The Beginning: Beautiful Photo

This is the beginning of a New Day.  God has given me this day to use as I will.  I can waste it or grow in its light and be of service to others.  But what I do with this day is important because I have exchanged a day of my life for it.  When [...]

Cherokee Wisdom~~Two Wolves

One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son, the battle is between two “wolves” inside us all.”
“One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
“The other is Good. It is joy, [...]

Mental Fences

I’ve been dealing my own mental fences…those created by self-doubt, uncertainty, fear. Can you relate? Where have you fenced yourself in mentally in recent days or weeks? Perhaps your mental fence is procrastination, a deadening habit that keeps you stuck. Maybe yours, like mine, is related to self-doubt, and the on-going internal noise it produces [...]

Email From a Friend, Poem from A Warrior

Email From a Friend
Helen, every time I get tired or need to do something that requires effort that I don’t want to give, I think about my mom.  She has arthritis so bad that at times when she lifts her spoon up to put a bite of food in her mouth she gets stabbing, unbearable [...]

I’ve Been Down Here Before

“This guy’s walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out.
“A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you. Can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
“Then a priest comes [...]

Exposed Roots

We went kayaking on Lake Superior, where I recall seeing trees hanging from cliffs with their roots totally exposed. I commented to the other woman in my kayak, “Trees aren’t supposed to live like that, with their roots all exposed to the elements, hanging from the edge of a cliff. But the will to survive [...]

Why am I afraid to tell you who I am?

Why am I afraid to tell you who I am? Because if I tell you who I am, and you don’t like me, I’m in for it. It can be frightening to tell you who I am.
Fear does three terrible things to relationships:
1. Fear makes us defensive. We’re afraid to reveal ourselves. We defend ourselves. [...]

Monday Quote

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.~~Thornton Wilder

Re-Soul-ing My Shoes

This week, the divot on Jim’s work shoes broke, leaving the shoes unwearable, unusable. As a virile custodian of XY-chromosomes, this shoe breakage represented a 25% decrease in Jim’s overall shoe inventory.
In contrast in my shoe inventory, a similar incident of shoe breakage would represent a .00090 decrease. I prefer the “more is more” custodial [...]

I’m a Child of God

As we try and find a way to deal with all the “stuff” thrown at us everyday, let’s all try to keep in mind that we are part of the heavenly “Royal Family”. As children of God we are heirs to the glory God is preparing for us even now.

Romans 8:16-18 
The Spirit himself testifies [...]

More of You Lord

More of You Lord – It’s time to give it all over to God and stop relying on SELF. I thnk we could all agree that we are not nearly as capable as God.
 
“I can handle anything life throws at me by myself. I don’t need anyone’s help”
“I have a great career and I worked [...]

One Nation Under You – A Prayer For This Country

One Nation Under You
By Jim Ramsey
 
 
Rain mercy on this nation God
Though most Your love deny
Not everyone can see Your truth
On self they do rely
 
This country started long ago
One nation under You
The faith that built this land so strong
Has somehow gone askew
 
The evil one has gained much ground
Our government we doubt
We pray our leaders hear your [...]

I’m Free

I’m Free
By Jim Ramsey
 
I’m free I’m free
My debt the Lord did pay
I’m free I’m free
God’s light will show the way
 
I’m free I’m free
God sent His only son
I’m free I’m free
The victory’s been won
 
I’m free I’m free
Satan has no hold on me
I’m free I’m free
By Christ’s authority
 
I’m free I’m free
Shout the message everyday
I’m free I’m free
God [...]

Celebrate – A Poem For Those In Recovery

Written by Jim Ramsey 
 
 
As I look back on life
and all those wasted years
I wade through the guilt
like a river of tears
 
I know I cant change
all the things from before
but Lord hear me now
it’s over…no more
 
Lord I celebrate
As I live life anew
Lord I celebrate
My victory’s in you
 
Lord I celebrate
Help me live day by day
Lord I celebrate
As the [...]

6-1 Pink Vitamin: What is my Mission Statement?

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”  Luke 19:10 (NIV)
In Jody Neufeld ’s blog she asks if this was the mission statement of Jesus and asks “What is my mission statement?”
She proposes the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20 and the Love Commandment, Matthew 22:37, 39-40 as possibilities for our [...]

Hey Y’All, Jim is a published Photographer

Following in the steps of his dad, Jim is now a published photographer!
Read below!!!
Hi Jim,I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo
has been selected for inclusion in the newly released
second edition of our Schmap California Guide:
Cable Cars

http://www.schmap.com/california/attractions/p=34536/i=34536_17.jpg
If you like the guide and have a website, blog or personal
page, then please also check [...]

Jim and Helen Watch the Stanley Cup

A Dialogue:
Announcer: Detroit is the best with the “face-off”
H: What’s the face-off again?
J:   It’s how they start the game
H: Oh, the puck-off
J:  No, it’s called the “face-off”
H: Tamaato-Tomahto
J:  No! Wrong! Tomato-Eggplant!
H: Well, at least there is some evidence of wardrobe planning. I like the coordination of Home/Away uniforms and the player named Nordstroms
J: (eye roll)
Announcer: they’ve [...]

God Has A Plan. Get Ready.

I have been asking God to take control of my life for a long time, but like most of us I struggle with not allowing Him “full access”. Lately I have been afraid that I would not see God’s desire for me and my self-serving desires would take me in the wrong direction. So I kept asking God to make [...]

Pink Vitamin 5-8-08: Hey Y’All, Because of Grace, I’m Redeemed!

Earlier this year, I received some pretty harsh criticism from out of left field. It was the kind of criticism that left me flattened. Punch to the gut. Knocked out in the first round. Left me saying, “Huh?” “Wha?” “Come Again?”
This was pretty rare for me. Not the part where someone is mad/disappointed—that I am [...]

One Year Anniversary

Today is our blog’s one year anniversary. It seems like it was just yesterday that we brought this little corner of the blogging world to life. During those long days of gestation we wondered. What will it look like? Will it be functional?  Will everyone like it? Just like everyone else that has brought a [...]

The Joy of Being Attacked by Satan

Over the last few weeks my beautuful wife and I have had a continuing conversation about something that we cant seem to fully understand.
Why does life seem like a neverending series of crises for some people, and a walk in a rose filled park for others?
It can be said that the people walking through the [...]

Jim and Helen Go To NASCAR

NOTE: Posting this entry in a timely manner, necessitated an abbreviated shorthand of sorts in the form of this acronym: IANMTU which means, “I am not making this up.”
 *************************
Jimmy first proposed to me at a car racing event so I was eager to return to the glory days when he asked me to go with [...]

58: Does That Come with an AARP Discount?

We’re 58! Our little town has just been named #58 on Forbes Best Small Cities list.
Here’s to #58 and the city where:
1.) Commute to work: 5-7 minutes during “rush hour”
2.) Traffic congestion is greatest at Starbucks
3.) When we say, “we’ll be right over,” we really mean it.
4.) We know our Neighbors’ names AND the names of their [...]

Pink Vitamin March 27: Grace in Beaumont

 Grace in Beaumont
“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.” Ecclesiastes 3:12
If you were the man who stayed in Room 323 of the Courtyard Hotel in Beaumont, Texas, then I owe you a huge thank you.
I was eating breakfast today minding my own business [...]

Daily Vitamin, 3-4-09: Risk…The Fertilizer For Our Fruit

I have heard it said that faith is going to the edge of everything you know, and taking one more step. Why do most of us shutter at taking that one risky step? We can easily travel to the edge and look out at the unknown, but taking that one risky step of faith seems impossible.
God has provided [...]