So here we are in July and almost at the end. Wow! I haven't written for a long time.  No matter, but today I thought that I'd put on paper some thoughts that I have. 

I went home at the end of June to see my family. It would have been two years this September since I saw them last. A long time, considering going home one or two times a year before the virus hit. I had planned for my son to come visit for a week in the summer and for me to go home in the winter two years ago. Well, that didn't happen then, but this summer, yes!! He came for a week and we had such a good time. We didn't do anything spectacular other than go to Tegucigalpa one day. We just rested, enjoyed each other's company, ate out a lot, watched some movies, etc. I went back home with him, and was able to spend some time with some grandkids that I usually don't see a lot. It was great. I also was able to celebrate one of my great-granddaughters first birthday on July 4th. I didn't visit the churches that I normally visit when I go home. This was a time for family and a few close friends. Some friends I didn't get to see due to the holiday and their visiting families. Maybe next time.

The Lord is so good. Christians say that all the time, but I wonder how many actually think about what it means on the day to day basis. He has done things for me that wouldn't mean anything to anyone else. And they would be considered small, insignificant things by many. But then I think about how He came into the world. He didn't come with flashing lights, blowing trumpets, or beating drums. He came in the night, in a stable which most people would shun. His coming was announced to some very humble, looked down upon, shepherds in a field. People look for Him to do big marvelous things that everybody can see. But my Heavenly Father takes care of me in every facet of my life. When my son and I flew back to the states, our seats weren't together. He had made his return flight before I made mine. But I had asked my Father to put us together if possible. When we were seated we were not together, but the man that I sat next to asked if I would trade places with his wife who was sitting behind him. I said if the stewardess would allow it, I would definitely trade with her. Sometimes they say no. I asked her and she told me yes. Well, guess who was sitting next to her? My son! So the Lord answered my prayer. Praise his holy name. This is just one of many things that He does for me everyday. Psalms says that my times are in His hands. That doesn't just mean my birth and my death. It's everyday! And when I returned back to HN, I had three seats! I had the middle one and the ones on each side of me were empty! Now that's a first! However, there was a young lad that wanted to sit near his folks and there wasn't any seats nearby. I told the stewardess that he could use one of "mine." So that worked out perfectly.

And I thought how stupid it was that everybody had to wear a mask. What for? Everybody on that flight had to have a negative Covid test or they couldn't fly. It is so sad what we, the people, are allowing to take place in our private lives. And have you seen the advertisements that say soon we will own nothing and how happy we will be? Really? Somebody has to own whatever it is that we aren't supposed to own. People really need to wake up and start asking questions. I remember watching a movie many years ago called Soylent Green.  My daughter called one day and said, "Mom, Soylent Green, understand?" I did. So now, the big wigs, whoever they are, are talking about trans humanism. Wow? Have you seen the movie, Divergent? Maybe the gene therapy is the beginning of something of this nature. You think? Paul warned us that in the last days there would be perilous times. I believe we are in them. 

SO Christians, where do we stand? On God's word or the people that make the rules that govern our lives? If we believe what God says, we don't have to fear. Psalms 91 gives us so many promises about the Lord's protecting us from so many calamities. Do we believe Him? Or do we fear all these things that are coming our way? If our times are in His hands like He says, then why do we fear? Why do we trust Him to save our souls if we don't believe Him to protect our bodies/lives? Our God is a mighty powerful being who has control over ALL things because he created and owns them. The enemy has been given a time to do his evil with those that don't believe or trust in the only true God. So, we, the children of the most high God, must stand our ground even as those before us did. 

May the Lord bless and keep you.

Mat.25:31-34 ...and he shall set the sheep on his right hand...

 I cannot believe that we are in the middle of April! But here we are and doing whatever we're supposed to be doing.

My heart breaks for the things that are happening in my country. I cannot believe that the people are allowing some of the things that are going on. I turned off the news last night because I'm so tired of hearing that everything that's happening is due to the color of a person's skin. I'm sick of it! It appears that there is nothing about what's right and what's wrong. There has always been and will be people that don't like a person due to the color of their skin, their religion, their political beliefs, race, etc. But for a government to feed into this kind of thinking is so totally wrong. I understand our history and where we are now. And when some of our leaders are talking about reparations, maybe they should go back to Africa and hold the tribes accountable for warring against each other and capturing and selling other tribe members to the slavers. And the US is not the only country that had slaves. You see how ridiculous all of this is? And the looting that takes place in our cities has nothing to do with the killing of certain peoples. It's all about greed and stealing what they don't want to pay for. And what is the government doing to stop it? Nothing that I can see. And many of the elected officials want to do away with the police force. I don't see them out there protecting the citizens and their businesses in these places. Are we going back to the Wild West? Everyone protecting themselves and then being hauled into court to face charges for doing so. The people in the US better wake up to what is happening. 

The first time that I heard of the new scourge, I thought bio-warfare. The world is not getting better, as sad as that is. But I think that the Lord Jesus Christ told us of these things when he was here on earth. So where is our faith? In the so-called vaccine which is not a true vaccine? Research it out. Or is it our faith in  God and his word? When the government tells you that you can't attend church or cannot sing if you do attend, what are they really doing? Christians need to wake up. They are so scared of this virus. Really? My Bible tells me that God didn't give us the spirit of fear, but love, power, and a sound mind. There are more promises in Psalms 91 than there are verses along with others. And why would people trust in this so-called vaccine when it cannot protect you from the virus and you still have to wear a mask and continue social distancing after receiving it? Something is desperately wrong here. So I asked myself if I wanted to die of probable side effects from this injection or the virus itself! I choose the virus if the Lord permits me to get it because He will either heal me here or take me home. Isn't that according to his word? 

I pray that when the Lord returns and is separating the sheep nations from the goat nations, that the US will be counted as a sheep nation. 

Love and peace.

What a day that will be!

Here we are on the Ides of March. It was not a good day for Julius Caesar many centuries ago. So how are we doing in this century? A good question, yes? Time will tell.

Last week was a very sad week for me. One of my dearest friends went home to be with our Lord and Savior. What a great day for her, but a very sad one for her family and other loved ones. But isn't it great to know that we will see our loved ones again if they are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, what  a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see... I keep saying, Come on Lord, but I know that it isn't time yet.

Not much is going on here. I have two new students starting tomorrow night. It's my landlord and his son. His daughter speaks good English, and his son is learning. I know that he had started taking lessons somewhere in Tegucigalpa with whomever, but I don't know what happened. Maybe it was the so called pandemic like everything else. He has his own air conditioning business, and he and his wife are very good people. Good landlords! He will pray with you at the drop of a hat if need be. We need more men like him.

Pastor had a really good message on Sunday. He hit a lot of different areas, and you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was awesome. Oh, that he continue with such.

Yesterday was the primary elections. I asked why it was always on Sunday, and I was told that more people have that day off from work. 

My friend told me that you can get a Covid test here in Valle in the morning and get the results back that afternoon. That's really fast. They draw your blood, ship it by bus to Tegus to a lab, and the results come back on the bus the same day. I have to check it out! Not that I'm very excited about all this stuff.  I always wear the mask  in the stores etc., because it's mandated to do so. But when I come out of there, off it comes. Last week I was out of the store, rearranging some things in my bag, and I looked up to see the fellow that takes your temp, making a motion for me to put my mask back on.  So I asked him why I needed it. I told him that he had his on and another gentleman standing next to him had his on, too, and that  his mask protected him from me, and it protected me from him, so why did I need one? It was so funny because the next thing I saw was him and the other man taking theirs off!!! I just laughed! Of course he put his back on in order to do his job, but really people? And there is no real scientific proof that masks protect us. So crazy, all this stuff.

Well, I'd better get off of here and finish making my chicken soup. Dios le bendiga!

Grace and peace,

Beverly

And we know that ALL things work together for good...

 We are now into the first week of February, 2021. I remember thinking as a young child that the year 2000 would never come. It was just impossible. What did I know? 

Wow! I can't believe the things that are taking place in the USA! Truly, we are living in perilous times. 2 Tim.3:1. The hypocrisy is totally unbelievable. So as Christians, where do we stand and what is our attitude? 

I never really understood Ps.2:1-2 until I came to Honduras. I guess in my mind that I never included the US in that category. After all, we have one of the best and longest lasting constitution in the world and we were considered to be a Christian nation. (And I know that the Lord is not a respecter of people or nations). But our nation as a whole has turned its back on the Lord. The things that we allow now were not allowed when I was a child. Even people that didn't claim to be a Christian were against the things that we allow now. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Abortions of babies before and the killing after delivery, homosexuality, the nasty music, and the nakedness in videos, etc. were not accepted in the general public. Bad/dirty language was not generally accepted. And church goers were not harassed or vilified. Missionaries were sent out to other places in the world to teach Jesus regardless of the danger many times. When God called, you went. Presidents were respected whether you liked him or not. Illegal drugs were just that, illegal. I could go on and on. But it just makes me sad to see what is happening in my country.

But the other day, the Lord reminded me of Rom.8:28 when I was truly getting upset about all the things that I saw happening. It says, And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. And all means all. We are told in many places in the Bible to give thanks for ALL things. One is 1 Thes.5:18. Why give thanks? Because God is truly working out his will in this world, not ours. He tells us in 2 Tim.1:7 that he didn't give us a spirit of fear. People are so fearful today even Christians. That bothers me. Where is our faith? If the Lord doesn't protect us, there isn't anything or anyone else that can do it. Not even a vaccine! 

And now? Well, I praise the Lord that the curfew to stay home except for one day a week has been lifted!!! The only curfew now is from 9 pm to 5 am. Of course you still have to wear a mask which of course does nothing to protect you according to "real" science. A friend and I go to Tegucigalpa just about every Friday morning. We hadn't been able to do that for many months. And we have to have our temps checked, use the gel, and step on a wet disinfected pad before entering the stores or restaurants. Of course we sit right next to each other on the bus. Go figure!!!

A month are so ago, we started having church at my house! Thank you, Jesus!! It's outside on my patio and in the yard. Everybody wears a mask and is socially distanced and uses the hand gel.  Yesterday we had 27 people including children. I had told my pastor before we started meeting at my house, that if Jesus could preach outside, so could he! And bless his heart, he's doing it. He plays his guitar, and we all sing along with him. It's great. And then we hear God's word.

I have another new student. She is 22. It was interesting last week when she was telling me that she was praying and telling the Lord that she wanted to learn English. I was in my house telling the Lord that I wanted more students. And bless his holy name, he put us together. Thank you, Pastor Dago. He had told her about me. Our lives truly are in God's hands.

So now, I must get ready for a student. Thank you Lord for everything that you're doing in my life and the lives of your people.

Grace and peace to you all.

 Much has happened in the last two days. On Sunday, some of our church people met here at my house to hear our pastor preach the word.  And yesterday morning, one of our beloved pastors went to be with the Lord.

Some weeks ago ago, I said to my pastor that if Jesus could teach/preach outside, then so could he.  So this past week, he came and said that we would have church on Sunday morning at ten o'clock at my house.  I asked him how many were coming and he told me that he didn't know. Well, lo and behold, there were about seventeen including a few children. It was so awesome to sing praises to the Lord along with  the pastor while he played the guitar. Of course, everybody was wearing their masks, and using the gel to wash their hands when they came through the gate. I didn't wear mine, but I will this week. From all the research that I've done, the masks really don't do anything to protect you, they simply make people feel safer. But to make people feel more at ease, I will concede. So we all sat outside on my patio and listened to the pastor. After he finished, those that were sick were prayed for. Everybody was so happy to be "in church" again. To be able to see and talk to each other. You know, it was the Lord that said it wasn't good that Adam should be alone. He made us to be social creatures. Everybody needs their "alone" time, but we also need to be around people. And we had not been together since March 15 of this year. That's a long time. But aren't we thankful that the Lord said that He would never leave or forsake us? Even when we don't have each other, He is always with us to hear us, teach us, and love us. I thank him so much for his written word that He will use it to speak us always.

So yesterday, I heard that Pastor Miguel Montoya in Tegucigalpa went to be with the Lord. He was the pastor of CEAD church in Tegucigalpa. He had been in the hospital a couple of weeks with covid.  He will be missed by so many people. I went to his church several times and one of the first sermons that I heard after coming here was a sermon preached by his wife, Jackie. I didn't know much Spanish at all at that time, but I understood her message. I think the title was, "In Spite Of..." That's the English translation, but I've never forgotten it. The church has around 8,000 members now.  Of course it wasn't that big in 2009. But life goes on, yes? I know that the Lord has a plan for Jackie and CEAD, and it's a good plan even though we don't understand why Pastor Miguel was taken home at such an early age. He was 46, but people die at every age. Psalms 31 says that our (my) times are in the Lord's hands. And when our time is finished here, we will leave this physical world. But oh, what a world there is that is waiting for us!! To be with the Lord forever is a Christian's desire. So we will see Pastor Miguel again along with others that have gone on before us. But our greatest joy will be seeing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mark 9:24 Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

 Well, here we are finishing eight months of lockdown. So crazy! This past week the Honduran government lifted the lockdown due to humanitarian efforts for those adversely affected by hurricane Eta. If they can lift the lockdown for that reason, why can't they discontinue it altogether?? It makes no sense. Oh, the people aren't going to be infected due to humanitarian efforts. Really? So what is really going on behind these lockdowns? People need to be thinking about what is really happening instead of being overcome by fear.

Fear is the greatest weapon of the enemy. I know that this sounds a little crazy, but watching movies is one  of my favorite pastimes. And I've noticed that whatever movie it is, when something awful is about to happen, the person becomes so fearful that they cannot act to save themselves or do whatever they need to do to master the situation whether that means to flee or stand and fight. I always ask myself, what would I do in that situation? There are many avenues to learning if we are open minded and want to understand a lot of things.

I praise the Lord Jesus Christ that I am a child of God. He tells us in 2 Tim.1:7 that he hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but love, power, and a sound mind. So why are so many Christians so fearful? Nothing can happen to us unless the Lord permits it. Read Job. Many people blame the devil for all bad things. Well, he couldn't do anything to Job without the Lord's permission. It's the same for us today. God doesn't change. He's the same today, yesterday, and forever. The Lord is always preparing us for whatever. Even now, I wonder how we will use what we are learning and going through now in the future.  The Lord has a plan for everything, and it's always a good plan. The devil maybe the god of this world as the Bible tells us, but he doesn't own the world. God does. Hallelujah!! 

And what do we do if we become afraid of something? So many places in the Bible tells us to talk to the Lord about everything. He already knows our feelings, thoughts, fears, everything. Nothing is hidden from him. He knows everything about us, even things that we don't know about ourselves. My pastor and I were talking about faith last week. The Lord said if you have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed...Pastor said what if you don't. Well, I told him that I believe we should do the same thing as the man who brought his demon possessed son to the disciples. They couldn't deliver his son. And when the Lord asked the man if he believed that he, Jesus could do it, the man replied, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Faith is a gift of God. It isn't something that we can work up within ourselves. Ephesians 2:8.

Going to church should not take the place of an intimate relationship with the Lord. We have to have that. Many people go to church as does the devil. But what happens when we can't go there? Do we keep up our relationship with the Lord? He's the one that saved us, not the church. Yes, we need to not forsake the assemblies of ourselves as the Bible says, but if it's impossible to go, what do we do? Do we have a personal relationship with the Lord or do we have religion? The two are not the same. 

So the week before last, I was talking to the Lord and telling him that I didn't have any more coffee. I had made some and froze it due the possibility of losing electricity which we did for 4 nights and 3 days and even sometimes during those 3 days. I usually have coffee in the morning and the afternoon. It was afternoon and I didn't have any. So I was talking to Him about it and said that I would make more when the electricity came back on. All is ok. A few minutes after that, I heard someone banging on my metal gate since they couldn't use the electric bell. When I opened the gate, there stood my pastor in the rain with a hot cup of coffee! I was amazed! We just laughed as we hugged each other. And of course, I told him about my conversation with the Lord. What an awesome Heavenly Father I have! He cares about every little thing in my life and yours.  And He will show His care for us in so many different ways if we believe He is who He says He is and trust Him in all and every situation. I don't have coincidences in my life. Do you?

Grace and peace from our Savior Jesus Christ!

 I've decided not to watch the news more than one time a day. Why? It makes me sick! What has happened to the people in the USA? The news is a major gossip outlet. It's all about their personal opinions. When I hear that president Trump will speak, I listen to him. I don't listen to the news reporters afterward. Why? Because I can understand the English language and what he said. The things that are said on all the talking shows are horrible. The sport teams now talking about staying in the locker rooms while the National Anthem is being played is - I don't have a word to describe it. If these people are so against the country where they were born and made all their money, why don't they go to a socialist/communistic country?   The above was written in September and I didn't finish it because I was so frustrated with the events.

Now we are at the end of October, basically. We are now in the beginning of the 8th month of lockdowns. Since yesterday was Sunday, while I was talking to the Lord, I told him that I hadn't been to church in seven months, as if he didn't know.  And a little later, I was going through the tv channels when I hit upon channel 52 called Alfa and Omega, and lo and behold, there was a group of American gospel singers singing In the Everlasting Arms. I was absolutely overjoyed!! Our God is so good all the time as the song says. And when they finished their program, everything went to Spanish including Dr. Charles Stanley's message. But I understood most so all was ok. The Lord always knows what I need and when I need it. And he always supplies as his word says. I'm so glad that I am his child. And now I'm learning the song God Is Good in Spanish. 

Not much else is happening here. I get to go out tomorrow, and I'm hoping that the post office will be  open so I can find out if Honduras is accepting international mail again especially since I rented a box here.

My daughter-in-law was just diagnosed with Covid, so I'm praying that the Lord will grant her a speedy recovery and that my son and granddaughter don't get it.

So until later, be blessed in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Ps.46:10 Be still, and know that I am God...

Today is rather a special day. It's my brother's birthday. If he were alive, we would be celebrating his 78th. However, he died five years ago, but I think of him so often. I used to call him every month and so many times we would just giggle. I remember telling him that I was calling him long distance and all we're doing is laughing and that  we needed  to be talking about something and that made us giggle even more! It makes me laugh now when I think about those times. What pleasant memories I have of him and those times.

Here we are ending our sixth month of lockdown. Who would have thought! However, now we are allowed to leave our homes every ten days instead of every two weeks because they've opened up  Saturday and Sunday. And the little taxis are now operating here in Valle. I love that since I can use one coming home while carrying groceries.  

A couple of weeks ago I went to our little post office here to see if I could receive mail, etc. Sure enough, I can. I was able to rent a mailbox. Always before, if I had mail, it would go to the PIEDAD  post office  box in Tegucigalpa. Now there is no traveling to Tegucigalpa except for "essential" workers, etc. and the post office is downtown. So having a box here will be much better when mail can once again enter the country.  Yeah, there is no international mail entering the country. Isn't that the craziest thing especially since they've opened the national and international airports? I told my son to let me know when he sends me a letter so I'll know how many days it takes to get here. The young lady at the post office told me 12-15 days. We'll see.

All this time in our homes. I've been thinking about what I've learned. Probably the first thing is to be still, Ps.46:10. The next is to be content 1Tim.6:8, and Phil.4:11 as Paul said and to give thanks in all things,  Eph.5:20. I've been so thankful that I don't live in an apartment. I have a house with a front and back yard. So I can go outside and walk around. Many times I've thought of how much worse this could be: no food or water in the stores, and not being able to go to the store, etc. I've also learned to be more dependent on the Lord instead of myself. I've learned that if he doesn't move, what can I do? I'm learning not to panic when I hear bad news because I've learned that he is in control of my life and he will show me what to do or not do. And when I do become fearful about something to stop and talk to him about the situation, my feelings, etc. And always his peace returns to me. That's another thing that I've learned over the years: his peace. When I don't have peace, I talk to him about whatever and he always answers by restoring his peace to me. God is so good. Never did he intend for us to be alone. His promise is to always be with us and to never forsake us regardless of what is going on in or around us. He is a good God.

In one of my many psychology classes years ago I heard that people need three things in their lives:somebody to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. I have people to love, and I look forward to to my student coming every Thursday afternoon and that also gives me something to do. You know the Lord will put us in a place to truly show us who He is and who we are! Now what does that have to do with what I first said? It's that we are so busy and hurry, hurry all the time that we truly don't count the so called little blessings that we do have. We are too busy trying to get more things or trying to do more things. I cannot find one place where the Lord told us to hurry up or to be busy doing all the time. I cannot find one place where Jesus was ever in a hurry. But the world and even the church says we have to be busy all the time. My daughter told me one time that I couldn't even watch a movie without being busy doing something like knitting, sewing, or crocheting. She was right because when I was a little girl and my grandparents got a television I was told sitting and watching it was a waste of time. So I learned to be doing something when watching TV. And I still do much of the time. Only now it's doing puzzles! It's a hard habit to break but I'm learning. Jesus showed me a long time ago that doing something with him is much different than doing something for him. If he's not in it, I don't want to be there. He also said that without him, we can do nothing. That is to say, nothing of spiritual value. And I've learned to walk to the store and downtown at a more leisurely gate instead of hurrying. It's the mind that makes our feet hurry. If we calm our minds, the body will follow. And it's so much better. I enjoy looking at all that God has created for us, and when I think of all the things that I see, I'm amazed at how awesome he truly is. We take these things for granted many times but when we stop to ponder the differences and how truly different they are, we see God in a different light. 

The Lord doesn't waste time or talent. In this time of lockdown, He has things to teach each one of us in our walk with him. And I give him thanks for what He's doing in this time even though I don't understand it all.

Grace and peace to all.

Does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the brave? Are we brave and free?

That song has been going through my mind for quite  a while this morning. It saddens my heart to see what is happening in the good ole US of A.  So all these people are bowing their knees to whom and for what? I've said, I'll only bow my knees to the Lord Jesus Christ. And the people of the US want these peoples knees on their necks like Mr. Floyd had his neck under that cop's knee? They'll end up just like Mr. Floyd. To whomever you bow, that will be your master. 

So I have been around black people all my life. In fact, in the really little town that I came from, there was only one black family. And everybody called them Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bill. She took care of just about every kid at one time or another in that town. I loved them. And Uncle Bill's funeral was the first funeral that I attended. I was in the third or fourth grade, and I went with my Grandma. And back then everybody kept Halloween. It was so different then. And when you wanted to go to Aunt Nancy's house, you had to stand under the street light that hung over the intersection of the street and call her name. She would recognize your voice, and tell you to come on in her yard. She had a shotgun standing next to her door. She wouldn't shoot you, but she would definitely scare you with it. Now why did she do that? Because back then most people didn't have indoor bathrooms. They had outside toilets, and some teenagers would go around town and tip them over. And every year somebody's toilet would end up in the center of town next to the train station. It makes me laugh now. However, one year my Grandpa came home for lunch and was telling my Grandma  that one of the guys that came into the elevator said that his toilet was tipped over. The only reason that he was a little upset was because his wife was in it when the boys tipped it over! Thank God that she wasn't hurt. 

I went to school with black kids. I lived in Pensacola, Florida for part of my fifth grade. One day my mom and I went to town to a restaurant for lunch. I couldn't understand why black people would get off the walk for us and they had different water fountains than we did. Neither did they eat in the same restaurant with us. When I asked my mom about this, she explained the segregation, etc. It literally hurt my heart. I couldn't even imagine such a thing. I thought about Aunt Nancy, and if she couldn't have come in with me to eat, I think that I might have caused a ruckus of some kind to be sure! How sad and shameful.

When I volunteered in a correctional facility for boys thirteen to eighteen years old, there were black and white kids. And do you know who showed the most respect for the workers there? The black kids. Some of the guards were black and they were fantastic fellows. I prayed for those kids and the guards if I knew there was some kind of problem affecting them. I helped in the special education classroom. And when I left there after three years, I had more farewell cards than I could count that were addressed "To Mom".  So my only really bad experience was with a back person was a fellow that was teaching a class at the university that had to do with the black culture. I signed up for the class because I thought it might help me know more about the black culture especially with the guys at the correctional facility. Boy, was I wrong about that. It was a small class and maybe there were three or four of us that were white. Well, after introductions, the teacher started singing this little ditty that was comparing the shades of black people, and it wasn't very nice. Talk about racism towards your own race!! When he finished, he was standing in front of me and told me that this is what I sang and taught my kids. I looked him straight in the eye and told him that I had never heard that song before. That was the first time ever, and that he must have taught it to his children because I had been around black people all my life and had never heard it. He never said much to me after that. Don't be accusing me of the things that you are doing. That class didn't help me at all, but it did show me for the first time in my life, the racism among the black people. What a shame!

I guess people, even Christians, don't admit that God created all the different peoples and their languages and that he loves them all. Jesus Christ died for every person ever born. And it's interesting that preachers don't talk about Moses marrying an Ethiopian lady. Miriam and Aaron didn't like it at all, especially Miriam. People need to read how the Lord dealt with that situation. He told the Israelites not to marry outside of the Israelite nation due to the gods that the other nations served. It had nothing to do with skin color. He knew that the wives and husbands would turn his people away from him.

So do we judge a person by the color of his skin or by his character? 

So what is to happen to our country? Will that star spangled banner yet wave over the land of the brave and free? Will we be a land of the brave and the free? Since when do we bow before those who stand against our constitution and the godly values that this flag stands for? When we give into the things that are against what our country stands for, we will lose the freedom that many of our citizens died to protect. But at the same time, as a whole, the US has turned it's back on the God that created this country to be a light to the world. And He is no respecter of persons or countries. Remember what happened to Israel when they turned their backs on God. If we, the people of the US, do not turn back to God, we too will be forsaken. There are blessings from the Lord to those that serve and obey him and curses to those who don't. He gave promises to both groups. Read Deuteronomy 28. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is a God of love, mercy, and forgiveness. And He will not force anyone to accept him. He will not go against a person's will. Our eternal life is in our own hands. 

Ps.128:6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children...

It's a new day that the Lord has made! On Saturday, I received the news that my new great-granddaughter made her entrance into our family. Yeah! She's a few days early, but all is well. She's beautiful! So I have seen my children's children's children! Of course, not all are of age to do so at this time. So there are more to come at a later date. Praise the Lord for all.

So we are entering our fifth month of lockdown. I wish they would open it back up to one day a week instead of one day every two weeks! So crazy! I haven't been to the physical church for this same amount of time. One day, it will be back. Until then, I just keep up my communication with the Lord and naturally, I still read his word everyday first thing of the morning. He has a plan for each of us and I remind myself everyday to give him thanks for all things as he said to do. Thank the Lord that I have learned that my life and the things that happen to me are in his hands and not mine. He has the control and I just have to remember that. 

I'm thankful that Becky can now drive up here to visit me. When this all first started she wasn't allowed to do that. And of course, the buses from here to anywhere are not running. So her visit helps keep me "sane".  And my pastor and his wife usually come for a visit every two weeks on their day out.   And I try to stop by their house on my day out for a short visit. 

So what am I learning? More patience and trust in the Lord. I'm thankful that I live in a house with front and back yards and not in an apartment. I need space! I've thought several times about a jail cell.  There's not much space in one of those! So I have a lot to be thankful for because things could be a lot worse. I thank the Lord that they are not.

The young man comes every Monday to cut my yard and to take care of the flowers. He's such a nice guy. His six year old son usually comes with him, but he didn't come today. Evidently he touched some kind of tree that he's allergic to and his father said he looks like a Chinaman! So funny. So that gives me another person to talk to. Thank you Lord!

I really do miss my students. One comes on her day out sometimes. I help her with her English and she helps me with my Spanish.  I do a Spanish course online, and I do well. However, it's another story when I don't have a real person to talk with in order to practice. But this too shall pass. 

Grace and peace to you all.