18 days.

As I wondered what to do to "top" 2009 in actually reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, the answer came plain and simple. Read it again. I did really sigh, but thought I needed to do something different. I felt impressed to write at least one sentence about each days reading. That was going to take just a few more minutes of my morning quiet time...so I thought..yeah...that's what I'll do.

Today is day 18 of reading the Bible in 2010...and I thought I'd put some of my thoughts in my blog that I have written in my journal.

"I find it interesting that God told the man not to eat of the tree in the middle of the garden. God must have expected the man to take his rightful place in family order and warn his wife concerning the tree...and then stick to God's words. "Since you listened to your wife..." shows that Adam knew better but gave into the free will given him. I wonder what would have happened if Adam had refused the fruit...but allowed only Eve to eat it.

"Isn't is interesting that all the men lived up to 900 some odd years--which was normal. Sin was prevalent and God was becoming angry...I wonder if he is at wit's end in today's world. So much violence, thumbing Almighty God's name...I need to remember the one verse at end of Chapter 6...."So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him." Kind of different than Adam and Eve.

Why have I not seen this before. God commanded Noah to take seven pair of clean animals to use in their sacrifices and to eat. All I remember all my adult life is two by two...yet it's right there in black and white. I don't remember ever reading that.

Cush was an ancestor of Nimrod who was the first heroic warrior on earth. First 'superhero'. Interesting.

From Canaan came the ancestors of the Sidonians, Canaan also was an ancestor of the Hittites, Jehusites, Amorites and Girgashites.

When Abram heard Lot and all his people & belongings had been captured, he took all 318 of his men, attacked this huge army of the enemy and got Lot, his people and belongings back. I guess when there's no one behind your back whispering to you that you can't do it...you just believe God.

It is rumored that Melchizedek was Christ Himself, but here it says he was a priest of El Elyon--God most High.

When the king whom Abram had defeated said he would pay to get his own belongings back from Abram, Abram gave them back without pay. Reminds me when David was in the same situation and he had said he refused to be given money for something that cost him nothing. And I see that Abram built altars and praised God. Maybe that is what is missing in my life. When God does answer my prayers I don't honor Him, it's almost like I feel I deserve it. Maybe there ought to be more altar-building in my life.

And Abram believed the Lord and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Hagar named God "You are the God who sees me." sweet.

Genesis 18 is all about comfort zones. Three men came to Abraham..I know one was the Lord and one was the LORD...could the 3rd one be the Holy Spirit?

Lot's offspring through his own daughters became the Moabites and the Ammonites.

Abraham planted a tree and worshipped the Lord. (Another altar.)

After sacrificing a ram instead of his son Isaac, Abraham named the place "Yahweh Yireh"...The God who Provides.

Abraham's brother Nahor was the grandfather of Rebekah...Jacob's wife. Hm...interesting.

It's interesting that the woman is behind the lie. Rebekah had Jacob lie to the get the birthright...and Jacob I guess shrugged his shoulders and just did it. Is that REALLY honoring your mother? Then Jacob has to leave his mother and father out of fear of being killed by his brother?

"To get back" at his dad for not giving him the blessing, Esau married Ishmael's daughter. Jacob gets a visit from the LORD on the stairway to heaven. Jacob decides then to give a 10th of everything he owned at the altar he built where he saw the stairway.

Leah was the mother of Reuben; Simeon; Levi; Judah (Christ's lineage); Issachar, Zebulun...Rachel's servant had Dan; Naphatali. Leah's servant had Zilpah; Gad and Asher. Rachel had Joseph and Benjamin.

There will always be unscrupulous businessmen like Laben. ..wanting something for nothing. Unfortunately, Jacob is also the same type of businessman. . . and I do believe Rachel is cut out of the same cloth. She stole the family gods.

Chapter 32 in Genesis... ah...remind God of His promises. He loves to hear His word back to him. El-Elohi Israel...God the God of Israel....El Shaddai---God Almighty.

Esau was also known as Edom..thus...the Edomites.

I wonder if Joseph felt he was successful as he dealt with one 'tragedy' after another. In God's word, God said he continued to bless Joseph. What was Joseph thinking when he was "blessed" by being thrown into the cistern then sold as a common slave (and really...what did the brothers do with the money they collected from selling him?)

Was Joseph praising God for the blessing of being accused of nearly raping Potiphar's wife? Was he feeling blessed in prison? Inquiring minds want to know!

Pharaoh gave Joseph a new name...Zaphenath-paneah which means: God speaks and lives.

That is a blessing.

I think that Jacob knew all along that his 10 other sons had done something with Joseph. I wonder if he "pondered these things in his heart". But today's reading...we have a happy reunion in Egypt.

As the family moved to Egypt and Joseph began to buy every one's land for food, to the point that only Pharaoh had food and land... is this the beginning of the Egyptians rule over the Israelites...when did the happy turn to the captive?

A Watchman's Hut in a Cucumber Field

"The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
Like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city."

I've read many commentaries on this verse. There's not much explanation of Isaiah 1:8, but my first thought was... a watchman's hut in a cucumber field...isn't that silly? Cucumbers are melons...they lie on the ground...why would you need a watchman's hut?

Such a shelter protected a look-out for the crops. After the harvest, people would leave the shelter to fall into pieces.

Abraham ben Meīr Ibn Ezra wrote: And the daughter of Zion is left, etc. The fortified cities of Judah will be taken and only Zion will be left. fDlD The hut.TM The place for the watchman ; that is, the temple built in honour of the Almighty. fWD A lodge, where the watchman stays through the night. In the garden of cucumbers. Ruined36 (comp. lxv. 4).

And it made me sad. Because this is what is happening today. God is no longer on a throne. He's a 'good buddy' 'the man upstairs'...he's 'the homeboy'.

God is ALMIGHTY, EL, ELOHIM, EL SHADDAI, ADONAI, JEHOVAH, ABHIR, KADOSH, KANNA, EL ROI, YESHUA, PALET, GAOL, EYALUTH, TSADDIQ, THE FIRST AND LAST, EMMANUEL, THEOTES, FATHER, JESUS, ALMIGHTY GOD.

and we are allowing his temple...our hearts ... to be hardened into ruins.

I repeat Isaiah: "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

2009 my prayer was that God would change my character.

My goal in 2010 is... that I would let Him.

Christmas 2009

So many things have changed...so many have stayed the same.
My three children's lives have had 'face lifts' and life is looking good for them.

I got to spend some time with my Michigan family at Thanksgiving. My two grandsons are past the "Nana" cuddling stage... and I had forgotten how children can become 'boneless' if they don't want you to hold them. All three children have distinct personalities, likes & dislikes and it does make me smile. My son and daughter in law are doing a good job raising these children...Kudos to them...it isn't easy...I know!

I've not met Geoff's fiancee Christina...she seems to be very good for and to my son. I'm happy that his life is good. Geoff and I have spent some good times on the phone. I miss him. Haven't seen him since 2003. He and Christina are getting married next year... it'll be a good time to see him in Wisconsin.

My daughter Melissa has succeeded in business and started really focusing on getting healthy this year. Under a medically supervised plan, she has now lost 56 pounds and counting. She looks GREAT, and is slowly realizing her success story. I'll keep pinching her so she'll know it's real!

My friends...those of you who post comments and those who just read... thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives.

God has been good to me this year. I among all women, am extremely blessed.
Merry CHRISTmas.
Ouida

A fun Christmas

When I was 15 years old, my mother wrote poems and hung them on the Christmas tree. Instead of leaving our presents under the tree, "Santa" had mom write these poems. They were hints of where our Christmas gifts were hidden around the house.

That was fun.

Colds and coal

I'm battling a scratchy throat, stuffy nose, Lauren Bacall voice cold right now. I know it's from being in a plane for 1 1/2 hours with sick little kids and their parents just wanting to get home. Something about recycled air does that to us.

Feeling like yuck, the scheduled trip to Operation Christmas Child came on December 1. I drove a van full of mature adult volunteers who were just ready to serve.

I had never been to the OCC center before. Let me tell you it's a very well-oiled machine. I know it took them years to get to this point...but with hundreds of thousands of boxes coming through just the center in Charlotte, hundreds of volunteers coming daily...they had to get it working properly and quick!

We were told that the shoe boxes we were going through were going to Muslim nations. It's the first time the Muslim nations have allowed OCC to send toys, games, etc to their children. We had to be sure NO pigs, no mention of God and no American flags were in any of the boxes.

Who knew there would be so many PIGS????

I was the taper. After the individual boxes were inspected I got to tape them. Realizing that my hands were the last to touch the box before the child opened it was more emotional than I could stand.

Some child in a country that is being taught to HATE Christians was going to open this box. What is that child going to feel about "Americans" when he or she opens it and hugs the little stuffed dog... colors in the coloring book...combs his or her hair with a brand new brush... brushes his or her teeth with a new toothbrush and toothpaste? What emotions will that bring.

Romans 12:20 says "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

So in my small way, I was heaping burning coals on a child who is being filled with hate. Giving hot coals is not bad. Actually-many years ago, a wonderful teacher, Dr. Larry Slay, told our class what this really meant.

The worst thing that could happen to a family in the bible days, was that their fire would go out in their fireplace. They didn't have matches...so re-starting the fire was a major ordeal. When a family's fire would go out, their neighbor would carry a live-hot piece of coal on top of their head on the carrier they used and bring it to their neighbor... therefore giving them a hot coal of friendship.

I've carried that word picture with me for all these years. Whether a neighbor, friend or a stranger, we are to give hot coals to those whose fires have gone out. We are called to carry the fire to everyone.

I did a little part of that by taping shoeboxes, headed to the enemy of my faith.

God bless them everyone.

REALLY being thankful.

I'm going to a 50th wedding anniversary party Saturday. These two people are precious servants of our church. You can't outgive them, you can't outdo them, and you cannot smile more than them. They love the Lord and they love each other. I'm so privileged to be included in the huge circle of those who have been REALLY blessed by their lives.

My prayer partner is Gail Mashburn. She's six years younger than me, but has the wisdom of Solomon...and humor that matches the wisdom. I am so blessed by her family stories (she REALLY comes from a functional family!) Her grandmother is 94 years old and just keeps on going. I told Gail one day "Look at your heritage!" She exclaimed without hesitation, "Girl, I don't want to live that long!" She says she can be hired out for funerals if anyone needs a professional crier--because she can cry at the drop of a hat. And she also prays, "Thy will be done, God, on earth as it is in heaven." I'm REALLY thankful she's in my life.

My family. My sons, daughter, daughter in law... I am REALLY impressed with all of them. They've all had hardships along the way and yet, in their own way, they have done more than succeed, they've conquered.

My oldest son is a husband, dad and son. He does a good job in all of them. I am REALLY thankful that he grew up to be the man he is today despite bad parenting, poor choices and a mother who just wanted to dote on him instead of letting him go. I told him he was my prototype...I learned to be a parent because of him.

My youngest son is a friend, son and fiancee...he does a good job in all of them. I am REALLY thankful that he climbed mountains that most people refuse to climb, and once he learned the 'lay of the land' learned to live within his boundaries. He beats to a different drummer and I REALLY think that's alright. He lived on hand me downs and the ignorance of a society not quite ready for him.

My daughter is a sweet friend, excellent employee and a darling daughter...and she continues to ace the tests of life. She's independent, yet still needs her mom (which REALLY makes me thankful), she's resilient but not hardened, and she is REALLY everything I wished I could have been in a woman when I was thirty. She learned a long time ago that the motherhood genes had worn out and makes jokes about having to call me by my first name. But she loves me in spite of it all!

I REALLY love my daughter in law like she was my own. She's talented, she's funny, creative, fun-loving and she's good at the task that God has given her. She's REALLY who I wish I had been as a woman and mother.

I REALLY love my grandchildren and am excited that they have been given the freedom by their mom and dad to be who they are. Jack is studious, smart and already the protector of his sister; Thatcher has his arms wide open living and loving life (are we having fun yet?); and Margaret is just beginning to blossom into her own personality. I REALLY can't wait to hug all of them...what a Thanksgiving gift I'm REALLY looking forward to.

I am REALLY thankful that God has been such a constant in my life these last 29 years. I REALLY don't know what I would have done without Him. He has carried me most of my life, and is constantly forgiving me and allowing me to begin at the starting line over and over.

I am...among women... REALLY blessed.

Have a REALLY happy thanksgiving!

In Memory of my Dad

WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN'T WORK)

Norman S. "Red" Burnett
March 15, 1914 - November 8, 1996

My dad was a mechanic. He just couldn't repair anything in the house.

Dad is celebrating that there's no house repairs in heaven, I am sure!


(pictured (dad, mom, my son Geoff, my brother & sister in law and their children, Rusty, Vickie, Stephen, Jeannie, my younger brother & his wife, Randy & Sonja.)