Ron’s Neighborhood

Recently I heard someone say you should focus on what God is about and what He is for, not about trying to argue but trusting God to give us what to say in due season to bless in His Power.

I am always intrigued by Christmas Cards as so many are just useless.  Like cards that say Happy Holidays.  Well....what Holiday.  How can it be happy if there isn't one.  Why not say Merry Christmas.  I find it maddening that so many people want my money for gifts under the tree but don't want to let me call it Christmas. 

The beauty of faith is that no one can take away our freedom of thought, our salvation and our heart to worship God and love others.

So I am praying that people will look for meaning in Christmas.  That it will be more than a Holiday.  God says He draws all men unto him.  Draw us Lord and let us respond to your calling.

Recently I have been focusing on blessing others.  Finding kind words or helping someone.  I try to show my kids how to find something nice to bless someone whether it be their hair, smile, or painted fingernails.  Just asking someone how they are really doing knowing that you really mean it.

I have found that giving freely of my time and blessings is the greatest blessing of all. 

Be blessed this Christmas and remember that JESUS is the reason for the season.

I recently heard this song and loved it.  I love to end with a worship video.  Enjoy as this is what Jesus is longing for.

Thanks have been given, the turkey's been eaten, so take a moment and tell us: What was the best part of your Thanksgiving this year? Bonus points if you share a photo!

I love the food, of course, and seeing family but the best part of Thanksgiving for me was the day before.  I went and helped my mom make some pies to take over to my sister-in-law's house.  Mom doesn't have the strength to make the pies and sometimes doesn't remember how much and what ingredients went into the process but between the two of us we managed and had some fun in the making.  I didn't make pretty, Betty Crocker pie crusts but they tasted just fine to me.

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I'm thankful President Obama's ideals are being exposed for the damaging policies they entail.

Ok, let us try to keep this simple and concise.

Thanks.
Thank you for letting me get to know you.
      "     "    "  the world, the sun, the animals, and the plants.
      "     "    "    "   work of your hands.

Thank you for myself.
      "     "    "  my good points and my bad.
      "     "    "   purchasing for me a right relationship with you.

Thank you for Jesus.
      "     "    "  being the loving God that you are.
      "     "    "  not leaving me to justice, but giving inconceivably of yourself.
      "     "    "  living as a man and seeing what I live through.

Thank you for your sacrifice on the cross.
      "     "    "  being there and paying the price.
      "     "    "  the pain, sweat, blood, and the forgiveness.
      "     "    "  completely finishing an act that replaces my error and wrongness.

Thank you for Jesus' resurrection.
      "     "    "  the final complete proof that you have made me right with you.
      "     "    "  hope beyond this life to a better life.
      "     "    "  a living person I can choose to live for and serve.

Thank you for family.
      "     "    "  their good points, humor, smiles, and how wonderful they are.
      "     "    "    "   bad points and efforts to improve themselves.
      "     "    "  being able to love them and express this love.

In the same way, thank you for: friends; pets; church; co-workers; and neighbors.

Thank you for the United States of America.
      "     "    "    "  wonderful way you have blessed the US.
      "     "    "    "  marvelous way America has been your nation.
      "     "    "    "  foundation of God given rights America was founded upon.
      "     "    "    "  for good people, even if they are wrong, trying to make things good.

Thank you for all the people in service to America.
      "     "    "    "  the people in service to me.

Thank you for shelter, food, safety, and comfort.

There is more, but thank you

Thank you that I can be thankful.

My car that is. I was able to pick it up today, 3 weeks after having it wrecked and towed away. I do still have to stop back by to get a relay replaced. The mechanic said that the relay on the air conditioner was making some kinds of hesitating clicks so he ordered one to replace it. He said there is no way to be certain one way or the other if it was damaged by the accident but since it was not broken before he is going to err on the side of accident damage, so that the replacement will be covered by the insurance.

When I got in the car to drive away I noticed that the brake pedal seemed bent, so I went back in and asked about it. The mechanic came out and checked it out and said that I must have really been pressing down hard on the pedal during the accident. He was able to straighten it back out with just a few adjustments.

I have a terrible habit of carrying a lot of extra junk around in my car and now I have a lot of straightening up to do. The accident shook everything up and knocked it out of the nice neat piles I had it in. To top it off I had my work tools in my trunk and the tool boxes were not very securely closed so now I have tools scattered all over the trunk. I am probably going to have to spend a couple hours or more getting everything sorted out and put away. Oh well at least it will help me to clear some of the junk that I did not even remember was in there.

Now I have my car back, I just have to hope that I get a job to go with it.

The letter below has been sent to all of Susan's legislators. If you would like to use this letter as a template, please do so.

While I'm eating my Thanksgiving dinner with my family this year, I'm going to have a hard time enjoying it knowing that our President is willingly allowing our men and women in Afghanistan to die while waiting for him to make up his mind whether or not to give them the resources they need for survival.

I was heartsick while reading a chat room that is sometimes visited by soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan, ask us to please pray for their safety because each day things get worse, and they don't know when they are going to get the help they need.  Pastor Ed Boston, Of Hope Wesleyan Church in Hope, IN works with deployed soldiers and veterans through an on-line ministry called Do The Right Thing.  He has confirmed the stories and the concerns of those currently serving.

These brave men and women went where they were told to go and are doing their very best, so how deranged is it to send them there as sitting ducks while the elite politicians play golf in between paying off their friends for political favors.

There is something so seriously wrong with our government allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to get away with funneling obscene amounts of money to his friends in the auto unions, not to mention the developing corruption story coming out of the Goldman Sachs relationship. Simultaneously, this administration is obsessed with taking over 1/6 of our economy through socialized healthcare!  All the while, as if they are invisible, the President is completely ignoring our brightest and best who are literally dying in Afghanistan.

These same politicians campaigned on how Afghanistan was the war we "should" be in, and most Americans agreed with them, and yet they have absolutely no conscience at allowing these men to be slaughtered when it is within their power to protect them.  It is beyond me how they sleep at night.

So we'll eat our Turkey and be grateful that we live in the greatest country on earth, but first I'll call and write to all of my legislators and plead with them not to sit down to their dinner until they have gotten our military the support they need, and stop sending our children to slaughter like the bird they are about to consume.

Susan  K

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"We The People" is a song I (Ava Aston) wrote over the weekend of the 9/12 March. My desire is to inspire Americans who are frustrated and feel discouraged to become invigorated & to stand up and take back our Republic.

The upcoming elections in November 2010, as well as the next Presidential election will determine what America will become. I hope and pray with every fiber of my being that we citizens Democrat, Republican, Independent, or whatever... will unite and fight to keep our Republic the way it was intended. Liberty, Justice and Freedom for every citizen, and for us to be governed For the People and By the People as our Constitution instructs. Video produced and created by Erimac Entertainment.

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Have you ever noticed certain people with the same name being similar in character? I have. I have also notice that how their name is pronounced or spelled  sometimes makes a different, or at least seems to. For example the name Lisa or Liza or Leeza or any and all variations.

I have often wondered if a person's name has helped form their personality. Is it that their name give them a certain sense of self? or do people treat people with certain names a particular way that helps form who they become.

I guess it is just one more facet to the jewel of who we are. No one person is exactly like another. our life experience make us each a different a unique being, with many many facets, one of which is just our name.