The Tablecloth - A True Story

      I had chosen my blog topic for today and somewhat written it in my head during the night (insomnia -a common side-effect of having a Decadron injection yesterday for pain.)  But, omeone sent me this in my email this morning.  It said it is a true story. God is so good in so many ways; I hope a reader somewhere out there gets as much as I did from this...

   The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church  in suburban Brooklyn,  arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw  their church, it was very run down and needed  much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.  By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week.  He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home. That was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

 What a wonderful service they had on Christmas  Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the

 pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike? He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he

forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to

 take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

 He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

 True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid

     Contrary to popular belief, this quotation doe not appear in the Bible.  It is, however, a quotable quote:  "God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform."

SHALOM  Y'ALL - TWYLA

Valentines Day - Day of Lust, Not Love

What does that "heart" shape really mean?

This information can be easily verified at your local library or on the internet. Don't take my word for it; look it up.  You will find even more details than I am including in this post. Each year on February 14th  millions of people celebrate a day known as “St. Valentine’s Day.” Countless heart-shaped cards and boxes of chocolates are given as gifts. Even churches have Valentine parties on this so-called “Day of Love.”  People of all ages get into the act, from school-age children  on up to  elderly folks.

,,,the heart is deceitful above all things...

Sadly,  most people never question the origin of the customs that they involve themselves with; they don't ask questions.  They do what everybody else is doing, never stopping to consider how God feels about these activities. When we consider that Valentine’s Day is a day of preoccupation with the heart, it is essential that we listen to the following words spoken by the Almighty, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his wages, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 Christians should be known by their discernment and should be asking questions regarding Valentine’s Day. What is the origin of this unusual day? Why is there a preoccupation with the color red? Where did the heart shape come from, and what does it mean?

 The ancient Romans believed that every month had a spirit and that this spirit  gained  strength and reached its maximum power in the middle of the month. This was usually the 15th day, and it was a day when witches and augurs, or soothsayers worked their magic.  Since February  had only 28 days, the ides of February became the 14th day of that month.   February 14th was called “Lupercalia” or “day of the wolf.” This was a day that was "sacred" to the sexual frenzy of the goddess Juno.
This day also honored the Roman gods, Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary twin brothers, Romulus and Remus,who were said to have founded Rome.. These two are also said to have been suckled by wolves in a cave on Palatine Hill in Rome. The cave was called Lupercal and was the center of the celebrating on the eve of Lupercalia or February 14th. On this day, Lupercalia, which was later named Valentine’s Day, the Luperci or priests of Lupercus dressed in goatskins for a bloody ceremony. The priests of Lupercus, the wolf god, would sacrifice goats and a dog and then smear themselves with blood. These priests, made red with sacrificial blood, would run around Palatine Hill in a wild frenzy swinging a bloody strip of  goatskin  called a “februa.”


Women would sit all around the hill, as the bloody priests would strike them with the goatskin strips to make them fertile. The young women would then gather in the city and their names were put in boxes. These “love notes” were called “billets.” The men of Rome would draw a billet, and the woman whose name was on it became his sexual lust partner with whom he would fornicate until the next Lupercalia or February 14th.


Thus, February 14th became a day of unbridled sexual lust.
The color “red” was sacred to that day because of the blood and the “heart shape” that is popular to this day. The heart-shape was not a representation of the human heart, which looks nothing like it. This shape represents the human female matrix.
When the Gnostic Catholic Church began to get a foothold in Rome around the 3rd century A.D., they became known as Valentinians. The  Valentinians retained the sexual license of the festival in what they called “angels in a nuptial chamber”, which was also called the “sacrament of copulation.” This was said to be an reenactment of the marriage of “Sophia and the Redeemer.” As the participants of the February 14th ritual began their sexual sacrament, presided over and watched by the priests known as Valentinians, the following literary was spoken: “Let the seed of light descend into thy bridal chamber, receive the bridegroom… open thine arms to embrace him. Behold, grace has descended upon thee.”
As time went on, the Orthodox Church suppressed the Gnostic Catholics and manufactured “St. Valentine”, whose day continues to be celebrated in these modern times.

...but, it looks so innocent...

Once a Believer in Christ realizes what "Valentines Day" really is, he or she should avoid participating in this holiday.  In God’s eyes, it is still “Lupercalia”, the “Day Of The Wolf.” Men become wolves, as they carry on the Satanic rituals of fornication.  We must ask ourselves, “Should a true Believer be associated in any way with this celebration?  Romans 12:2 answers this very well, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”




Not everyone loves St. Valentine
The religious police in Saudi Arabia, in 2002 and 2008, banned the sale of all Valentine's Day related items. The police warned shop workers to remove any items colored red as they consider Valentine's Day a Christian holiday. In 2008 this ban created a black market for roses and wrapping paper.
In Pakistan, the Jamaat-e-Islami political party has called for the banning of the holiday. Despite this declaration the celebration of Valentine's Day has grown increasingly popular. Florists are expected to sell a large amount of flowers, especially red roses.
In Iran, the celebration of Valentine's Day has been harshly criticized by conservatives who see the day as opposed to Islamic culture. The Iranian printing works owners' union, in 2011, issued a directive banning the printing and distribution of any goods promoting the Valentine's holiday such as cards, gifts, teddy bears, posters, boxes printed with hearts or red roses. Activities promoting the holiday are also banned. The union warned that "Outlets that violate this will be legally dealt with."
It is a shame that the Islamic religious leaders find offense in Valentines Day, while our so-called Christian nation continues to celebrate it.

So, does it  REALLY MATTER?

Are you caught in a web of deceit?

Does it matter that an ancient festival used to worship pagan gods and promote fertility was adopted by the church and used to worship the God of the Bible? Does God really CARE what customs are used to worship and honor Him or what holidays we celebrate?
Notice the following warning God gave to Israel: "When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I  also will do likewise.' You shall NOT worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods . . . " (Deuteronomy 12:29-31, NKJV)   Note that the issue in this passage is NOT the worship of other gods. The warning is to not adopt CUSTOMS used to worship or honor other gods in order to worship the One True God.
Valentine's day and its symbols are rooted in the worship of false gods and has no Biblical basis. Those who celebrate Valentine's Day and consider themselves believers in the God of the Bible need to take a prayerful look at no longer observing the holiday.  Ignorance of the facts is one thing, but, now that you know, what are you going to do about it?

Shalom  Y'all - Twyla

Anybody Need a Used UFO Detector?

 
  It's a bitter cold rainy day up here in the mountains. It sleeted during the night, but is now a steady, cold rain. Not exactly the kind of day where one would want to go outside unless it's entirely necessary... This morning I had a big energy spurt wherein I cooked several pieces of chicken, made a huge Johnny Marzetti casserole, made homemade cole slaw, and made up 2 or 3 days worth of dog food. But now, all I want to do is sit around, trying to stay warm... thinking about getting back into bed and watching a movie. Maybe.


 Meanwhile, Moshe and I were  "surfing the Web", when he found an item on Amazon.com.   I kid you not, this item is actually listed on Amazon.  The price is $149.99.  It is a UFO Detector. I have used the "Copy & Paste" tool to give y'all some direct quotes, including the product description and a few product reviews.

this item is listed on Amazon.com

Product Description
"Do UFO's; Unidentified Flying Objects exist? Of course they exist! UFO sightings are reported all over the globe by thousands of people. The real question is whether UFO's are interstellar vehicles visiting Earth? Most UFO sightings can be classified as misidentified aircraft, planets or other aerial phenomena, but not all of them. There is that small percentage of UFO reports that can't be explained by any known aircraft or natural phenomena. It is this small percentage of reports that create an exciting possibility. Over the years the small percentage of real UFO sightings have reported magnetic and electromagnetic disturbances. The UFO Detector is designed to sense these disturbances and will signal their presence by flashing an LED and beeping. The elegantly designed transparent plastic case is a handsome sculptured conversation piece that's allows one to see the electronics inside the case. Suitable for display on a desk, shelf or bedroom dresser. Size is approximately 3.25" dia. by 5.75" tall. Uses 9V lithium battery (not included)."

"Alien abduction"

Product Review:
"I wasn't really sure when I ordered this if it was going to actually help me identify overhead UFO's, but by gosh, it does the trick. You see, I'm a taxi driver and as I drive people around I sometimes get these odd feelings, and I wasn't sure if it was that my passengers were creeping me out, or if some other sinister force was at work. I installed this on my dashboard, and as we approached EPCOT (A Disney theme park) this thing started to go off like crazy! Yes, the "Spaceship Earth" as they call it at EPCOT is in fact a real UFO. As a nation, we have been led to believe that Disney is all about make-believe and fairy tales, but I tell you folks, WATCH OUT! I can't wait to take this with me when my family and I head down to area 51 this summer. Any other ideas of places I should check out?"

Product Review: "Do not buy this so called "UFO detector". It's not a detector at all, it's a transmitter. A wireless transmitter with a direct link to the government. Don't you think they'd love to keep tabs on all the true believers our there? They want to know who you are, and what you're doing at all times. They know you're on to them. Aliens exist, but they're not like you see in the movies. Silicon based life-forms. It's been a cover up for years. Now, in a near transparent ploy, the government is tracking down everyone who knows about the 'others' through the one product that all of them would buy. A genuine UFO detector. It's so obvious that it hurts my brain just thinking about it. You buy this product; the next day guys in suits show up at your front door (you can't run, there's a guy at the back door too). If I can only figure out a way to reverse engineer it." 

So, there you have it... The product description and two of the twenty-six product reviews for this item!  For your further reading enjoyment, just go to Amazon.com, type in UFO Detector, and read the reviews to your hearts content! There was even a book advertised in the recommendations column.  It was titled, "How to Make the Best of an Alien Abduction". I took advantage of the "look inside" option that Amazon sometimes has for its books. The page it opened to gave this little gem of advice: "When an alien offers to press your palm, reciprocate, always remembering that it will be for the better the brotherhood of all created beings."

Gee, ya' think the UFO's caused all this nasty weather???

SHALOM  Y'ALL - TWYLA

The Newest Weather Vane

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

     "A weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. Although partly functional, weather vanes are generally decorative, often featuring the traditional cockerel design with letters indicating the points of the compass. Other common motifs include ships, arrows and horses. Not all weather vanes have pointers.

  

  


      The word 'vane' comes from the Anglo-Saxon word 'fane' meaning 'flag'.  The design of a wind vane is such that the weight is evenly distributed each side of the surface, but the surface area is unequally divided, so that the pointer can move freely on its axis. The side with the larger surface area is blown away from the wind direction, so that the smaller side, with the pointer, is pivoted to face the wind direction. Most wind vanes have directional markers beneath the arrow, aligned with the geographic directions.
    

Wind vanes, especially those with fanciful shapes, do not always show the real direction of a very gentle wind. This is because the figures do not achieve the necessary design balance: an unequal surface area but balanced in weight. To obtain an accurate reading, the wind vane must be located well above the ground and away from buildings, trees, and other objects which interfere with the true wind direction. Changing wind direction can be meaningful when coordinated with other apparent sky conditions, enabling the user to make simple short range forecasts. From the street level the size of many weathercocks is deceptive."

  

       So, there you have it... most people who have weather vanes have them as weather vains... get it?  A vanity item to decorate one's home or barn or chicken coop...
     There was a time when I was a big-time collector of many things... angels, teacups and saucers, cat figurines, fancy bells, fancy plates, Depression glass, baskets, dolls... to name only a few.  I lived in a big old house which lent itself to my collections.  Every room had a collection or two (or three, or four, or more...)  It was a fun hobby, decorating that old house, using the collections, yet making it cozy and inviting, not museum-like.

  

       But, one thing I've never owned even one of is a weather vane!  I can remember thinking it would be interesting to have one in the kitchen.  Or outside.  But, I never did it.  So, imagine my utmost surprise and pleasure when God gave me my very own weather vane yesterday afternoon.  I have an old doll house that sits on the back porch.  It originally was used for the cats to sleep in for protection from the weather, but CassPurr hasn't  taken to that idea, so we filled it with spare fire wood - easily in reach in case of ice or snow.  Yesterday, when I came back from grocery shopping, Cogburn  jumped up on top of the doll house and posed.  I was able to get several shots before more of the chickens decided to join him.
     Cool, huh?

Shalom Y'all - Twyla

 

How Do You Make a Chicken Diaper?

  

Moshe with the blue coffee container and some of the Peeps

      Up here in the North Georgia Mountains we have experienced a brief reprieve from the weather the past few days.  It has been a blessing, a time to enjoy the outdoors, a break from the constant vigilance of tending the wood stove.  Moshe has been letting the chickens out of the arks every afternoon so that they can forage for seeds, greens, and any bugs that are still in the ground.  They are so funny!  This afternoon when I came home from town, they all ran to meet the Jeep.  They might be "dumb animals", but they sure do know who we are, what our routine is, etc..... They recognize the sound of our voices.  If I stand in the dining room and look out at the Peeps' coop, they look at me and - literally - jump straight up and down! And the older chickens come a' runnin' when either of us is carrying the  blue coffee can that we tote their chicken pellets or cracked corn in.
  

they will eat out of our hands

      So, Sunday morning I had this idea... The "Peeps" are growing up, and it bothered me that they stay cooped up (no pun intended) all the time, while the older chickens wander by.  I suggested to Moshe that we let them out to graze the yards as well.  After a brief discussion of the pros and cons, we decided we would try it, and, if need be, physically put them back in their coop at dusk.  It has been hilarious watching their antics the past few days.  The roosters are definitely  displaying competitive rooster behaviors;  Cogburn was even silly enough to challenge Brewster - our big old rooster who is more than double Cogburns' size.  Some of the peeps couldn't quite figure out how to get out of the coop the first couple days,  but today they had no problem.
  

Chicken Little is in the far left of this photo

      All of them - with the exception of Chicken Little - knew right away how to get back into the coop for the night.  Every evening Chicken Little roosts in the boxwoods next to the back porch, and, every evening I get her out of the boxwoods, cuddle her for a few moments, then place her in the coop with Pretty Face and all the Peeps.
     A couple months ago I wrote about the strange way that we got Chicken Little.  At the time, we assumed that she was a "Peep", about the same age as all our other Peeps... Now I'm not so sure... All the other Peeps have grown, but she is still just the same.  The other chicks are two to three times her size.  It's so ironic that I named her "Chicken Little"!  I named her that because she seemed to fall out of the sky and into our yard.  But now her name is even more appropriate.  She is the cutest little bird I've ever met!!!  I'm wondering if she might not be a year or two old... not a Peep at all...
     I told Moshe I'd like to figure out a way to make diapers for her and keep her inside as a pet.  That didn't go over real big for some reason...
      SHALOM  Y'ALL - TWYLA

Sad, Sad News

  

      


   Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly.  He was 71.
 





    
      Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin.  Dozens of  celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch.  The grave site was piled high with flours.
  




      Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who knew how much he was kneaded.  Born and bread in Minnesota, Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers.  He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.
  





      Doughboy is survived ny his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough, and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven.  He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.
  
     The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

  

      If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take the time to pass it on.  Share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift!

          SHALOM  Y'ALL - 
    
             TWYLA

The REAL Tea Party!

Mom & Dad's dog, "Puppy"

     Okay.  The Tea Party is in the news daily.  But, I would like to share the REAL Tea Party news with you...
  
     When my daughter was about to turn 21, she was in a state of deep depression.  Only 3 weeks prior, her fiance had died in a freak accident;  he had been her high school sweetheart; they were best friends; they were prom king and queen. She was in a state of absolute shock, severe grief, heartache.  She lost a lot of weight.  Her hands shook.  She was a wreck.
     And, here comes her 21st birthday...  HOW could I make my daughter smile?  And then, I got this crazy idea.  I have no idea where this idea came from, but I decided to have a "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" for her birthday.  I invited tons of people; almost everyone who was invited attended.  I gathered up all my grandmothers' old jewelry, my own costume jewelry, every scarf, every costume, every hat, every chunk of flashy fabric I could find...

yesterday's Tea Party

  
       I decorated  the buffet table with crumpled table linens, extra jewelry, little angels, Kewpie dolls, wrapped candies, you-name-it.  The menu was even topsy-turvy, including a punch bowl full of fruit salad - big wedges, including the rinds. Colorful mini-sandwiches.  Several teapots with various types of tea.  A giant pot of hot chocolate. No paper plates and cups for this party! Everyone got a china plate and a fancy teacup and saucer from my vast collection of same.  No two teacups were alike, and most of the plates were only duplicated once or so... There was no set pattern to anything, yet, it was artistically balanced and a feast for the eyes.

Moshe & me at an earlier Tea Party

      The invitations instructed everyone to wear a hat of some sort, and included the "warning" that if you did not arrive wearing a hat, one would be provided.  As the guests arrived, everyone was instructed to "help" each other get "dolled up".  Matchy-matchy would not be tolerated.  Ohhh, the ladies got into the spirit!  We had the tackiest bunch of outfits one could never imagine.  Towards the end of the party, each guest had their photo taken by yours truly.  We had a wonderful wall that my daughter had painted with giant flowers;  this became "the portrait wall".  Each person was also instructed to bring a talent.  It could be a serious talent or something silly.  Some people sang or played piano, some recited funny poems, one little girl wrote an original song that she sang for my daughter.  It was great.
     The party lasted for about five hours!  Never before had there been so much laughter at a get-together.  The party was a hit.  My daughter escaped her pain for a few hours, not only smiling but laughing.  A lot.  I am certain that she - and many others who were grieving the loss of Jeff - appreciated the craziness of that tea party.
  

Hayley, a young guest a few years ago...

      Since then I have had many, many tea parties.  Often they were dinner parties in which the startled guests  were surprised by my coming to the door in tea-party attire, and announcing that they were going to have to dress up, too!  Sometimes they were planned events - birthday parties,  wedding showers, baby showers, even a couple of Sunday school parties.  There was always the element of surprise for at least some of the guests.  I dropped the idea of the talent show, because it took a lot of time.  And the food and table decorations aren't always as crazy as that first celebration.  One time a couple  friends dropped by unannounced during a tea party... The guests all pitched in and decorated my hapless friends;  I got out a couple more plates, etc., and those two girlfriends never forgot that experience!
     Every time,  no matter how young or old;  male or female; mad, sad, or glad;  every person in attendance spends the majority of tea party time laughing.  It is a trip back to childhood wherein one can laugh at themselves and at each other with an innocence long since past.  Worries about weight or age vanish.
  

cutting the cake... Like father, like son???

       So, THAT is the real tea party!  Yesterday, we had our most recent tea party.  It was a belated birthday party for my brother, Rick.  We had a spaghetti dinner, homemade bread, a big tossed salad, OMG cake, and lots of gooey ice cream.  And, of course, there were the tea pots full of spiced tea for our fancy tea cups.
Over the years I have accumulated  so much costume stuff that nowadays folks can wear outrageous outfits, with plenty to spare.
     Glenn Beck talks about the Tea Party almost every day.  And, I know he is pro-Tea Party.  But, I wish he could see one of THESE Tea Parties- Now THAT would be worth reporting on!

all the animals dressed up, too!

          SHALOM  Y'ALL-


              TWYLA