Thanksgiving

Give Thanks. I know without a doubt that I am very blessed. I grew up in a home with my parents, siblings, grandmother and 2 cousins. My mother had 4 living siblings and it was important that we had special family times together. Thanksgiving and Christmas were some of those times. Music has always been an important part of each gathering. Summer gatherings around the campfire. Feasts around the table. The doxology is sung to bless our food before we eat, acknowledging and praising God as the giver of all things. This year we have so much to be thankful for. One of our cousins who grew up with us is recovering from surgery that happened in the late summer. He is with us because of a miracle from God. A cancer was found early enough to be cured. Prayer for him and surgery and God has delivered him from the jaws of a horrible disease. His brother is now recuperating in a Boston hospital from his own surgery for cancer. Again, found in its early stage and we are continuing to pray and believe for his cure as well.
At our family gathering we shared our love, our food, our strengths. We laughed and reminisced and made plans for the future. In all things and for all things .... Give Thanks. It was a beautifully wonderful day...and for the pictures!!! Go to www.northernapostolicmom.blogspot.com and you will see Michelle's wonderful blog complete with pictures.
Grace and Peace
aunt Bea

Veterans Day

My mother was a WWII veteran. She served in the Women's Army Corps in Italy and Africa. My dad also was a veteran. He served in the Army Secret Services, the United States Army, though at the time he was still a Canadian citizen. He later became a naturalized US citizen. Dad was in Germany and Poland and Holland and saw first hand the horrors of concentration camps. He never shared those experiences with his children, he didn't need to, they were etched indelibly into his life. Kindness and generosity his trade mark. I am proud of my heritage and of my parents. All my uncles served in the armed forces and one was a Navy pilot who died in a plane crash at the start of WWII. Two of my nephews served in the armed forces, one is still active in the Navy today. Today we honor those who have served this country by their selfless courage and sacrifice. Some have fallen in battle, some have died in old age, and some through life's tragic events. Parades and special services, wreaths placed in places dedicated to the honoring of their memory, these brave veterans.
Today, also, the Hospice of the Champlain Valley held their annual Memorial Service for those who died over the past year and years who were connected somehow to the Hospice program. The service is to help the grieving process. Acknowledging each others loss and pain eases somehow the emptiness and orphaned sense of having both parents gone. I miss them both, my mother and my dad. I still want to tell them news of their grandchildren and great grandchildren. I think of our celebrations and gatherings and how they would so enjoy being a part of it all. I cherish their memories and the very special family I grew up in. At the memorial service lives were spoken of as lights of love that will never go out, never dim. We cannot forget them, their impact on our lives and who we are now, too great. We cannot ignore the pain in our hearts that still time has not healed. Time won't heal it. "It" as the Rev. said, is the horrible overwhelming pain and loss only we know, yet others experience as well in their personal loss experiences. I am proud to honor their memories, proud and thankful they were my parents.

I PASSED THE TEST !

I passed! I passed the GI Nursing Certification test! The other nurse from my Endoscopy Unit passed the test as well! What great relief! I even did well on the test, not to brag, but I feel so fulfilled and have a wonderful sense of accomplishment and as I said great relief. I learned about the score the day before the Gut Club meeting. The Gut Club is a group of Vermont GI doctors who gather to have educational dinner meetings and raise money to help Md's and nurses go to national and international meetings. G.I. Nurses from around the state are invited to join the physicians for this dinner meeting.I find it interesting, this recent Gut Club meeting was very invigorating to me. I devoured the information related to us by the very knowledgable internationally known and highly esteemed research physician. Some of the information was way over my head...biochemistry stuff ... yet I was challenged to reason out what I was hearing with the knowledge I posses, and it was actually fun. Now, I wonder, should I pass a spirituality test, or step up higher in my spirituality rating, would the excitement and wonder and fulfilment be the same? Or more? Something to ponder...but for now... I passed the GI test and am very very happy! Grace and Peace.

The Challenge

I challenged Pastor. During Wednesday evening Bible Study he spoke of the early church. He spoke of spirituality. He handed out a paper with a list of "check your spirituality rating" for everyone to look at. We are encouraged to examine our lives in relation to what we think to be spiritual is, and do we make the grade. Some have lost a certain amount of spirituality over the years, some have deepened their walk with the Lord. Life will throw us curves once in a while and our choices in life determine some of our outcomes. How much do I pray and is it meaningful? A good question. How much do I fast, how often and is that meaningful? Another good question. How much do I read the word of God and study it, then apply it to my everyday life. Another good question. I have lots of reasons to excuse myself from needful spiritual behavior. As a new convert, I didn't know how to act as a Christian, it is learned behavior. It is being in love with Jesus Christ and wanting to please Him above all else. Selfishness is not learned and I was quite selfish. As a new convert I would frequently look into God's Word for direction. He would tell me, to cast down arguments and every high thing(pride) that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.(for a real clear look at what all THAT means, check out 2 Corinthians 10:5 in the Message Bible) What is love? He told me in 1 Corinthians 13. If I want to be treated that way, I need to treat others that way. Am I still so in love with Jesus that nothing else in this world matters as much as being with Him in times of intimacy (prayer), of banqueting with Him (fasting) and in one on one devotional time learning of Him (Bible reading). So, the CHALLENGE! Are we ready to hear how we are doing. Over and over I hear from different pulpits that "the American church is soft, thin skinned and cannot take admonishment and grow with it". Is that true? Or are our leaders fearful of the results reprimand and admonition will bring? Are we, the church ready to be transparent? Or is that even necessary. Do we want revival or are we so comfortable in our own 4 and no more world that lost souls can just go to hell without ever hearing of a Saviour who loves them so much He died for them, just like He died for me. What happened to the joy and the zeal of serving the Lord. Is it still there, yet, matured?
Challenge.

Healer in The House

ONLY BELIEVE!!! That's it! Only Believe. We believe Jesus can save. We believe he has already done the work necessary for our salvation. It is finished. Only Believe!
The Blood of Jesus Christ was shed for our healing and our salvation. The same Blood. That crimson flow of Blood that comes from Calvary will sweep over our souls and set us free from the bondage and guilty verdict of sin, releasing us to life eternal with Jesus Christ... freedom. The Healer is in the house. Do you believe it? Has He healed your headache? Has He healed your heart? Nothing is too complicated for our Healer, nothing. ONLY BELIEVE! Speak as though it has already happened, Speak faith and in speaking faith, confession with the mouth makes faith and belief grow. Speak out loud. The preacher solicits the congregation to amen the preached word. Not because he wants accolades for himself. The preacher knows that when we proclaim or confess with our mouth the truth, when we confess with our mouths Jesus Christ is Lord, when we confess with ours mouths faith is built up with in us and as that happens we believe! Speak it! Believe It! Healing will come to pass. The evangelist preached ONLY BELIEVE! I BELIEVE!!!