’ll get it,” they say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">And I text back, “I hopr yor
rigjt!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Peggy Toney Horton lives in
Nitro and can be reached at pegylu@suddenlink.net </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Copyright ©2015 </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Charleston Gazette</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">08/23/2015</span></i><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></em><br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></div>
</div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-6496764506137325212015-07-19T10:43:00.004-07:002015-07-19T11:14:40.594-07:00Breakfast: the most important meal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiessJMUlj_STg-6MyI9K9g7bXJ2ZULHkjcbQo5Ec08B7tY6HC7RMrugHs87K_EClb5CIn6D8GCmHutoXEoV4sNYrEYgxHrj6gh61hIK65d92NrYWJpqoThcO7ykKW8F-yJNI4Sz69-Pq28/s1600/image001+Charleston+Gazette-Mail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiessJMUlj_STg-6MyI9K9g7bXJ2ZULHkjcbQo5Ec08B7tY6HC7RMrugHs87K_EClb5CIn6D8GCmHutoXEoV4sNYrEYgxHrj6gh61hIK65d92NrYWJpqoThcO7ykKW8F-yJNI4Sz69-Pq28/s320/image001+Charleston+Gazette-Mail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></div>
<h4 align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;">July 19, 2015 </span></h4>
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<span style="color: black;">
Page 6 B</span> </h4>
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<span style="color: black;">
</span></h2>
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<span style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Breakfast: the most important meal</span></span></h2>
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<o:p></o:p><span style="color: black;"> </span></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> By Peggy Toney Horton</span></o:p></span><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<o:p></o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After a lengthy divorce and vicious
child-custody battle, Janet, a young mother with two small children was almost
ready to throw in the towel. It had been a difficult two years and although the
children were still with her, she didn’t have a job and things were tough. She hadn’t
worked while she was married. Her husband made enough money to keep them and preferred
she didn’t work. That was fine with Janet. She liked caring for her children
and enjoyed experiencing their first words, first steps and other firsts herself
instead of hearing about them from someone else.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But,
with the divorce, things had changed. She <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">needed
</i>a job. And with only a high school education, she was limited to minimum
wage jobs. She applied everywhere, but nothing happened. Child support wasn’t
enough to pay the bills and feed them and her pride wouldn’t allow her to ask
for help. She fought against a feeling of desperation but never lost faith that
God would take care of them, praying constantly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">It was
the middle of winter. The children, Ethan, 8 and Emily, 4 asked to sleep with their
mother so they could stay warm. She allowed it. Huddled together in the
queen-size bed, they slept warm and cozy until about five a.m. Who knows what
woke them, but they were suddenly all three awake. It was still dark outside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Emily
spoke first. “I’m hungry,” she said. “Me, too,” echoed her brother. Their
mother put an arm around each of them and said, “I’m a little hungry myself,”
but even as she spoke the words, her mind raced. She couldn’t think of a thing
to feed her children. They’d eaten the last of the cereal yesterday morning and
there were only a few slices of stale bread. The child support check that was
supposed to come yesterday didn’t – so she wasn’t able to go to the grocery
store. She prayed the check would be in the mailbox this morning!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“I want
the two of you to stay in bed while I go see what I can find to eat,” she told
her children.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“Okay,”
they said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">In the
kitchen, almost in tears, she thought – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
will I do? My kids are hungry and I have nothing to feed them.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">After
looking through the cabinets and finding only canned milk, some spices and a
few crackers, she opened the refrigerator. There was about a third of a gallon
of milk and a half stick of margarine. At least they could have milk to drink!
No eggs. No bacon. Tears began to well in her eyes as she opened the freezer
door, expecting it to be bare, too. But, to her surprise, she saw a package of fish
sticks and a plastic bag filled with corn on the cob.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">She
hurriedly placed the corn in a pan of water, threw in some salt and put it on
the stove burner. She then put the fish sticks on a baking sheet and slipped it
into the oven, turned it on and set the timer. Then she went to the bedroom to
get her children.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“Get up
and wash your hands,” she said. “We’ll be eating in a few minutes.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“What’re
we having?” asked Ethan. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“You’ll
see,” she said. “It’s a surprise.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">In the
kitchen, she told them to sit at the table. She placed napkins and forks in
front of them and poured two glasses of milk.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The
oven timer dinged and she pulled the tray of fish sticks out, divided them up
on their plates and gave each of them an ear of corn slathered with margarine
and sprinkled with salt. The food was steaming hot and smelled delicious!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">While
the three of them ate the unusual breakfast fare, they talked about a variety
of things and giggled as kids and mothers often do. At that moment, nothing else
mattered except enjoying a meal together that was filling their empty tummies –
and they were happy!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But
that’s not the end of the story. Spring came and the young mother found
employment. Things began to look better, although, even with child support, a
minimum wage job wasn’t enough to make ends meet. But Janet didn’t worry. She
always had faith that God would take care of her and her children.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Yet, one
afternoon, she found herself in nearly the same predicament as before.
Dinnertime loomed. The cupboards were almost bare. The next day was payday but
today, she had only a couple of dollars. But instead of worrying, she said to
the children, “It’s a beautiful day. Let’s go for a walk.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">They stopped
watching TV and ran to the door – always eager to take a walk with Mom. About
halfway around the block, there was a beautiful church. Janet slowed down to
read the marquee, which read: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Today’s
To-Do List...Thank God!”</i> Just then, something on the ground caught her
attention. She picked it up and found in her hand a folded $20. bill. She
couldn’t believe it. “It’s probably ‘play’ money,” she said. But it wasn’t!
Unfolding it, she saw that it was not only one $20. bill, but there were two
folded together! Forty dollars! Looking up to the sky, Janet obeyed the words
on the marquee. “Thank you, God!” she said. “Once again, You have shown me Your
loving mercy!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">As
years passed, Janet and her children often reminisced about the walk that led
them to a much-needed $40 right in front of God’s house. But even closer to
their hearts was the memory of one cold, dark January morning when God provided
frozen fish sticks and corn on the cob for their breakfast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">They
would never forget it!</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black;">Peggy Toney Horton lives in Nitro and can be reached at </span></em><a href="mailto:pegylu@u"><em></em></a><em><a href="mailto:pegylu@suddenlink.net"><span style="color: black;">pegylu@</span></a></em><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="color: black;">suddenlink.net</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-49335596553485213382015-04-12T11:03:00.000-07:002015-04-12T11:31:37.219-07:00When Adversity Comes: Why Me?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">April 12, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Page 7 E</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">When Adversity Comes: Why Me?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Sometimes I find that shortly after I have
read or studied a particular subject, I am presented with an opportunity to use
my newfound knowledge to help someone. Though this has happened many times, it
surprises me each time it occurs. I am awestruck by God’s perfect timing and
have no doubt that He is in control.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, a friend who had just lost her
mother, was separated from her husband, and is faced with serious health
problems herself, told me that she had been taught that God would not put more
on her than she could bear. She is convinced, however, that He has done exactly
that. Her question: “Why me?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I deemed this an “Aha!” moment because,
only the day before, I had delved into a study about why God allows adversity,
and was able to share with my friend some of what I had learned:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When adversity comes, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">we are forced to face problems and pressures
that are too big for us to resolve</span>. In this way, God gets our attention.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> If life is good, we tend to ignore
Him. Becoming self-satisfied, we incorrectly assume that if nothing is wrong,
everything is right. However, God wants a relationship with His children, just
as we long for a close tie with ours, so when we are so involved with earthly
pleasures that we don’t have time for Him, He sometimes uses adversity to bring
us around.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faced with new difficulties, we can’t continue
to pursue our goals, tasks, and relationships in the usual manner. We have to
stop and evaluate our situation, ask God for wisdom, obey His Word, and trust Him
to bring the help we need. Troubles point out our weaknesses and prompt us to
rely on God in ways that we wouldn’t unless we had significant needs.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C. S. Lewis wrote in his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Problem of Pain, </i>“God whispers to us
in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His
megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about what God did to Saul, who
later became the apostle Paul. As he was traveling to Damascus to arrest
believers, God struck him down with blinding light. Thinking his blindness was
permanent, Saul was now ready to listen to God. Realizing that Christ was the
Messiah, he immediately began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He
is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such is the influence of adversity. When
we are preoccupied with our own interests and desires, we cannot see the need
for His involvement in our lives, but things change quickly when trouble
strikes. Challenging times have been known to bring even the most stubborn of
us to our knees.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If God has allowed adversity to befall
you, He may be trying to get your undivided attention. He wants you to trust
Him. He wants you to talk to Him. He desires a relationship with you. Seeing
all things, perhaps He knows you are about to make a bad decision and wants to
help you avoid it. Whatever your circumstances, rest assured that God has a
purpose for everything He does. He may even have something exciting in store
for you.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is, although He sometimes
allows us to have difficulties, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">God responds to the cry of His children when they suffer.
<i>“The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all
their troubles”</i> (Psalm 34:17).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprisingly, my friend listened to my
little sermon with genuine interest. When I had finished, she wiped tears from
her eyes and said, “Well, He certainly has my attention!”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peggy Toney Horton lives in Nitro and can
be reached at </span><a href="mailto:pegylu@suddenlink.net"><span style="color: black;">pegylu@suddenlink.net</span></a></span></i><br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-52306198490506056752015-03-10T23:04:00.003-07:002015-03-11T11:59:51.426-07:00The Joy Within Us<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 8, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Page 5E</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Joy Within Us</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Peggy Toney Horton</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> At this time of year, when days are short
and often dreary, it can be difficult to feel joyful. It’s quite possible that
winter’s darkness triggers not-so-happy memories of the past in some who are
already sick, lonely, or depressed causing them to give up, thus the reports
that more deaths occur in January than any other month of the year.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> And fewer during the holidays!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This would indicate that elderly, depressed
and lonely people “hold on” for “joyful times,” like Christmas and New Year’s
celebrations. But when the holidays are over and they see no more enjoyment in
sight, they “let go” during the darkest days of January.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> How sad!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Joy is our natural state of being. When we
experience it, all else falls away, all worries, all doubts. We are one with
the Creator! When we are expressing joy, we feel intimately connected to God. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Many activities connect us to the joyfulness
that is deep within us. Being enveloped by the silence of a snowfall may fill
us with quiet elation. It is a great gift to witness a sunset, hold the hand of
a loved one, behold the innocent face of a newborn child and then to express
heartfelt gratitude for that moment, that person, or that inspiration.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Lighting a candle, saying a prayer and
blessing a meal can all be sources of happiness. True and lasting joy comes
from within—from God, the Source of every joy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> When we receive good news or hear from a
dear friend or a child calls our name, we immediately feel a sense of satisfaction.
When we watch a funny movie, hear a good joke or recall a humorous event, we
respond with laughter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Yet it is when our hearts are touched by a
revelation of God’s presence that our joy is complete. The joy of God is our
strength, a bliss that cannot be disturbed by outer circumstances, for it is an
intricate part of the nature of God.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> We do not create our own happiness; there
is a reservoir of sacred contentment instilled within our souls by our Creator.
It’s up to us to express our inner joyfulness. As we do this, it moves through
us as waves of enthusiasm that flow into our thoughts, conversations and
actions. The more joy we express, the more gladness of Spirit rushes in to fill
this reservoir and then spills over into our lives.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Joy is within us no matter what
circumstances life may bring. Knowing that conditions can change in an instant,
we find happiness in knowing that life is eternal. We also derive pleasure from
times in silence, during which we may realize our oneness with God. This is
when we discover joy in the beauty God has created around us: the rain’s gentle
patter, the sun’s warmth and light, a flower’s sweet perfume and a child’s
uninhibited laughter.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Joy is only a thought away. When we are
feeling sadness, fear or anxiety, let us remember that the choice is ours to
keep our mind and heart attuned to the Holy Spirit – for every thought, word
and action is an expression of the Spirit within.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> True joy is deeper than any sorrow and
stronger than any disappointment. We trust this power within to help us
overcome sorrow, anger or grief—to remind us continuously that life is good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> When we awaken each day to an awareness of
God, we awaken to joy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Peggy Toney Horton can be reached at pegylu@suddenlink.net </span></em></span></div>
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-4189527539228998072014-11-02T10:47:00.002-08:002015-07-27T11:53:07.662-07:00You Never Know<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">November
2, 2014</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><span style="color: black;">Page 7E</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div align="center">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 20pt;">You
Never Know</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">By</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peggy Toney Horton</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">“You just never
know what’s going to happen,” said my friend who’d just received a disappointing diagnosis
from her doctor. She had a far-away look in her eyes as if she were trying
desperately to figure out what had happened to her.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">And why.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Not long after that
conversation, she passed away. I’ve thought of her and her remark many times
since. It’s true. One can never guess what might happen next year, next week,
tomorrow or even in the next moment.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">To put it
bluntly, life’s a crapshoot!</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">A young lady we
know went to work early one morning feeling fine and happy. She had two
wonderful children, several beloved pets, a nice home with all the comforts and
a job she loved. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Life was good!</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">But by eleven
a.m., she was in an ambulance, on her way to the hospital screaming in pain! Many
hours of testing and eight days in the hospital revealed that she had not one,
but two serious conditions that will be with her for the rest of her life. Both
conditions will require continuous treatment and the possiblility exists that
other serious diseases may spring up from these. Before this incident, she was
young and vibrant, but now, both her quality and quantity of life are uncertain,
at best.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">When I heard
about this, my friend’s words echoed in my mind, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You just never know what’s going to happen.”</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Similarly, a
young man we know was resting on his sofa one Sunday evening, watching TV and
feeling fine, but when he tried to get up to get ready for bed, he suddenly
felt very ill and it was all he could do to make it to the bedroom and fall
onto his bed. There he slept until early morning, when he managed to get up and
make an appointment with his doctor. Somehow, he got himself ready and drove to
the doctor’s office.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">It didn’t take
the doctor long to diagnose a leaky heart valve. He immediately sent him to a
Cardiologist who ran a barrage of tests and, before the young man knew what was
happening, he was scheduled to see a surgeon to discuss how soon open-heart
surgery could be done. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">After he underwent
a seven-hour procedure to replace his mitral heart valve with an artificial
valve, he spent ten days in the hospital and months at home recovering. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">His life
changed drastically!</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">He had always
been extremely active: worked out at a gym three times a week, took long walks,
and worked endless hours on his house and in his yard, besides his job. But
now, he tired easily and found that he could no longer tolerate the workouts,
nor the long walks. Though he tried to work in his yard, it was difficult and
he had to stop after short periods and rest or take a nap. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">These are only
two examples of how uncertain life can be. There are many. Almost everyone you
meet has a story to tell about someone whose life was changed in the blink of
an eye by something unexpected.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Since, as my
friend said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You just never know what’s
going to happen,” </i>perhaps we should stop worrying so much about tomorrow
and next week and next year – and learn to live only one day at a time? Because
that is all we have. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">And that’s a
good thing.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">If all the days
of the future were dumped into our lap at one time, we’d be overwhelmed,
wouldn’t we? But God, in His wisdom, broke life up into portions so small that
anyone can manage it if we take it as it is given – one day at a time.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Life is filled with unexpected surprises,
some treasures, others challenges, but if we approach every situation with
absolute faith in God, we’ll find our doubts and worries are short-lived. When
change occurs suddenly or dramatically, we have only to remind ourselves that
we are never alone. God is with us and within us! While circumstances are
temporary, God’s love is eternal and enduring.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">And the power of God in us is constant and
unchanging. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Peggy Horton lives in Nitro and may be
reached at pegylu@suddenlink.net<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></i></div>
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-87460757062845203742014-08-18T15:19:00.001-07:002018-07-10T14:27:37.940-07:00For all Eternity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"><o:p><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> This essay appeared in the Sunday Gazette-Mail as an <em>Essay on Faith</em> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"><o:p><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">on August 17, 2014</span></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_Nzg-cz4K95Fla83m9TULMd9c9XEblelxA-Nkh6tM6Sm6nCGRYTgyKP9xeAda1Is3FW_g_24ixPpqvuzPIyf7N7QDON8BbQbDZOU1VwxRZuu0ZPrXIHYH2uctB36ay2UDkFp2lAQYNQY/s1600/Deathbed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_Nzg-cz4K95Fla83m9TULMd9c9XEblelxA-Nkh6tM6Sm6nCGRYTgyKP9xeAda1Is3FW_g_24ixPpqvuzPIyf7N7QDON8BbQbDZOU1VwxRZuu0ZPrXIHYH2uctB36ay2UDkFp2lAQYNQY/s1600/Deathbed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">On his death bed, my father looked at the young nurse who was attending him and said, “Do you know the Lord?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">She answered, “Yes sir, I sure do!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">He smiled.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">A few moments later, he took his last breath and entered into his eternal home, still wearing the beautiful smile. I can’t say with any degree of certainty, but I’ve heard it said that the expression a person has on his or her face at the moment of transition is the one that remains forever and that no mortician, no matter how creative, can erase it. Supposedly, this makes it easy to tell if the dying person was happy, sad, afraid or disappointed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Perhaps this sounds a bit far-fetched. But, think about it. Don’t you always come away from a viewing with an opinion about how the dearly departed looked? I suppose the assessments we hear most are, “He looks so natural!” Or, “She looks so peaceful!” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">My mother looked particularly beautiful lying on the light-blue taffeta lining of the coffin we chose for her, her silver hair sparkling in the light. Everyone who saw her remarked about the magical talents of the mortician. She had been ill for many months, but there was no indication of illness on this face that looked at least twenty years younger than its actual years. The man she’d been keeping company with for a while said to me, “I always knew your mother was pretty, but I never thought of her as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this </i>beautiful!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Is it possible that, just before death, one sees what lies ahead for him and that determines the look that is fixed on his or her face for all eternity?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">There is, it seems, some verification of foresight regarding the destiny of one’s soul:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">It is reported that </span>Professor J.H. Huxley, the famous agnostic, as he lay dying, suddenly looked up at some sight invisible to mortal eyes, and after staring a while, whispered, "So it is true." </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">As he lay near death, D. L. Moody proclaimed, “Earth recedes, Heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go." </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">“I shall be with Christ, and that is enough,” said renowned chemical scientist, Michael Faraday when his wife asked him, on his deathbed, “Have you ever pondered what your occupation will be in the next life?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Winston Churchill, the man whose vision and battle cry was to “never give up,”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">said on his death bed, “I am convinced that there is no hope.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Thomas Hobbes, the atheist, said, “I am taking a fearful leap into the dark.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Catherine Booth, wife of the founder of the Salvation Army, cried out, “The waters are rising, but I am not sinking.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">And George MacDonald, the English novelist, said, “I came from God, and I’m going back to God, and I won’t have any gaps of death in the middle of my life.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even with these and many more reported testimonials, there are some who still don’t believe in Heaven or hell.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">No one can prove unequivocally that there is a Heaven or a hell. Nor can anyone prove there isn't. The evidence, however, confirms that there are both. Yet it is our own personal decision, by our own free will, to examine and either accept or reject the evidence.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">The best validation we have is from Jesus Christ and God's Word. Speaking about Heaven, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">God's invitation to Heaven is open to everyone. It’s simple. If we believe, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. But if we don’t believe, we have everything to lose and nothing to gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s our choice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Whosoever will may come."</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton">www.amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton</a> </span><br />
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Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-82808206224011159662013-11-25T00:02:00.004-08:002013-11-25T00:02:56.020-08:00My First Thanksgiving Turkey Was Picture-Perfect<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;">~Published in the Charleston Gazette on November 24, 2013~</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">On Thanksgiving, my memory transports
me to my childhood home and the aroma of roasting turkey, sage dressing,
candied yams, pumpkin pies and yeast rolls; the busyness of my mother in a warm
kitchen; the gathering of family members laughing and enjoying each other's
company; and my father's visible delight with the entire event.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">My mother was an excellent cook. The
eldest of five children, it was normal for her to help her mother with the
cooking, cleaning and looking after her younger siblings. By the time she was
married, at 18, she was adept at housekeeping and cooking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">But, for some reason, she never
taught me to cook. I had chores to do, but when I offered to help with a meal,
she said something like, "I'm in a hurry" or "You can help by
staying out of the kitchen."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is it any wonder, then, that when I
married, at 18, I could barely boil water? My young husband loved to eat. He
must have been terribly disappointed. However, he ate whatever I managed to put
together and rarely complained.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">His mother blessed me with a Better
Homes and Gardens cookbook, and I learned to make some decent meals and showed
a particular flair for baking. Still, I'd never be a culinary artist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">We'd been married three years when my
parents announced they would be in Cincinnati visiting my elderly grandparents
on Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law was recuperating from surgery, so there was
no chance of getting an invitation to her Thanksgiving table. We'd be on our
own for the first time on this major holiday, just the two of us and our young
son.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Opening her purse, my mother handed
me a wad of papers. "Here are some notes that will help you with your
dinner. I've written step-by-step instructions for everything, starting with
the turkey and stuffing."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"I'm not sure I can do it!"
I said, butterflies already forming in my stomach at the thought of making a
turkey and all the trimmings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"You'll do just fine," she
said. "I've even included a list of things to buy at the grocery
store."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">I baked a pumpkin pie the night
before the big day. That wasn't too difficult. After breaking up bread and corn
bread for stuffing, and chopping onions and celery, I decided to turn in so I
could get up early and get that big bird in the oven.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">My husband and I were up before daybreak.
We had a lot to do and, although I was a little excited about cooking my first
holiday dinner, I was also nervous.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">I was thankful to have help handling
the 21-pound turkey. We washed it well, greased it with cooking oil, salted it
inside and out and placed it in the pan. No fancy roaster, this. It was a dark
blue enamel pan with no lifting rack to hoist the turkey out when it was done.
But we'd seen our mothers do it many times with two large forks and were sure
we could do it too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Once it was in the oven, temperature
set to 325 degrees, as the instructions ordered, it was time to make the
stuffing, peel and cook potatoes and prepare other vegetables.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">As the aroma of roast turkey began to
float through the house, memories of other Thanksgivings flooded my senses. I
felt happy and sad at the same time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Those are the holiday memories of my
childhood, I thought. I'm making new memories and traditions with my own family
now. There's room in my heart for both.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Checking the turkey gave us a
surprise -- it was coming along nicely. It looked moist, a little brown and it
smelled heavenly. I basted it carefully and put it back in the oven. It was
about halfway there, we surmised.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Finally, the table set, vegetables
cooked and fruit salad ladled into individual bowls, we waited for the turkey
so we could use its rich broth to moisten the sage dressing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"It's been over four
hours," I said. "According to Mother's notes, it should be
done."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">I opened the oven door, and my
husband lifted the hot pan out of the oven and placed it on the table beside
the huge platter that awaited.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">As we surveyed the turkey, our eyes
widened.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">This bird was a masterpiece! Perfect!
Golden brown like the ones you see in magazine ads. I smiled. Now to get it out
of the pan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Placing a large serving fork in each
end of the turkey, my husband prepared to lift the large bird out of the pan
and onto the platter. But in midair, something happened. A wing fell off. Plop!
Greasy broth spattered the countertop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"Oh, no!" I said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">About that time, the other wing went.
Then a drumstick. And another. There was no stopping it. It was like a
landslide. Every bit of meat on that turkey slid right off the bones into the
broth. We had turkey soup!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">My smile turned to tears. "I
should have known I couldn't do it!"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Ever the optimist, my husband said,
"It'll be fine." He picked up a small piece of the displaced poultry
and tasted it. "Mmmm," he said. "It's delicious! C'mon, let's
put it on the platter. We don't even have to slice it."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">We laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Somehow, I finished the dinner, we
ate and actually enjoyed it. I was grateful our son was too young to
understand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">That night, my mother phoned.
"Well, how was your first Thanksgiving dinner?" she asked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"Wonderful!" I said.
"My turkey looked like a magazine ad, and it was so good; not dry at
all</span><span style="color: #38761d;">."</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"See? I knew you could do it," she said.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;">~~~</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 170%;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span></div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-53863527036046939232013-09-01T15:00:00.000-07:002013-10-21T18:19:19.969-07:00Thankfulness in Everything<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><o:p>~Published in the Charleston Gazette, September 1, 2013~</o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Even as intense mid-summer
heat and barometric pressure wreak havoc with my sinuses and my head throbs –
today, I count my blessings.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Yesterday, I saw a
doctor after waiting and worrying for a month about a potentially serious health
threat. I asked a friend to say a prayer for me and she kindly agreed. By
mid-afternoon, we were praising God and His mercy. All my worries had been unnecessary!
It was suddenly a lovely day and I was thankful for my many blessings! An incident
like this always reminds me of a Robert Browning poem called Pippa’s Song:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The year's at the
spring,<br />
And day's at the morn;<br />
Morning's at seven;<br />
The hill-side's dew-pearled;<br />
The lark's on the wing;<br />
The snail's on the thorn; <br />
God's in his Heaven --<br />
All's right with the world!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">As a child growing
up, I often heard my mother quote the last two lines of this poem. After a
while, I understood that, when she said these words, something good had
happened or soon would.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">It’s so easy to be
thankful and in good spirits when things go our way. Sometimes we feel we are
in God’s favor. But what if things had not gone so well for me at the doctor’s office?
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suppose the news had been bad. Would I
still be grateful? Or would I be murmuring and complaining and questioning
God’s reasons?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Probably the
latter. It’s human nature.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Can we change that?
Can we learn to be thankful even when things don’t always go the way we’d like?
Do we have the grace to stop complaining and questioning God’s motives – the courage
to accept what He deems right for us?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">We must.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Bible commands,
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Even in the midst
of trials we can thank God, because we know that He has promised to be with us
and that He will help us. We know that He can use times of suffering to draw us
closer to Himself: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance" (James 1:2-3, NIV).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When the prophet, Daniel, learned that evil men were plotting against him to
destroy him, "he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his
God, just as he had done before" (Daniel 6:10, NIV).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">I don't know what difficulties
you may be facing right now, but God does; He loves you and is with you by His
Holy Spirit. That’s why it’s important to develop a spirit of thankfulness even
in the midst of trouble and heartache.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We learn so much more in times of sorrow than in times
of joy. Consider these words by </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Robert
Browning Hamilton</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I
walked a mile with pleasure, she chattered all the way, but left me none the
wiser for all she had to say. I walked a mile with sorrow, and not a word said
she… but oh, the things I learned from sorrow, when sorrow walked with me.”</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d;">If affliction causes us to learn, then we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i> be grateful to God for it.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When we suffer, yet keep praising God, it gives Him
glory. And if God is being glorified in our life, can we not thank Him, even
though we may not feel thankful at the time?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Real faith is not receiving what we want from God. It
is graciously accepting what He gives us.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton</span></a> </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d;">~~~</span></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-72066719408972369592013-07-01T00:03:00.000-07:002013-10-21T18:26:13.475-07:00Knowing the Will of God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~Published in the Charleston Gazette, June 30, 2013~</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some people say discovering God’s will is like trying
to catch a butterfly that’s always just out of reach. Others feel it’s like
fishing – casting a lure and hoping for the best. Neither guarantees that we
can know God’s will. But, thankfully, the Father gives believers His Holy
Spirit to reveal His purpose for each one.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Scripture is our principal means of communication. The
Bible is our instruction book for living. It </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">is a vital revelation for all believers, and its precepts and
ideals clearly give us the answers to most questions about the will of God.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Communication
with God requires a regular time of reading the Bible with an open heart and
mind. W</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">e
sometimes find this difficult. The busyness of our lives leaves little time to
study the scriptures or spend time with God. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many Christians say they are concerned about knowing the
will of God, but how many of them spend even five minutes a day asking Him for
wisdom and direction?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While God speaks primarily through His Word, He also
speaks through the Holy Spirit to our consciences, through circumstances, and
through other people. Once we commit our lives to God and the Holy Spirit comes
to live in us, it’s difficult to do wrong because we have this nagging
influence inside that lets us know when we are about to do something we
shouldn’t. We’ve all heard the still, small voice.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By applying what we hear to the Scriptures, we can
learn to recognize His voice.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,
and they follow me” (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2010.27" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">John 10:27</span></a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">). These are the sheep who hear and recognize His
voice, because they know Him as their Shepherd. If we are to recognize God's
voice, we must belong to Him. And that means following His direction.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But when life becomes complicated, we sometimes
struggle to handle our problems ourselves or we rely on the opinions of others.
It’s easy to feel that the quickest way to fix things is to ask the advice of
fellow Christians, or even unbelievers who seem wise. Our instinct is to
withdraw from the source of stress or pain. At such times, our need to remove
discomfort from our life can take precedence over the Lord’s plan. We assume He
could not possibly want us to feel this way so we take action and then hope we
are in His will. This places the emphasis on ourselves rather than on God’s
purposes.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, God causes
"all things to work together for good" in the lives of His children,
even though the things that happen sometimes do not seem best at the moment. To
clarify this, C. S. Lewis used the illustration of a dog whose leash got
wrapped around a pole. As the dog pulled to get free, the owner found it
necessary to move it in precisely the opposite direction in order to free it
from the pole. We are often like that dog, straining to do things our way
instead of waiting for God’s will, but our heavenly Father loves us and knows
what is best for us. Therefore, the path to our ultimate release will sometimes
be painful, but we can delight in His will, knowing the glorious destiny that
lies ahead of us.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If we want to
know and experience God's will, we must communicate with Him regularly through
prayer and Scripture.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Living a Christian life apart from a
steady diet of His Word is impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton">amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-40544689108297080572013-05-04T21:12:00.003-07:002013-10-21T18:27:12.906-07:00A Gift From God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~Published in the Charleston Gazette, Sunday, April 28, 2013~</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">As we exercise our physical muscles, we strengthen
them. As we use our mental skills, they are increased. It is not surprising
then, that the same is true concerning our faith. The more we use it, the more
it is strengthened – the more it grows.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Faith acts as a silent prayer that never ceases.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Yet, we may, at times, consider our faith to be weak.
While we can fortify it through prayer and the reading of God’s word, we must
also make certain that our faith is accurately directed.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">An acorn holds within it the promise of a majestic oak
tree, but no potential for an apple tree. The kind of faith seeds we plant
determines what will mature in our lives as well.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Ask yourself these questions: “Where am I placing my faith?
Am I focusing on those things I want to see growing in my life, or am I
focusing primarily on my difficulties?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">“When things go wrong in my life, does my faith falter?
Do I whine and complain and blame God for what is happening to me? Or do I
realize I’m just going through a season of difficulty and know that this, too,
shall pass?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When troubles threaten to overwhelm us, we have only to
release anxious feelings and pray with a sense of peace and positive conviction—to
become still and imagine only the best possible outcomes. As we practice this
“intentional” faith, our mind and heart are at ease and our trust in God grows
ever stronger.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">During a dry season, a tree’s roots grow deeper to
reach water. Likewise, in times of difficulty, our devotion grows deeper as we
seek a relationship with God.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Our faith does not lie in the trouble that surrounds
us; our faith lies in God!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Jesus said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Go,
let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in
that hour. </i>Matthew 8:13</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Our faith is a gift from God. It never leaves us. It is
with us at all times </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">ready to be applied in the right ways. It is an inner
knowing that arises from our connection to the Holy Spirit. Faith does not mean
always being strong, but it gives us the courage to take the next step, knowing
strength will come.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">We may not always understand the reasons our life
unfolds the way it does, but we know that if we trust God, events and
circumstances will come out for our highest good. Still, faith does not mean
always getting exactly what we want, but being confident that our good is
available in every situation. Even if the end result does not appear in the way
we expect, it will be the right one for everyone concerned.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When we hold on to faith, hope replaces doubt and all
things work together for good. Even though our faith, at times, may be as small
as a mustard seed, it can never be too small. It is an absolute connection to
God and His ultimate promise of well-being. Whether we possess a tiny grain of faith
or we see our faithfulness as a mountain of possibilities, it sustains and
nourishes us.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When we choose to live by faith, we are calm, confident
and at peace.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton"><span style="color: #cc3300;">amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton</span></a></span></div>
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</span></div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-34792223531578121382013-03-24T18:09:00.002-07:002014-12-22T11:33:31.716-08:00Spring is a Time for Reflection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: #741b47;">~Published in the Charleston Gazette - Sunday, March 24, 2013~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Spring rains bring relief from the harshness of winter
and new life awakens from the drowsiness of the dormant season. There is an
awareness of freshness and abundance—a sense of bounty—as we welcome the divine
blessings available to us now.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">As I look out my window on this sunny March day, I see
trees budding, grass greening, a large forsythia bush on the verge of blooming,
and golden daffodils reaching for warm sunshine even as they are blown about by
chilly March winds.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">I see multitudes of purple violets speckling my lawn. And
I smile. I’m remembering long ago days when my young children brought me
bouquets of the velvety wildflowers as soon as they appeared each spring. I’d
make a big fuss over them, hug the giver and place the delicate flowers in a
small vase of water and display them in the center of the kitchen table.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Later on, they brought dandelions – not the most
beautiful flower by far, although you might have gotten the impression it was if you’d been an observer and heard my oohing and aahing when a small
child proudly presented me with a dandelion bouquet. It, too, was put into a
vase of water and placed on the kitchen table and it was easy to appreciate the
cheerfulness of the bright yellow flowers.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Ah, how grateful I am for these beautiful memories! It pleases
me that they recur every spring, right on schedule.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Spring is the most gratifying season for those who take
the time to experience it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fully</i>.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">There is nothing quite like the smell of an early
morning rain in springtime. As rainwater penetrates the earth, it releases a
distinctive scent that is evident only in this season. I love taking an early
morning walk just to breathe in this unique fragrance.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do you know what it’s like to step outside and be met
with the sweet perfume of freshly cut grass glistening with dew; or to awaken
to the sound of birds singing outside your window before dawn? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pay special attention to the intensity of
their twittering. It’s like an early morning concert.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">These are only a few of God’s blessings that we may enjoy
after a long, cold winter. I’m sure there are many more. But we must remember
that the most significant occasion during spring is Easter—the time when we
celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">It is the key to the Christian faith and symbolizes the
eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. It gave indisputable
proof that He was the Son of God and that he had conquered death at last.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Millions of Christians observe Easter by recognizing
His resurrection from the dead and by honoring His glorious promises.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Watching the rebirth of spring floods my heart with joy
as it corresponds perfectly with the time we celebrate the resurrection of Our
Lord.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">It is a glorious time of reflection and gratitude!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span></div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-35135764663567361592013-02-25T00:19:00.004-08:002013-02-25T00:28:31.180-08:00When Bad Things Happen to Good People<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~Published in the Charleston Gazette,
February 24, 2013~</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was early December –
late 1940’s. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a remote coal camp in
Southern West Virginia, two young children played together while their mothers
enjoyed pleasant conversation as they crafted items for a Christmas bizarre at
their church.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two days later, the
little boy, six-year-old Jason, came down with a high fever. When the usual
remedies didn’t lower the fever, Jason was rushed by ambulance to a Charleston
hospital. After many tests, it was concluded that he had polio.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polio, (poliomyelitis) is
a contagious, historically devastating disease. At the height of the polio
epidemic in 1952, nearly 60,000 cases with more than 3,000 deaths were reported
in the United States alone. However, with widespread vaccination, polio
occurring through natural infection, was eliminated from the United States by 1979
and the Western hemisphere by 1991.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When they heard the news
about Jason, the little girl’s parents were, of course, sorry and concerned
about Jason, but also were very anxious about their own child, who not only had
played with Jason a few days before, but was seen drinking from the same cup
that he had.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What could they do except
wait and pray?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And that’s what they did.
An around-the-clock prayer vigil was set up at the small community church for
the two children and, in fact, for every child everywhere who might be plagued
with this debilitating disease.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nevertheless, in about a
week, the young girl contracted a fever and cried pitifully with pain in her
legs. Her father went for the doctor, who immediately came to the house,
examined her and administered medication. He then sat right by the child’s
bedside instructing her mother in using cold compresses to keep the fever under
control. This was an all-night vigil by the doctor and parents, but when the
morning sun peeked over the Appalachian Mountains, the child’s fever had broken
and she was asking for food.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was believed that she
had indeed been afflicted with a light case of polio, leaving her with only a
slight deformity in one leg. Jason survived the disease but had to wear a brace
on one leg for a while. However, he grew up and lived a normal life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At a time when many
children were dying of polio and others were being severely crippled for life,
why did these two children seem to get off relatively easy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m sure their parents
weren’t the only ones who prayed. Doesn’t every parent pray for his
child’s well-being?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since the beginning of
time, people have posed the question, “Why does God let bad things happen to
some people while others seem to live unscathed lives?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In 1981, Harold S.
Kushner, a prominent American rabbi wrote a bestselling book called <i>When Bad
Things Happen to Good People. </i> It is dedicated to the memory of his
young son, Aaron, who died in 1977, at age 14, of the incurable genetic disease
progeria. Since it was published, the book has been translated into twelve
languages – an example of the number of people interested in this subject.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some people prefer the
question, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” And may even be tempted to
try the “other” road. When that happens, we should remember that the other
road is a dead end (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Matthew%207.13">Matthew 7:13</a></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">). In
truth, the narrow road before us through Jesus is the only road that leads to
eternal life. That should be our joy and our comfort.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We need not concern
ourselves when good things happen to bad people or when bad things happen to
people who seem undeserving of them. God allows things to happen for His
reasons, whether or not we understand them. We need to keep our focus on
our Creator and enter into His presence every day through the reading of His
holy word. There we will find truth, contentment, spiritual riches and eternal
joy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Above all, we must
remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful even when He sometimes
allows trials and sufferings to come into our lives. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
</div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-87815193826472240372013-01-31T13:37:00.002-08:002013-01-31T13:40:35.645-08:00A Changed World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">~Published in the Charleston Gazette, Sunday, January 27, 2013~</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTpPNF_ciAuzj0evs5bApPt1RLe9N35OLIk7SF-jb6C9joZFBdRIO2qtIsMjWb79hbxw_m2oIKlkGS6DuapfT5s5bvcZPJPaoB_HysUVvU5jtBoMYxQjkEHjyuhsxJ8FnciASEWBm0axw/s1600/soda-fountain_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTpPNF_ciAuzj0evs5bApPt1RLe9N35OLIk7SF-jb6C9joZFBdRIO2qtIsMjWb79hbxw_m2oIKlkGS6DuapfT5s5bvcZPJPaoB_HysUVvU5jtBoMYxQjkEHjyuhsxJ8FnciASEWBm0axw/s320/soda-fountain_medium.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">A
family member phoned last night, rather late, and said he was coming by to drop
off some things. My first impulse was to unlock the door and continue reading
my engrossing book, but on second thought, I decided that wasn’t a good idea. </span><span style="color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">What
if a stranger decided to walk in?</span><span style="color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Oh,
how times have changed! When I was growing up, we never would have worried
about such a thing. We didn’t even lock our doors. In the summertime, at night,
we used the little latch on the screen door and left the big door open all
night. We had to. It was hot and we had no air conditioning. Besides, there was
nothing to fear. We lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone else and
we took care of each other.</span><span style="color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Imagine
leaving your doors unlocked now. Mine are usually locked – even in the
daytime. My children have their own keys. I wish we didn’t live in such an
untrustworthy world.</span><span style="color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">As
a child, I walked quite a distance to school, sometimes alone. In those days,
no one ever thought of a child from an ordinary family, like mine, being
kidnapped or harmed in any way. In a small town, like the one I lived in,
everyone looked out for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> of the
children – not just their own. It was a much safer world then.</span><span style="color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">My
friend and I used to spend Saturday afternoons at the movies eating popcorn,
watching a movie, sometimes more than once, and interacting with other friends
from school, who spent their Saturdays the same. It was great; something to
look forward to every week. We'll never forget those Saturdays of our youth!</span><span style="color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Nowadays,
mothers deliver their children to and from school and accompany them everywhere
they go. There are some who still ride school buses, but when they step off the
bus in the evening, their mothers wait nearby to take them home. </span><span style="color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Some
of my most enjoyable times occurred on the way home from school in the
afternoon. I shudder at the thought of all the fun I would have missed if my
mother had picked me up!</span><span style="color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There
was a soda fountain in our town reminiscent of the one on “Happy Days.” As we
sauntered home from school, my friends and I stopped there most evenings for a
coke, a milkshake, an ice cream soda, or just plain enjoyment. Lots of good
things happened there. While the jukebox played my favorite songs, I sometimes
met a new friend or engaged in a flirtation with a boy from school. And when I
was in high school, many Saturday night dates were made sitting at the old
soda fountain sipping a coke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few
times, I was asked to write my phone number on a napkin for someone who may
want to use it later.</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Yes,
it’s a changed world.</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I
suppose my parents thought the same thing when I was growing up. If there’s
anything we can count on, it’s change. But no matter how things fluctuate,
the era we grew up in – to each of us – will always be the best!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-64460027719042052412013-01-06T16:44:00.002-08:002013-01-06T16:47:48.434-08:00Just Do Your Best<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~Appeared in The Charleston Gazette, Sunday, January 6, 2013~</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we move into a new year, we see before us a clean slate - an
opportunity to right the wrongs of the past year – and the majority of us vow
to make the most of our new beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Upon reflection, some of us may feel that it’s vitally important to
discover the real meaning of our existence, especially those who are older. Typically, until now, we’ve simply been
too busy living to think about such things. But now that our children are on
their own, our lives have slowed from a mad dash to a stroll, and we find that we
have more time to reflect on life’s purpose and wonder if we’ve done anything
worthwhile, or if it was all for naught.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We still
have hopes and dreams but sometimes doubts creep in, causing us to question the
validity of our ambitions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When this
happens, we must look beyond any so-called limitations such as age, resources
or timing and remember that our dreams are God inspired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And He has
blessed us with the talent to create and accomplish whatever we set our minds
and hearts to achieve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Deep within
each of us is a center of peace—a quiet strength that gives us the power and
energy to pursue our dreams. We each have unique abilities and strengths. One
person may create a striking work of art; another, an exceptional computer
program; another, a melodious piece of music, and yet another, a cordial home
that others take pleasure in visiting. Our work is an expression of who we are
as we use our mind, physical capabilities and actions to create something of
value in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still,
possessing a talent goes much deeper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ability
to make others feel special, to help someone, to show compassion: these are
talents, too, and are available to us at every stage of our life – not just
when we’re young. But since our society doesn't hand out praise or monetary
rewards for gifts of character, we think because we don't possess some obvious ability
like singing or playing a musical instrument, we don't have talent. Instead of
looking at the gifts we have and using them to the best of our ability, we get
caught up in comparisons and disqualify ourselves because we weren’t blessed
with the same talents God gave someone else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. said, "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he
should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music
or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts
of Heaven and Earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who
did his job well.’"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We must
never let our perceived inadequacies be a handicap. Give them to God and they
will become His opportunity to demonstrate His power operating through us. He
would never have a chance to help us if we were always self-sufficient and
capable of meeting every challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He has a
way of turning our lives in directions we didn't even know existed. And He
often works through us to accomplish His goals. By surrendering to Him, we can
see amazing things in ourselves and go well beyond the potential anyone thought
we had. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just do
your best and God will do the rest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy New
Year!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-15440911773197948932012-12-23T21:12:00.002-08:002012-12-23T21:16:20.956-08:00The Meaning of Christmas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~Appeared in the Charleston Gazette, December 23, 2012~</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Meaning of
Christmas<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let us go now to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">which the Lord has
made known to us. ~Luke 2:15</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A man we
hired to do some work in our home said to me, “I hate Christmas! I’ll be glad
when it’s over.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stunned, I
couldn’t let the remark pass without a response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“We must
remember the meaning of Christmas,” I said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Don’t
start that religious stuff with me,” he answered rather curtly,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I felt
insulted, embarrassed and hurt! I was
inclined to tell him to leave, or that I’d appreciate it if he’d show more
respect for me since he was in my home. But, although it had taken me many years, I
had finally learned to think before speaking. After all, if I became angry, wouldn’t that give
the impression that I wasn’t living my religious beliefs? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, thankfully,
I managed to smile and remain calm. In
the end, he regretted his actions and apologized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But after the
man left, I thought about his attitude and his statement: “I hate Christmas!” And
I felt sorry for him. If he really feels
that way, he’s missing so much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How could
anyone possibly experience Christmas without at least a degree of joy in his
heart? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without
appreciation for the lovely Christmas carols playing continuously?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without
feeling like a child at the sight of colorful, sparkling decorations—brightly-lit
trees shining from neighborhood windows, wreaths on doors? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without a
sense of love and charity?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christmastime
is a joyous season of goodwill and generosity—a time when the giving spirit is
flowing freely. Everywhere, we see examples of people reaching out with
kindness and love. We see compassion in their thoughts, words, actions and
attitudes. We see expressions of generosity and thoughtfulness. Many are
praising and encouraging others, or praying for those in need and sharing their
own blessings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wherever
you go, people greet you with happy smiles and the words, “Merry Christmas,” or
“Happy Holidays.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
delightful aroma of spicy baked goods fills the air as mothers bake cookies,
fruit cakes and other delights for their families and for sharing with
neighbors and friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ways in
which charitable deeds flow are endless. Those who express loving generosity,
not only bless others, but also themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Long ago,
three wise men followed a star and were led to Bethlehem. There they found the
baby Jesus and were filled with joy. Reverently, they offered gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today, people
the world over exchange gifts on Christmas, but the greatest gift doesn’t come
wrapped in a package. It is the
unconditional love of God. This is the
gift that Jesus Christ lived and taught. Love is the gift that brings life to
both the giver and receiver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we
celebrate the birth of Jesus, we give thanks for His life, example and
teachings and we acknowledge our birthright as children of the Most High.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I pray that
everyone will open his or her heart to love Christmas and celebrate it by
humbly giving and gratefully receiving the peace and love of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And on this
day of rebirth and new beginnings, may we find in our hearts a willingness to
do our part in making Christmas not just one special day in the year but a way
of living life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Merry
Christmas!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8973572401179517868.post-2188928877055845492012-11-25T10:20:00.000-08:002012-11-25T10:25:10.082-08:00My Hands Are Blessed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~Published in the Charleston Gazette - Sunday, November 25, 2012~</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you believe in miracles?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A young mother I know was convinced that miracles are possible when she gave birth to a son and was told by doctors that his chances of survival were slim. She wrote a moving account of the experience. With her permission, I share Jolita Raine’s story:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On July 1st, four years ago, my son was born in Cincinnati. I don’t remember much about that morning because of the complications I was having with Mirror Syndrome. That’s when the mother’s symptoms mirror those of her newborn child. He had a condition known as hydrops, a life-threatening problem of severe edema in a fetus or newborn.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I desperately wanted to see my son, but I only got to see him in the Pod as they wheeled him out. The doctor came to see me and gave me an update his condition, which was not good. He said they didn’t expect him to make it through the night. He also said I could have him baptized if I wanted and that, later, they’d wrap him up and let us say our “good-byes.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was it! That’s all they had planned – just to wait until he died.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I had my son baptized. And I prayed to God. “There is nothing we can do here, Lord,” I said, tears streaming down my cheeks, “He is completely in Your hands.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They took me back to my room and, as I lay there waiting to say my good-byes, I talked to God again. “I may not understand it now, Lord, if you take my child, but someday I will. Just please don’t let him suffer.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The minister who had baptized him came to see me and a nurse came to tell me my child was “still kicking.” We didn’t have to say good-bye just yet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He made it through the first night. Then he made it through the second night. And many more. I visited him in the NICU. I will never forget the thumping noises of the oscillator or the beeping alarms of the monitors attached to him. I wasn’t allowed to hold him; I could only touch him. It was heartbreaking!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The doctors said there was no surgery to correct the hydrops. It was up to him to correct it himself.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When he began to improve daily, I started thinking of every day he was alive as a miracle! He eventually came off the oscillator and onto the nasal cannula. The time finally came, after he learned to eat a certain amount and was at a low oxygen level, that we were able to bring him home.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the doctors and nurses sat down with us to explain what to expect, one doctor said, “He’ll run out of energy faster because his lungs and heart are not one hundred percent. That may cause delays in his daily life.” The thing I remember most is the doctor saying, “Keep doing what you’re doing.” My reply was, “We’re praying and we have a number of prayer groups praying for him as well.” He looked at me and repeated, “Keep doing what you’re doing.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, with appointments arranged for regular check-ups, and all the supplies we needed, including oxygen, we took our son home.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Coming home was a little scary! From time to time, I wished we were back in the safety of the hospital just in case something went wrong. Days and nights went by with monitors beeping while we constantly checked oxygen levels and monitored food intake. But within a few months, the doctor took him off the oxygen and after one more visit, he said he didn’t need to see him anymore. Sooner than anyone expected!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My son is now four years old. If you saw him you’d never know there was anything wrong with him. Besides the scars under his shirt from stents and drainage tubes, there are no signs of what he went through.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I look back now and remember that the doctors had no plan, but God did. I couldn’t hold my son at first, but God held him in His loving arms the whole time. No one at the hospital could cure him, but God could!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some say that my son has a purpose. That purpose is clear to me. He is living proof that if you give your problems to God, He will take care of them. No matter what we have planned, it is His plan that we have to trust.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know how people cope with losing a child, or how they take care of children with special needs. I just pray that they look to God even when it seems that they are not in the comfort of His arms.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would like to thank everyone who prayed for my son. And I’d especially like to thank my family: my husband, for the weekend trips to Cincinnati, my parents and sister for always being there when I needed them, my mother-in-law for babysitting and praying and my young daughter, Maranda. She didn’t always understand what was going on, but she brought a smile to my face when I needed it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My son is on the go all the time – non-stop. I’m hoping I will never see him get worn out as doctors predicted. His middle name is Boot, which fits him perfectly since he is “still kicking” to this day.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When someone says, “You have your hands full!” I reply, “My hands are blessed!”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you, God!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
Peggy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00377340852768883282noreply@blogger.com0