"View from the Treehouse"

“Fighting For Every Foot”-a choice

This headline today about the California fires caught my attention. Even as men and women are fighting aggressively against a raging fire marring the countryside of California, there are those who are fighting aggressively for the moral stability of our beloved nation. Praise God for their tenacity! Thank God that so many do care about the physical country we live in and about our moral character most of all.

Thank God that the One who has called believers to “fight the good fight of faith” has equipped us with total sufficiency no matter what condition our physical bodies are in. His Word is such comfort when “things” are stripped from the persona of folk in difficult situations.

PUPS:(People Under Pressure)

His love letter to us gives us the word picture of a shepherd. We cannot cleanse, direct, or protect ourselves sufficiently, so we need a shepherd. When we feel like we’re out in the mountains caught in a thornbush, hurt and bloody, Isaiah 40:11 and 46:4, trump our feelings with the reality of His love. “He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. . . .’Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.’” That may be how He is fighting for you and I right now! He may be carrying us. We can pray, write notes, make phone calls, even invite people over where they provide most of the meal! We can do these things as we rest in His arms and hear His heartbeat of love!

Praise God He has not left us with the words of “Dear Abby”, “…when it comes to love there are no absolutes.” (Wed. Sept.2nd, 2009, Mt. Pleasant News) That statement is not Biblical!

The reality of His love is throughout the Bible and it’s the only absolute we have ( I Cor. 13). Accept it or reject it! A choice we make!
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Mystery Mound from our New York Trip: (second set of pics) The Mystery Mound rode with us from New York to Toledo and then on to Mt. Pleasant. He was a delightful surprise to many of the youth group. The Mystery Mound is pictured as he emerges from points east to the surprise entrance into the Mt. Pleasant area!

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View from the Treehouse :

Fellow Citizens, God Reigns!

In a 1906 article titled “Garfield Calms the Crowd” the following is recorded:
On the morning of Lincoln’s death, a crowd of fifty thousand people gathered before the Exchange Building in New York. Feelings ran high, natural enough in the circumstances, and there was danger of its finding expression in violence. Then a well-built man in officer’s uniform stepped to the front of the balcony, and in a voice that rang like a trumpet call, cried:
“Fellow citizens! Clouds and darkness are round about Him. His pavilion is dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. Justice and judgment are the establishment of His throne. Mercy and truth go before His face. Fellow citizens! God reigns! And the Government at Washington still lives!”
Instantly the tumult was stilled, as the people grasped the import of those sublime words. The speaker was General James A. Garfield, himself to become a martyr-president sixteen years later. –Moody Monthly

As we view one bleak news break after another, let us not miss the involvement God wants us to have through the debacles, but especially let us not miss the truth of “Fellow citizens! God reigns!

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P.U.P. (People Under Pressure) I’ve taken a hiatus from this blog through the month of August. . .

1. . . .because we have been to New York and back
attending the beautifully orchestrated wedding of Micah and Laura, dear friends of ours.

We were privileged to bring another dear friend of ours back to Toledo where we stayed overnight and then all three of us motored on to Mt. Pleasant. The trip was such an exhausting “hoot”. It was a blessing from our Lord and we both thank Him so much for safety, for the strength He gave us, and for the Word of God on CD that made the time pass incredibly fast. Of course, it was all extra palatable because of the frequent laughter!

Mysterious Mound in Pennsylvania
(to be identified this week on this blog!)

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2. We were also privileged to enjoy my brothers and my mom for a brief stretch of time in our home. My oldest brother had not seen our home, and my second from the oldest brother Jim, was going back to Nicaragua soon so we treasured the visit.

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Another reason was that I had begun infusions again and since there is a week between chemos, we took advantage of the time and went to Ames, to be with mom and Jim. He had done so much work for mom that our tongues were hanging down to our ankles for all of his labor!

Adding to that was that the CT scan done late in July, revealed that there are two new spots in my abdomen and I really didn’t want to bring up the tedious subject, again!
Our Lord has been so encouraging through His Word to remind me that “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things are passed away, behold all things are new.” The truth of that quote is that this cancer is the new path that God has chosen to work His life out in mine. Never mind that the path is rocky (many are going through rough times and our Lord’s was so much more) -He is holding us close to His chest (as a shepherd does to a lamb). God still reigns, fellow citizens!

View From the Treehouse









T.A. in T.W (Today’s American in Today’s World)

Are Americans putting bandages on a hemorrhage?

“We have green, blue, bright orange or yellow bandages. Which would you prefer?” your physician seeks to console you with these words after telling your family that you have an aneurism that could burst at any moment.

Ridiculous, unconsciousable, unethical

Unlike the above mentioned and more important world of human suffering and consequences is one in the financial world. This potential financial hemorrhage in our nation is that of the secrecy of the Federal Reserve System. This private bank, independent of our government, that controls much of our economy has never been audited since its founding in 1913!

U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) has introduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 (Bill H.R. 1207), which would mandate an official audit of the Federal Reserve Bank. In addition, it will give the U.S. Congress increased oversight powers over the Fed, which, up to this point, has operated without any accountability to either Congress or the people. The bill already has 112 co-sponsors and is supported by many congressmen of both parties. See jbs.org.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has projected that, “We must insure that all types of financial institutions, . . . receive strong and effective government oversight.” (USA Today Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 9A). Isn’t it beyond time that we the people tell him to live up to his own solutions by writing or calling our congress members to support this vital bill?



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P.U.P. Whoopie, the C.T.Scan and physical exam has revealed that there is no perceivable cancer! It’s time for this confined person to break out of the
shelters and we have!

Late in May, friends from Minneapolis drove to Ames where we met them and began our weeks of celebrating mom’s 90tth birthday! Then friends from Arizona came to stay with us for three days, after which my brother from Nicaragua invaded our home. We then had to take him with us (he’s a real character and a delight) to celebrate our news, as well as our anniversary, and mom’s 90th birthday! It was one party after another for five days! At the surprise party held in the basement of the church mom is a charter member of, there were 64+ delightful people. Afterwards, people lined up around her table to share with her how much her life has meant to them. What a legacy she is leaving! Enjoy the pics!

View from the Treehouse:

T.A. in T. W. (Today's American in Today's World)

What about the Federal Reserve?

"The Internet Age demands transparency from all institutions all the time. Any government body that lags behind is in danger of losing legitimacy, relevance and, at the very least public awareness. . ."People in an open society do not demand infallibility from their institutions, but it is difficult for them to accept what they are prohibited from observing." These quotes are from an article by Tony Mauro, a Supreme Court correspondent for National Law Journal and Incisive Media. The quotes are from an article pub. May 27th, '09 in USA Today following the resignation of Justice Souter. In summation, Tony Mauro was advocating allowing cameras to broadcast the proceedings of the Supreme Court.

His comments however, extend to the Federal Reserve, don't they? This organization affects every one of us and yet isn't it shrouded in secrecy more guarded than our Supreme Court has been? Have American grass roots people been duped since the early 1900's? What is it costing the American People because of the lack of transparency in the Federal Reserve?

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P.U.P.

The doctor told me that he did not want me to take my final scheduled infusion. I could have jumped off the table and done a dance-that is if I really could have! I'll have a c-scan in June and the docs are evaluating or will evaluate and then we'll make a decision as to what route to pursue!

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We must share with you pics from our weekend with our Kenyan sons. A friend of one of them and the wife, son and mother-in-law of the other joined us as well. I don’t want to bore you with a bzillion pics but it’s hard to choose! Here goes:

View from the Treehouse:






T.A. in T.W. (Today's American in Today's World)

Economics:
Are Americans putting bandages on a hemorrhage?

We in our beloved nation have been cut to the quick with the economic debacle. Perhaps it’s because this cut is actually a potentially devastating wound and we’re crying “who is in control, who is the point man or woman, or organization, or even who is accountable?”

Are we putting bandages on a hemorrhage? We’re throwing “tea parties” to protest Taxation w/o Representation and we’re demanding that some bank C.E.O’s are fired. "Bank of America (BofA) stripped CEO Kenneth Lewis of his chairman's role after the acquisition of Merrill Lynch and his choice of not telling the shareholders about it! Lewis says Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and then-Treasury Department chilf Henry Paulson pressured him to proceed with the purchase of Merrill Lynch-and to keep their losses secret-fearing the bad news would worsen an already deplorable economic climate. Lewis-who had already accepted some $20 billion in govt. bailout funds for BofA- remained silent. Shareholders learned about Merrill Lynch's end-of-year hemorrhaging after the sale closed and then watched BofA's stock value plummet." (World, pages 30-35, May 23rd, '09)

Continuing with troubling news releases, USA Today's editorial page of May 11th, '09 addresses the federal budget with the title "Obama, Congress go AWOL on fiscal responsibility". Who, American people, is in control?

In U.S.A. Today, April 14th, ’09, “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who perhaps has more influence than anyone on the U.S. economy. . .” STOP-Let me end this quote. How many of us have questioned, WHY is he in a position of such control? Probing further, is this organization audited, when did we the American people give them such power, when did this become a federal organization or has it ever been, and is there a reserve?

I double-dog dare ( as I dare myself) you who might read this to find answers to these questions?!! Google Federal Reserve System and discern for yourselves. Find out how little is known by looking in American History books!


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P.U.P. (People Under Pressure-like all of us!)

Since, the last infusion of taxitere, I’ve had a "tuff" week. I’ve had the usual side-effects of flu symptoms, aching where I’ve had the shingles, and the neuropathy seemed to have totally invaded, but now is less of a problem. I told the doctor that it feels like I’m walking through a balance between Mississippi Mud and syrup! It makes for a very interesting gait! You know what, tho’, this is not unusual. I just am assured that the chemo is working. I have so much to be thankful for that I didn’t even want to include this. I only did this because some of you want to know what’s really going on!

People have been so terrific. Would you believe two young ladies prepared 4 dinners for us to have at our home while we have a couple of Kenyan sons stay with us for four days? One is bringing some of his family. We’re excited as another family has prepared the physical needs in our home as we prepare for company. What a blast we’ll have! They have terrific senses of humor-wish you all could meet them!

View From the Treehouse:

T.A. in T.W. (Today's American in Today's World)

I didn’t want to believe what the documentary “Expelled” revealed. All Americans should be very concerned because “freedom of expression” is no longer guaranteed but is being seriously undermined. We would encourage you to see this CD and respond as this erosion affects everyone!
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What an absolute delight-a Jr. Hi. Band festival in Danville was. You should have been there for the program including 5 area bands that was a very short hour long! Much kudos to the leaders of this southeast Iowa super conference! We sat close to the trombones and discovered a sub-program as we watched them! Several of them were tapping their toes-one in sync with the music- one in syncopation with the music-one had sandals off and I wasn’t sure what those toes were in rhythm with!

Then to watch their expressions especially when they did something they knew was wrong- I smiled in remembrance as they screwed up their face! When do we learn to stop making faces or at least admit when we’re wrong and then immediately go back to the task at hand? They seemed refreshingly transparent, respectful, and teachable! I believe a lot was due to the relaxed and fun filled atmosphere created for them by their teachers.

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Speaking of teachers, we attend a Bible Study on Wednesday evenings and are encouraged and challenged every time we're there. Our pastor and his wife from years ago have extended the hospitality of their home and their understanding. Pictures were taken of one of those evenings. We also enjoyed having them in our home for lunch last Sunday after church. I thought it was time that we extended to the group because the man who leads us has a Korean wife. She and he have invited us to their home for gourmet meals the likes of which you cannot imagine. ___________________________________________________________________

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P.U.P. (People Under Pressure) We had every intention to travel to Canada to attend a ceremony honoring our daughter and a student of hers. It was an exciting prospect, as even the cancer sarcoma doctor told us to go ahead and enjoy ourselves. Well, roads were closed due to flooding so instead of the journey we opted to receive the next round of chemo, Tuesday morning. This was the Gemsar which is the least toxic so I have only to deal with getting tired easily.

I received an infusion of Taxitere this a.m. and was privileged to interact with the most delightful 92 year young lady. I was attempting a crossword puzzle included in the U.S.A. Today publication. The lady previously mentioned and I had struck up a conversation, so I just continued it by asking her thoughts on the solutions to parts of the puzzle. She kept spitting out answers like a pellet gun on target. It was so much fun. She told us that she had done these for years and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge!. What a good example she is! Folks, keep your brain active!

The wrens had a real-estate discussion off of our 3 season room early this a.m. I was surprised that they chose to begin their home so close to ours but their cheerful chirping is truly a delightful way to greet the morning. Thank you Lord, for the way You make our days extraordinary!

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Since extraordinary was mentioned, here are former youth leaders having a terrific time remembering extraordinary students and events in our local Mexican restaurant! No, they didn't kick us out but I think we had to tip them extra! (I have been advised that if I feel like going to a larger gathering to sit on the outside and leave early. Small groups or individuals who know that I am vulnerable at this point in time are very sensitive to avoid coming to our home.

View From the Treehouse:

T.A. in T.W. (Today's American in Today's World)

I didn’t want to believe what the documentary “Expelled” revealed. All Americans should be very concerned because “freedom of expression” is no longer guaranteed but is being seriously undermined.


What an absolute delight-a Jr. Hi. Band festival in Danville! You should have been there for a program including 5 area bands that was a very short hour long! Much kudos to the leaders of this southeast super conference! We sat close to the trombones and discovered a sub-program as we watched them! Several of them were tapping their toes-one in sync with the music- one in syncopation with the music-one had sandals off and I wasn’t sure what those toes were in rhythm with!

Then to watch their expressions especially when they did something they knew was wrong- I smiled in remembrance as they screwed up their face! When do we learn to stop making faces or at least admit when we’re wrong and then immediately go back to the task at hand? They seemed refreshingly transparent, respectful, and teachable! I believe a lot was due to the relaxed and fun filled atmosphere created for them.


P.U.P.

We had every intention to travel to Canada to attend a ceremony honoring our daughter and s student of hers. It was an exciting prospect, as even the cancer sarcoma doctor told us to go ahead and enjoy ourselves. Well, roads were closed due to flooding so instead of the journey we opted to receive the next round of chemo, Tuesday morning. This was the Gemsar which is the least toxic so I have only to deal with getting tired easily.

The wrens had a real-estate discussion off of our 3 season room early this a.m. I was surprised that they chose to begin their home so close to ours but their cheerful chirping is truly a delightful way to greet the morning. Thank you Lord, for the way You make our days extraordinary!