Catching Up #2 - Wonderful Things & Blessings

Since I hardly posted last month I am using the post yesterday and today to try and catch up.  Hopefully you haven't all given up on me and I still have a few followers.

I received the most wonderful letter from Retha, by blog friend and Sister in the Lord from South Africa!!!  She blesses me with such wonderful surprises.  She is the one who called me, all the way from South Africa, in October, 2008 when I was in the recovery room with Mickey immediately after his heart surgery.  Talk about being shocked, blessed and surprised!!

 Then last month I got this wonderful THREE page, hand written letter from Retha.  Note the beautiful handwriting.  I was sooo very blessed by this because sadly handwritten letters are almost a thing of the past.  She is a dear and brings joy to my heart.

 You can see I was so engrossed in reading the letter I wasn't even aware Mickey was taking my picture. 

Note also the T-shirt I am wearing, a BD present from my son Marc last December that says:  "Faithbook Jesus wants to put you in His Book.  Do you accept?  Revelation 3:5"  Marc bought it because he is so awed that his mother is a blogger and on fb!!!!!  Believe me this shirt has opened up some conversations for me when I see people reading my T-shirt!!!   Praise God.

 This lovely coffee mug was given to me as a gift for Suzette from Britney, one of my Tuesday night Bible Study woman.  Isn't it lovely?

 I hope you can enlarge this to read all the writing but the main point of the mug is "the big C is not cancer but Christ!!"  Yes, we KNOW that is true.

 Everyone know what a blessing our friends, Don & Barbara are to us!!!  Well, St. Patty's day Don had prepared this wonderful meal of Corned Beef & Cabbage, and, and, AND!!!!  The tablecloth in green, with fresh flowers, lovely dishes, china and crystal.

 Barbara had even made green sherbet punch, green pistachio pudding, and green sugar cookies.  Mutual friends Ron & Dody joined us in this grand celebration.  What really made it a blessing for us was that we had been at the hospital with Suzette all that day.  What a blessing and delight to sit down with good friends an a delicious meal after the stressful day we had.  Thank you AGAIN, Don & Barbara.  We love you!!!

 On February 28th Mickey & I and 6 of my Bible Study women all met and attended A Night To Honor Israel performance where John Hagee was the main speaker.  (Pictured right to left, Cindy O, Thelma, Norma, Sandra, Cindy W. - Also there but not shown was Carmel).

A group of woman have been meeting here at my home every Tuesday night since January 18th.  We are calling ourselves Woman of the Word - or WOW Woman for short!!!  We are, too, as we study, pray together and grow in the Lord. 

 Three of my favorites guys (grandson Aric - son Marc - husband Mickey) who I get to share breakfast with quite often.  Here we are at IHOP one recent Saturday morning.

 I'm sure all of you are familiar with Amish Friendship Bread.  One of my young Christian friends, Heather, brought me a starte.  Many days later I baked these 2 loaves, gave out 3 starters at my Bible Study and did another starter!!

 Long and MANY days later I ended up baking 6 additional loaves.  So my freezer is full of yummy, delicious Amish Friendship Bread.  Drop by and I'll give you a piece with a cup of coffee or tea :o)

 I made another couple of batches of Homemade Dry Laundry Detergent.  This smells sooo good.  You can find the recipe on my very neglected Frugal blog.

(left to right - Lola, Bob, Susan, Mickey)

To end - I was blessed with getting to have brunch with a cousin who I had not seen for about 40 years!!!  They were traveling through Tulsa and called and we meet.  What a wonderful, lovely treat.  Aric & Marc also joined us.  Suzette was in the hospital and Jacque had to work.

Speaking of Suzette - my next post will be an update on her.  Please continue to pray and stand in agreement with us for her healing.  BY HIS STRIPES SUZETTE IS HEALED

ISRAEL & JERUSALEM

2 Chronicles 6:6: "I have chosen Jerusalem that My Name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel."

Psalm 132:13-15 "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitationl. 'This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her with bread."

In I Kings 11:32, the Lord calls Jerusalem "the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel."

A fight is raging over Israel & Jerusalem - God's Chosen Nation.

Many are wanting Israel to give up even MORE of their land and now even Jerusalem .

The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

THIS is the size of Israel

THIS is the total size of the Arabic States

From THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL by Norma Parrish Archbold

AND YET ...The battle to divide Jerusalem is intensifying.

Sweden is pushing hard to pass an initiative to persuade 27 foreign ministers of European Union states (EU) to endorse a plan to recognize unilaterally East Jerusalem as the capital of a new Palestinian State.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, is doing everything he can to counter the Swedish effort.

The following excepts from Haaretz. Go here to read the entire article Haaretz.com.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has phoned several European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero, asking them to oppose the plan and to pressure the PA to renew negotiations with Israel. Meanwhile, in an attempt to counter Israeli pressure, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad convened a group of European diplomats to ask them to support the Swedish proposal.
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Sweden's initiative calls for the division of Jerusalem and the recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. The 27 European foreign ministers are to discuss a draft of the proposal.

Sweden, with the support of Britain, Ireland, Belgium and a number of other countries, continues to promote its original formulation of the proposal calling for East Jerusalem to be the capital of the Palestinian state.

Israel is continuing in its efforts, together with the United States, to advance a renewal of negotiations with the PA. Netanyahu's envoy Yitzhak Molcho met secretly a few days ago in New York with the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East peace process, George Mitchell. The two discussed developments in the PA ahead of the meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization Central Council in Ramallah on December 15. On Friday, after the talks with Molcho, Mitchell phoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and discussed the possibility of renewing talks with Israel.


The Bible teaches that the Lord will judge the nations who seek to divide Israel and Jerusalem.

Joel 3:1-2: "When I restore the fortunes of Jerusalem (in the last days) I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.l Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance Israel whom they have scattered among the nations and they have divided up My land."

Please join me in praying for the Peace of Jerusalem.

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

On the first Sunday of every October, hundreds of millions of people around the world join together to pray for the "peace of Jerusalem."

This day is set aside each year to raise global awareness and intercession for God's purposes in Israel, knowing that this hour in history is critical and our authority in prayer is great.

Though we pray every day for Israel, on this day unite with other believers around the world in raising a cry to Heaven on behalf of this troubled, but strategic land and its people.

We believe in God's promises for His beloved nation and fervently pray to hasten the day when He brings fulfillment to His Word.

Begun in 2002 this is now the largest prayer movement for Israel. Please join in.

A FIRST HAND REPORT FROM ONE WHO KNOWS

I am blessed, and choose, to read many blogs. One of the most insightful blogs I read is Shalom from Jerusalem, written by my good friend, Marallyn. I "found" Marallyn's blog soon after I began blogging and it was such a delight to me. Then somehow I "lost" her and then several months ago I "re-found" her and I was so delighted. I immediately re-contacted her and re-connected and have been reading everything she posts.

With my concern for what is going on not only in our own country, but in the world in general, and Israel in particular I feel so blessed to have Marallyn's blog to give me a truthful, first hand report through the eyes and ears of this lovely Jewish lady. All of her posts recently have been so insightful to me. I hope after you read her post below you will go to her site for yourselves.

I know I can, and did, post Marallyn's link here on this post......but I also know that many times when presented with links we don't always take the time and effort, or have the desire to check it out. For this reason I contacted Marallyn a few days ago and asked her for permission to copy her June 15th blog here at Penless Writer word for precious word. She graciously gave me permission to do so.


"THE TRUTH...THE WHOLE TRUTH...AND...

Last night...at a little after eight o'clock, everyone I knew was sitting in front of their televisions waiting to hear our Prime Minister deliver his long-awaited speech.


I cancelled students. I grabbed a bottle of water and my chicken salad and made myself comfortable.


From every window of my house, all that could be heard was Bibi talking. None of my neighbours had any other channel on...just Bibi.


Before we go any further, I should state that I am a card carrying member of the Likud party. I get to vote in their internal elections as well as in the national elections. I have voted for Bibi more than once. And once I did not vote for him.


From the moment he began to speak until his final word I was breathless. Finally! Somebody said it out loud. How many people would be alive today if somebody had said it when our leaders at the time ran to embrace Oslo?


So many things he said amazed me. But here is one that made me listen even closer:

"In order to bring an end to the conflict, we must give an honest and forthright answer to the question: What is the root of the conflict? In his speech to the first Zionist Conference in Basel, the founder of theZionist movement, Theodore Herzl, said about the Jewish national home "This idea is so big that we must speak of it only in the simplest terms." Today, I will speak about the immense challenge of peace in the simplest words possible."

How simple.


How elequant. How absolutely correct! And then he went on to say it. He said it out loud....

"Even as we look toward the horizon, we must be firmly connected to reality, to the truth. And the simple truth is that the root of the conflict was, and remains, the refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own, in their historic homeland."


Bingo!!!


I always said, I can love you like mad...buy you expensive gifts...give you anything you want...put your needs above my own....


I can do all that. But I can't make you love me! Either you do...or you don't.


And all my fine gestures and all my wonderful, expensive gifts won't make you love me if you don't. And, when did any of us think, for just one second, that our neighbours love us? Who was it that said, 'Arafat never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity."?


When is the world going to wake up and realize that we are a splinter in their backside...we are the speck of dust on their pristine carpet...that THEY DO NOT WANT PEACE.


Simple, no?


Thank you Mr. Prime Minister! For the first time in a very long time, I think I can sleep at night knowing that someone is honestly and truely at the helm of our very little ship that is floating in a very big and dangerous sea.


And then, this morning just as I was feeling safe, I read something else. I read an article stating that Obama was happy with Bibi's speech. That's good.


BUT THEN...get this my friends...the article from Haaretz newspaper went on to say:
"At the time of the speech, Haaretz learned, Obama was playing golf."

He what?!!!?


Well...I guess that shows us! I mean exercise is important. And as President of the United States, Mr. Obama must not get enough exercise. And, the speech was around eight at night making it around noon...one o'clock his time. Is mid afternoon a good time to go out in the sun and play golf? I guess it must be. And, if it is good enough for POTUS, then, hell, maybe the rest of the world should have made other plans instead of listening to our Prime Minister.


Hell, it's only Israel. Who cares?


So, if no one cares, then why are we on the front page of everyone's agenda?


He was out playing golf!!!


Here is anther fishbone that remains stuck in my throat. When Bibi and Sarah Netanyahu were in the States a few weeks ago, Mrs. Obama didn't meet with our Prime Minister's wife. She had tickets to a concert...or the theatre, I think it was the theatre. She did ask her husband what to do and Mr. President told her not to change her plans...to go to the theatre.


Mr. Obama, Sir. If it was Mrs. First Lady from Canada...or Germany...or Russia...or Great Britain...or the European Union...or Palestine (is there a first lady...or any lady?)...would you have told your wife the same thing? OF COURSE NOT!!! That would have been an insult. And you wouldn't want to insult any of THEM.


What is POTUS telling Israel?


And what message is he sending out to the world about how he feels about Israel? If golf is more important and going to the theatre is more important to Mr. and Mrs. President of the United States of America...then what is the little anti-Semitic guy going to think...or the Arabs...or the EU?


Me? I take it as a great insult! A slap in the face!


The whole world was waiting for Bibi's speech. He spoke his heart out. He gave the world enough time. He picked an hour that was convenient to everyone.


I guess he didn't know what a lover of golf Obama is. I mean Jackie Mason said it so well. "Me? If I get a splinter in my finger, I run around and take myself into Sinai Hospital and see a doctor. You? If you fall into an open manhole and die...what do I care?"


You think I'll get into a lot of trouble if I say, "Shame on you Mr. President."? Maybe I better not. But as President Carter...also not a great lover of Israel once said..."I have sinned in my heart."


And we are supposed to be great friends. I guess with friends like these, Israel dosen't need any...you fill in the rest.


Have a great day...stay safe...and thanks for dropping in.

posted by marallyn ben moshe"

We must keep our eyes & ears on Israel

February 20, 2009...4:40 pm
NETANYAHU GETS THE NOD AS U.N. SAYS IRAN HAS ENOUGH URANIUM TO BUILD FIRST NUCLEAR BOMB


How will Netanyahu work with President Obama given deep differences on Iran?
Benjamin Netanyahu received the official word today from Israeli President Shimon Peres that he has six weeks to put together a coalition to lead the next government of Israel. The announcement came as the U.N. announced that Iran now has enough uranium to build its first nuclear weapon.


Given the seriousness of the growing crisis with Iran, Netanyahu is calling for a broad “unity government” that would include Tzipi Livni’s Kadima party. “For decades we have not withstood so many challenges at the same time,” said Netanyahu. “To face up to these challenges we need to join hands and unite all the forces within the people. I call on all parties, those who recommended me and those who didn’t. I turn to [Kadima leader Tzipi] Livni and to [Labor leader Ehud] Barak — let us join hands and pledge for the future of Israel. I hope to meet with you first and discuss a wide unity government.”


Livni, however, today said she refuses to serve with Netanyahu. ”Today, the foundations of a right-wing extremist government under Netanyahu were set,” Livni wrote in a text message sent to 80,000 Kadima members. “The path of such a government is not our own and we have nothing to look for there. You didn’t vote for us in order to provide a kosher certificate for a right-wing government, and we need to provide an alternative of hope from the opposition.”
The big question for Netanyahu, however, may not be how best to form his government, but how his government — whatever form it takes — will interact President Barack Obama, given the deep fissures between the two men over how to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed power.


“Iran is developing nuclear weapons and poses the greatest threat to our existence since the War of Independence,” said Netanyahu. “Iran’s terror wings surround us from the north and south” Based on my conversations with Israel’s next Prime Minister, I believe Netanyahu fundamentally understands the apocalyptic, genocidal Islamic eschatology driving Iran’s current leaders. By contrast, I am convinced that President Obama or Secretary of State Clinton do not understand at all the End Times beliefs of the current leaders of Iran, and are thus making wrong policy choices based on their lack of understanding. Let us pray, therefore, that as Mr. Netanyahu forms his government and then meets with President Obama and top U.S. leaders that he is able to help American officials understand who they are dealing with in Tehran, and find a way to work together to stop Iran before it is too late.

Quote from Joel Rosenberg.

JERUSALEM DAY 2007 - May 16th

The following is a copy of information put out by

David Brog, Executive Director of

Christians United for Israel

I found it most interesting and informative and wanted to share it with you.

Jerusalem Day, 2007
God's miracles are all around us if we open our hearts and our eyes to them. Seeing the miraculous in our lives is often a challenge requiring a broader perspective and a heightened sensitivity. But this week, Israel and all those who love her will celebrate a miracle of truly Biblical proportions. This Wednesday, May 16th, is the 40th anniversary of Israel's liberation of Judaism's holiest sites in the Six Day War.

When the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 AD, the Jews lost control of their sacred capital not for years or decades, but for nineteen centuries. For all of this time, Jews who dared return to their holy city were tolerated at best, massacred at worst. For extended periods, Jews were simply banned from their city altogether. Even the euphoria over the birth of Israel in 1948 was tempered by the fact that the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall fell under Jordanian control, and the Jordanians banned all Jews from these holy sites.

And then came the 1967 Six Day War. Within the space of six days, Israelis rode the wave from the depths of despair at their imminent destruction to the heights of euphoria at their sudden, total victory. And, in the process, Israel won control of the ancient Jewish holy sites: the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. Nothing captures the awe of this moment better than a famous photo of a group of Israeli paratroopers as they gaze at the Western Wall they had just liberated with a combination of relief and disbelief. Their eyes humbly ask: "Do we merit this right, to be the first Jews in almost two millennia to return triumphantly to our most holy site?" (Go to http://www.judaicaheaven.com/Detail.bok?no=307 to see a copy of this photo.)

The Israeli army actually recorded the transmissions from the battlefield that spring day 40 years ago as Israeli soldiers entered the Old City and then the Temple area. And it's impossible to listen to this recording without chills running down one's spine. One can hear Israeli Colonel Motta Gur announcing words that his ancestors had waited so many centuries to declare -- "The Temple Mount is in our hands!" And then one hears Rabbi Shlomo Goren reciting an ancient prayer with a suddenly new meaning, "Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, who comforts Zion and builds Jerusalem." Soldiers sing Israel' national anthem, Hatikva, by the Western Wall. And then Rabbi Goren recites the prayer for the soldiers who have fallen in battle. (Go to http://www.isracast.com/Articles/Article.aspx?ID=374 to hear this recording. A written English translation is provided.)

When we listen to this recording, we get to hear, live, the unfolding of a miracle like few others in the history of the Jewish people. In historical significance, this event rivals the order of Xerxes allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem from their Babylonian exile and rebuild the Temple. It rivals Xerxes' order, and even surpasses is, because this time the Jews were returning to these holy sites as an independent people, no longer ruled by a foreign power, friendly or otherwise.

Yes, God has his miracles. But these miracles are not an excuse for fatalism or inaction. These miracles do not free us from our responsibilities. We are called upon to be watchmen on Jerusalem's walls. And we are called upon to never be silent for Zion's sake. We are called to action on behalf of Jerusalem.

And our action is needed. Jerusalem is once again under siege. The Roman soldiers encamped at her base have been replaced by Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade terrorists sitting just as close. The Roman Empire that armed and supported the Roman legionnaires of old has been replaced by new powers such as Iran and Syria which are equally determined to see Jerusalem fall. Times have changed, years have passed, but Jerusalem still knows no peace.

This Jerusalem Day let us celebrate with thanksgiving. And let us celebrate with action.

May the God of Israel Bless You,

David Brog
Executive Director
Christians United For Israel

I SUPPORT ISRAEL!

A Night To Honor ISRAEL

Last night we had the privilege, andd I do mean privilege, to attend this Night To Honor ISRAEL.

We have been anxiously anticipating this service ever since it was announced. The meeting started at 7 p.m. and we arrived at 5:45 hoping to get a close seat. (they had opened the doors at 5:30) Boy were we wrong. We ended up on the third and highest tier of the new Victory Christian Center Sanctuary on the 4th row. The fabulous design of this new facility made it possible for even here to not feel we were missing a thing and it was a "good" seat. By 6 there was no seating in the main Sanctuary and people were being put in the over flow rooms.

The entire evening was fabulous. The music was awesome (there was a full orchestra and choir), the dancing absolutely beautiful, and ALL the speakers words were inspired. It all began with the presentation of all the names and banners of the 12 Tribes. At one point in the evening the numerous bongo drums from the orchestra actually came up into ALL areas of the Sancutary. I just wish I had video to show you!

The attendance was 6,279 and it was one of the joys of our lives to be joining together with God's people, Israel, and God's body, The Church, as we lifted our hearts and voices in ONE accord to our MIGHTY GOD.

The branch and the grafted in branches together.

The keynote speaker was John Hagee, from San Antonio, who founded Christians United For Israel. He told how God has lead him, over the past 26 years, in working to bring understanding between the Jews and Christians.

You can't really read this verse that clearly but it says "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch". Isaiah 62:1

This verse says it all. For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake, I will not remain quiet. I would love to hear from others who have attended A Night To Honor ISRAEL I encourage any of you who have not to take advantage of doing so if you have the opportunity. Trust me...you will be blessed.

One other thing: the 6,279 of us gave an offering of $85,000 to the Mayor of Tiberias, Israel, Zohar Oved. Tiberias is the adopted Sister City of Tulsa. This is to help them recover from the last war with Lebonon where so many rockets were aimed at and landed on their city. He was literally speechless and almost in tears. That figured out to only $13.54 per person. (My old accounting background coming out here!) See how little it takes when we ALL participate.