Lucille Yuen

Our friends let us use their cabin near Mio, MI a couple of weeks ago. I was a bit rattled and really looked forward to a few days of retreat.

It was a four hour drive, so hubby and I listened to Kurt Eichenwald’s book, “A Conspiracy of Fools,” about the Enron scandal. Verrry interesting…

We finally arrived, and when we opened the door, we were greeted by an expansive great room with windows looking out through trees onto a rolling, verdant golf course. The whole upstairs was great room, except for the half bath and the master suite off the hallway to our right. The warm cabin-in-the-woods decor welcomed and set us at ease immediately.

Hubby had suggested we could stop by a national forest on our way in, famous for its first stand trees. Most everywhere you’ll see trees, but first stand means the original trees. Real old…and I understand that the forest floor hardly has any undergrowth or if you will, overgrowth…I noticed weeds, bushes, grasses everywhere under trees as we sped past, and thought it’d be nice to be somewhere with trees that didn’t have lots of yucky growth under them.

However, I’m glad we didn’t go there, because we were tired by the time we arrived at the cabin, and we were glad for daylight by which to acclimate ourselves to the house.

It’s a log home, but there’s nothing “cabin-y” about the place. It’s more like a lodge. The walls are all 3-D debarked log and it is a two storied affair, rustic, but expensive and a complete household. The thing I really loved was the open look onto the back area, afforded by a wall of windows. Lots of light…my favorite thing. Hubby and I sat at either of the dining tables and just read for hours. He went outside and sat on the back porch a lot. I was catching up on my Bible study and thinking and praying until I’d feel the tension from concentrating so hard, then I’d take a break and read my Ann Perry novel. Every day was absolute quiet all day. In the evenings we watched movies from their collection, which included some pretty good stuff.

Quiet, beauty, Bible study, time for thought, no responsibilities, reading for fun, good movies and good food, including some taste-bud kissing Amish strawberry rhubarb pie… Yepper, we got rested.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing our friends and for their kind hearts and generosity.

“You can use my phone card. I know you won’t be on that long,” my friend said. Our hubbies were at a getaway so remote that cell phones wouldn’t work there. I was stunned. She’d let someone other than her family use her phone card? I wouldn’t abuse her kindness, but still…

I was seeing another example of my friend’s ability to be generous. Earlier this summer, I had watched her share her “peach skin” tomatoes that we’d found at a farmer’s market. These were small, orange colored, peach-fuzzed tomatoes—sweet and non-acidic. We’d just made our purchases when three girls from our church greeted us and after a brief exchange, my friend told them about these interesting tomatoes we’d bought and offered samples to them. Interesting…

I remember other acts of mercy by a couple of other women that humbled me. The summer we moved to our current home, while hubby was gone to close the other house out of state, I got sick with the flu. I was so sick, I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow. Fortunately, we had selected a doctor before I got so sick. He phoned in a prescription to the drugstore down the street, but I couldn’t get to the store.

I had just met the neighbors on either side of us, but when the lady to our right learned I was too sick to go get the medicine, she immediately jumped on her bicycle and peddled to the pharmacy. Her car was in for repairs, but that didn’t stop her. Then later that day, she came over with delicious hot soup and rice so that our little family had something to eat. It was more than I had ever expected, and was a lesson in mercy.

The next most impactful act of kindness, because of its unexpectedness, happened last Christmas. A group of ladies who traditionally get together for lunch during the holiday, met at a tea house and exchanged gifts. I had participated in the gift exchange before, and each time, I’d draw the name of the young woman who’d always bring a cheap present. I’d always selected a very nice gift of the price level the group had agreed upon. This time, I decided I wouldn’t participate in the gift exchange. Well, the lady who’d invited me surprised me with a bottle of nice smelling lotion. Sometimes, when your heart has been through a winter, a simple act of thoughtfulness like this can change your mind about things dramatically.

Everybody’s hearts need to be treated with respect and consideration—it’s called love, folks. So often, we meet people we don’t know. They may be good people or bad, but it doesn’t matter. We may not have presence of mind to treat them as the special folks they are. We may even have to be guarded because they’ve learned to return suffering for suffering. We also take our families for granted. They are the ones we should know how to love the best, yet we may be oblivious to the hurt we cause them. People who would be friends, we forget to cultivate with love, instead we may find something they do or say irritating, and we withdraw from potential life-long friendship. How foolish is that? And how obvious is it that we may need forgiveness?

Our Precept Bible class opened this fall with a study on forgiveness. Forgiveness is love in action. I know I have to practice it. An incident with hubby, or anyone for that matter, can lead to dispiritedness and instead of nursing anger, I am reminded to choose to forgive. “Forgive?” I say to myself, then in another split second, I know that is my ONLY option. “Give me a second,” I say to myself as I get a grip and deliberately move my feelings toward “forgiveness.” Yup, and in a little while, I laugh at myself and think, “Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it? …well, yeah, it was hard. But it is nice to know in a little while, anger and the desire for vengeance can be replaced by love, obedience and peace. By His grace at work in me, I can choose God’s way—to “love one another, forgive, be kind, tenderhearted,” you know, see the other guy as loved by God and worthy. Wow. I’m making progress.

As we have delved more into the study, I have been reminded that at the heart of mercy is love. There’s the parable of the king who forgave his slave 10,000 talents in Matthew 18:23-35. There was no way that foolish servant could have paid the debt, and the consequence would have been the sale of his wife and children and himself, the break up of his family.

We looked at what was behind forgiveness of indebtedness—and that was compassion (v. 27). We are called into salvation by the God of agape love. We’ve known what it is to be truly loved, forgiven of an impossible debt of offense to the Creator and Savior of mankind, the Sovereign of the universe. We’ve known what it is to know His kindness—His work of grace in our hearts—the transformation from being sin-locked self-seekers to cleansed people capable of love, good works, and grace in our relationships. That’s big. He’s given us a changed worldview. God orientation vs. selfishness.

So when we’ve been given so much, including daily guidance for thought and circumstance, can we not give some of that back to our fellow man in emulation of our King’s mercy? And isn’t this system of values and belief worth preserving in the society in which we live and move?

Because of Jesus, I choose mercy, forgiveness and generosity to characterize my life. It helps my heart to let down and preserves my body and mind. Thank you, Lord. You did this.

You let people pass through my life to teach me by example, and You cause me to want to do likewise. You ARE worthy of praise and adoration.

You know the blown art studio glass ornaments we call Christmas ornaments? The wicca (witches) crowd is now claiming them for themselves. I suppose it’s because they are pretty to look at and catch the sunlight. They are Christmas kugels (balls), according to the German people. When these type of blown glass balls were introduced to the market, they were called Christmas ornaments. Witches are calling them wicca balls to divert attention to their demonic system, but I’ll make a point of it to call them Christmas ornaments everywhere and anytime; neither will I buy them from anyone who calls them “wicca balls.” You betcha. Witchcraft is an abomination before God.

And I won’t be the only one to claim them for Christmas, either. I will also wish people “Merry Christmas,” (with a smile) whether they think it’s vogue or not, to keep the commemoration of Christ’s coming.

We sense the change in the air, do we not? Is the younger generation ready to impact for Christ in this day of challenge? Or have the minds of those in their forties and younger been so compromised by the preaching of evolution, false gospels, the seduction of advertising and materialism, the deliberate infection of the eye and ear gates with immorality, and the constant pushing of evildoers to silence the truth of the Bible that those who must take up the standard and lead, lack the will? Well, I hope not, because there’s coming a day when all the secrets of the heart will be examined publicly in the light of righteousness. You see, we have the Bible.

Do I seem cranky? Am I “hateful” in my speech? Let me explain. There are things people are doing today that are an abomination to God. There is no real justification, only lame excuses for following the lead of sinful human inclination. My comments are founded in fear for my country’s soul and future, and for the people, individually. This nation had an awesome beginning, and we will end in infamy if we mold a society without a conscience toward Christ. He is the only Savior from sin and man’s only hope for regeneration. It saddens me to know that many are making choices that will eat them alive.

Feel free to refer others to this blog site. To comment, please push the “comment” button with your cursor, and write in the comment box and push “save comment.”

Today was a good day. The weather was fair and comfortable, I was a model in a fashion show, and I was in the company of energetic, positive, friendly and welcoming people. My hair even turned out. I know. Every day is a good day with attitude adjustment. But sometimes the elements of a day make it easy to feel good about it, n’est pas ?

This morning, as I looked over the attenders and members of the Womens’ Connection West, formerly known as the Christian Women’s Club (and I won’t go into how I feel about the change of name!), and listened to the testimony of the key speaker, I thought, “Even though there is a definite move in the wrong direction making itself felt in this country, there is also the strong positive front for Christ that is pushing back against the darkness. That spiritual battle takes many forms, which when seen in its breadth, comforts, strengthens and encourages me.”

Really, I suppose it’s always been this way, no matter the period in history. But getting down to particulars, when I consider America’s history for the last 100 years, this nation, whose character was shaped by the teachings of the Bible, has been losing its soul. That’s a negative, not a positive, folks.

Last night, I led my first easy, no-homework Kay Arthur Precept Bible study class for this year. It was about forgiveness and will last 6 weeks. Three excited, verbal, thoughtful ladies came and the time was fulsome. You could tell that the newest student, who led in closing prayer, really felt her thanks for the class.

I also researched for 3 hours for a grant to help a minority person start up his business, and found nothing. Nothing. I guess I’ll look for government guaranteed loans and see what that yields. I’m going to look at my reference materials from when I was working at my last job and see what those tell me. According to the librarian who teaches grant seminars, the government used to set aside money for grants to help minorities start businesses, but she doesn’t think it is doing that anymore. Fair enough. However, I had hoped I’d end the day with the perfect cap.

Dr. Dennis James Kennedy, the founder and pastor of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida since 1960, died in his sleep at home on September 5, 2007. He was a great man.

The secular media chose not to acknowledge the passing of one of America’s best citizens and patriots, but he is for a fact, enjoying face-to-face fellowship with the King of Kings, Jesus Christ right now. And he will return with Christ’s entourage when Jesus comes to take all His own to Heaven and again when He returns to finish off the rebellion that has cursed the earth. The media will report the events that lead to the return of Christ, however, because it will be all bad news.

God had a simple plan that would effectively change man from his heart out. How that change is accomplished is inexplicably complex, but the plan itself is simple and easy for man to understand. Dr. Kennedy devised an approach known as “Evangelism Explosion” (EE) to explain the Gospel, and millions have come to faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior as a result.

I remember training in the Evangelism Explosion (EE) method in the 1970’s when Sanvus was the Outreach pastor at Willow Rancho Church in Sacramento, California. He and I reviewed EE again during the 1990’s at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio.

Dr. Kennedy preached God’s Word to millions through radio (Truths That Transform) and television (The Coral Ridge Hour). In the last year of his life, he used his television advantage to refute evolution and to teach the truth about America’s Christian heritage on the Coral Ridge Hour. He is such an intelligent expositor, I could have jumped and down for the gladness I felt!

Dr. Kennedy should be remembered among the great men and women in these latter days who are fighting—yes, fighting—to restore Christianity as the ideological foundation of America. Salvation of the lost and preservation of the testimony and influence of Jesus Christ on this nation’s culture has always been at the heart of the efforts of these patriots.

Pastor, Bible teacher, and best-selling author John MacArthur has said that America’s slide into pornographic mindedness and sexual deviancy, worldview shift, rejection of basic biblical morality, the banning of Jesus Christ from the public square and the anger against those who strive against evil practice is evidence that God has turned away from America. This is truly frightening if it is so, because that means that He will let America disintegrate from within and then judge the wickedness that paved the way to ruination.

If America doesn’t turn, the people of this nation, and its very existence are on a collision course with Almighty God. What tragic crisis will hit the soft belly of this nation? More to the point, if it gets worse, will I have to be here to experience it? I really don’t want to be when the bad stuff hits the fan.

I thank God for Dr. James Kennedy’s example of faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was given great gifts and was, in fact, a gift to the Church. He will be missed.

I knew it. If we can learn anything from those gone before us, we can learn that letting Muslims get a foothold in the U.S. will mean persecution of the true American church body.

Atheists will support the Muslim for their own ends, which is to displace Christianity as the foundation of our moral beliefs and the guiding light behind our legal, political and cultural decisions. However,  the plan is to then turn upon all religion and obfuscate ethnic differences, “modernizing” them into an entity that will serve the humanistic purposes of the Anti-Christ.

Other religions, because they are essentially man-serving and man-oriented, pose no threat to the Anti-Christ. It’s Jesus Christ who terrorizes the wicked by the very virtue of who He is, and His claim that all men are accountable to Him enrages them. It’s true, “The wicked man flees though no one pursues.” (Proverbs 21:28)

Now, here’s the report of what is happening in France from OneNewsNow.com:

“After a long struggle against Islamic intimidation, an evangelical church in the outskirts of Paris has been forced to vacate the 1,000-square-foot facility where it had been meeting.

The Temple de Paris Church has been located in the Paris suburb of Bagnolet. Christine Thabot, the wife of the pastor, says Muslims have been trying to get rid of them since 2005, but local authorities had permitted the church to remain in the facility, paying 8,000 euros a month (~ $9,400 U.S.) in rent.

According to Thabot, the Muslims changed their strategy. “They attacked our owner this time,” she explains. “They took up the case and [told him he was] not allowed to have this church open — and on Friday we [were told] that we had to get out of our premises.”

Thabot says Temple de Paris Church has been unable to secure another worship center. “For an evangelical or Protestant church, it is almost next to impossible to buy or to rent any premises,” she says. “As soon as they find out you are a church, there is nothing open to us.”

Thabot says many churches in the area have been closed and have had similar difficulties in securing new facilities. But she claims Muslims can secure property for building a mosque simply by paying one euro to the authorities.”

Earlier this month a report came out about the French people electing a new president who promised he would enforce stricter immigration policies against Muslims. The modus operandi of Muslim immigrants to France has been to form ghettos that are Sharia controlled, and as their numbers grow through birth and steady immigration, they eventually swallow up the indigenous population, which has been practicing “birth control” to restrict population growth for decades.

If you didn’t know, a recent Pew Research Center poll shows that out of an entire Muslim population in the U.S. of 2.35 million, that 25% of young assimilated Muslims ages 18 to 29 say that “the use of suicide bombing against civilian targets to defend Islam could be justified, at least on rare occasions.” These people claimed to be Muslim first, and American second.

Breaking it down, according to research conducted by The Laurel Leader Call newspaper, the whole Muslim youth population in the U.S. numbers 183,000 persons or 30% of the total presence. Of those, 25% say violence is justifiable often, sometimes or rarely, but half of that number said suicide bombings are justified in non-rare circumstances. Five percent said they didn’t know if violence was justifiable.

The Portland Press Herald poses this question — “Don’t know? To kill civilians or not to kill civilians is apparently for some not a straightforward question.”

While there is some targeted evangelism of Muslims in this country, it is in its infancy. I think the facts exhort us to step up our efforts to present the Gospel to all with whom we have contact, and to develop and maintain an awareness of the forces that are at work to drive the testimony of Jesus Christ out of the public square. If you value your freedom and security, become spiritually and politically active while we may still breathe free air the way America’s founding fathers envisioned it.

Today, I learned that General Peter Pace, who was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was replaced because of his belief that homosexuality is immoral. The decision to replace him with Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chief of Naval Operations, was made behind closed doors.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates cited that the “divisive ordeal,” which would have focused on the “past rather than the future,” was the reason for the abortive move.

Elaine Donnelly with the Center for Military Readiness said she believes Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan) successfully intimidated Gates and President Bush by threatening to block Pace’s re-nomination, and that the administration chose to “switch rather than fight,” allowing homosexuals to essentially “end the career of an exemplary Marine, who is respected by his troops.”

Gutless wonders in high places. Understand this, the prophets of Israel warned and warned the nation about its spiritual harlotry and for lying against God and His truth, which we may know any time just by picking up the Bible and reading it.

Hosea said, “Because of the grossness of your iniquity, and because your hostility is so great…the days of punishment have come, the days of retribution have come.” He said of Israel, who had turned away from their God, the One who had delivered them from slavery and prospered them, “Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God. For a spirit of harlotry is within them, and they do not know the Lord.”

He said Israel directed their desire toward their iniquity and that their rulers dearly loved shame; that the more the people multiplied, the more they sinned against God, so God changed their glory to shame. “They do not consider in their hearts that I remember ALL their wickedness.” (Hosea 7:2)

God called with a broken heart through His prophets for the nation to come back, but they never did. He promised He would forgive and restore their land, but they would not, and Hosea 5:6 tells us that God withdrew from Israel. We all know that 11 tribes were taken over by their enemy, Assyria, and that Israel was dissipated into oblivion. Amazing the tenacious hold sin has on people who will to be blind.

Pastor and popular author and conference speaker, Dr. John MacArthur believes God has already abandoned the United States. The evidence of that is seen in the purchase that galloping iniquity has in this country. America is pushing God away, and He is returning the favor.

Expect our enemies to take more and more control of the United States; for our economy to continue to degrade (despite the occasional upturn); for the continuation of the senseless selling out of America by our government “leaders,” for the United States to be eventually “swallowed up” by the nations as Israel was.

Hello? Hasn’t the dollar become devalued? Isn’t the country at the border and within, porous to those who swear no allegiance to America? Aren’t “kings” in America working diligently to remove our Christian foundations and right to expression? Did you know that House bill H.R. 1592 and Senate bill S. 1105 would make negative statements concerning homosexuality a “hate crime” punishable by law?

Did you know that according to a new PEW Research Center poll, 26% of middle class and mainstreamed Muslims aged 18-29 residing in our country said the use of suicide bombing against civilian targets to defend Islam could be justified?

Beside obvious, disturbing changes, judgment could present itself in imperceptible little changes. Did you know that there is a shortage of honey bees in the United States? That has never been before. You know, those little pollinators who are vital to the natural process?

What makes anyone think that what has been, has to continue? Why should the rain fall and the rivers and streams be full and clean? For that matter, why should we be protected from hurricane, tsunami and earthquake? Was the New Orleans catastrophe normal, or 4 hurricanes in one season? Wake up, America. Stuff, she is happening.

Know what? Hosea 7:14 comments, “They do not cry to Me from their heart when they wail on their beds.” People who have left the Lord will wail in their misery, but never reckon God fits into the picture for rescue. They have spent so much time opposing God and the teaching of His Word, that they go to a place from which they can’t come back. Unbelief has become habitual and real…and damning.

Christians are fighting back, and successfully, keeping the awfulness of evil and its consequences at bay. As soon as Christ returns…and it seems like that may be sooner than we think, the good that evil men fought will be removed, and instead of celebrating, as they think they will because the Holy Spirit and all believers have been removed, they will suffer as they have never suffered before.

The days will be so frightening that they will cry out for the mountains to fall on them and they will wail on their beds. Amazing.

Hubby and I paid a bunch for gutter helmets. That was supposed to spare our elder one from having to go up on the roof to sweep out the gutters every year. Well, a couple years after installation, ugly, black, dirty stuff poured over the sides of these covered gutters. I didn’t know what to make of it, but thought we’d probably have to clean them out. Three years after we had our entire house painted, the wood around the windows in the front of the house puckered and the paint job was very rough looking. Five and a half years after the paint job, the paint was cracking, peeling, flaking and the wood all around the house was (according the the Benjamin Moore store owner) endangered, some possibly rotted from moisture, which will need REPLACING.

I can’t sleep these days grieving over what may have to be done. I can see the dollars pouring into the “repair fund.” I have to get a carpenter, a roofer, and try to get someone to assess the helmet situation. Hubby tried to call the people who put in the covers, and the phone number in Toledo is no longer active. Bad. So he called another number out of town that was also originally given, and he gets an answering machine–twice, once in the morning and then again in the evening.

Out of a cancer surgery scare, we got a blessing: Hubby survived the surgery and is getting along ok. And in the middle of anxiety over the house, I got a nice surprise, a bright spot in the murk.

Today, I received in the mail a letter from General Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C. It was written on official letterhead in response to one I sent him to express my appreciation for his strong and courageous position against homosexual practice in the military. He compared it to adultery, and said it was immoral and should not be tolerated.

He got rained on by twisted minds, and I felt that he should be commended, instead. I never expected to receive a response. After all, he’s a very busy person. He said, “Please know that I value your considered opinion and appreciate the time you have taken to convey it.” He actually signed it, too. The signature indents the paper.

I will add it to the letters from Presidents Reagan and Bush, all three of which I treasure.

I suppose this means I should now regard the house problem as small and very manageable since these three men manage/have managed lots bigger problems.

You know, there are as many varieties of tea, tisanes, and flavored teas as there are for coffee, lipstick color and buttons.

I went to the tea shop down the street from our house today, and tarried there far too long. Last week, I stopped by the World Tea Company, a wonderful store that lives up to its name for tea imports. However, it happened that when I finally decided on a tea, that I discovered my credit card was at home, and since I didn’t have a sou in my wallet, I had to leave them with a promise instead of cash for a purchase.

Today, on my way home from an appointment, I decided on a whim to stop at Elaine’s Tea Shoppe. I should not go to tea shops. I love them. The store clerk was a sweet older lady who was more than glad to show me their too-cute teapots that ranged from winsome little charmers with built-in tea infusers to comic curiosities that played with my tickle bone! There was a teapot that was 12 inches tall, molded like a a svelte cat painted in matte raspberry red, patterned in gold, with gold Siamese Cat eyes and a flirty smile with a tiny pot lid on top. I mean, it really pours and holds quite a few cups, but I had to hold myself back. It’s a matter of space.

So after perusing their entire stock of pots, I studied their tea selection. There were black bags for black tea, red bags for Oolong, silver bags for white tea, green for green tea, blue for rooibos, and gold for jasmine. The clerk had no one else to service, so she brought out several types for me to smell, and I succumbed to Caramel Rooibos and Tranquility Yang white tea. The caramel smelled so much like coffee, I thought hubby would try it. The Tranquility had fruity overtones with a bold punch, which I liked.

Was I done? Not on your life! No, next was my exploration of their honey collection! There were honey sticks (honey in a sealed straw) and samples to be tried, and flavored honey, both clear flavored and organic flavored kinds! Whooee! I went home with an organic honey, flavored with papaya, grapefruit, mango, and passion fruit and the two teas. Was I bad? Well, only about $18.00 worth.

I mean, it’s a world out there when it comes to tea! So many flavors, so little time…then there’s scones, lemon curd…and….

Today, I can’t be funny and cute. I’d like to be flippant and entertaining, but I am deeply worried about the state of the Union. And I don’t mean how the economy is going or how the war is doing. I mean the mindset of many of America’s leadership toward national character.

Today, I learned that CBS broadcast an especially gruesome and morally bankrupt program on their show, NCIS. The scene aired on the May 22 episode of NCIS during the so-called “family hour” of 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT/MT).

The depicted drug smuggler had died because packets in his stomach containing drugs had released deadly amounts into his system. The drug dealer, who was waiting for the delivery, and the smuggler’s sister, a desperate junkie, had gone to the hospital to attempt to retrieve the drugs from the smuggler’s body.

The scene shows the dead smuggler having his midsection sliced open and his blood-soaked organs pulled out of his body. The man’s digestive tract is sliced open and white powder spills over his bloodied torso. When a fight ensues, one character stabs the drug dealer with a scalpel and another character shoots the drug dealer. Then the junkie-sister is shown with her face buried in her brother’s bloody entrails as she snorts heroin off his dead body.

To add insult to injury, which I am convinced is what CBS is deliberately doing, this episode was rated TV-14, with no content descriptors. Based on the graphic violence, the “V” descriptor should have been used, and due to the foul language, the “L” descriptor should have been employed as well.

It is beyond the lines of decency to depict such horrific scenes before the public, in the first place, but to deliberately display depictions like this when children could inadvertantly access it, is grossly irresponsible. The leaders in media are deliberately pushing the envelope to corrupt everyone, not just children, but that they abuse the public trust like this is to show the very face of evil. Think about it. What could possibly be so unacceptable about airing programming that built people’s finer sensibilities, tender feelings toward others, and encouraged faith in God and moral refinement? Whose side are these leaders on? I think we know the answer.

I viewed the actual scenes through the Parents Television Council site. So this isn’t just hearsay that I am commenting upon. How about cleaning up your act, TV broadcasters and business leaders who condone advertising on this trash?