Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Journey
To me it just symbolizes how the road is long and the end is out of sight. It has its bumps and curves and heights to scale. There are places we would like to pass but it is forbidden.
At any point along the way, the place where we are on the road is the biggest and most visible while the road behind and ahead are less distinguishable. This is a blessing if we don't dwell on the bumps we have endured or worry excessively about the ones coming up. Staying in the present, with God's help, we can handle them.
As we go along if we look around and beyond the confines of the road we can see immeasurable beauty surrounds us even at the curves, bumps, hills and things that cannot be passed around, but must be gone through to stay the course to the horizon and beyond.
In the midst of a crisis we have a few choices. We can just stop. Stop progressing, stop going places. We can just sit and wait. Wait for a rescue, wait for someone else to take care of things. If there is an accident we can easily blame someone else even though it was our fault. If we are traveling the road alone, it's our word against theirs.
We can see a traveler along the road in trouble. We can stop to help or drive right by rationalizing why we could not make the sacrifice to serve. Or we can how dumb coming our here in the middle of the bluebells without enough gas. Or thinking something like, ou must have done something stupid like excessive speeding for that to happen. Again exonerating ourselves for any need to inquire.
Or even worse we can be so self-absorbed that we cannot even see the need. So caught up in our own problems and our own innocence that we cannot even see another's pain.
Posted by Bonnie at 9:27 AM 5 comments
Labels: Musings
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Halloween~One Last Word!
without having to dream them up!
The Worst of Times~Not seeing our 10 little grandkids
on this fun day for them!
The Next Best Thing~ Grown-up kids that keep us in the loop
with their photos and blogs!
1st Trick or Treating Experience in Italy!
Chloe~Miss Deseret 2008
Spencer and Ross and Mom haveDinner from a Pumpkin! Missing Dad!
No Question He's Ours!
The Moon Has Gone Down On Halloween 2008!
Posted by Bonnie at 10:09 AM 3 comments
Labels: Autumn, Family Times, Holidays
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Voter Inspiration

Don't Try To Deny That Same Privilege To Others
Be Smart and Stand Up For What You Believe
But Don't Personally Attack Others If They Do Not Agree
This Is A Freedom We Never Want To Lose
Posted by Bonnie at 2:39 PM 3 comments
Hand Out or Hand Up?

We have a social situation that seems to be getting worse and worse in our town. We are seeing more and more beggars and panhandlers. I have a social dilemma where these people are concerned and am wondering if you feel it too. On the one hand I want to help and on the other hand it is upsetting. Let me explain.
I know that in the scriptures it says we should give to the poor. I am all for that and try to do that in a bunch of different ways. What I don't like is being approached in the grocery store parking lot which has happened to me several times over the past few months, or being approached at the gas stations which has also happened to me since gas prices skyrocketed in the past year.
I had a guy beg me for some gas as he approached me with a gas container. He told me he was just down the street and had run out of gas and that he needed just a little gas to get his car up to the station. He was nicely dressed, about 45 years old and looked like a guy in a tight spot. So when I finished fueling I let him put some gas in his container. My first clue that he was a swindler should have been the five gallon container he carried. So then he started engaging me in conversation and madly trying to fill up his container. Finally I caught on and said, "Hey, I don't mind giving you some gas but I am not filling up your entire $25.00 container! He then started in with the "God bless you mam, etc," without removing his hand from the lever on the hose. Finally I had to get nasty. He quit fueling and left singing my praises. I decided to follow him and found him putting the gas into his parked car that was in an adjoining parking lot of the store next door. I rolled down my window and told him how sad he was and how people like him made it very difficult for people like me to trust. I also told him how what he had done not only hurt him but people in my future who might truly be in need.
On the other hand there was a time when I walked by a guy sitting out in front of the post office asking for money and I walked past him and something told me to go back and give him money. I only had a 20 dollar bill so I gave it to him and it felt right. So what is the answer?
Yesterday the guy that approached me in the Safeway parking lot was actually working the area. After I refused him money he picked up a cart and proceeded to head back towards the store to find another person to hit up.
I guess the more annoying thing is all these things happened in broad day light in very nice areas. What the answer is I don't know ~maybe just taking it on a case by case basis and letting your intuition or the spirit guide you. I almost like the honest ones better like the guy in this picture saying he needs money for beer.
That settles it for me. No dice, buddy. But the ones where you don't know for sure...they are the disturbing ones. How do you handle it?
photos as seen on flickr
Posted by Bonnie at 7:02 AM 7 comments
Labels: Just Wondering
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Leaves
The Leaves
anonymous
The leaves had a wonderful frolic.
They danced to the wind's loud song.
They whirled, and they floated, and scampered.
They circled and flew along.
The moon saw the little leaves dancing.
Each looked like a small brown bird.
The man in the moon smiled and listened,
And this is the song he heard.
The North Wind is calling, is calling,
And we must whirl round and round,
And then, when our dancing is ended,
We'll make a warm quilt for the ground.
* Someone sent me this photo. Credit: Unknown
Posted by Bonnie at 11:11 AM 1 comments
Labels: Autumn






















