Blessed to Be FREE!!! And an Update

 

 Dear Gail-Friends:  

I have been super busy, y'all!  I have finished my sixth book.  It's titled A Golden Romance and should be available on Amazon next week.   I'll keep you posted.  This book took me twenty years to write.  It's the story of how it took God forty years to put Jem and me together.  We were like the Jews wandering in the wilderness.  But, God is powerful and patient -- and He's the best matchmaker of all.

More about that later.

We've been getting ready for the 250th anniversary of our nation.   Jem has put out 250 American flags and they are so beautiful.  Look at that again.  Now, when people drive by, they will say, "They must really love America!"  Yes, we do. And we love our president and are doing all we can to help him Make America Great Again!

I want you all to be blessed by one of my friends.  Her name is Rhonda Mallard.  She's a singer and a song-writer.  Here's the link to her YouTube channel  https://youtu.be/xY91A_9j4dQ?is=JJOIJFeepA7UnU4_

 She posted this on her Facebook page yesterday:   

"Every day until our 250th on the 4th of July, I’m going to post a song I wrote from my patriotic album, “Fabric of Our Nation”, with prayers the songs will uplift and encourage your hearts about our great nation!!    I’m so proud to be an American living in a beautiful, free country, and wrote the song “Blessed to Be Free” with lyrics of some of the personal things I enjoy about our freedom, and hope the song will spark great memories of the things you love too! God Bless America!"

 

Y 'all come back now, ya hear?  And have a wonderful Independence Day.  And pray for our country.  God is moving in a mighty way.  More about that later, too.

 

God Bless the USA

 

We have much to celebrate this 4th of July.  Most certainly, we remember and celebrate our founders, and their decisions and actions that freed us from British rule, but this, Gail-Friends, is a very happy, special celebration for us.  God Has blessed America with three very important SCOTUS decisions:

• The overthrow of Roe v Wade - I'm especially praising Him for this decision.  I've been praying for this to happen for decades - ever since abortion was made the law of the land in the 1970's.  Millions of babies died.  Millions of women have suffered mental problems because of those decisions.  I do feel for the women who want to abort their babies.  I found this on Focus on the Family:
  
  "In light of the historic Roe Vs. Wade decision made today, we want you to know that we are here to provide compassionate care for you and your baby.

  To find a local Pregnancy Resource Center near you, please visit https://bddy.me/3blqpGR
• The preservation of American gun rights.  
• The reigning in of the EPA.  This decision should set precedent for the removal of edicts from other government agencies that have made far-reaching decisions without the process of legislation.   
  

Let's give ADONAI praise!!!   HALLELUYAH!!!

At Golden Cottage, we celebrate Independence Day by putting out 100+ American flags (Jem does it), by going to a parade, and then joining friends for a meal at the American Legion.  We always watch the fireworks in our neighborhood - lots and lots of them.  Then we watch the celebration in Washington D.C, called A Capitol Fourth, on PBS.

 

I think I will add one more to that list - to read the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Have you ever read them?  Have you read them since your high school civics class?  Here's  a link for you. Founding documents

God bless you all, and God Bless the USA.  Here's a link to my favorite patriotic song.  I'll never forget when my daughter, Melissa, sang this song in front of thousands of people.  She did such a great job.God Bless the USA with lyrics - by Lee Greenwood 

 I'd love to hear what you do to celebrate Independence Day, Gail-Friends.

Best Independence Day EVER!

Independence Day, 2020 will always live in my memory as the best of my life.  On July 3, we watched President Trump give the most wonderful presidential speech I've ever heard.  His love and devotion to our beloved country brought tears to my eyes. He fanned the flames of my patriotism and they are burning brighter than ever.  His words inspired me to do everything I can to protect and preserve our history, our monuments, our flag, our Constitution, and the ideals upon which our country was founded.  Here's a video link to that great patriotic speech - President Trump at Mount Rushmore.

 

I think this speech should be seen by every American, and especially by children.  President Trump shares the amazing history of the four presidents whose faces are carved into the mountain.  I learned a great deal from his history lesson.  Here is a link to the transcript of President Trump's speech.  I encourage you to print it and share it far and wide.

 

This inspiring, patriotic speech was especially meaningful when you remember that Independence Day, 2020 was shrouded in anarchistic violence in the previous weeks.  Statues and monuments had been burned, defaced, and some completely destroyed.  Churches were even set on fire.  I was so proud of President Trump when he left the White House and walked to St. Johns Church (which was set on fire), stood in front of it, and held up God's Holy Word.  It's shameful to see the vulgar curse words spray-painted on the building across from the church.  Click on the link to see another example of the horrible damage: George Washington statue defaced.

 

All of this was done in response to the death of a black man in Minneapolis.  He was killed by a policeman.  It is tragic what happened to that man and I pray it never happens again.  But the conclusions some people have come to are equally tragic. Policemen have been killed in revenge.  Calls are now being made to defund the police.  Parts of cities are being taken over and held hostage by anarchistic terrorists.  It's all wrong and it's not going to solve the "problem". 

 

What is the problem, anyway?  The problem is that our country has turned its back on God and His Holy Word.  We have left behind the Judeo-Christian principles upon which this country was founded.  My prayer is for a revival of those ideals.  God shed His grace on us because of that obedience to His Word.

 

I thank God for a president (who is under constant threat of harm and death) that has the courage and boldness to do what he did.  Think about it -- he had the courage to spontaneously walk out, in public, in the heat of this shameful period in our history, and stand in front of a church while holding a Bible.  What a statement.  That statement is clear:  GOD WINS!!!

 

.

 

On July 4, we met with our mishpocha at synagogue for our weekly Shabbat service. In addition to our normal music and worship, liturgy, and Torah study,  Rabbi asked the question, "What do you remember as the best Independence Day in your life?"  It was interesting to listen to the different memories shared by the congregation. 

 

My turn came, and I said, "I think the best was when Rabbi Jem and I got married.  He put out flags, flags, and more flags!  Big ones, little ones -- all over our yard."  Like this:

 

 

Every year, the number of flags increases.  I joke that when Jem gets a little bit of money, he buys flags.  He puts them out for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day.  Plus, we have a tall flag pole that flies the American Flag all year long.  We want everyone who passes by to know we love our country and our flag.   

 

Speaking of love of the flag, one day a neighbor was walking by with her five-year old on his bike.  Jem was in the yard working with his flags.  The little boy stopped and said, "Mom.  Can I salute that flag?"  Both Jem and his Mom assured him he could.  That patriotic little boy put his hand on his heart and said the pledge of allegiance.  They joined in with him.  It warmed our heart to see a mother who is teaching her child to love his country.  Jem was so impressed that he gave him his own flag to put in his yard.

 

So, while our first Independence Day together was a good one, I think Independence Day, 2020 has become my favorite July 4 holiday memory.

 

I'd love to hear about your best Independence Day memory or your love for the USA!

 

I sometimes share my posts with these friends: 

 
  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays

 Hearth and Soul Link Party
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday  Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!

Party In Your PJs

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Thankful Thursday - Small Town Life

I am so very,. very thankful that we live in a small town.  When I moved here from a large north Florida city, I thought I'd arrived in Green Acres*.  But, this area has become dear to my heart.

One thing we have here are lots of  lizards (that jump -- hence the name "leaping lizards"), mosquitos, gators, and . . . FROGS. The one in the photo above nearly scared me to death.  In his position there, he's as long as my hand. . . maybe longer.  He was outside the screen, but I still called dear hubby and told him to come home asap and fill any holes on the patio so it couldn't get inside.  I was SO scared, Gail-Friends.

One of the things I love are our local parades.  There were lots of Trump supporters out today, and they were loud and proud!  Elvis even showed up (see below).

#MAGA - MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

There was lots of excitement when the Trump float came by because they gave out free popsicles.  That was great because it was 100 degrees.  (When the Democrats came by, there was only very quiet, polite applause.)

When the Betsy Ross flags came by, everybody cheered, "USA! USA!" Oh, and about the controversy over that flag this week -- Jem threw away his Nike shoes and went out to buy a Betsy Ross flag.  They were SOLD OUT, but have lots on order.  I don't think Nike understands how OFFENDED people are over their bowing down to that football player (we don't say his name).  If he's so offended and hates this country so much, why doesn't he just leave it?

Daughters of the American Revolution.

And they even had (gasp) military vehicles!! This is a snarky remark due to the mockingbird media's angst over tanks being at the Trump speech tonight.  Well, there have been tanks at other events in D.C.  We're proud of our military!!!  God bless President Trump for his support of them.  I'm thankful for him as our president and I'm thankful for our men and women who serve.  I'm also thankful for his pride in America!  He has encouraged and developed a great revival of patriotism and I'm thankful for that.

And lots and lots of our beloved Old Glory!  The blue striped flag means we back the BLUE (policemen).

And our fabulous Sheriff Wayne Ivey walked the entire parade route.  God bless this man.  He has videos on YouTube that everybody should watch. I'm thankful for his service to our county.

Oh, and (I almost forgot) . . . Elvis was there!  I thought he was dead didn't you??????  LOL! I think he's one of the sheriff's officers.

We were planning on having the kids over for a cookout, but our grandson was sick, so they had to cancel.  So, Jem and I've spent the day watching the parades in D.C. and other towns.  We are looking forward to hearing President Trump's speech tonight at 6:30.  He's gonna have tanks!  Yessir, buddy.  And we like that!  He believes a strong military is a safe America and we do, too.

Jem did a great job of putting out the flags this year!  We usually put them out for Flag Day, but it was raining.

Here's Jem with his masterpiece:

We're proud of his hard work - 101 flags to celebrate Independence Day.

Jem's mortified by his lawn.  It's a long story . . . suffice to say he'll never put that spray-on grass stuff you see advertised on tv.  He's working on bringing it back to life.  I'm so thankful for my gardener.

 Our two rescued kitties were nearby while we were having fun with flags:

Freckles aka Scaredey Cat - he's very loving, but everything scares him.

And Toonie decided to make the trash pile by the road his temporary throne.  He's such a sweet boy.  He has a rash on his nose.  The vet says it's a reaction to mosquito bites and put him on antibiotics.  It hasn't helped.  If anybody knows of a treatment for this, please tell me.

We put him in ICU (the screened room) for ten days to administer the meds.  He enjoyed being pampered.

Anyway, then Freckles got ear mites so the vet gave us meds for that.  We put him in ICU (the screened room) when Toonie got out, but he didn't like it.  That night, he busted through the screen and is avoiding us like the plague.   We rescued them when our neighbor moved and left them behind.  They have always been outside cats and don't like being inside.  Not good, right?  Anyway, please pray for our boys.

We've had lots of baby birds lately.  I've seen tit-mice, cardinals, wrens, and blue jays being fed by parents.This young one has learned to use the feeder.

My peace lilies have twenty-seven blooms right now.  Aren't they gorgeous!

Speaking of peace, I pray for you to have the peace that passes understanding.  It comes from knowing Yeshua as Messiah and Lord, and obeying His Word.  His ways are LIFE!

I hope you and yours have a blessed Independence Day.


*Green Acres was a television show about a couple from New York who move to the country.

Thankful Thursday -Playing Catch-Up!

I need to catch up, Y'all!  I was looking through my photos and realized I'd forgotten to share some things.   Here are a few photos from our 4th of July celebration with the kids.  Jem put out  116 flags this year.

After this photo, PawPaw taught him to salute with his right hand.  My bad for snapping the picture too soon.

Jon-a-FUN having fun with blocks.  Give a boy any kind of stuff and he'll make a gun.

Two of my loves

He knows GiGi always says, "Kiss the Cook!"

We enjoyed a great day.  I just wish I'd taken more photos.

Earlier in the week, I snapped a photo of a bouquet I'd made.  I used some greenery from Golden Cottage Garden.  The lighter green is from our snow on the mountain bush.  I think the arrangement turned out nicely.  I'm so thankful for fresh flowers.

I love finding art in unexpected places, especially if it is whimsical.  I found these murals at the Trader Joe's in Ponte Vedra Beach while we were on a trip to Jacksonville, FL.  Aren't they great?

A chicken driving a golf cart.  Such imagination!

You've got to love this crazy cow on a fishing trip.

Now she's surfing!  Wonderful painting!

I'd love to have this mural painted on my patio wall.   Maybe one of these days I'll reproduce it.

This is downtown Jacksonville on the St. Johns River - my old stomping grounds years ago.

And the one below is my favorite -- the old lifeguard station at Jacksonville Beach.  I have many happy memories of summers at that beach.  And yes, this mural was in the ladies restroom.  It spanned three of the walls.  So gorgeous with the pink-tinted clouds.  I love it.

The flowers in Golden Cottage Garden are busting out all over.  Our peace lilies are loving the regular afternoon rains here.  One has nineteen blooms.  I'm always thankful for Mr. Green Jeans (aka Rabbi Jem) who works tsoo hard to keep our garden beautiful.  When I thank him, he always says, "I love you." <3 br="">

Isn't this garden flag the cutest thing? I found it (with the metal yard stand) at a thrift store for just $1.00.  I bought four of them at that price (three for friends).  I always say, "Thank You, Father" when I get a good bargain.

I'm always thankful for lots of children in our Shabbat service and I love watching them make the "shin" with their hands under the tallit.  These are abundant blessings.

Jon-a-FUN has been playing chess with Jem and he's getting much better at maintaining his poker face.  He loves it when he gets to say, "Checkmate!"  He did it again this week, much to his grandfather's chagrin.

I'm not bragging when I say that our grandson is brilliant.  I wish you could hear his dissertations on the things going through his mind.  Usually, his long speeches are about scientific things - such as USB ports, the reason mosquitos are attracted to some people more than others, or the mechanics of robots.  This week, he gave a long speech about Spam.  Yep, Spam.  He went on and on about the different types and the fact that some are low fat.  Then he talked about the Spam can and how the rectangular (his word) Spam is rounded on the corners in order to fit that can.  He's very serious in these monologues, but I just cracked up when he got to the Spam.  He is a delight and a pure pleasure in our lives.  I can't believe he's almost nine years old.  Those wonderful years have flown by, and we're so thankful to have him close by so we can see him often.

Well, Gail-Friends, I think I'm caught up.  Next week, I'll have some photos of some new birds we've seen on Golden Pond and of our gorgeous garden.  The veggies, fruits, and the flowers are flourishing.

What are you thankful for this week?

I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!

Thankful Thursday - Our Great Country

During our last Erev Shabbat service, Rabbi Jem spoke about the founding of our country and the history of the 4th of July.  We thanked God for life in America, and we sang the song I Vow To Thee My Country.  The song is a British anthem, but I love the lyrics because they speak about the love of God and country and our commitment to preserve them.

I'll be honest, my patriotism soured during the Obama years as I saw everything I loved trampled under the feet of ungodliness and the push for socialism.  I watched our society decline quickly.  He scorned our love of God and the Bible and praised his Islamic beliefs.  He embraced the immorality of homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion.  He pushed for a socialist society and scolded America for colonialism.  He disdained the American flag and kissed the ring of a Saudi Arabian king.   He taught disrespect of our police force and encouraged violence against them.  He almost destroyed our economy with his dismantling of our auto industry.  He made dirty deals with Iran and other countries, putting in place tariffs and taxes that made companies leave our country behind.  He attempted to put in place a socialist healthcare system that caused many doctors and healthcare professionals to leave their businesses.  I could go on and on because the list of his destructive actions is long.  This graphic outlines his agenda:

During those eight years, there were times I almost lost hope, but my husband's unfailing faith in God and this country sustained me.  His knowledge of history, and his experience with God and the patriotism of likeminded people kept him grounded in the belief that America would rise up and recover from the ruinous attempts of Obama and his cohorts to destroy us.  God heard our prayers and HE has turned things around by giving us President Trump.

I love the America I grew up in.  I think my generation was the most blessed in the history of the United States because we experienced a very different society from what we've seen over the last thirty years since Ronald Raegan left office.  President Trump is also of that generation.  We're called Baby Boomers, born following World War II, we experienced a booming economy and a faith-based society.  We were taught by The Greatest Generation, parents who'd experienced war and the Great Depression.  Those two events grounded them in faith in God and country, and thankfully those ideals were passed on to us.  We grew up in a society that loved and respected God, our country, our military and police, our teachers and others in authority, each other, and ourselves.  We were taught to
work for a living, provide for our families, and discipline our children.

Now, it is up to us to cling tightly to those ideals and pass them on to our children, grandchildren, and anyone else with whom we interact.  We have so many avenues today that we can use to proclaim our beliefs -- social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, blogs like this, and even writing and publishing our own books are just a few.  Let's take advantage of those things to share these society-preserving beliefs with others.

 
Obama, and his ilk, greatly underestimated Americans.  Our patriotism and love of American ideals run deeps.  His attempt to turn us into globalists, socialists, and blind followers of nonsense failed miserably.  America is awake and, with God's help, we will make America great again.

 

 

I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!