God gives and takes away! Mark was really upset that Flo would not be able to swim this summer due to bacteria in all types of water that people enjoy in the summer. Gross if you think about it. Due to the graft the doctor put water off limits for the summer. Mark had hoped and prayed that we would be able to take Flo on a mini-vaca before the big surgery. I did not see it in the money cards, but on the last day of school I got paid twice. Two paychecks. Crazy right. They went ahead and paid us for June. This has never happened to us and Mark saw it as a gift from God. So, I had 3 days to plan our little mini-vaca and he had that same amount of time to see if he could get a day off. Sunday he got the news he was off and I started searching for a place to stay. We needed something close, something cheap, and something with beach and pool amenities. If anyone out there reading this blog knows me, know that I am cheap and a huge planner and this was way out of my comfort zone. I like to plan for everything and I had no time for that. I went to the Internet and prayed that I would find a spot that was cheap and covered all of our criteria. My husband really wanted to go to Jekyll. One of our most favorite spots. We just love it there. I scored and Wednesday morning our journey began. It was a pretty easy drive. The kids did great and we only made a few stops. I have to admit that we made the kids think we were staying in a tent. They were very surprised to find out we were actually staying in a hotel with two pools on the BEACH! That was a little bonus. I had found a coupon online. I had already scored some cheap rates at booking.com, but the coupon would not work online, so it said to give it to the clerk at check-in. When I gave it to the clerk it would not work and so the clerk called someone who informed him that the coupon was third party and had to be used when booking. The consolation prize a room on the beach. Momma scored a 205.00 a night room for 118.00 and free breakfast to boot. Yeah! Love this hotel and we will stay there again.
We had a great evening. We went to the beach first thing and it was just awesome. Beautiful as always. We then went to the pool and let the girls swim. We had a picnic in the room and went to bed. Thursday morning we woke up to some clouds, but it was not too bad. Then we went to breakfast and the entire room was abuzz with chatter and the weather channel was on with the news of Andrea and the direction she will take. As we sat and enjoyed our breakfast the weather channel gave us a grim description of what our day would be like. The wind started to pick up some as we sat. We decided to go down and check things out before we headed out for the day. We went to the beach and then to the pool. The rain started and we decided to get dressed and head out. We went to the little village of shops on Jekyll. Mark went to the post office and we went to the shop next door. It was sprinkling but no big deal. Flo fell in love with the Hermit Crabs. She had brought the remainder of her money to the beach and she was itching to spend it. Hermit Crab was her goal. She walked around the store and told me all the reasons why a Hermit Crab would make a great pet. It would keep her from being board, etc., etc. I explained to her that we would go to Walmart and see if they had a cage cheaper than $25.00. We got back to the car and informed Daddy of our purchase plan. He agreed to take us to Walmart since our day at the beach looked to be a wash. I know at this point many people are wondering why getting wet would be an issue at the beach, but the winds kept picking up and the water was very choppy. The mom in me said a trip to Walmart might be a safer bet, plus Daddy was craving Mexican and since little Miss Flo would not be able to eat chips for 3 months Mexican one the family vote for lunch. We went to Walmart and it started sprinkling rain. The hurricane was close to touching down in Florida at this point. Momma was right and the $25.00 cage was a mere $6.00 at Walmart. Whoo Hoo! When we made it to the Mexican restaurant for lunch it was pouring down rain and when we got inside the Weather Channel was on every television and again it was the main topic of conversation for the lunch time rush. We sat and watched the footage of it hitting Florida and then going full speed ahead across the state. We then saw the path the hurricane was taking and it was heading to Jacksonville, Florida. We were only one hour and fifteen minutes north of Jacksonville. We decided to stop on the way back to the island to get some extra snacks and other supplies just in case. We got to island and we were in a torrential down pour. We had to get to the little island shop to pick up our Hermit crab before heading back to our room for the night. When we got back to the room we decided to put our crab friend down and walk down to the beach. Everyone had their televisions on the Weather Channel and their windows open. You could feel the wind as you walked out and the rain was coming down in an angle. We walked down to the beach and water was unbelievable. It was dark everywhere in the sky and the wind was just unreal. I have never felt so scared and amazed at the same time. It was just hard to describe. I will say that the power of these storms lets you know that you are very small and powerless. After about 15 minutes we decided to go back to our room and bunker down for the night. We stayed glued to the weather channel and about 5:45pm a waterspout was seen near the sub station next to Cumberland Island. Not far from us. Also a tornado was seen forming near St. Mary's just south of us. Then the alert came on for us to go to the bathroom. The girls grabbed pillows and the crab and headed in. Mark and I stayed near the television waiting. Mark went to the window and was just speechless at the water and storm surge. The wind was unreal. Earlier the wind was about 20 to 25 miles per hour but now it was closer to 35 or 40 mph. At one point we told the girls to stay inside the bathroom and not leave. Mark then told me to come out on the balcony. We took pictures of what we thought might have been a waterspout forming. I stayed as long as I could taking pictures but then fear came over me and I went back inside. It was just so unreal and real at the same time. We were in the middle of a real tropical storm and we had no place to go. At one point we heard the causeway to Amelia Island was closed. I was concerned about the one to Jekyll. By 7:00 the first wave of storms was over, but another band was due to hit around 9:00pm. I could not sleep until after midnight. The wind was so strong it was hitting the building and causing the over hang to move and make this awful sound like it was about to blow off. It did that all night long so I continued to wake up and look outside to see if the entire pool area was flooded. The next morning we awoke to broken clouds and Mr. Sunshine. There were palms from the palm trees everywhere. We found out at breakfast that the parking lot did flood briefly in the night. We were excited about a day of fun in the sun and we spent the entire day out in the sun. Good and bad. Good because we had a blast on the beach. We walked about 2 miles on the beach checking out all the good things the storm brought in. It was bad for mating Horseshoe crabs. They were dead all over the beach. We also saw driftwood, huge pieces that came in. Hermit beach crabs were among our many treasures to pick up and release. AG and I saw our favorite Welks strewn along the beach edge and we also threw some Welk eggs back into the ocean. Mark and AG got ahead of us and headed back to the pool. Flo and I decided to take our time and look for shark's teeth. We were right at the edge of the water when we saw a couple looking out at the water. We looked and we saw a crew of Dolphins. One of them was less than 5 feet from us. They were just swimming along. We could see their noses and everything. It was amazing. We stood still not saying a word until they were out of sight. This is big for Flo and I. We are talkers. God is amazing and His creatures are impressive. I have never honestly been that close to a wild dolphin. Watching one on a boat is one thing but for it just be that up close and personal was truly amazing for both us. Flo will never forget it. We hurried back to the pool to let AG and Mark know what we saw. I think AG was a little sad she missed it. With a day of sun and fun came a little sunburn, but it was so worth it. Sunblock used and reapplied, but we still got burned. I, of course, got the worst of it. Everybody else just got burned around their bathing suit lines. We did have a great day though and we added a new family member, "Hurricane" the Hermit crab. Evidently, Hermit crabs need to live with a friend. They get lonely. So "Hermie" got a friend. We went to St. Simon's for a late lunch and prepared for our trip home. It was so much fun and we are glad that Flo got this last mini-vacation before surgery. We had breakfast Saturday morning and headed for home. We had two days until surgery.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Bucket List - Wild HORSES done!
Have you really embraced the idea that God is amazing by just looking at the beauty in Nature? Seriously, take a time out and check out the world around you for just a second. God is amazing and the creatures He has placed on this earth for us to enjoy are astounding. There is so much detail and planning into each one. Each time you learn about a creature you have to say, "God is in this!" No way anything else could accomplish so much detail in so many things. Big bang, I don't think so!
In May my oldest daughter had a field trip in coastal Georgia. For years I have been trying to convince my beloved husband to take us to Cumberland Island and it was just not anything he was interested in. The field trip included a day trip to Cumberland Island. I was not expecting a great deal from this experience because Wild Horses are myth in my small little world. There was no way we would actually see one and every person I have ever talked about this with said sometimes you see them and sometimes you don't.
The start of our day trip was just amazing. We went to St. Mary's and got on the ferry. A boat trip was what I was expecting. It included so much more. It was one of the most beautiful rides I have every taken. Just gorgeous views of wild life and scenery. The Marshes may be full of mosquitoes, but they are beautiful. Just amazingly beautiful. My oldest and I just looked at this beauty in awe. Just amazing. Before the trip ended we were being followed by dolphins. A little bonus. We left the boat and traveled up a small dock to a museum and some beautiful live oak trees. It was just like something in a book. I was in awe of it all. As we started our 7 mile trek, we were engulfed in these beautiful and majestic trees. Then we traveled through a small forest area. All along we kept seeing signs of those illustrious wild horses but none presented themselves to us. We continued to on our journey to the Carnegie's "Dungeness". The grounds themselves are quite breathtaking. As we entered the gardens we realized we were not alone, we saw a huge wild turkey. He did not seem to be bothered by us and just kept on doing his thing as we walked by. We walked past the beautiful "Dungeness" to a trail and we once again saw signs of the ever illusive wild horses. We came to a clearing with dampness and under our feet were thousands maybe more teeny, tiny crabs. They were every where and upon silence you could here them crawling across the sand. It was just amazing. As we crossed they would just separate and make room for us. We also learned that the ones with the large white claw were the boys. So you could look at the thousands of them and tell which ones were boys and which were the girls. Just amazing. A sea of crabs that went on forever. They were about 3 inches wide. Just little bitty guys, but still amazing. We continued on our path and once again signs of the wild horses, but no horses. Then our guide just stopped us. She said, "listen." We could here horses. They were right there in the woods near us. She made us stop and back up to give them an opportunity to cross. There they were in all of their beauty. They came from the woods beside us and traveled across the path and just ate grass in front of us as we stood in awe. They were large, majestic, beautiful, and in the mix were two amazing miracles. One was a little foal born in the spring and one was a solid white yearling. They were absolutely amazing. The story of these horses is mythical and takes many twists and turns. Some believe they were left by the Spanish, others believe other Europeans brought them to the island, and others believe they were brought later to the island. They are mixed with many breeds due to the Carnegie's and others mixing domestic breeds in with the herds. They are beautiful and look like no other horses I have ever seen.
The entire trip was a memory I will never forget. The nightly exhaustion and painful sunburn were just a small price to pay for memories with my daughter we will never forget. It was just awesome. And the fact that God created it all makes me just continue to be in awe of what He can do in all things.
In May my oldest daughter had a field trip in coastal Georgia. For years I have been trying to convince my beloved husband to take us to Cumberland Island and it was just not anything he was interested in. The field trip included a day trip to Cumberland Island. I was not expecting a great deal from this experience because Wild Horses are myth in my small little world. There was no way we would actually see one and every person I have ever talked about this with said sometimes you see them and sometimes you don't.
The start of our day trip was just amazing. We went to St. Mary's and got on the ferry. A boat trip was what I was expecting. It included so much more. It was one of the most beautiful rides I have every taken. Just gorgeous views of wild life and scenery. The Marshes may be full of mosquitoes, but they are beautiful. Just amazingly beautiful. My oldest and I just looked at this beauty in awe. Just amazing. Before the trip ended we were being followed by dolphins. A little bonus. We left the boat and traveled up a small dock to a museum and some beautiful live oak trees. It was just like something in a book. I was in awe of it all. As we started our 7 mile trek, we were engulfed in these beautiful and majestic trees. Then we traveled through a small forest area. All along we kept seeing signs of those illustrious wild horses but none presented themselves to us. We continued to on our journey to the Carnegie's "Dungeness". The grounds themselves are quite breathtaking. As we entered the gardens we realized we were not alone, we saw a huge wild turkey. He did not seem to be bothered by us and just kept on doing his thing as we walked by. We walked past the beautiful "Dungeness" to a trail and we once again saw signs of the ever illusive wild horses. We came to a clearing with dampness and under our feet were thousands maybe more teeny, tiny crabs. They were every where and upon silence you could here them crawling across the sand. It was just amazing. As we crossed they would just separate and make room for us. We also learned that the ones with the large white claw were the boys. So you could look at the thousands of them and tell which ones were boys and which were the girls. Just amazing. A sea of crabs that went on forever. They were about 3 inches wide. Just little bitty guys, but still amazing. We continued on our path and once again signs of the wild horses, but no horses. Then our guide just stopped us. She said, "listen." We could here horses. They were right there in the woods near us. She made us stop and back up to give them an opportunity to cross. There they were in all of their beauty. They came from the woods beside us and traveled across the path and just ate grass in front of us as we stood in awe. They were large, majestic, beautiful, and in the mix were two amazing miracles. One was a little foal born in the spring and one was a solid white yearling. They were absolutely amazing. The story of these horses is mythical and takes many twists and turns. Some believe they were left by the Spanish, others believe other Europeans brought them to the island, and others believe they were brought later to the island. They are mixed with many breeds due to the Carnegie's and others mixing domestic breeds in with the herds. They are beautiful and look like no other horses I have ever seen.
The entire trip was a memory I will never forget. The nightly exhaustion and painful sunburn were just a small price to pay for memories with my daughter we will never forget. It was just awesome. And the fact that God created it all makes me just continue to be in awe of what He can do in all things.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Adventures in Washington, D.C.
Adventures in Washington, D. C.
Day 2
We spent the afternoon at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is also known as “America’s Catholic Church.” Words truly can not describe the beauty of this church. When we as Catholics speak of God’s Church this is what I will see from now on. It is all of what it means to be Catholic. Catholic means universal church. It is that. It is beautiful and the mosaic tile work is not only exquisite, but it represents Catholics around the world. We even got to see Our Lady of China in mosaics. It was breathtaking and to see our Asian princess underneath it was amazing. Every finite detail of this mosaic work is so hard to describe. Each scene, each person, represented with millions of pieces of mosaic tile.
As you walk through the Basilica there are also statues. In every form that you can imagine. They are marble, bronze, and even some that looked gold leaf. They are large and small. They too have just amazing detail. As you walk through you realize that the entire shrine is dedicated to the Holy Family and particularly Mary, the mother of God.
Many non-Catholics do not understand the relationship the Church has with Mary. Mary was called by God to give birth to His son. She brought the Church into being and that is why she is seen as such an important part of the Church. She brought us into God’s family by giving birth to Jesus. Without Jesus, Gentiles would not have become Christians. Mary was called and she answered yes. She is the bridge between David and Jesus. She brought us into the family. We do not worship her, we show gratitude, enormous gratitude for what she did for all of us as Christians. As we continued to tour, I stopped to look at each statue, each mosaic, to see not only the artistic beauty but the meaning behind each scene, each statue, each architectural detail. I tried to just quietly take it all in(which I should add was very difficult when standing next to a whinny chatty cathy). As we went from small shrine to small shrine, I was just amazed.
I have always been drawn to “the Pieta”. Since the first time I saw it I have wanted to venture to Rome and see it first hand. I would love to just touch it and feel every single detail, but I believe you can go to jail for that. I feel such a connection to the statue. I have always felt connected to Mary since the loss of our son and that just says it all for me. The look of distress on Mary ‘s face, the lifeless body of her son on her lap. It all screams everything I felt the day our son died. I am sure I had that look, uncontrollable pain, excruciating heartache and exhaustion. Mary is just done, but the agony of loss won’t let her rest and she just cradles her sons lifeless body. She knows He is gone, but her mothering heart won’t let go of Him. She just can’t let Him go. If she let’s Him go then it is “truly” finished. In her mind, at that time, she was in the present and He was dead. She could not let Him go. Some deaths are ones you can rejoice in because of long suffering and age, but when you bury your child, that is a different deal. It is not a rejoicing moment. I think Mary felt great loss and Michelangelo captures this in the artwork. The Basilica has its own version of the statue. I was just in awe of it. I just sat there and took it all in. I quieted the chatty and just looked at every detail. It was breathtaking.
Once I saw this I assumed that nothing else could compare, but I was wrong. As you make your way through the Basilica you realize that you are being watched from above. There are angels, and scenes of all kinds on the ceiling of the Basilica. The Basilica is built in true Church form- it is indeed built in the shape of a cross. If you look at it from above it forms two distinct crosses. One cross is inside the other cross. It is an amazing architecture design. And when you come to the North apse, you see are once again in awe. Before you is this enormous mosaic and it is titled “Christ in Majesty”. The Lord’s image flows from the ceiling to midway down the wall. Underneath Him is what appears to be the Trinity. It is breathtaking because it shows you in bright visual detail the amazing enormity of our LORD and Savior. It is just amazing. I would recommend that all Christians take the time to visit the Basilica when they are in Washington.
We attended Mass before we left. It is not the structure that makes the Mass so incredible, it is the members of the Mass. As you look around you realize that probably a majority of the people around you are from somewhere else. That just like you, they have come to worship while on vacation. They are fellow Catholics and they are worshiping here, with you, as a member of “the universal church.” This is my favorite part of being Catholic. Anywhere you are in the world, when you worship and take Communion you are among family. It is overwhelming to even comprehend how amazing that is. Many Christians I know do not even attend church when they are out of town or on vacation. In the 21st Century, Catholics can go on-line to websites such as masstimes.org. These sites give Catholics a list of churches around the world. Today, we can give the zip code or city of where we are going and within minutes we have a list of local parishes and the times of the Masses held at that church. It is amazing and more proof that the Internet is not all bad. We try our very best to attend Mass wherever we happen to be when we are out of town. We have been to Mass in Tennessee multiple times, in North Georgia where we attend we even know details about the priest and his family because of our attendance over the years. We even attended Mass in China. I still love that story. I feel blessed to be a part of such an incredibly large body of Christians world wide. Wherever the road takes me, I know that I will not be far from my fellow Catholics. I find great comfort and peace in knowing that. I thank my Heavenly Father for bringing my Catholic husband into my life and giving me my Catholic roots.
Day 2
We spent the afternoon at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is also known as “America’s Catholic Church.” Words truly can not describe the beauty of this church. When we as Catholics speak of God’s Church this is what I will see from now on. It is all of what it means to be Catholic. Catholic means universal church. It is that. It is beautiful and the mosaic tile work is not only exquisite, but it represents Catholics around the world. We even got to see Our Lady of China in mosaics. It was breathtaking and to see our Asian princess underneath it was amazing. Every finite detail of this mosaic work is so hard to describe. Each scene, each person, represented with millions of pieces of mosaic tile.
As you walk through the Basilica there are also statues. In every form that you can imagine. They are marble, bronze, and even some that looked gold leaf. They are large and small. They too have just amazing detail. As you walk through you realize that the entire shrine is dedicated to the Holy Family and particularly Mary, the mother of God.
Many non-Catholics do not understand the relationship the Church has with Mary. Mary was called by God to give birth to His son. She brought the Church into being and that is why she is seen as such an important part of the Church. She brought us into God’s family by giving birth to Jesus. Without Jesus, Gentiles would not have become Christians. Mary was called and she answered yes. She is the bridge between David and Jesus. She brought us into the family. We do not worship her, we show gratitude, enormous gratitude for what she did for all of us as Christians. As we continued to tour, I stopped to look at each statue, each mosaic, to see not only the artistic beauty but the meaning behind each scene, each statue, each architectural detail. I tried to just quietly take it all in(which I should add was very difficult when standing next to a whinny chatty cathy). As we went from small shrine to small shrine, I was just amazed.
I have always been drawn to “the Pieta”. Since the first time I saw it I have wanted to venture to Rome and see it first hand. I would love to just touch it and feel every single detail, but I believe you can go to jail for that. I feel such a connection to the statue. I have always felt connected to Mary since the loss of our son and that just says it all for me. The look of distress on Mary ‘s face, the lifeless body of her son on her lap. It all screams everything I felt the day our son died. I am sure I had that look, uncontrollable pain, excruciating heartache and exhaustion. Mary is just done, but the agony of loss won’t let her rest and she just cradles her sons lifeless body. She knows He is gone, but her mothering heart won’t let go of Him. She just can’t let Him go. If she let’s Him go then it is “truly” finished. In her mind, at that time, she was in the present and He was dead. She could not let Him go. Some deaths are ones you can rejoice in because of long suffering and age, but when you bury your child, that is a different deal. It is not a rejoicing moment. I think Mary felt great loss and Michelangelo captures this in the artwork. The Basilica has its own version of the statue. I was just in awe of it. I just sat there and took it all in. I quieted the chatty and just looked at every detail. It was breathtaking.
Once I saw this I assumed that nothing else could compare, but I was wrong. As you make your way through the Basilica you realize that you are being watched from above. There are angels, and scenes of all kinds on the ceiling of the Basilica. The Basilica is built in true Church form- it is indeed built in the shape of a cross. If you look at it from above it forms two distinct crosses. One cross is inside the other cross. It is an amazing architecture design. And when you come to the North apse, you see are once again in awe. Before you is this enormous mosaic and it is titled “Christ in Majesty”. The Lord’s image flows from the ceiling to midway down the wall. Underneath Him is what appears to be the Trinity. It is breathtaking because it shows you in bright visual detail the amazing enormity of our LORD and Savior. It is just amazing. I would recommend that all Christians take the time to visit the Basilica when they are in Washington.
We attended Mass before we left. It is not the structure that makes the Mass so incredible, it is the members of the Mass. As you look around you realize that probably a majority of the people around you are from somewhere else. That just like you, they have come to worship while on vacation. They are fellow Catholics and they are worshiping here, with you, as a member of “the universal church.” This is my favorite part of being Catholic. Anywhere you are in the world, when you worship and take Communion you are among family. It is overwhelming to even comprehend how amazing that is. Many Christians I know do not even attend church when they are out of town or on vacation. In the 21st Century, Catholics can go on-line to websites such as masstimes.org. These sites give Catholics a list of churches around the world. Today, we can give the zip code or city of where we are going and within minutes we have a list of local parishes and the times of the Masses held at that church. It is amazing and more proof that the Internet is not all bad. We try our very best to attend Mass wherever we happen to be when we are out of town. We have been to Mass in Tennessee multiple times, in North Georgia where we attend we even know details about the priest and his family because of our attendance over the years. We even attended Mass in China. I still love that story. I feel blessed to be a part of such an incredibly large body of Christians world wide. Wherever the road takes me, I know that I will not be far from my fellow Catholics. I find great comfort and peace in knowing that. I thank my Heavenly Father for bringing my Catholic husband into my life and giving me my Catholic roots.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Adventures in Washington, D.C.
DAY 1
Once again the Dessez family is on a little vacation adventure. We have our loving Poppy to thank. One of his wishes for his family his entire life was for us to travel to Washington together and visit his beloved city. We began the Dessez descent onto the city streets Friday. We traveled by car, foot, and subway throughout the day. We saw all types of human existence. God has to laugh at the menagerie of what we, the human population, has become on this earth. Today we have seen a lady visiting the zoo in at least five inch hills and matched with her ensemble I would not see her as a typical zoo goer. Throughout the day we saw ladies of all ages, nationalities, and sizes in see-through clothing. At home anywhere these ladies would be in jail. We saw a pretty serious car accident and Secret Service Police drive by multiple times and just ignore it- Who knew this was an option? We met countless members of the ACLU. They are very concerned about Gay Rights and our feelings about it. We saw the sadness of countless homeless people. Although our youngest was very concerned about one of them smoking a cigarette. And I forgot to mention probably over 300 Girl Scouts from all across America were doing all of the fun tourist stuff we were doing also. I must say they are a very polite bunch.
We had one of the best adventure days in our lives and saw everything that makes us proud to be a part of this wonderful country. I am amazed how incredible our Founding Fathers were to create and build what they did and I am just as amazed how day by day we as a people watch it be destroyed bit-by-bit. We saw everything you could imagine that was against our own personal beliefs and then we saw a Bible verse with letters the size of our youngest hanging from the side of a building. As they try to chase us out of town we stand tall and show them the Word of God. I love this country and I know God built it for His purpose. I pray that His purpose and no one else’s is carried out.
I leave you with one of the most moving and amazing things we saw today, the actual STAR SPANGLED BANNER. It is encased in this huge glass structure. It is tattered and torn, but yet it moves you. It truly moves you to tears. This banner represents red (the blood of all), white (washed and purified by GOD), the blue (our bruised and battered, soldiers, leaders, and spirit), and gold (the color of the streets in Heaven that shine so bright). As I looked at it, that is truly what it all means and then as you look closer pieces have been cut and torn off. Why is our banner so battered? Because people wanted a little piece for themselves and the owners allowed them to cut it. The cloth represents nothing if it is not intact. The Constitution is no different. It represents nothing if it is not left intact. Our souls are similar to the Banner itself, they are red, purified, they shine with God and some day they will walk on those streets of gold. A great day in the District. We can’t wait for tomorrows adventures.
BEHEMOTH CROSSING
Have you ever used the term “BEHEMOTH” in a sentence? I have when talking about something large. I have used it and thought it was a made up word just like “ginormous”. My kids and I use that one when it is really, really huge. Would it surprise you that the term “Behemoth” comes from the Bible? Would it surprise you that it is the name of a giant dinosaur mentioned in the Bible?
Job 40: 15-24
“Look at the monster Behemoth;
I created him and I created you.
He eats grass like a cow,
but what strength there is in his body,
and what power there is in his muscles!
His tail stands up like a cedar,
and the muscles in his legs are strong.
His bones are as strong as bronze,
and his legs are like iron bars.
The most amazing of all my creatures!
Only his Creator can defeat him.
Grass to feed him grows on the hills where wild beasts play.
He lies down under the thorn bushes,
and hides among the reeds in the swamp.
The thorn bushes and the willows by the stream give him shelter in their shade.
He is not afraid of a rushing river;
he is calm when the Jordan dashes in his face.
Who can blind his eyes and capture him?
Or who can catch his snout in a trap?”
So what is this Behemoth creature? It would appear to be a dinosaur and it would also appear to be living with man. This creature could not be any animal that we know of that is living today. Lets consider which animals from the Bible live with us today-- sheep, donkeys, lambs, lions, snakes, but not this one. The Behemoth is an extraordinary example of how human reasoning can not compare to Biblical truth. There is no explanation for why this is except dinosaurs lived among humans in the last 4000 years. “Who knew “The Land of the Lost" was so accurate. BEHEMOTH lived among humans. Take it all in and breath it. Dinosaurs lived among people. In the garden with Adam and Eve they breathed air and ate plants. They are mentioned in the Bible during Jobs lifetime, so they were here for a while and it was not billions of years ago. Amazing. Truly amazing. TRUTH is not a grey area, it is BLACK OR it is WHITE. God wants us to read His Word. This is from God’s word and this is what I believe and accept as Biblical truth. I am in awe of this knowledge.
Job 40: 15-24
“Look at the monster Behemoth;
I created him and I created you.
He eats grass like a cow,
but what strength there is in his body,
and what power there is in his muscles!
His tail stands up like a cedar,
and the muscles in his legs are strong.
His bones are as strong as bronze,
and his legs are like iron bars.
The most amazing of all my creatures!
Only his Creator can defeat him.
Grass to feed him grows on the hills where wild beasts play.
He lies down under the thorn bushes,
and hides among the reeds in the swamp.
The thorn bushes and the willows by the stream give him shelter in their shade.
He is not afraid of a rushing river;
he is calm when the Jordan dashes in his face.
Who can blind his eyes and capture him?
Or who can catch his snout in a trap?”
So what is this Behemoth creature? It would appear to be a dinosaur and it would also appear to be living with man. This creature could not be any animal that we know of that is living today. Lets consider which animals from the Bible live with us today-- sheep, donkeys, lambs, lions, snakes, but not this one. The Behemoth is an extraordinary example of how human reasoning can not compare to Biblical truth. There is no explanation for why this is except dinosaurs lived among humans in the last 4000 years. “Who knew “The Land of the Lost" was so accurate. BEHEMOTH lived among humans. Take it all in and breath it. Dinosaurs lived among people. In the garden with Adam and Eve they breathed air and ate plants. They are mentioned in the Bible during Jobs lifetime, so they were here for a while and it was not billions of years ago. Amazing. Truly amazing. TRUTH is not a grey area, it is BLACK OR it is WHITE. God wants us to read His Word. This is from God’s word and this is what I believe and accept as Biblical truth. I am in awe of this knowledge.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
May the Marion Month
Marion Month is the month to celebrate mothers. It is indeed the month we celebrate Mother's Day and us Catholics also celebrate the Blessed Mother of Jesus. It is right and fitting to celebrate the Mother of our LORD the same month we celebrate all Moms. I feel like Mother's Day is a gift to me and I treasure it each year! I was blessed to be a mom and it is so special to celebrate this day each and every year. The gifts are not what makes the day meaningful to me. It is the means I went through and the end result that make me so happy on this day. It was a struggle for us to have our children, but I am thankful each year that I have this day to celebrate with my girls. I know many women who would do anything to be so blessed. What a gift I have in my girls and I do treasure them.
Many want to know why Catholics put so much emphasis on Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was the mother of our Savior, you really can't get more important to that. In all of my worst hours as a mother I have called to her because she knows suffering and I was suffering and I needed somebody to get what I was going through. Miscarriage- I probably said The Hail Mary a hundred times in the ER that night. It was painful, emotional, and horrible, our Lord's mother-she has that t-shirt. She can relate to all of those things. She got it. I needed that because at the time I felt no one else did. Most people who are non-Catholic may not even know the words.
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the LORD is with thee." Luke 1:28
What does that mean to me? It means Mary was given grace by our Lord and that she is presently with our LORD and Savior.
"Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." Luke 1:42
She is the most blessed of all women and mothers. Elizabeth says it to her when she visits. The baby Jesus is the most blessed. Blessed by His father in Heaven.
"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death."
I always ask for her to pray for me in my darkest hours. The prayer itself has calmed me, but also, I feel that when I have had enough and I just don't think I can bare anymore pain or heartache, Mary pray that Jesus will hear me and stop it sooner rather than later. I find hope in her grace and it helps me to survive these types of life changing events. As my children are getting older, I have started saying the prayer when they are nervous or scared. Both of my girls have a fear of speaking in front of people on stage or with any type of crowd watching. I think it comforts them that Mary, our LORD's mother is watching over them as they go up on a stage in front of people and speak. It just seems to calm them when I tell I will pray the Hail Mary prayer for them.
As I think of Mary sitting at the foot of the dead Jesus on the cross and then I think of the Pieta- holding her dead son in her arms. The sadness just washes over her and it washes over me. I just can't bare to watch that part of the "Passions" movie. It hurts me every single time. It also pains me to look at the detail of the Pieta statue by Michelangelo. Mary is holding her grown dead son, Jesus like a mother would hold a 4 year old, but the anguish, sadness on her face is just hard to see. My sin caused her this pain. It is my sin that Jesus died for and she too is suffering from my sin at that moment. It is very hard to accept the realness of it. I am blessed to have my Catholic faith and have this understanding of Mary and also the saints. It has truly helped me over the years.
Mary don't forget me and please intercede for me to your son.
Many want to know why Catholics put so much emphasis on Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was the mother of our Savior, you really can't get more important to that. In all of my worst hours as a mother I have called to her because she knows suffering and I was suffering and I needed somebody to get what I was going through. Miscarriage- I probably said The Hail Mary a hundred times in the ER that night. It was painful, emotional, and horrible, our Lord's mother-she has that t-shirt. She can relate to all of those things. She got it. I needed that because at the time I felt no one else did. Most people who are non-Catholic may not even know the words.
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the LORD is with thee." Luke 1:28
What does that mean to me? It means Mary was given grace by our Lord and that she is presently with our LORD and Savior.
"Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." Luke 1:42
She is the most blessed of all women and mothers. Elizabeth says it to her when she visits. The baby Jesus is the most blessed. Blessed by His father in Heaven.
"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death."
I always ask for her to pray for me in my darkest hours. The prayer itself has calmed me, but also, I feel that when I have had enough and I just don't think I can bare anymore pain or heartache, Mary pray that Jesus will hear me and stop it sooner rather than later. I find hope in her grace and it helps me to survive these types of life changing events. As my children are getting older, I have started saying the prayer when they are nervous or scared. Both of my girls have a fear of speaking in front of people on stage or with any type of crowd watching. I think it comforts them that Mary, our LORD's mother is watching over them as they go up on a stage in front of people and speak. It just seems to calm them when I tell I will pray the Hail Mary prayer for them.
As I think of Mary sitting at the foot of the dead Jesus on the cross and then I think of the Pieta- holding her dead son in her arms. The sadness just washes over her and it washes over me. I just can't bare to watch that part of the "Passions" movie. It hurts me every single time. It also pains me to look at the detail of the Pieta statue by Michelangelo. Mary is holding her grown dead son, Jesus like a mother would hold a 4 year old, but the anguish, sadness on her face is just hard to see. My sin caused her this pain. It is my sin that Jesus died for and she too is suffering from my sin at that moment. It is very hard to accept the realness of it. I am blessed to have my Catholic faith and have this understanding of Mary and also the saints. It has truly helped me over the years.
Mary don't forget me and please intercede for me to your son.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
God is GOOD!
I know my last post was very, very sad! I think the song theme for this week is "Praise You In This Storm", by Casting Crowns. When you praise Him in the storm His mercy falls upon us. I have always felt blessed and as we entered last week and worlds were crashing around us, I knew that we truly were blessed by GOD at that moment in time. Our girls were with us safe and sound as others around us dealt with loss and pain. GOD is a merciful GOD. Last week we got the wonderful news that my husband got a promotion! He has been going through the process for over a year and our youngest prayed every night that he would get his "commotion". Well, Daddy got his "commotion" and we could not be happier. Now she thanks GOD each night for Daddy's "commotion". She is also praying for other things I will share later. She does know that the Lord here's her prayers and answers them. She has no doubt now that he here's her and that is the best gift of all. I prayed for months that God would let her know He hears her prayers. I wanted the promotion for my hubby, but also for her and her faith in GOD. If that was not enough, one of my adoption advocate friends announced today that her family is adopting a little girl. She has been praying that her husband would want to adopt again for years. I think like five years. He told her it was time and he knew this little girl was meant to be theirs. He gave in to his uncertainty about the finances. They are trusting GOD to provide the means to bring this little girlie home. I am so happy for her. I am just filled with joy for her and her family. How exciting! I know she is feeling the same way! This is a true blessing. GOD has answered serious prayers in their household. I am just giddy! So, He is the God who takes away, but He is also the God who gives. He provides, He cares, He opens doors, and He opens hearts for His will if we let Him. I pray for His will for us. May GOD continue to bring peace and comfort to all those that are still hurting. May He bless each and everyone of them. May He keep those of us that have been blessed this week humble. Amen
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