This is the box that Ruth Bell Graham's Scriptures came in...(had to tilt it up with a pen to avoid the light glare!)
..."180 verses covering 30 topics vital to the Christian life."
This is the scripture verse I chose for this week's Spiritual Sunday. The church is not a building - it is all of us who make up the church. 
This famous hymn was written by Philip Bliss over a century ago. He was inspired by a sermon he heard while living in Chicago. In that sermon, the preacher talked about a ship that was trying to find Cleveland Harbor in the midst of a storm at night.
Many years ago, in a dark and ferocious storm, the captain of a sailing vessel approached land and could see the lighthouse. He signaled the lighthouse man that he must find a port. He was signaled back to come along the shore as close as he dare and try to make the channel, that was the entrance to the safety of the bay. As he drew near, he shouted to the lighthouse keeper, "Where are the lower lights?" The lighthouse keeper answered, "They have all gone out for the night. Can you make the harbor?" The captain replied, "We must, or we will perish!"
The Captain tried to find the channel, but without the lower lights, the ship crashed upon the rocks, and many on board were lost. It was a terrible tragedy.
The preacher brought that story home with these words. He said, "Brothers and sisters, the Master will take care of the lighthouse. Let US keep the lower lights burning."
I was never sure what "lower lights" were. I thought many times about the phrase in the hymn, "Let the lower lights be burning." Well, we've learned that the lower lights spoken of are the lights away from the lighthouse that illumine the water line. They're the various lights from our windows of the houses built along the shore of the channel that enable vessels to come into the harbor at night, through a narrow channel of the harbor's mouth.
In the preacher's tale, all the people had gone to bed, so all the lights were out. The writer of the song, Philip Paul Bliss, was so touched by this story that he penned the music and text to the song we've heard and sung for years, but have never fully understood.
What a very simple but beautiful reminder to each of us how important we are to those around us. So many are lost and "tempest tossed." Those of us who know and love the Lord can help them "make the harbor" through our encouragement, love and guidance to Him. And in the end, how wonderful if we could be the means of rescue and saving. By small means are great things brought to pass, and lives are touched and blessed in ways we often do not know. G. Lewis
For some reason, my Christmas Cactus does not know that Spring is the day after tomorrow! It has been blooming since just before Christmas and it hasn't given up yet (you can see the little new bud just to the right in this picture).
A co-worker asked where the plant is located in my kitchen and I told her it is by an outside wall and window. She thinks it is the cold that is tricking it into blossoming. Now, of course, the blossoms are becoming fewer and fewer, but I am still amazed that it has been blooming for three months!
Right about now, though, I will take all the beauty that is given and be very grateful for it.
When I came across this poem in the old book, "Words of Life,"
I leave on a sunny, warm day for sunny, warmer Florida!
Shambria (aide), Mother, Dad and Me
My sister, Margo and I have our picture taken by the pool at our hotel. Since she lives in another state this was also a chance for us to get together for a short visit.
Then we did some shopping along St. Pete Beach at the BeachZone. We were on a quest to find a pair of "sand shoes" for a friend. Needless-to-say, we didn't find them here (too expensive) so we went to the local Wal-Mart where we found a pair at a more reasonable price. (note to self: take picture of shoes next time!)
Pierre Auguste Renoir is one of my very favorite artists. I especially like this painting, "Luncheon of the Boating Party." I have this hanging in my upstairs hall and I really enjoy the bright colors in the morning when the sun lights up the stairwell.
I had to pick a painting and an artist to write about in my Art Appreciation class in college and this is the one I chose. We were instructed to study the painting for a week or so before we wrote anything. I wanted a painting that was easy on the eyes and had a lot going on in it to study for that length of time and this was the perfect choice...and I remember being pleased with the grade I got for my paper!
This was a real March surprise! We had been told that a storm was coming up from the South and that usually means we get dumped on big time...but, we had dodged each bullet - in December, in January and in February when the storms looked like they were coming right at us but veered off into the ocean or to the west of us at the last minute. I have to admit that I was doubting that this one was going to be a problem until at the last minute this one proved to be the "BIG ONE."
I waited until around 1:00pm to go out to clean off the car and shovel some snow off the driveway. My wonderful neighbor, Freddy, was up early (he had to take his Brother-in-Law to the airport for a 7:15am flight!) Freddy had shoveled a path from my door to the car and down the driveway to the mailbox so I started to clear the snow off the car when another neighbor showed up with his snowblower and offered to clean my driveway and that of another neighbor! I surely wasn't going to turn down that offer! I am so Blessed to have these super people living near me who are so willing to help out in times like these. Thanks guys!
