Tag: Musings Along Life's Journey book

Hail to the Lion of Judah!

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Shalom to Israel!

Dear readers, I’m taking a break from the Bible Chaper 8:8’s study. My first actual speaking engagement was Saturday, April 27th. You probably knew about this event from my previous posts and sales page, and I want to share how it went. What a special day straight from heaven it was! 

I want to thank LiveMore Ministries for posting these photos on Facebook. My good friend Marta Cooper manned my book table and joyfully, graciously sold six books for me. My friend Pam Fowler was there for what I needed. My friend Delight Christman was an extra blessing, coming from Lowville, gifting me a lovely ceramic votive holder with bluebells on it. The Smithville women provided an excellent breakfast buffet, even offering cereal and oatmeal with both milk and almond milk ‐- along with crumb cake, a breakfast quiche, and fresh fruit ‐- offering something for everyone.

I will share the photos individually and explain them now.

This was from the press release. My husband John and I were each holding a book, I held the original, and John held the book from the second publishing. [He was cropped] By the way, if you have read my book, please leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, or any social network you use.

I was asked periodically during the weeks that  led up to this event if I was nervous, anxious, and prepared… well, I was too busy with life to be any of those things! I  had a good number of people praying for me, and I thank each one of you for your faithfulness.

I used the press release as a guide to jot some things on cards and put tabs in the proof copy of my book so I’d know where to find things quickly and the major things I wanted to share.  I decided which family pictures to take,  one of my parents, one of me with my four siblings, one with John and me with our children, and the collage I put together of our nine grandchildren. I also managed to make up a price list for the different versions of my book.  This all was challenging with my son Chris’s family coming to stay the weekend because my brother-in-law’s memorial service was also on Saturday. Thank God for Holy Spirit guiding and inspiration! I was blessed to be able to join the family after my speaking engagement.

Tammy Ditch, keyboard Joy Besaw guitar, Heidi and  Pam on backup

Tammy, Joy, Pam, and I made a great quartet to lead the women in worship.  I was so blessed to be able to help get us all in tune with the Spirit before I spoke. He really blended our harmonies well!

Heidi gets the spotlight

When I shared about “bananas and blessings,” I told about Cathy Connor gifting me with the cowboy boots, my former boss at the motel gifting me with the pants in a bag of cloths she gave me, and the beautiful sweater from the church rummage sale Pam and I attended last weekend. I said, “And this is how the Lord clothes us like the lillies of the field!”

I pray that everyone was as blessed as I was by all that went on at this event. It reminded me that in heaven, we’ll have eternity to spend time with each other. We all left with a small pot of peonies and a Save The Date card for the next LiveMore event.  You can check out their Facebook page and keep informed here:

https://www.facebook.com/LiveMoreMinistries?mibextid=ZbWKwL

I leave you with this prayer for Jerusalem from Psalm 122.

Psalm 122:6-9 NLT
Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. [7] O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. [8] For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.”[Shalom][9] For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

Wrapping up 2023

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Dowdle Folk Art Puzzles  NATIVITY

I got my puzzle board out for the first time since last winter. Around church service on Sunday morning and visiting with our son Alex’s family on Monday, we had a quiet couple of days. I got out the Christmas puzzles, choosing the nativity to keep my thoughts on what we’re celebrating. This puzzle was challenging, with lots of repeated colors and textures.

I actually gained control of the remote, and we watched some encouraging videos on Amazon Prime. I saw Agatha VonTrapp sharing the Sound of Music story from her own perspective with her grand niece. A real treat, since the Sound of Music was my Austrian Jewish grandmother’s favorite movie.

Archie the tomcat enjoying the box of wrapping paper and the lights on the tree at Alex & Joanna’s house yesterday.

Then we watched Noelle, the story of a priest who shuts down churches that aren’t thriving, sent to a small church led by a classmate from seminary. Turns out he’s haunted by a baby/young girl whom he’d encouraged his college girlfriend to abort. A real story of redemption and the true meaning of Christmas.

Going back to the Nativity puzzle, I point out that it gives the condensed version of the account that most of us grew up with. I didn’t realize until I started reading the Bible myself that the Christ child was about two years old, and the family was living in a house in Bethlehem of Judea, when the caravan of wisemen arrived.

Well, I finished the puzzle as I was heading to bed last evening.  I won’t continue recounting the rest of the half-dozen videos we watched, but I go on to this morning.  Following friend suggestions from Facebook, I spent an extended time cruising my feed, which I’ve not attended to lately. Lots of beautiful family Christmas photos as well as memorials to those who won’t be with the family this year. Children are growing quickly, those of a certain age are growing old gracefully,  and I’m thankful for all God is doing in our lives these days. Here, I share a photo from my browsing.  Since I got it from accessing a FB game, I had to have my husband John take a picture of it on my phone and send it to me. Trying to save the photo to my phone only took me back to the games!

This is definitely a choice verse for my life, and it must be what the Lord wants me to concentrate on for 2024. I’m happy that my friend Joyce from Kenya is part of this photo. I don’t recommend accessing Facebook games, but this was worth it for me today.

This New Year’s Eve, there will be a prayer vigil from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Wellspring Fellowship church in Brownville, New York. From the invitation, this stone church was built about 1823 and shared by all the churches in the area until 1826, when it was purchased by the Episcopal Church. It faithfully served the Brownville community until 2021.

Charles G. Finney came to Brownville in November 1823, following signs of revival that were beginning to manifest there. He was snow-bound for the entire winter and labored in this building in prayer and preaching until April 1824.

I am excited! Revival is beginning in our church, Airport Christian Fellowship, in Dexter, NY, which is just a few miles away from this church in Brownville. If you are in this area, join us for any or all of the time between 6p.m. and midnight, New Year’s Eve, 2023. The address is: 212 Washington Street, Brownville, NY 13615.

Wherever you are, you are right where God needs you. Or, He will prompt you to move soon into the position you need to occupy for this new erea in His plans. Oh, it’s official. My book, Musings Along Life’s Journey, Vignettes From The Road, is live on Amazon. You may purchase it in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, or as an audiobook read by myself.

Audiobook cover

Success in Fits ‘n Starts & Emmanuel

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I think we finally won the battle! After about a month of fits’n starts and my husband John coming to the rescue, my book is officially LIVE on Amazon. You can find the SECOND second printing in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle versions. The audiobook, read by me, is waiting for final quality checks, and then it will also be available on Amazon and ACX.

I hope this photo got your attention! Musings Along Life’s Journey Kindle version will be on a promotional sale from January 17th to 24th, 2024. The price will begin at $0.99, rise to $1.99, $2.99, then revert to the original $8.95. Thank you to all who have blessed me by buying the original version of my book. That money helped pay for the $1,200.00 for Dave Ficere to facilitate my audiobook creation.

Emmanuel, God with us! Let’s contemplate what that means. I will draw on Pastor Paul Gimtter’s sermon at ACF Church this morning. In the first chapter of the book of Matthew, we have the genealogy of Joseph and of Mary, proving they came from the line of David, tribe of Judah. As an aside, my elderly cousin told me our family believes we also came from David’s tribe.

God wanted to be with us so desperately that He reduced Himself to be placed in a human egg in Mary’s womb. Angel activity ministered well in the events pertaining to God becoming a man, Emmanuel.

Pastor Paul related it to a dirty, stinky diaper on a baby. Jesus, fully man and fully God, stepped into the dark, foul mess that mankind made. He came so we never haft to walk alone. Pastor Paul read Psalm 139 to reinforce the fact that there is no place we can go that He is not there.

Think of the deepest hole you have fallen into, the darkest night you’ve been in. He was there with you! He has never turned His back on you. Jesus did not come to condemn us in our sins and sorrows, but to save us. Ask the Holy Spirit to take you into the pains and hurts. Let Him show you where He was. Let God’s loving kindness turn those graves into gardens, your mourning into dancing. Jesus came to show us how much the Father loves us. Even the woman at the well, His messed up disciples… so many examples of the Father’s love and mercy through all generations!

Romans 8:38-39 AMPC
For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, [39] Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I’d like to share one more piece of the Christmas story we don’t usually ponder. Bethlehem of Judea is where the shepherds raised the Passover lambs for the temple sacrifice. The lambs without blemish were chosen, then wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger to keep them clean and unblemished. Sound familiar?

Luke 2:6-7 ASV
And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered. [7] And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Revelation 13:8 KJ21
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.

Oh, how wonderful! Oh, how marvelous is my Savior’s love for me! I hope you experience a new dose of the great love of Emmanuel, God with YOU this Christmas season.

Shalom, dear readers!

Catching up as the Calendar flips a page

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Time for some random musings. Today’s calendar page has flipped to one of the most anticipated, busy months of the year. We are one week away from the first night of Hanukkah, 23 days from celebrating the birth of our Messiah, and 30 days from the start of 2024.

As for Musings Along Life’s Journey, it took nine months from the time I paid to the time the first copies were printed for the first public publishing of this book with Zoe Life Communications. It is now nine months since then, and I am finalizing the second publication of the book with Amazon KDP. Many trials or journeys take 9 months, birthing things akin to a woman’s journey to bring forth a child.

This entire publishing journey has been a challenge. My next book will be testimony to the faithfulness of God as I share this journey. Also, I will include the God appointments that have come from Father’s hands on this endeavor.

Thanksgiving week, my kitchen was blissfully filled with extra people, willing hands to help, and bountiful food and fellowship! It was a blessing to have my sister Trina visit from Virginia for the week with her son Ethan and his girlfriend Penny. My son Chris and his family came from Vermont on Wednesday for the rest of the week. What a pleasant surprise to have our son Alex come for the day with his whole family, which hasnt happened in years!

By the way, a friend asked me what’s the difference between Thanksgiving and Thanks Giving. Thanksgiving is what our holiday is called, Thanks Giving is what we do on that holiday. It is good that we mark a day to give thanks as a nation

We should always and continually give thanks to the Lord. There is nothing we have that didn’t come from God. In Jesus, we live and move and have our being. He is in all creation, evidenced by the tiny crosses scientists have found in our blood cells. Also, the photos from the deepest outer space found a cross at the end of a deep hole! He truly is the Lamb slain from the foundations of the earth:

Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world

On another topic, watch out for new versions of the Bible. The enemy of our souls does whatever possible to turn even the most Bible literate saints to false doctrines. Make sure you connect with the Holy Spirit and walk in love, exercising godly wisdom. Do not become fearful, and keep felliwshiping with those who encourage you on the path that leads to life.

I will let you know when Musings Along Life’s Journey is available on Amazon. John is helping me get the page numbers right on my manuscript file so I can republish this second printing. It’s difficult to work with a file someone else used before you, many glitches in the files to contend with. John is tenacious in solving problems like this, so I’m encouraged, especially since he’s willing to help!

Shalom to you, my dear readers. I leave you with a photo from our Operation Christmas Child packing party. We collected almost 100 more boxes than last year. Lord, bless all the kids who will receive these boxes with revelation knowledge of Jesus that spreads through their families and communities. Amen!

Taught by Life or The Giver of Life?

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I spent some time watching shorts on YouTube this morning and I want to share a bit with you. In this first video, Dan Mohler poses the question, “Were you taught by life, or by the giver of life?” God says there is a way that seems right to people, but its end is destruction. [Proverbs 14:12 & 16:5] Are you living the way that seems right to people on earth? Are you living the way of life that is right in God’s sight? How can you tell? Examine the fruit of the way you are living this life. I encourage you to watch this YouTube short for more.

Most of us are in a quandary about what’s going on these days. We know God has a plan, but things look messy, precarious, and doomed. I like what Kim Robinson shared on Elijah Streams. God showed her He is shaking out the rug. Think about how dirty things are around us. So much turmoil, so much buffeting from the enemy. God likes to get down to the nitty gritty, the root of the problem. I envision women using a rug beater back in the day, Kim sees a washing machine pounding the dirt out of the rug. I also remember when we pulled up the old rugs in our Victorian house. They had been down for a decade or more. What a mess of sand, dirt, detritus underneath -not to mention- what was on top and fell out when we rolled it up to dispose of it! I vowed never to have wall-to-wall carpet again after that experience. Let Kim Robinson encourage you with her vision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBOSBzYXpB4

I haven’t shared anything about my book publishing lately, so I’ll do so here. My daughter-in-love Jenn just sent me the photo she took for my author photo, and I just got the booklet Why Tongues by Kenneth E. Hagin. I want to recommend this booklet to go along with sharing my own experience with the Holy Spirit in my book. Did I mention the book is called: Musings Along Life’s Journey Discoveries On The Path Of Life. Here’s the photo:

Amazing what a good photo editor can do! I told Jenn to pick the one she thought was good because she knows what I look like better than I do. She’s looking for photo shoot jobs if you’re interested.

Oh, one last thing to mention, I am going on a mission trip. I have not been on one since February of 2015, so it’s time. John Wicks of Faith Builders Ministries came to our church on November 12 & 13 to share a need for workers for a construction team and encourage those God was not calling to go to pray and give toward those who were to go. So, it was clear to me that I should go. The Lord provided the money for the down payment for the trip in my savings and I am working to raise the rest by mid-December.

We will be building the women’s dormitory at the Kilimanjaro Bible College in Moshi, Tanzania. Terry & Marilyn Weaver, Elim missionaries for over 25 years, established the college and John Wicks traveled there with a team in 2000 to construct the library and administration building. The campus now has seven buildings but needs a dorm for the group of women who are attending classes. Faith Builders received the building permit and are granted permission from the Moshi government to proceed building the women’s dorm.

I will be going as a laborer and another woman from my church also agreed to go. There will be two teams, one leaving about February 10th, returning about the 23rd. A second team comes about February 21 and leaves about March 4th. Trip days are variable depending on ticket prices.

First, I ask you to pray for all of us going on the trip, that God will provide all our needs, even though it’s short notice to raise funds to travel, get paperwork and immunizations, etc. Pray for favor for all of us, since the Tanzania government is not always easy to please. Second, if you feel the Spirit pulling you to go, contact John Wicks cell (315)380-3725, email wicks444@gmail.com and if you would like to donate, send donations to Faith Builders Ministries Inc, PO Box 15173, Syracuse, NY 13215 putting “Tanzania 2023” in the memo on your check.

How much does it cost? $2,950.00 covers all trip expenses except: visa, airport food and additional luggage costs for the plane, immunizations/malaria meds. Note: we are staying in a 4-star hotel that is air-conditioned, has a fine dining facility serving American/Indian/African foods, outdoor dining with view of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a pool, and wi-fi. Daily schedule starts at 6:00 a.m., lights out at 9:00 p.m. Did I mention a sightseeing trip during the team overlap? Oh, don’t forget the 30% DEET insect repellent and lots of broad-spectrum sunscreen and a broad brimmed hat!

Winter is just beginning… what will you be doing in mid-February?