Mary from the Prairie

Ain't Technology Grand?

2012-01-22T22:42:00.000-08:00

Ain’t technology grand? About ten years ago I was part of a team sent by my company to teach employees how to use an upgraded computer program. The computers we had been using were very cumbersome, and obsolete to the point where they had to be replaced in order to be upgraded. As I was learning about this new system, I wanted to try to test its limits. I tried whatever I could think of

More than I can handle

2011-10-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

It seems all of us have had someone say something that has made a lasting impact on our lives. It may have been a parent, a teacher, pastor, friend, a line in a movie, or something overheard from a total stranger. This week’s blog topic is “A not-so-well-known Bible verse that impacted you.” For me, there are several. One is Ecclesiastes 9:4 "Anyone who is among the living has hope—even

Message about prayer ...

2011-09-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, everybody. God here. Thought I’d check in with all of you this evening. I’ve been hearing your prayers – all of them – and have been answering them, too. I know some of you don’t quite believe that I’ve been hearing and listening. And there are a few of you who have been praying, with the first words out of your heart are “God, if you’re there …” Surprise! I AM here! I’ve heard the

Family Portrait

2011-09-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

Not long ago I attended a writer's faire, where I heard a speaker say, "If you write a page a day, at the end of a year you will have a novel." No, I thought, in my case I would have 365 pages of disconnected drivel. This is a sampling of my disconnected drivel that came out of the 500 Words challenge. It happens to be in line with this week's Topical Blogger's subject of "Family Portraits

What is hell, exactly?

2011-09-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

Tragedy. Disease. Killer heat waves. Natural disasters. Terrorist attacks. Horrible circumstances. Chocolate chip cookies without a cold glass of milk. War. Sitting through the movie “Creature.” What do all of these things have in common? People say they are hell. While unpleasant things make our lives miserable, even hellish, they themselves are not hell. We’ve all heard or

Why I love Jesus

2011-09-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

There is a popular hymn that is taught in Sunday school classes all over America. As I type the words, and as you read them, we can hear young children singing, “Oh, how I love Jesus, because He first loved me!” Yes, Jesus loves me, and I love Jesus. Bible verses such as “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have

Aw, Fudge!

2011-09-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

I love the autumn months. It’s my favorite time of year, really. Not necessarily because of the change of seasons. In California, there is not much change of season to begin with. It’s not because children are returning to school and all the projects that go with it. And I am not a Halloween fan. Football has its merits, but that’s not what makes the season special. The reason fall is so

True Imitation

2011-08-25T00:36:00.000-07:00

probably not comparing the same versions of the $5 bill but you get the gist. I work at a place where quite a bit of money changes hands on a daily basis. They call me the “money-mama.” I’m the one responsible for making sure the employees can make change for a $100 bill on a $6 transaction first thing in the morning. I’m the one who makes sure all the big bucks are accounted for at the

Light of the world

2011-08-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong's Symphony of Lights "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:14-16 A couple of months

Special Gifts

2011-08-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

Gifts. We’ve all given some, and we’ve all received some. Birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, re-gifts. Some of my favorite gifts to receive – and to give – are the ones given for just cause – “just ‘cause” you are loved by somebody. Whatever the occasion, the giver usually puts some thought behind what gift he chooses for the recipient. I know when I give a gift, whether it is a book or

That's rich!

2011-07-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

That’s Rich! When you hear that phrase, different things could come to mind. For me, the first thoughts are Chocolate, Cheesecake, Cappuccino. Or you might think of people, such as that “Little” guy who does impersonations. That’s Rich! And of course there’s what it costs to fill up a gas tank nowadays – too rich for my blood! There’s another meaning to the phrase “That’s Rich.” I looked

This little light......

2011-07-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

All throughout history God has used people to do things for Him. Even today God still uses people, presenting opportunities to all of us to tell others of His love for the world. His call may be subtle, such as simply noticing that someone needs help opening a door to enter or exit a building. It may be a bit stronger. He may but a burden on your heart to help people at the freeway offramps by

What's the difference?

2011-06-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have been cleaning out areas of my house and garage lately that have not seen light in quite some time. I found some items of obvious sentimental value - high school yearbooks; a set of collector plates that my mother gave to me; a journal that I started writing when I was in 8th grade. I also found some unusual items belonging to my ex-husband - some ugly neckties, a whoopie-cushion or two,

What is seen in the light

2011-05-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

picture by frail0124 via photobucket.com The other night I decided to do an experiment. Not out of boredom, but for a purpose. It’s blog writing time. On several occasions in the past I’ve asked for input from my Facebook friends as research for whatever topic I’m focused on. This time I decided to do my own research for a change. The topic for the week? What is seen in the light. My

And they all lived happily ever after...

2011-05-09T19:04:00.001-07:00

Just a few weeks ago, the entire world had their eyes turned to England for the wedding of Prince William and the young Kate Middleton. Well, maybe not the whole world. I did not stay up late or wake up early to watch what was happening across the pond, but I did manage to see some of the highlights of the festivities. Events of such a grand scale and exquisiteness as a royal wedding may be

WiFi Madness

2011-04-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

I cancelled my internet service at home a while back. Since then, I’ve either been using the computer at family members’ homes, or more often than not, taking my laptop someplace where I can tap into a Wi-Fi hotspot. A few weeks ago I discovered that I could tap into an unsecured Wi-Fi connection right here at my kitchen table! That is, when the connection is available. And the availability of

Childlike Faith

2011-04-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

One of the oil islands off of Long Beach. Not Hawaii. Children amaze me. They believe in nearly anything, as long as the person telling them is someone that they trust. I remember before I entered kindergarten I honestly believed that Santa Claus squeezed through the mail slot on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts (we didn't have a chimney), that it was a good idea (at the time) to write my name

Making a Difference

2011-03-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

photo by bellabu452 via photobucket.com During the past year and a half to two years I have been to more funerals than I care to remember. Whether these gatherings were called "funeral" or "memorial service" or "celebration of life," there was always an eulogy of some sort, a tribute to the deceased, usually given by a close family member or someone who knew him or her very well.

Calvary

2011-03-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

Calvary. Golgotha. The place of the skull.No one wants to think of this place. Criminals meet punishment.Soldiers wait for dying nobodies to die.Victims and families finding closure as justice is served.A place of disgust. Anguish. Death.Blood-soaked ground. Random bones left behind from the men who died on this hill.Blood-soaked beams of wood and nails tossed aside, forgotten. Just as the men

Drag Racing

2011-03-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Photo by mpmf59 via Photobucket.com Two lanes. Two cars. Two drivers. One starting signal One finish line. One winner. One prize. Drag racing. What is it about this type of event that draws the attention of thousands of people? Is it the head-to-head competitive nature? The adrenaline rush of pushing the pedal to the metal in hopes of coming out victorious? Is it the prize

Family Ties

2011-02-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

(Disclaimer: As you read this post, think of the author as someone who is an outsider, looking in. As much as I love and appreciate every member of my family and extended family, it is in no way my intention to sound whiney, or to stir up any conflict or strife. Y'all know me better than that...) Way back in the deep dark ages of antiquity when I was young, I remember being able to spend time on

A place to call "home"

2011-02-05T21:46:00.000-08:00

Photo by pollyscards via Photobucket.com My house has a “For Sale” sign in the front yard at my house. It wasn’t exactly my idea to put the house on the market, with the housing prices down. But I knew that in order for me to remain financially solvent after ending my marriage, I really had no choice. Well, I did – I could have walked away and let the property foreclose. Or I could have applied

United with Christ

2011-01-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

Read Philippians 2:1-11In South America there is a certain species of monkey called the Spider Monkey. It got its name from its long, spindly arms and legs, and the way it easily moves about from tree to tree to do its spider monkey things. The spider monkey also happens to be an important food source to the South American natives, and the natives have discovered a very easy way to capture them.

I wonder, What If?

2011-01-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

My washer and dryer have both been on the fritz of late, which means I’ve been spending some quality time at the local Laund-O-Rama. It can be an interesting place, that Laund-O-Rama. When you look around at the other patrons you can easily tell who has waited until the very last possible day to wash their clothes. I mean, where else would you see someone wearing green and orange plaid Bermuda

Then and Now

2011-01-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

Millmark Ave. was a nice quiet street, a good neighborhood where you could raise a family. I remember when we first moved on Millmark, the street was about four blocks long, until the freeway went in, dividing the street. As a little girl, I knew at least the family names of everybody on our little street, where the good kids lived, which houses had the trouble-makers, and which houses the grumpy

Life is messed up

2011-01-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

Hundreds of millions of people believe in prayer in one form or another. (I would offer some magical statistic that is easily found on the internet, but I do not have that figure available, so the estimate of hundreds of millions will have to do.) Generally speaking, we believe that through prayer God can heal the sick, comfort those who mourn, protect military personnel half a world away, guide

Looking for signs of Jesus

2010-12-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

This past week I was asked to write a prayer for the Christmas Eve service at my church. The theme? "Looking for signs of Jesus." My first idea, being a city-dweller, was to use traffic signs. But when I sat down at the keyboard to write, traffic came to a stop. I took a detour, and yielded to God's Spirit. Here's what came out: Photo by tifs-spot via Photobucket.com Faithful God, on this

Castles of Air

2010-11-29T22:37:00.000-08:00

When I first read the topic I thought, Castles of Air? What am I going to do with that? Who thought of that one, and what were they thinking? Well, Becky owned up to the topic. She said she had something in mind when she suggested it, but I’d have to wait to read her post to find out what it is. I’m still waiting for Becky to write, which means I’m left to figure out this “Castles of Air” thing

Finding Joy

2010-11-22T16:21:00.000-08:00

Word Search Puzzle created by www.ArmoredPenguin.com The holiday season is fast approaching. It seems like about eleven months or so ago it was Christmas, and here it is again already!The local Rite-Aid store near me replaced the sunblock display with bayberry, peppermint and cinnamon scented candles. In fact, for a week or so, the two displays were actually side-by-side, causing one to

Listing

2010-11-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

You may be wondering how the Topical Bloggers come up with the weekly topics. Actually, it is quite simple. Blogger Becky has graciously accepted the role of ringleader moderator of the group. Her responsibility is to let us know what the weekly writing should be about. To make it easy for everyone involved (and easy on herself) she forcibly coerces periodically asks the bloggers to submit

Priority List or Bucket List?

2010-11-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

This morning I went online to read and print an email that I had saved from about a week ago, an email having to do with a meeting after church this morning. When I went into my account, I found about eight or ten emails – none of them spam – that I acted upon (read and file, or read and delete). One of them had to do with a discussion with a Facebook friend, so of course I had to go there. Once

Soaring and Landing

2010-10-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Last night was the 30 year reunion of SAHS class of 1980. When our 20-year reunion came along, I remember debating whether or not to go, since I only kept in touch with a handful of classmates over the years. I finally made the decision to go ON the day of the reunion. The deciding factor was that I had received an unexpected check in the mail which covered all but $20 of the reunion ticket.

Miracle of Mercy Land

2010-10-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

When I received my copy of The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan I was not sure quite what to expect. Fiction is not my preferred genre of books. When you tie a new story to a particular time period, such as pre-WWII, and the book tends to get knocked down a rung on my reading priority list. I'll be

Amazon Rainforest

2010-10-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's fun to be part of a group that blogs on the same topic every week, but this week - WOW - Who chose this one? "Amazon Rainforest" ... oh yeah. I picked it. And, as most people in my social circle, I don't know much about it. So, I shall do my best to write an Amazing post. Let's see where God shows up ... Usually when we think about the Amazon Rainforest, it conjures up visions of lush

Angels Among Us

2010-10-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

The community where I live has an event the first Friday of each month called “First Fridays.” Businesses along one of the main traffic corridors stay open late, local musicians provide entertainment, and local artist exhibit their works in what used to be an old furniture store. It's quite fun (and mostly

Cutting Off Limbs and Gouging Out Eyeballs

2010-09-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here! I think that of the four seasons, autumn is my favorite. For starters, I was born during the month of October, and celebrate for the entire month. And secondly, the flavors of autumn are a treat to the senses of smell and taste. Pumpkin spiced latte, cappuccino, even lollipops from See's tell me that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin bread, pecan and

Neighbors From Hell

2010-09-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks I've written about the journey home to heaven. We've taken a winding, wandering path through life that, like Dorothy's yellow brick road, took us on many twists and turns through this world we don't quite fit in. During this long, seemingly endless journey, we have asked many questions and at times grown impatient along the way, all in anticipation of our life in

"Are we there yet?"

2010-09-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Children are full of wonder. They love to explore the world around them, and often experience the world through their imaginations. I remember when I was younger I'd play make-believe games with my brother and sister. We had a swingset in our back yard with a treehouse attached to it. NASA's space program was in the news, with expeditions to the moon and back happening quite frequently, so our

Not until you've walked a mile in my Ruby Slippers

2010-09-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

ruby_slippers by 323scotty via flikr.com We're all familiar with the story of The Wizard of Oz, right? Dorothy gets sucked up into a twister, and finds herself in this strange colorful land of little people singing about lollipops, wicked witches, and yellow brick roads. She is in child-like wide-eyed amazement at this wonderful place where she is treated like the hero that conquered evil and

Separation

2010-08-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in

The One Thing

2010-08-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

macromondays "up" -... from [malcolm] via Flikr.com Not long ago I heard a young man give a talk to a group of eager listeners about how to enjoy peace in our lives. One particular statement he made stood out, something that I cannot let go without comment: "We cannot let God become the one thing in our lives. When we are focused on spreading the word of God, unfortunately we sometimes

Faith in the storm

2010-08-17T22:37:00.001-07:00

I usually do not go into my garage, and for a couple of reasons. First, Jim and I have agreed that since on-street parking may be limited when he gets home he should have the option of parking his car in the garage.

The end of my story

2009-09-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering why I am starting my post with "The End". That's because the topic chosen for the week by Topical Blogger bvaliant4him is "The end of my story." For many, talking about the end of their story equates to pondering when and how they might die. It's a common topic of discussion, really. No one knows for sure the hour of his or her final breath, but for many, there is a

Eleanor

2009-09-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

What is it like to live in the absence of love? To go through life without even a glimmer of hope for anything? A life where you do nothing more than exist? More than 40 years ago The Beatles sang of a woman who seems to have fit that profile - Eleanor Rigby. The repercussions of Eleanor's life of intensely cruel loneliness were that no one noticed her. Late in the song we hear the poignant

Something Heavenly

2009-09-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

This week our group's blog topic is "If the world was somehow sucked into a blackhole and entered an alternate universe, what would your ideal vision of that universe be?" To me, any "ideal alternate universe" would be heaven. As Chris said in a blog post once, "This life here (on earth) is really just the starting point; a training ground for when we get to heaven." Every now and then I

Learning from experience

2009-09-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

This week's Topical Blog is on the subject of always learning. To learn is "to gain knowledge or skill from study, instruction or experience."Experience - that's a good one! It's been said that experience is the best teacher. Who hasn't had an experience that he hasn't learned something from? Simple things, such as don't wear shorts going down a metal slide in the heat of summer. That you should

2009-09-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

My husband would never say this to my face, but I make a terrible housewife. I run kicking and screaming from anything related to the field of "domestic engineering." I don't like to do housework. As for cooking? You might say that when I cook, it doesn't matter if it comes from a box or not - it's usually Old Testament cuisine. "Burnt Offerings." So much so, that when when we were buying our

Wait for Me, Freddie!!

2009-08-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

I want to be a "retreat junkie" when I grow up.That's what I've been telling people lately. I want to go to retreats and speak to groups. Not necessarily a high-profile or highly sought-after speaker for major arena-sized confernces. And not that I have done anything profound with my life that everyone must know about. I'd be perfectly content with the smaller scale groups, sharing with them

Dangerous Prayer

2009-08-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,

2009-08-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

When I think of beauty, I think of flowers, nature, attractive people, things that bring to mind the goodness of God. I often have nice, warm-fuzzy feelings come over me. I mean, who doesn't like to be in the presence of beauty?But ugliness? Well, that's another story. We often react to ugliness with mockery or disgust.Thinking of ugliness reminds me of a woman who was particularly unattractive

Staying Positive

2009-08-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Everybody goes through hardships in life. Whether it's losing your job at the same time your spouse faces a pay reduction, or a serious illness in the family, or kids not wanting to go to school, or whatever the circumstances, life can bring us down. But it's not a healthy thing for you or me to stay down when we get there. So I'm sharing a list that my cousin Sue forwarded to me. It's a list of

Do you want to be saved?

2009-08-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

(DISCLAIMER: The subject of the week for the Topical Bloggers group is "What must I do to be saved?" The following is purely fictional. It is NOT based on my life. Any similarity to any person, real or imagined, is unintentional.)__________________________________________________Forty-six years old. I'm at the peak of my game, so to speak. I've done it all - kids (two daughters), marriage (

Yes, I am quietly judging you.

2009-07-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

I recently attended an event that was hosted by a local neighborhood group. The event itself was no big deal - just some neighbors getting to know each other in an informal setting. At one point a "regular" in the group said something offensive about another member, right to his face. When I voiced my opinion about what was said, this individual dismissed me by turning to his friend and saying,

Dangerous Prayers

2009-07-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

Most people in America believe in prayer, that prayer has a positive impact in their lives. Prayer is how we communicate with God, how we make our requests known to the Divine. We seem to pray for everything. Blessing over our meals. For our favorite baseball team to win the World Series. For green lights in traffic. For guidance of our leaders. For loved ones to be healed. For our churches to

A Bucket of Pride

2009-06-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

In the 1997 movie "The Bucket List" Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play Edward Cole and Carter Chambers, two terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die. Edward Cole runs the hospital where he is admitted, and is paired up with Carter Chambers, an auto mechanic for 45 years, as his roommate. The film trailer below gives

Ready or not ...

2009-06-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Image by dno1967 via Flickr This week our Topical Blogger bvaliant4him wanted the group's input on the 24th chapter of the gospel of Matthew. In this chapter Jesus addresses concerns that his disciples had about what many today refer to as the "End Times."At first reading, many of the events that Jesus speaks of are pretty frightening: wars, earthquakes, famine, persecution, stars falling from

"Just" Imagine

2009-06-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite films in recent years is “Finding Neverland,” which tells the story behind the story of Peter Pan. Early in the movie is a scene in which playwright J. M. Barrie is walking with his large dog in the park and has just met the four boys and their mother. The first time I saw the movie, I cried at that scene. Why would a scene about a dog imagined to be a dancing

How can I get peace in my life?

2009-06-06T20:00:00.000-07:00