Birthday Present

Every year for Christmas and my birthday, I always ask for the same thing - a new body, size 12.  For some reason, no one ever gets that for me. 

This is one of the few birthdays I can remember that I'm not looking forward to.  I remember that I wasn't especially happy to turn 21. I couldn't claim childhood on any legal grounds anymore.  (I hadn't yet figured out that childhood is in the heart rather than the body.) And fifty was a pretty big wall to climb over.  I couldn't pretend that I still had half my life left to live.  I know Great-uncle August lived to be 105, but my odds of matching that are slim to none.  I don't have the Kuehn body type.

In March of this year, our friend Ed died.  He was one month past his birthday - the same birthday I'm staring square in the eye.  It made me compare numbers.  If I live to be as old as Ed, I have one month left.  If I live to be as old as my father, I have two years and three months.  I've already outlived a number of my classmates and several good friends.  One died at 56. Several classmates died within the first year out of college. 

Does this sound morbid?  I think everyone has to deal with their own mortality sooner or later.  "Teach us to number our days that we might apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90:12.  What do I want to accomplish in whatever is left of my life?  What is most important? 

What if I don't even have enough time left to die? I watch the Middle East countries going up in smoke and the European and US economies going down the drain.  What is the most likely scenario for the world to need a global leader (the antichrist) to show up and "take care of things"?  We would need economic chaos, massive unrest and a bazillion people who think that government should take care of everything and everyone.  Does that read like the daily news to you?  It does to me. 

What if Jesus were to show up any time now?  I watch with special diligence around the Feast of Trumpets every year, but I wouldn't mind if it were today or tomorrow.  Wow!  To be in heaven enjoying the wedding supper of the Lamb.  Now that would be a birthday present!  And I bet I would have my new body - size 12.

Happy birthday to me...

Kathi

I Won! (Third place)

A few months ago, I entered the Clabber Girl Healthy Cheating contest.  I had to buy one of their packaged brownie or cookie mixes and make something creative with it.

I found out today that I got third place.  Here's a picture of the entry:

The brownie was baked flattened on a pizza pan.  Then I put suggested toppings on it.  One was natural peanut butter with chocolate chips, one was fresh raspberries with a little whipped cream, the other two are canned pie fillings in case fresh fruit is out of season.

I'm thrilled!

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Feast of Trumpets 2012

This year the Feast of Trumpets is on September 17th.  That may be important because God has fulfilled in the New Testament the foreshadowings He placed in the Old Testament holidays - except for one.

Jesus came and "tabernacled" with us putting on a dirt body and living here with us. Jesus died as the lamb at Passover.  The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost.  Jesus was the firstfuits from the dead.  One could even argue for Purim and Hanukkah, holidays not specifically given in the Torah.  Jesus' clothes were divided by the casting of lots (Purim) and Jesus is the Servant candle on the Hanukkah lamp which is used to light all the other candles.

The only unfulfilled holiday is the Feast of Trumpets.  I tie that to 1 Thess. 4:16-17, which states that the Lord will come with the trumpet call of God and believers living and dead will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 

If...if the Pretribulation rapture people are correct, pick the Feast of Trumpets, the Mayan calendar, whatever - but I can see where prophecy shows that the Christians will be out of here before next March.  We'll see. 

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi

Query First

According to the rules of the magazine writing game as they have been presented to me, one should send a query about an idea to a magazine.  One shouldn't write an article until the magazine asks for the piece. 

In theory, this saves a lot of time and effort for the writer because they don't have to write anything that hasn't been commissioned.

That's all well and good.  But what if I feel like writing something and no one has asked for anything yet? 

Let's see.  I can write more queries (practical, but not overly satisfying).  I could write short stories for contests and magazines (fun, but no guarantee of acceptance).  I could write just for the joy of it and not expect anyone else to pay for it, publish it, or even read the thing. 

As much as I would love to spend my time replacing my current paycheck with other income, or supplementing what I earn, sometimes I just want to spill something on the page and not worry about who it's for or who else will see it.

Or I could come back to my blog more frequently.  I apologize for the lengthy absence.  I haven't taken a break in my classes for almost a year now and have three more 6-week classes in my immediate future.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi