Catchin' Up..........

The past few days have been busy, busy and more busy. After being put in the "slow down" mode for the previous two weeks, I have found that doing something or anything is very tiring. This past Friday, my husband and I went back to the scene of the accident and camped for a couple of nights. Saturday was the Rhododendron festival at the park and there were lots of people, food and crafts. I especially wanted to go to get a couple of Christmas gifts I can get no where else. Just walking a little and with the heat, it did not take long to get worn out. That night was grandson Lake's birthday party. We had cake, presents and much fun. It is always so good to be together as a family. Need I say by Saturday night I was ready for bed!

Today has been catch up on washing day and in between loads just resting. In the mail today I got two or three magazines and I thought that reading would be a relaxing thing to do. Sadly, the more I read the angrier I became. I started off with the TV guide. I saw a couple of articles on the front cover that I thought I might be interested in reading. I always like to read In Box which is made up of letters from readers. In last week's issue, a reader had written a letter shaming writers and producers of three shows this summer that are exploiting sex and promiscuity. These shows are at an early hour and the writer ends her letter by asking "What are we teaching our young people?". Then the reply to her letter came in this week's issue. On your remote you will find a button that says CHANNEL and has up and down arrows. Use it. In another article a few pages over there was an interview with one of the stars of one of these shows. His take on the show being "sexually indulgent" is that this is America, and we have the right to do what we want to do.

Having been enraged by TV guide, I decided that I would read my AARP magazine that had also come today. Surely I would be safe in anything I would read in this old retired persons magazine. Wrong! After reading about sunscreen, exercise (they didn't mention bike riding),
health care costs, wounded vets, and antiques I came upon an interview with Martin Sheen. Now Martin Sheen has never really been one of my favorite actors (couldn't stand Apocalypse Now), but I thought I would see what he had to say as a recovering alcoholic. Anyone that has gone through the Alcoholics Anonymous Program and is still involved with it must have good advice to give. Wrong! All I can hope is that no young people read AARP or that no lost people read what Martin Sheen thinks about God, religion and heaven. The interviewer asked him if he thinks he will see his brothers that have died in heaven on day. His reply was that he was not concerned about that. He believes that he will see them in this life. He does not think that we go to heaven. He thinks that we become heaven. The interviewer then asked what he meant by that. His answered by saying that we create heaven right here, right now. We project heaven and that he doesn't have to wait until he is dead. One of the most truthful statements that Sheen made was that he did not have a clue what God is - not who God is but what God is. Does that not tell you how far off track he is?

Now, how is that for meaningful reading. Made me want to go back to the campground where there is no mail, no phone and the most exciting thing that happens is a bike wreck every once in awhile! Seriously, my heart is saddened when I think that many people who have influence in this world do not have a clue as to who God is and find it fashionable to be "spiritually enlightened". It would be so easy to become discouraged and think that there is no hope, but because I know the Creator of this universe and because He lives within me, I am encouraged and I know there is hope for this lost and dieing world. I cannot reach the millions like some, but I can reach those I have contact with each day. I do not have the grand influence like the Oprahs or the Martin Sheens of this world, but I have the one on one influence of my every day world and can testify to what Jesus did and is still doing for me. I am so grateful that I know Him. I am so grateful that I am not still in the dark, grasping for answers and facing eternal doom. I am so grateful that I have a witness to give and I pray to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in giving that witness.

Just had to share what's on my heart today..................