This is a short summary of the key points made by Pastor Robert Taylor during his sermon on 16 February 2013 at Santa Barbara Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church.

I believe you did not have a happy life.
I believe you were cheated.
I believe your best friends were loneliness and misery.
I believe your busiest enemies were anger and depression.
I believe joy was a game you could never play without stumbling.
I believe comfort, though you craved it, was forever a stranger.
I believe music had to be melancholy or not at all.
I believe no trinket, no precious metal, shone so bright as your brightness.
I believe you lay down at last in your coffin none the wiser and unassuaged.
Oh, cold and dreamless under the wind, amoral, reckless peaceful flowers of the hillside.

Poem by Mary Oliver
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry

Memorial Day 2012

There is an excellent program honoring our fallen military members on PBS this coming Sunday evening at 8pm. God bless the men and women who have given all for our nation. May they rest in peace until the Lord Jesus returns! Pay your respects and remember what this holiday stands for and be safe! In the mean time, here is a patriotic video for you to enjoy:

When I was young and serving in the US Air Force over in West Germany, my father was engaged in construction projects overseas. He had me meet him in Vienna, Austria one Christmas. We went to see the Nutcracker and the Vienna Orchestra. I have enjoyed classical music ever since.

Many years ago I was thirsty for the peace that my grandparents and father had in their lives. I asked God to make the peace that my relatives had available to me. My life was a disaster and I knew there was a better way. Over time, I found the best friend anyone can ever have…Jesus…I am on my way to Sabbath School now to learn how to be more like my best friend !

New Pastor Begins Serving

Today was a special day at the Santa Barbara Seventh-day Adventist Church. Pastor Robert Taylor and his wife began serving as the pastoral team.

Time

Here is a good reflection from an elder’s message at church this past Sabbath. The message he gave comes from 2 Chronicles 7:14.

We are either controlled by Satan or by God. My choice is to get on my knees, pray, seek God’s grace and watch what I allow into my mind each day. All humans know what is evil and not of God.

I recently attended a revival service at Ojai Valley Seventh-day Adventist Christian church. Dennis Priebe is a revivalist and he gave a presentation on Justification. You can read his website that gives a much deeper explanation by going to his website below:

This was our closing song at Ventura Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church today, 18 February 2012. Our pastor Jim Ayars preached about Luke 4: 31-37. This Christian hymn always moves me to tears. We had Kay Cushman playing the organ. The video is by Amy Grant and she is playing a guitar. Praise You Lord Jesus!

I was blessed this morning at church. Our Sabbath School Superintendent is a very talented artist, musician, and writer. She reported about a goal she began at the beginning of 2012. Each morning, she reads from the Book of Psalms. She reflects on Psalms before beginning the day. Here is a powerful concept that she shared with us today:

For many years, Alaska Airlines has placed a small prayer card of one of the Psalms on the meal trays on its flights. Six years ago, Alaska discontinued meal service in coach class but continued to serve meals in first class. One customer complained and the airline has had several comments over the past few years. You can read the short story on MSN’s site below:

Overhead Bin

Amazing Facts

Just a short note tonight to all my blog readers from around the world. I appreciate your being a loyal reader and subscriber. I have added a goal of more interaction with my blogs in 2012. I am going to continue my focus on healthy living and health.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you or someone you know. I am not a medical provider. I am just sharing knowledge that I have acquired from my own efforts at living a healthy life. I wish you a safe, prosperous, and Happy New Year!

Grandpa’s Hands

I’ll never look at my hands the same!   
  Grandpa, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. He didn’t move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands.
  When I sat down beside him he didn’t acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat, I wondered if he was OK.  
 
  Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was OK.
He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for asking,” he said in a clear strong voice.
  “I didn’t mean to disturb you, Grandpa, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,” I explained to him.   
 
  “Have you ever looked at your hands,” he asked. “I mean really looked at your hands?”
  I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making.   
 
  Grandpa smiled and related this story: “Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled, and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.
 
   • They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.
   • As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.
   • They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.
   • They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent.
   • They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son.
   • Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.
   • They trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse and walked my daughter down the aisle.
   • They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body.
   • They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw.
   • And to this day, when not much of anything else of me works real well, these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.
   • These hands are the mark of where I’ve been and the ruggedness of my life.
   • But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home.
   • And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.”
 
  I will never look at my hands the same again. I remember God reached out and took my grandpa’s hands and led him home.
 
When my hands are hurt or sore I think of Grandpa. I know he has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.
 
  When you receive this, say a prayer for the person who sent it to you and watch God’s answer to prayer work in your life.
  Let’s continue praying for one another .
 
  Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both.   
  Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christ would have done.

Author unknown. Came as an email from a close friend.
 

Healthy Breakfast

Oats are an excellent breakfast food because oats contain no cholesterol. Try this easy recipe and enjoy with some fresh fruit or pure maple syrup. It does cost a little more for pure syrup so I just cut down on the amount of food I eat and eliminated all animal products so I can afford to have the best pure Vermont maple syrup on a healthy waffle or pancake.

Ingredients

Lightly spray waffle iron with vegetable oil. Read the instructions that came with your waffle iron as mine says do not use spray oils on the iron.

Pour in enough batter to reach edges and cook until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes without lifting lid.

Recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D. found in Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.