Ladders to Heaven

Read Genesis 28:10-12,16-17

Several years ago, I had two gerbils with a two-story cage. They slept on the top and ate on the floor. Now they had a habit of knocking down the ladder that went from one floor to the next. They did this deliberately. Of course, they could always get to where they wanted by crawling on the sides.
God gives us ladders to help us get closer to Him. Why do we keep knocking them down? We have prayer, the Bible, praise, and His presence. We knock the ladders down by pride, thinking we can do it on our own.
Sometimes the gerbils would try to jump to the next floor and miss. Then they had to hang there, barely able to pull themselves up. There was always the possibility that they could fall and get hurt. I faithfully and consistently replaced the ladder because I loved them and hoped they would get some sense.
God keeps replacing our ladders and making new ones. He wants the best for us which is total dependence on Him.
Father, thank you that you always want to connect us to You.

Carry On

Scribed by Gracie Prior

Dearest One,

So you have failed, have you? Is it the first time for you or just one of many? It doesn't matter. There is only one cure for failure. Success? No, that is not it. The cure is to go on. You might try to find that place in yourself , but I'm calling you to turn to Me. I am your God. I know about the failed life. Some of my best friends failed Me. There are even those who would say I was a failure. To the natural eye, that may be true.
But gladly, I am supernatural. Because I live, now My life is a saving success. You, in your sorrow, come to Me. Let's reason. Do that thing one more time. Try a new way. You were born for great things. But you need Me. I am the one who causes the dead to live, the soldier to fight on. I alone have the victory.

Love,

Your Jesus

Train Station

This is an in-between day. Not good, not bad. It doesn't advance the plot. It's not even like those novels where a whole chapter is an extra-interest story. No, today is just a day to rest. It's a day to trust God and see the future as He sees it.
On a day like today, I could sit outside and have my quiet time, just enjoying the Lord's beautiful world. I could pray and meditate on His promises. I could collect all the things I have seen and heard lately and put them together so they make sense. As a writer, I need and relish this kind of day. Tomorrow will be busy. Today is my treasure, a little station where trains come and go and I sit on the bench being alive and loving Him.

One More Mystery

Yesterday, I had to go out and sweep up all of those little "airplanes" that the maple trees send down. And I know this is just the first wave. I can see many more on the trees. It's hard to keep up with them. I also hand picked them out of my garden. What I discovered was that it doesn't take much to make a maple tree. Some of them land seed-heavy down and stick up like a dagger in the ground. Before you can even get to them, they have started the process of a new plant. I see many one or two-inch plants when I am weeding. God surely loves maple trees. That got me thinking. Why are some things so easy and some so hard. Maples easy, turtles hard. (All those newborn baby turtles that are born on the beach and have to "run" the gauntlet to the sea to survive.) I guess it's just one of His mysterious ways. And then I think some more. I love maple syrup. Pancakes wouldn't be the same without it. Then there's that riot of color splashing the roadways during fall in Michigan. Too bad for the turtles, but I'm very glad that maple trees are easy.
(Just want to remind readers that Gracie Prior is my pen name that I use on some of my literary pieces. Blessings on this day. Nancy)

To Grandma

By Gracie Prior

This is to my Grandma whom I loved most of all. You would never know, that at my age, I would still love you so. I dreamed I saw you in Heaven, but you were in the farmhouse kitchen holding out a tray to me, an offering, a servant. Your sweet blue eyes looked all love at me.

I saw details: the old calendar, the stove, the clock, the refrigerater. So real. You put the tray on the diningroom table - a last offering. It said, "all is ready now. I will see you soon."
When I see you, will I remembeer all you were: the goodness, the peace, the aprons, the treats for me? Will I recall the barn, the smell of hay - such a smell it forever draws me back to that place?
You gave me freedom from criticism, from jobs to do, from competition and the openness of all-inclusive love and pure joy.
There was the droning of the bees outside, the rough pillow on my cheek, the sweet just below the surface sleep as the Cleveland Indians ballgame played in the background.
The nights - huge beds, rain on roofs. The porch - the fragrance of honeysuckle, the train in the distance and the thump of the swing.
As Emily would say in Thornton Wilder's Our Town, "Oh, world, you're too wonderful for words," once upon a time at a little Ohio farm with Grandma.
(This is one of my strongest memories. I have so many more of this time. Nancy)

Read Exodus 3:1-12
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" Exodus 3:11(NKJ)
In this story, Moses didn’t want to convinced him that He would be with him.
Sometimes we have to do things that are hard. The whole thing feels like a set up and we believe we are in a no-win situation.
Not too long ago, I was in such a position. I had to confront a shop owner about defective merchandise. This was not the first time this had happened. I felt like a pest and I always want to show a Christian witness. That’s hard to do when you have to complain.
I did not want to go. The Lord said, "Go, and I will be with you."
A lot of prayer went up for my situation, my witness, the workers at the shop, and the business itself.
When the day came, God went before me and gave me favor with the person I needed to see. I was able to explain myself and healing of attitudes took place.
So when something feels like a set up, take it to God. He may be doing a special work in His Kingdom through you.
Prayer: O God, we ask you to step in when we wonder how we can accomplish your purposes. We thank you for your wisdom and love to work through us. Amen.

Grateful Thanks

This is the one month anniversary of my blog. What new territory this is. I am in awe of all of the possibilities and have learned so much. There is still very much to assimilate. My writings have been varied because there are many things to be interested in. My hope is to continue thoughts on aging, writing, and faith. I have a big project for the summer and hope to surprise readers in a few months with something a little more literary. My other desire is to continue learning more about you and this whole exciting process. Heartfelt thanks to all who have tuned in so far, and for the lovely comments. I would also like to thank God for continuing to teach me patience and for showing me how much He loves me. Till next time, have a gorgeous day. Nancy

God is Amazing

"Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" Matt.6:26
I watched a special on T.V. awhile ago which was fascinating. It showed a symbiotic relationship between birds and animals, and birds and trees (to spread pollen and seeds.) Birds' beaks are formed perfectly to fit the flowers found in their habitat (cross bill, hummingbird, woodpecker, etc.) When the beaks don't fit, some birds use a "tool" to get a grub out of a log.
A hummingbird has to move constantly to get enough drops of sugar to sustain life. Woodpeckers store acorns in trees. They are busy little creatures. God either provides the perfect match - bill to flower, or He gives them innovations to get food. In any case, He provides.
His provision is even greater for us, His children. Perhaps you are not working in your giftings right now. The fit may not be what you would like. Look around. God has a "tool" for you that will sustain you until you get your perfect match.
(I just got some geraniums planted today. Now I feel like I'm ready for summer. Nancy)

Picture Day

My wonderful friend helped me to get my picture on the blog for you. I wouldn't be able to do this without much help. You can see I'm wearing a shirt that says Detroit. We have many great sports venues in this area, but the only one I'm much interested in is baseball. I love it. Loved it when my kids played it, love it now. To me it's like ballet. The way the guys jump to make a catch, or twist to throw, or swing (in slow motion) one out of the park. My very favorite move is the double play. It's just so quick, something so skillful, I can only imagine the mental processes and agility.
I also visited the library today. My computer is old and it freezes sometimes. I wanted to see what other bloggers were saying and thought it work better somewhere else. My first dissappointment was that I needed to enter the computer a different way because it had been three or more years since I had tried to do that. Then I got going and my blog kept zapping out when I didn't want it to. And they, lastly, just when I was enjoying some blog stories and tried to get on a new site, their computer froze. The very kind librarian told me to try another machine. The new one was the T.V. type, not the "in the table" brand. My "Boomer" eyes could see it much better. I repeated all my steps and found a wonderful lady whose entry encouraged my failing attenpts and also had a good word about our children. So I have to say that the Lord knows just what you need on any given day. My hope is that you find some joys and helps here as you go on your journey. Next time, I'm going to do a devotion so stay tuned. Nancy

Aglow Notes

So, every day for the last couple of weeks, I have been going over the Aglow notes I told you about awhile back. As I said before, I am working on year 1998. If I work hard, I can get them done by the end of May. One day, as I was messing around in my bookshelves, I opened a folder and found the other five years of notes. These are the ones I thought I had already done. I have over 100 tiny handwritten pages. Thats' why I thought that. At first I was totally discouraged. I like to get thenigs done. Don't you? But then again, now I have all these new notes and speakers to read and enjoy and learn from. I am finding that as I condense and rewrite the notes from one group of papers to another, and then underline even further, getting the really good sturf, that I am getting it into my head. All that pushing down is causing the material to go the most important distance in the world to me, the distance from my head to my heart. Then I can speak it out and I can use it. I never just want to hear something. I want to chew it up and use it.
With the new speeches, I think I will hightlight the good stuff instead of rewriting it. It's just easier to see that way. If I find this is ineffective, I'll go back to the old way.
This note study is on top of the Bible and prayer. It has been wonderful for me.
Right now, I am between "jobs." I will soon be very busy again. I don't know what will happen to this project. I hope I can take just one page and go over it and let it sink in. I just wanted to share how much I enjoy getting God's words and ideas. It has been such a blessing. Nancy

Hold Up the Good

Recently I watched the first two seasons of the T.V. show "Perfect Strangers." It was such a joy, as I laughed out loud and it is pretty hard for me to do that. My daughter can laugh at many things and it brings me a smile. I wish I had her talent. Nevertheless, these shows were funny. More than that, they were sweet and even "good." Themes of friendship, family, kindness, responsibility, and sacrifice were shown. There was even a Christmas episode where they said "Happy Birthday" to baby Jesu. Now I remember, that in the later seasons, there were some Christians who didn't care for this show as it seemed to make fun of religion. These early shows had none of that. They were done in about l987. That was a few years after my daughter was born. So as a toddler, there was still some goodness in our culture.
I remember the movie a few years ago called "Leave it to Beaver." Though updated from the T.V. show, it still had so much family love and goodwill that I cried at the end because usually, "they don't make then like that anymore."
When I look at the movies and television or even most of the music, I just see a slip from the good, the wholesome, and the beautiful. So when I buy movies on DVD, I get the best I can find and play them over and over. The same goes for books. I have read my books so many times.
I realize there is a whole world of Christian entertainment and information. That is wonderful. But now, it seems as if everything is cut with a knife - darkness and light. I am still believing that the dominant culture can once again have lovely things to offer. Some people will never turn to the Christian alternative. So for now, I am buying the good stuff, and praying for a change in tastes. What is so wrong with holding up the ideal? We hold up the ideal of beauty over and over to the sadness of many women. Why can't we hold up the ideal of family, friendship, and honor, to the good of all? Just asking. Nancy

Della

Story By Gracie Prior

The elephants were blue, the giraffes were bright orange and the lions were green. This colorful menagerie walked the walls of my pediatrician's office. I sat holding Scooter on my lap. He was in for a M.M.R. shot. He didn't know what was coming. He held a small plastic car in one hand and a "little person" in the other. The two pieces could fit together, but Scooter hadn't figured that out yet. He kept swinging them both in the air and exclaiming, "Car go. Car go."

I was preoccupied counting how many times the pattern of animals repeated itself around the wall when a woman opened the waiting room door and announced, "Scouter Rynolds." (My son's name was Scooter Reynolds. I assumed they were looking for him.) Before I could reply, I looked up and saw something amazing. This nurse who had a lime green smock also sported a pair of vintage blue sparkle cats-eye glasses. She smiled and called, "Scouter."

"Here, here," I said. I moved Scooter to my hip and took him near this apparition.

"This is Scooter," I said. "Scooter Reynolds." The woman smiled a toothy grin, did an about face and marched through the door and down the hall., Scooter lay against me. Did he suspect something?

Della, whose name was embroidered in blue on her smock, led us down the hall. We entered the third door on the left. Upon our entrance, she took Scooter and plopped him on the papered changing table.

"Let's have a look," she said. She took his temperature and his blood pressure. When she squeezed the bulb, Scooter looked at her and tried to squeeze it with his other arm.

"That's a smart little boy," she said. She bent near him to take the thermometer out.

Scooter reached up and grabbed her glasses. "Petty," he said.

I took his hands off and apppologized to Della.

"The doctor will be right in," Della said and left.

Scooter looked around. He had dropped his toys. He gazed at me sheepishly from under long brown bangs. "Petty."

I picked him up. The doctor, who was short and stocky and had a comb-over, came in and got to business. He checked the chart, asked Scooter's age and got the shot ready. The site was prepared. I was nervous. Scooter wasn't too good about things like this and he had a long memory.

The door flew open; Della popped in and smiled at Scooter. She gave him another plastic car and got up close and said, "Petty."

Scooter reached up to get the glasses with his right hand. The doctor jabbed with the left. "Petty," Scooter said. He pulled the glasses off and looked at them. "Petty."

I gave them back.

We smiled and said bood bye. Some days are beter than others. This day was great, all because of amazing Della and her blue sparkly cats-eye glasses.
(Hope you got a chuckle out of my little story. Till next time, Nancy)

The Saguaro

On a trip to Arizona, we saw a lot of Saguaro Cactus. When this plant is wounded, like its top is knocked off, baby plants grow from the stump. When birds make a hole and nest in it, the hole gets closed with stuff like tar to completely surround the hole. This whole piece can come out and it looks like a boot. The rest of the cactus is sealed and retains moisture. These cactus don't even get to branch out till they are seventy years old. God put a lot of time and effort into seeing that a saguaro cactus survives, even though it may be way out in the desert and never seen. Surely He will care for us, His children. We have protections, too. Think how marvelous our bodies are - their healing properties. God is certainly an awesome God. Nancy

Ripples In a Pool

I used to belong to a group called Women's Aglow. For about three or four years I was inspired by wonderful praise, good fellowship, and speeches that seemed on fire. In fact, the very atmosphere of the place was full of the presence of the Lord. That glow stayed with me all day and the messages even longer. Recentlly, I was going back over those speeches and condensing them greatly. There was a lot that didn't apply now, but an amazing amount that "burned" as I read them again. One of these was by a lovely lady named Karen and the year was l998, more than ten years ago. When I read her speech on self-image, it touched my heart and I took note of her steps to have the positive imaage the Lord wants me to have. So, Karen, where ever you are, here's to you. Your message is still out there, getting wider and wider and filling in places with hope that you never dreamed about. We all have that influence in the things we say and do. So take heart today, "your work is not in vain in the Lord." Nancy

Yesterday I had a chance to "rid up." That's "put things away" if your're from Ohio where I was raised. I checked my dining room and decided there were too many chairs. I had to get rid of my rocker that had cradled all three of my children. (When we moved, I dragged it to our new small house for sentimental reasons.) I asked my husband if I could give it away and he said, "put it out in the trash." I rarely throw out good things, but It was almost too big for a car and I thought, just this once, I'd do that. It was still in good shape, an early American design of dark wood with an American eagle cusion tacked to the seat. My tastes changed about four years ago and now I like the Brittish Colonial look. So I got a rocker in that style for my living room. That meant that my old rocker was stuck in and crowded the dining room. When I put the chair out, I ran to get a piece of wood that belonged on the chair and rubberbanded it to the top post, hoping that if someone did pick this up from the trash, it would be complete. Then I said goodby and prayed a small prayer that someone would find it. Later my husband said, "It's gone." The chair had been taken, but the trash was still there. What joy. It found a new home, hopefully with little ones just waiting to hear lullabyes. But if someone just wants to rock and sing, or think, or relax, that's good, too. I am sentimental, but I saw all my children on Mother's Day. They are my joy. Yes, the old chair is gone, but it and the songs and my babies will always be home in my heart. Nancy

Happy Today

Scribed by Gracie Prior

Don't be discouraged. All is well and will be well. You can be happy today. You must. I don't call you to be happy tomorrow. I call you to be happy today. When something or someone dampens that joy, I am less happy for I long to see your smile.

Circumstances are fluff. They are not eternal. You live in the eternal now with Me.

This is not to say that details are not important. They are often very important, but as you yield all to Me, I work out every one of them in your life. Are you allowing flak? Are you allowing frets? Let them go. Don't you believe that I am active in your life - right now? I am, so act "as if" and rejoice.

(When you have down days, sometimes the only thing you can do is to be faithful in the one thing you can be faithful in. It will lift you up. Nancy)

The Wind

By Gracie Prior

It was really windy this morning. I had to put the garbage out and the two cans fell over even before I got out of the driveway. I set them upright. When I came home, the brown can had scattered debris up the street and I went over to the neighbors to get it.
I went to my prayer partner’s house. On the way home, I had to stop my car and move a garbage can out of the street. At home again, our gray garbage can was just gone. I went looking for it, but couldn’t find it.
In spite of the irritants of the enemy and they were many this morning, I love the wind and I praised God. Though the sky was generally gloomy today, the sun (Son) peeked through often as if to say, "I’m still here, take heart." And so I do.
The wind is knocking over trashcans all over town. The cans are even rolling in the streets as if God were playing.
The wind howls, but my birdies right outside my window sing for joy. They know their Heavenly Father cares for them. And He cares for me.
When wind comes strong, it reveals the power of God. His natural elements reveal His glory. Sometimes God does things in the physical realm that He is going to reproduce in the spiritual realm. My prayer partner and I have been praying for The Spirit of God to come to our town. Could this mighty rushing wind outside be the spiritual antecedent of an outpouring of God’s mighty Spiritual Breath here? That is my sincere desire and hope.
My partner and I were without "feelings" in our prayer time today. We prayed anyway, knowing that God’s Word said that He would meet us "Where two or more are gathered together in My name". He did meet us and by the time I left, His assurances were enough to make us both smile. Isn’t that just like God?
I also met a postal worker who is another warrior for the Lord. Yes, the Lord is building His army one at a time. He is joining up the ranks.
How wonderful it is that Jesus is our leader. Sometimes one of us is strong and exhorts the other. Next time, it’s the reverse. God always speaks prophetically either as we share or pray. He speaks His life into our lives. Burdens we brought into the prayer time are laid down at the altar and joy bursts forth.
It is true that you can’t see the wind, but you can see where the wind moves.
The wind blew through town today. It upturned things, moved things out of the way, and made a path for new beginnings.
Such warfare there was this morning. Such a great God we have. He knew what He wanted to do. Praise God for His Mighty Wind.

(Thank you for dropping by. See you next time. Nancy

May 8 Penny Candy

For being well-behaved, my sister and I would each get a nickel to go to the store for candy. We had a romp through the field behind our house where spittle bug and butterfly played. The final stretch of the journey was a stony road which teased us uphill. At the top we spied our store and raced to the brownstone which cradled it beneath. We walked down the stone steps into the coolness and relief of a hot summer's day. Our store was actually a butcher shop and the butcher always smiled at us.
There was a tall glass case with many shelves filled with candy. My sister ran over and studied the candy bars. Back then, she could choose a Clark Bar, Milky Way, Snickers or Three Muskateers. Or she could get a Sky Bar. Sky Bars had four different fillings covered with chocolate. Or she could decide on Necco Wafers. These were little multi-colored circles, each with a different flavor. She picked out one of those chocolate candy bars. Nice choice, but when it was gone, it was gone.
My nickel was saved for penny candy. Yes, you could get a tasty treat for a penny. I could choose five things. Perhaps I'd get a long piece of black licorice. Oh, I know licorice has a bad name now, but my kind was chewy and sweet. Do they make that kind anymore? Maybe I'd pick a little celophane package of pretend watermelon slices. I could get a candy peanut, a candy orange slice with sugar, or a red coin with the words 'one cent' printed on it.
The silliest thing in the cabinet was wax lips. These were to be worn, laughed over, chewed, and spit out. On another shelf of the glass case, the store carried bubble gum with comics, colored dots you ate off a paper, or jawbreakers to be chewed at your own risk.
In the corner of the store was a gumball machine filled with gum, small toys, and miniature decks of cards. Some days I would try for the cards.
When the butcher crossed his arms, I knew it was time to decide. He gave me a little bag and I put five things inside. I gave him my nickel. By then, my sister was done with her candy bar and I had a bag full of good things to treasure.
What did I buy? What do you think? Here's a little bag for you.
(Did I miss anything? What would you put inside? Till next time, enjoy your treats. Nancy)

May 6 Explaining "Double Vision"

I took a walk around my neighborhood yesterday and I saw such darling little purple violets here and there in the grass. They are wildflowers, just a tiny free gift to those who have eyes to see. What others see as weeds, I often see as flowers. Thanks to my daughter-in-law for all her comments and for all responses to this blog. I can assure you I treasure every one. My poem at first means that sometimes when we are closer to things, they seem clearer. The child is getting away with "playing around" with the mother, being allowed to call the shots. The mother seems a bit distressed. But she knows her child. At the end, it is the play-weary child who reaches for her and the comfort she can give. He releases that control back to her as protector. Then, there is just the fun of playing with words and ideas. That's why I love art, it can be interpreted and enjoyed in so many ways.
Next time I have a little walk down Memory Lane for the Boomers. Till then, get outside if you can and look down. God can be found there, too. Nancy

May 5 Open Up to Spring

(Here is an essay that I hope you enjoy.)

Open Up To Spring

By

Gracie Prior

Once again, the weather is warmer and outside that wispy, wonderful excitement gets to our senses and we realize the world is good, again. Oh, there is growth in all seasons, but the movement in spring is exceptional. Not only are little green things springing up from the frozen ground and buds are bursting on trees, but there is also a hunger in the heart for more meaning. This season starts in bitter cold and ends in the warmth of a seasonal transition. So our minds and hearts, our very souls can form that same change from rigid weights and harsh imaginings to a freedom to worship our God and experience more of Him. Just as the crocuses must burst forth from hard ground, our growth must be a forward movement, not always easy. It is simpler to stay in one place, to get comfortable where we are spiritually. New ground is awe-inspiring and a bit fearful. But we must not be like the Israelites who searched the Promised Land and came back with a bad report. When God says the land is good, we must believe Him and pursue it with all our hearts.

It is true there may be giants in the land but we must not be afraid. He has given us skills to fight for new territory. That is what we learned in the wilderness, where the ground was hard and unbending. Now that we have fertile soil to cultivate, we can plant for new growth and expect a harvest.

In the spring we plant flowers, we cultivate vegetables in gardens, we plant trees. When we do, we are expecting something. We are not just looking for exercise or extra work. So, when we seek our own Promised Land, our new place in the Lord, we should work with hope and joy. Faith comes into play both spiritually and literally as we plant our seeds.

We are not left to a harsh taskmaster. We hear the birds sing. Their voices alone should be enough to cheer us on our way. We have the beautiful sunshine that is most healthy and appreciated. And we have less weight. We can peel off layers and enjoy a greater freedom of movement.

Things won't be perfect. There will be problems. Spring brings worms and bugs which are necessary to air out the soil. Who is on our side? The Lord strong and mighty. Let's open up to spring and take our steps. Every step we take the Lord has given us.

(This makes me want to go pull that brown crispy stuff from my garden and think about what I want to plant. Next time, I'll tell you what I think "Double Vision" means. Hope to see you right here. Nancy)

May 4 About that Journal

I have just finished a journal. It's one of those slim notebooks you get at the discount store. I'm sorry to say it took my three years to complete. To say that there were dry spells would be an understatement. Last night, I read it through from beginning to end. Such a powerful thing to do. I discovered how faithful the Lord has been in these years. One son found the girl of his dreams, got engaged, and now is getting married. Another son and daughter in law are about to adopt a baby, so I will finally be a grandmother. My daughter passed a very difficult test and graduated from college. My husband found out that an operation he had earlier will likely last and not have to be redone. I prayed for healing of several issues and the Lord healed me. All this and the everyday trials and troubles that come to everyone, I journaled and found the Lord faithful. I highlighted those places that were so profound. Now I can see them quickly. What a faith-builder a journal can be. It's a glorious sunny day today. God bless. Nancy

May 3 I Cover You

I want to share with you one of the ideas the Lord spoke to me:

I Cover You

Scribed by Gracie Prior

I will always cover you. That is your joy that you are forever covered by Me. Notice the tray in the store said,"a penny covers you." I will cover you. Think about that. Think a lot about it. You are covered by all that I am. You are covered. As in "I've got you covered." You were thinking - maybe I'll just put a penny in the dish when I see one - just for fun - just to give and not receive - even if others think I'm foolish. What is a penny? People don't pick one up off the ground because it's worth so little. But you put one in the dish. See if just by giving, your whole outlook changes. Also, let people in line when driving. You have given me your time. Let them in. I'll get you there. Don't worry about the person behind. I'll deal with him. Be generous. I will cover you.

(Be sure to view my new profile.) Nancy

May 2, 2009 Double Vision

Today I have a travel tip for you. I collect all those perfume samples that come in magazines. I find that most of them smell better than some of my perfumes. It turns out I gathered an unruly mass of them. So now I
a have a little tin of them spread prettily in my bathroom, a bunch on my dresser, and unfortunately, many left over. The tip is: because of the problem taking liquids on planes now, you can take a selection of the strips with you instead. When you cut the strip from the magazine, cut it in two across the short way. Then you will have a sample to put on in the morning and a refresher for your purse for later - no spills (and you won't be mixing fragrances.)

Also wanted to let you know that I got my spring cleaning done yesterday, on May first. That was a week early. I have just had so much energy. This blog with the new ideas coming energizes me. So this week I got all my kitchen done and the dining room and the den and the hall closet. Now everything is in its place. I love that. It all started three weeks ago when before I realized it, I was in the midst of cleaning. I was like Mr. Mole in The Wind In the Willows where he started whitewashing his ceiling and then got that whiff of spring air and went on an adventure. I stayed and cleaned instead.

Cleaning house is just one of the ways The Lord has been helping me get exercise. Today I walked around with my neighbor. Another time, I had to walk a block to a jewelry store to get a gift and the store wasn't even opened. And then the time I walked to chedk the mail and got back and found an outgoing letter on my dresser. So, I had to do the trip over. Finally, there was the baby I told you about earlier and my many flights up and down the stairs. I even kept limber by being on the floor a lot with him. So spring is bringing me many new and good things. I hope for you, too.

Here is a poem from my early writings. I'd love it if you could tell me what you think it means. I will say what I think in a later blog.

Double Vision

by

Gracie Prior

Playing childish zoo games

Crouched behind a chair,

Bars appear before me

My vision to impair.

My child roars his laughter,

"Mommy's in a cage,"

As wild his leaping shadow

On my wall has set the stage.

Why's he laughing at me?

This play was all for him.

Could it be he likes me

With my wit and eye so dim?

Sitting, resting, viewing,

My child still full of glee,

I place my face upon the bars

And find that I can see.

Lengthen my perspective,

I'm caged by callous youth

But up against reality

I gaze beyond to truth.

Playing childish zoo games,

He comes to take my hand

And pull me up to warm embrace

Then on to slumberland.

That's all for today. Nancy

May 1, 2009 The Stain

Today marks my first week on my new blog. I feel like celebrating. To mark the occasion, I am going to do a little devotion. When I do articles and stories, I will be using my pen name: Gracie Prior.

The Stain

By Gracie Prior

I thought my white dresser scarf was ruined because of a dark water stain from a plant. I almost threw it out. At the last minute, I decided to go ahead and wash it and see what would happen. I used some concentrated spot remover and water on it and dried it on top of the dryer. It came out nicely and needed almost no ironing. On one side, there was a slight stain with no dark rim that you could see only by holding it up to the light. I could still display it on a chair or under my pitcher and bowl.

People's lives are like that. They seem useless and marred. They need one last chance. God wants to redeem and use those people. They are still valluable and lovely. If you are feeling down or discouraged today remember, God's not finished with you yet. Ask Him. He will give you hope and new ideas. He is the Creator and He can create newness for you.

That's the end of the devotion. Have a wonderful day. Nancy