Still snow on mountains here, How crafty are some people!!!

  RAIN today and winds in the mountains of Colorado..yes we still have snow up there on them hills!!! Praises for the moisture as God knows what we all need, and the weeds are certainly showing greatness!  
 For the blessings of talents, we know someone who does this awesome wood work here in the little ruralness of America and loved this one:

                   All from one piece of wood!!!!


My great find of the day was an interesting rock that looked like a shell had been fossiled in it, I love rock and collecting them, seeing the river rocks and the smoothness they have, as they start rough and end polished--like what we go through in the storms of life, even if it is for years, the turmoils can polish us in all sorts of ways..Bless the polishing!!! 

 And alas the dog  of the house went for a car ride and used the floor as his rest when I forget his leash--look at him giving me the eye because I did!!!

Prescription drug overuses are rampant and needs awareness

 

I am unfortunately writing this post from a personal standpoint that has taken some forethought in putting down here.  It is to warn the friends and families of loved ones out there that when anyone gets prescriptions from a DR. to stay on the prescribed doses, and to know that these are just as addicting and habit forming as street drugs.  These pills can shape lives into a tangled mess where the web has been spun into a whole defeated structure of loved ones in the wait.  
  A  church member this morning said her niece just died from overdose of pain pills, and there are MANY silent stories of those struggling, those watching and waiting for things to get better. 
  It is something to warn your teens about in the experimental time of life when kids use anything for the 'high' or 'numbing of life'.  It is a subject to talk about with your spouses, friends, parents whenever they take a pill.  They think because it has a Dr.s ok then nothing can go wrong!  The side effects of mixing with other drugs is even more disastrous.
  Look up prescriptions online or get an up to date book that lists the warnings AND be aware of them.
  For example, "a widely abused drug is oxycontin and  is readily available by prescription to anyone who has undergone major surgery or sustained a major injury, which increases the potential for misuse. Often, teens will get their hands on oxycontin for the first time because their parents or another relative or friend keeps leftover oxycontin after they've stopped taking it. Because the medication wasn't prescribed for them and they aren't aware of the risks, teens may abuse the leftover prescription and quickly become addicted."   link of info HERE


  Kids as young as 12 are using with increasing numbers of abuse happening over all age groups.  The National Institute of Drug abuse has more helpful info here.  Please check these out. 
    In 2009, more than twice as many people died from prescription drug abuse in Colorado than from drunk driving. 

  
  Alex Hunter of Colorado's twenty year old son died when he took pain pills with alcohol last year and was warning every parent of keeping the drugs put up the same way you would a gun. 
"I had (OxyContin) in my medicine cabinet. I wasn't using it at the time. I was sloppy about it, so now I've got my story as well as John's," he said. "People need to understand just how potent this stuff is."  news article HERE 

  IF YOU have a problem, please, please bring this out in the open before you are too late.  Talk to your loved ones, this shows a sign of strength, not weakness....

 

Wednesday wanderings and brain mush

The awesome sun is blessing us today and the wind is stirring up some promises of either passing storms, or more sunshine!
  I have to reflect on the last week and wonder that at times God shines me some victories, some boredom, stillness and some trying times that I honestly could not on my own deal with in working through them.  I am fortunate to be blessed by the surroundings of prayer from beautiful friends I adore!! 
  As I look unto the sufferings of Jesus and what His life was in enduring the moments He went through and that We are always being held by God, I realize that these life lessons are there for OUR maturity in the walk with Christ and to see them as nothing less.  He brings you closer at these challenging times when you you get smothered by the bleakness, blankness and despair.  The tears shed are known one by one by the ONE that cares for us daily and every moment of our lives.  
  We keep standing victory over the evil strongholds that  try to weigh us away from peace in God.  
  I got to reflect today when my son and I were wondering by the park and looking at the rocks I love with their designs and the smoothness of the ones washed by the roughness of the water..we also have to go through the rough times to get more polished and shine!!!  AND he always brings LOVE...these little tiny rocks were reminders today I found...
 LOVE and blessings to all friends and family near and far and please know how special you each are!  You are diamonds!  Shine on! 

  P.S.  NEVER carry a grudge--they are so powerful they WILL end in slowly killing you, learn to release past mistakes and forgive others.  It is important for your health.  The only person you are hurting is yourself!  I have seen people to this very day harbor terrible hatred that turned to bitterness that fed that grudge to that suicide that eats you away.

Keep the wind in your sails through the storms

  Funny how things can change in an instant and you are left with the breath gone and standing in the boat where the storms are raging all around.  Of course we sometimes stand in panic or fear instead of holding to faith as looking to God.  I  can never forget the times when these ER visits bring a grief and helplessness in the waves of sleep deprivation or frustration.  Counting the floor tiles becomes comfort as in remembering that God is always in control even if I am not!  I am thankful for friends that bring the support of prayer during these times, they surround us when we feel we can't.  
 Be thankful in all friends--the storms will be still eventually!!

 

Thursday keeping thankful !!

From snow to sun Colorado is known for the change in weather !!

It is anybody's guess here, so today has graced us with SUN!! yeah, just like the SON graces us each day and when I am grumbling and complaining about certain things, HE brings blessings daily and covers us even when we feel bare to the bone! 

 this was the hail storm of spring that visited us!!

  Even when we are feeling ugly and blah, am glad that God thinks we are beautiful.  WOW here is something that God made and is beautiful!!!  (His mother loved him too I'm sure)

To another day and wishes, prayers and new hopes for the day in living in the grace of God and to keeping going onward in life!!!

                                                          Bring on the weather!!!!

                                            Good friends and family keep on loving!!!

Good Monday Morning western slope !

Hope everyone had a great weekend!! We had 9 kids looking for eggs (haha) and 8 adults there for a wonderful dinner.  I am thankful for the sisters in laws that cook very well. I am NO Martha Stewart myself and I call myself the Hamburger helper queen--I can make you a wild dish of delight in that area! 

 When there was some sun last week, the hens got a new toy and were dusting in MY garden spot--they are the helpers here..

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Caringbridge.org is a great place where families of loved with illnesses can post websites and progress... I keep up to date on several through the Make a Child Smile organization and it is great for the family/kids projects to just drop a note of encouragement to those that need it much..
This is a young fellow going through much and his story is HERE..there is an address to send some encouragement also..

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Have a great Monday!!! Blessings to all friends and family!

Wishing you a great week as we lead up to Easter weekend --Jesus

Happy pre Easter greetings to all in wishes for remembering our Lord...and the rebirth!  A wonderful time of year with Spring upon us (with the weather here we wonder!)  There are cherry blooms around the area though!   

              With a bit on Jesus as we look at the week: 

Jesus' final hours on the cross lasted from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a period of about six hours. 

                           preceding timeline as thought:  

 6 a.m. Jesus Stands Trial Before Pilate
(Matthew 27:11-14; Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:1-5; John 18:28-37) 
Jesus Sent to Herod
(Luke 23:6-12)

7 a.m.  Jesus Returned to Pilate 
(Luke 23:11) 
Jesus is Sentenced to Death 
(Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:23-24; John 19:16)

8 a.m.
Jesus is Led Away to Calvary
(Matthew 27:32-34; Mark 15:21-24; Luke 23:26-31; John 19:16-17)

 9 a.m.  "The third hour" crucifixion
It was the third hour when they crucified him. (NIV). The third hour in Jewish time would have been 9 a.m. 

 10 a.m.  Jesus is insulted and mocked
Matthew 27:39-40 - And the people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "So! You can destroy the Temple and build it again in three days, can you? Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!" (NLT) 

11 a.m. Jesus and the criminal
Luke 23:40-43 - But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (NIV)
Jesus Speaks to Mary and John John 19:26-27 - When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, "Woman, he is your son." And he said to this disciple, "She is your mother." And from then on this disciple took her into his home. (NLT) 

Noon - "The Sixth Hour"

• Darkness Covers the Land Mark 15:33 - At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. (NLT)

1 p.m. 
 Jesus Cries Out to the Father 
Matthew 27:46 - And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (NKJV) 
Jesus is Thirsty
John 19:28-29 - Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said, "I am thirsty."A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. (NLT) 

2 p.m. 
 It is Finished 
John 19:30a - When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" (NLT) 
Luke 23:46 - Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. (NIV)
 
3 p.m. - "The Ninth Hour"

Events Following Jesus' Death

• The Earthquake Matthew 27:51-52 - At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. (NIV)
• The Centurion - "Surely he was the Son of God!"
  (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:47)
• The Soldiers Break the Thieves' Legs
  (John 19:31-33)
• The Soldier Pierces Jesus Side
  (John 19:34)
• Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
  (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42)
• Jesus Rises from the Dead
  (Matthew 28:1-7; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-9)

 
 Some graphic reminders of the painful torture our Jesus went through for us can bring tears to your eyes:

The Crucifixion of Jesus guaranteed a horrific, slow, painful death. 

Jesus' knees were flexed at about 45 degrees, and He was forced to bear His weight with the muscles of His thigh, which is not an anatomical position which is possible to maintain for more than a few minutes without severe cramp in the muscles of the thigh and calf. 

Within a few minutes of being placed on the Cross, Jesus' shoulders were dislocated.

Soon after, the elbows and wrists were dislocated.

The result of these upper limb dislocations is that His arms were 9 inches longer than normal, as clearly shown on the Shroud. 

In addition prophecy was fulfilled in Psalm 22:14, "I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint."

These traction forces caused His rib cage to be pulled upwards and outwards, in a most unnatural state. His chest wall was permanently in a position of maximal respiratory inspiration. In order to exhale, Jesus was physiologically required to force His body. 

The problem was that Jesus could not easily push down on the nails in His feet because the muscles of His legs, bent at 45 degrees, were extremely fatigued, in severe cramp, and in an anatomically compromised position.

The crucified victim was physiologically forced to move up and down the cross, a distance of about 12 inches, in order to breathe.

The process of respiration caused excruciating pain, mixed with the absolute terror of asphyxiation.

Jesus' lower limb muscles developed excruciating cramp from the effort of pushing down on His legs, to raise His body, so that He could breathe out, in their anatomically compromised position. 

The blood was a result of the Scourging that nearly killed Him, and the sweat as a result of His violent involuntary attempts to effort to expire air from His lungs. 

His blood oxygen level began to fall, and He developed Hypoxia (low blood oxygen). 

In addition, because of His restricted respiratory movements, His blood carbon dioxide (CO₂) level began to rise, a condition known as Hypercapnia. 

The twin forces of Hypoxia (too little oxygen) and Hypercapnia (too much CO₂) caused His heart to beat faster and faster, and Jesus developed Tachycardia

Jesus' heart beat faster and faster, and His pulse rate was probably about 220 beats/ minute, the maximum normally sustainable

Jesus had drunk nothing for 15 hours, since 6 pm the previous evening. 

His blood pressure was probably about 80/50. 

Jesus' lungs probably began to fill up with Pulmonary Oedema

Because of the increasing physiological demands on Jesus' heart, and the advanced state of Haemopericardium, Jesus probably eventually sustained Cardiac Rupture. His heart literally burst. This was probably the cause of His death. 

When the Romans wanted to expedite death they would simply break the legs of the victim, causing the victim to suffocate in a matter of minutes. This was called Crucifragrum. 

When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not a bone of His body was broken, in fulfilment of prophecy