Fix me Jesus

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A few weeks ago my daughter and I went to see "Joyful Noise." It is an awesome story! In it was one character, a young teenager, who was autistic but high functioning. He was mad at God for the way He made him. His mama sat down beside him and told him 'we all have something wrong with us. It's this ole' world we live in. It's not God's fault.'

She then sat down at a piano and sang an old spiritual, "Fix me, Jesus." The words were similar to this:

Fix me Jesus, fix me.
Ooh fix me Jesus,
ooh fix me Jesus,
ooh fix me Lord,
fix me Jesus fix me.

Fix me for my long white robes.
Fix me Jesus, Fix me.
Fix me for my sorry soul.
fix me Jesus, Fix me.

Ooh fix me Jesus,
ooh fix me Jesus,
ooh fix me Lord,
fix me Jesus fix me.

Fix me for my dyeing breath.
Fix me Jesus, fix me.
Fix me for my daily love.
Fix me Jesus, fix me.

Ooh fix me Jesus,
ooh fix me Jesus,
ooh fix me Lord,
fix me Jesus fix me.

---What awesome words!

What's your hobby?

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Hobbies are a wonderful thing. They can actually be good 'mental therapy'! I have several, and one of them is scapbooking. Although I don't think it is as hot as it once was, it still is embedded into lots of folk's lives. Scrapbooking in some form goes back generations. I have a travel scrapbook that my grandmother kept.

President's Day weekend I return to Kansas City, MO for my annual play-date, get-together with girlfriends. We all used to work together and we all scrapbook. Ever since my family moved to Arkansas in 2008, we have done this every President's Day weekend. So - we again did so this year. This is a wonderful way to keep in touch, and get caught up with family news. This year one of our group had been sick and was unable to scrap with us, although she did come for lunch.

We have a couple of little dogs that became parents in December. This is the first time we have raised a litter from beginning to "end". So this is what I decided to scrapbook. I printed off over 300 pictures. And that was probably about half of what I took. Obviously this will take me awhile to finish! I was hoping to find scrap paper with a dog theme, and had 4 sheets on hand. Of course that wasn't going to be enough, but I had to go with what I had. After the weekend was over, don't you know, I found some - a whole package of "dog" paper. Now - to find the time at home to work on it. I ended up spending most of my time sorting out my pictures as the store had printed duplicates even tho't I didn't order any or pay for them! (Need some puppy pictures?)

Besides my puppies, JM worked on their 50th Wedding Anniversary Open House. MJS worked on an album of her daughter's first places she has lived. SH, who couldn't scrap with us this year, did tell us she's been working on her granddaughter's album.

I guess it must be known where I work that I love and do scrapbooking! I work at a library and the director sent me an email asking me if I would like to do a workshop on scrapbooking this summer for the adult summer reading program. WOW! I have never done that before, and I am not a good pre-planner, so this will be interesting. I wish I could do a dry run before I actually do it. There is SO much involved. I did find on the internet, however, ideas for teaching the hobby:
1. Choosing a theme
2. Picking out the background paper, album
3. Presentation of the picture, (matted, behind or in front with a peek-a-boo opening, special presentation like a window, booklet, etc.)
4. Decorations and embellishments
5. Journaling of the picture(s)

There's so much that goes into doing this. Guess I better get crackin'!

Shoe Bomber Sentence

Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it?

Did you know his trial is over?
Did you know he was sentenced?
Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV or Radio?
Didn't think so!!!

Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.

Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court.

Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he had anything to say His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid also admitted his 'allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah,' defiantly stating, 'I think I will not apologize for my actions,' and told the court 'I am at war with your country.'

Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:

Judge Young: 'Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.

On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutively. (That's 80 years.)

On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an aggregate fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you an $800 special assessment. The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further.

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.

Now, let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is too much war talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, we deal with individuals as individuals and care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach out for justice.

You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether the officers of government do it or your attorney does it, or if you think you are a soldier, you are not-----, you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

So war talk is way out of line in this court You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I've known warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders. In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and the TV crews were, and he said: 'You're no big deal.'

You are no big deal.

What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today?

I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing? And, I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom, so that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf, have filed appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges.

We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden; pay any price, to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. The day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure.

Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America, the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. And it always will.

Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.

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So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on our TV sets? We need more judges like Judge Young. Pass this around. Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge had to say. Powerful words that strike home.

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Here are views of some other purses:

An-tic-i-pa-tion!

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His mouth began to open just a little. His hand began to rise, carrying the ice cream cone he was eating on this hot summer day.

Grampa, after Grandma died, would come out from New York State and visit us in Arkansas for about a month. It usually happened in the summer when Mom and Dad’s plans were to go to New York for a visit, so that he could ride back with them,

Grampa was a dear old man. And I loved him very much. But there were times he could just be downright annoying! That was because he liked to tease. I decided in later years, long after he was gone, that he must have done that because he really didn’t know what else to do to interact with his grandkids. They were mostly girls but also some grandsons. Besides he was not a ball-tossing kind of Grampa. He farmed and he watched TV. And teased!

He liked to tease in a variety of ways, but he had his favorites. This was one of them. He would sneak up behind you and *getcha* in the ribs. Now I wasn’t really ticklish. But the suddenness would always make me jump and/or scream. So what does that do? Just encourage him to do it some more!!! Or he’d bump my elbow, always on accident of course, just as I, or anyone was about to put some food in his or her mouth!

It was his little game and way of showing how much he really loved us kids. Well! When I got older I decided that I was going to show him how much I loved him, too. So the game was on. I’d do to him things that he would do to me. But on this day, I got him good!!!

I have no idea where we were all headed. But that doesn't really matter. Mom and Dad were in the front seat of the car. Grampa and I were in the back. I sat behind Dad who was driving, and Grampa sat behind Mom.

He was always ready to eat ice cream, day or night, rain or shine, full or hungry. In later years, sometimes that was the only thing that Mom could get him to eat. He loved his ice cream.

I made a plan and set it into motion. We were all busy licking our cones, lapping up the cool, delicious summer treat. It was get-back time and I was going to score with this one!!!

His hand got a little higher. I knew I had to time it just right. His mouth opened wider. It was like slow motion on TV. The cone was rising through the air.

I watched Grampa out of the corner of my eye as he prepared to take another lick of the luscious cone. I scooted back in my seat to I would have my balance just right and my right arm free to move. His hand was getting still higher yet.

I had to act very innocent as if I was continuing to eat my cone as well. His cone moved closer, and closer, ...and closer. I took another lick of mine.

His mouth was fully open, poised to close down on that delicious cool delight. I shifted. I loosened my arm.

I knew I would have to have my palm facing forward and the back of my hand toward his mouth if this plan was to work. I also had to time it just right!

He was closing in, I could see the look of expectation on his face!

With the snap of a frog's tongue, I shot my arm over! Bull's Eye! The ice cream scoop plowed right into the palm of my hand. His mouth came down on - NOTHING! The look of shock flew across his face!

'What happened to my ice cream cone?' The look on his face said it all! It was perfect!

The unfortunate scoop landed in his lap, the cone still in his hand. That was an unexpected bonus! Of course I never gave it a thought what it might do to his clothes. I was too busy cracking up laughing, and licking off my hand.

I got him goooooooooood! The look of chagrin on his face said I had scored!!! Suzanne 1, Grampa 0. He knew exactly why I had done that. It was get-back time and I won!!!

Course now, I had to be on the look out for he would be planning next to get even with me! But I didn't care, and neither did he, really. On this day, the grandkid won!

Learning to spell

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I probably should look in my archive of posts to see if I've told this before, but I'm lazy. So if I have, maybe someone new will get a laugh out of this.

When your kids are little do you ever "spell over their heads" something you want to communicate without them knowing what you are saying??? My mother used to do this all the time when I was little. But one day she gave up. We were living in a trailer (they weren't called "mobile homes" back then). We had finished our meal and my mother wanted to ask my dad if he wanted something she had made. "Ira, would you like some j-e-l-l-o?" she said. Well, there are some words that sounds just about the same as how they are spelled. So I figured that one out. (I was about 5.) I quickly answered and said with delight, "I want some jello!!!" She never spelled again.

Fast forward a generation. Our oldest daughter was about 5 years old, my husband and I were living in a mobile home (no kidding!). We had been to VBS in the morning and had come home to eat lunch. I wanted CG to eat her "sonch" (as she called a sandwich) without being distracted with what I saw out the window. I said to my husband, "I see a c-a-t" and motioned with my eyes, to look out the window. This time CG didn't catch on to what I said, but neither could my husband. "ick-a-cat?" he said with a puzzled look on his face. I finally had to tell him 'cat' which he turned to see. CG was never fazed and finished her sonch. He never did let me forget that one!

CAN'T GET TO HEAVEN IN A ROCKIN’ CHAIR

(I tho't I had posted this but couldn't find it. So I'm posting it today. Hope you get a kick out of it.)

Chorus
Oh, you can't get to heaven in a rockin' chair
If you're a rockin' you're not gettin' there.
If you're rockin' you're not goin' where?
You can't get to heaven in a rockin' chair.
Rockin’, Rockin’ Rockin’.

Verse1
If you want to live in heaven up there
Get on your knees and say a little prayer
Confess all your sin or you’re not gettin’ where?
You can't get to heaven in a rockin' chair

When you're burdened down with worry and care
Go to the cross for Jesus is there
Get readin' His Word and sayin' a prayer
Cuz, you can't get to heaven in a rockin' chair.

Verse2
Rockin' back and forth just gets nowhere
You're wasting your time you’re not gettin' there.
You gotta get up if you wanna go where?
You can't get to heaven in a rockin' chair.

Tell all your friends that Jesus cares
They can't go to heaven in their rockin chairs
Tell 'em Jesus is the only way up there.
They can't get to heaven in their rockin' chairs.

2009, Suzanne Guinn

When I arrive in heaven...

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When I arrive in heaven on Jordan’s golden shore
I’ll sing with sweet abandon praising God for evermore
I’ll bow my knees to Jesus and kiss my mother’s face
I’ll lie down with the lions and sing Amazing Grace

I’ll walk along with loved ones and sit at Jesus’ feet,
Forsaking all my sorrow for fellowship so sweet.
I’ll sit beside King David as music fills the air.
I’ll play with my dear brother, who’s waiting over there.

I’ll visit with Ole Peter or mingle with the saints.
I’ll walk the streets of Salem and work with no complaints
I’ll wash in heaven’s fountain, run fingers through the sand,
Climb every single mountain, and march in heaven’s band.

When I arrive in heaven, so happy I will be
For now I’ll live with Jesus and be forever free.
My soul will sing forever, rejoicing I will be
For now I’ll live with Jesus and be forever free.

Suzanne Guinn
January 9, 2011

Lost Dog

A few weeks ago our elderly dog got out through the garage and we did not know it till later when we discovered him missing. He is nearly blind, and deaf as well as diabetic. We, naturally, were quite concerned and upset. Fortunately he was found the next morning. But the experience taught me several spiritual lessons:

1. I, as a sinner, am lost, blind and deaf to God's call.
2. I was disobedient and wandered away.
3. I could not find my way home.
4. I was cold and hungry.
5. I would have died if my Father/Master had not found me.
6. He left His home to search for me.
7. He kept looking for me, long into the night.
8. He kept looking till He found me.
9. He put out the word/message letting people know he was looking for me.
10. Through the help of others, He found me and I was rejoined with my Father. (God uses people to spread His word and bring others to Him.)
11. There was great joy in the reunion.
12. I was 'starving' when He found me; he filled me with wonderful food and water.
13. He took me home and cleaned me up.
14. I was hurt and He helped me get well, again.
14. He loves me and carried me home, even though I was disobedient and wandered away.
15. Once I returned home, I could rest in peace, and safety and sleep, sleep, sleep.

Lest we forget.

(Crude as it may be...)
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