You Never Let Go

My family is going through some personal hard times with finances and job security right now which is making our future very "unknown". My friend Paula from Ohio sent me this song yesterday and I want to share it with you as the words are very comforting. Its a blessing and a peaceful feeling that there is no need to fear the unknown as God is already there and will be with us. Thank you Paula! Love you!



You Never Let Go

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back, I know you are near

I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear
*WHOM THEN SHALL I FEAR*

OH no You never let go through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go and every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go, Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see the light that is comin' for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be *AN* end to the struggles
Til that day comes, we'll live to know You here on *THE* Earth

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear
*WHOM THEN SHALL I FEAR*

*You keep on loving and you never let go*

And i can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
and there will be and end to the struggles
but until that day comes
*STILL I WILL PRAISE YOU
STILL I WILL PRAISE YOU*

by Matt Redman

eBay and Cleaning House

As regular readers know, eBay is my business. Been doing this for 8 years. So, what kind of things am I listing now? I have a high of 338 items up for sale (as of the time I'm typing this). As soon as I finish this blog, I'll be listing more.

I just listed a bunch of vintage cowboy shirts. I have assorted clothing listed for men, women and infant babies. I have Disney toys, military videos, pottery from Germany and assorted other items.

I'm taking a break from listing the Bible study related books. I'm concentrating on cleaning up my eBay storage room that is in my basement. The books can wait until after the holidays.

I'm in the process of trying to get rid of things in this house. Found a person on Craigs list who was looking for free magazines. Hey... I have two boxes for you! She is coming later today to pick them up. That's two boxes out of this house. Happy smile.

I have a bag of clothing for my friend's daughter so that's another bag out of my house and into her house (LOL). She'll get those tomorrow.

I feel an urgency of getting things out of here and not bringing anything new in. On Tuesday, I took two bags of clothing to a local church that has a clothes closet for the community. They give the clothes away free. I can probably come up with another bag very easily. I have at least two boxes that should be taken to Goodwill soon too. I keep debating on whether to do that or save for a future yard sale. I cleaned a closet out yesterday and found several things that I can pass on to other people.

In the meantime, I list on eBay everyday as every time something sells, that's one less thing in this house! If you haven't checked out my store, BienleinDesign Finds, recently, I hope you will soon. Maybe I'll have just what you've been looking for. If you mention that you read about my store in my blog, I'll give you a discount!

See you there!

Cats and Hearing Aids

Does anyone else have this problem?

I have two cats. Both males and both between 2-3 years old. The older one is laid back and the younger one is a troublemaker. The troublemaker's name is Chupa.

Chupa is a tiger tabby - gold colored. He is very sweet but mischievous. For some reason, he just loves my hearing aid... or more specifically, the hearing aid mold. I don't know if its the smell, the taste or the texture.

Last year my hearing aid disappeared.
I KNOW I had it on my dresser in the location I always put it at night with my glasses. The next morning it was gone. I turned my house upside down looking for it for months but never did find it. I gave up and for months I was totally deaf. Finally with the help of Michigan Vocational Rehabilitation, I was able to get a new aid last December. With the aid on, I could hear stuff.

All went fine.
I had a case and I faithfully put my aid in the case every night as I did not want a repeat of a disappearing hearing aid. But, one night I didn't. I don't remember why. Maybe I was very tired or not feeling well or something but instead of putting it in the case, I just put in ON the dresser. The next morning, I was walking to the kitchen and I STEPPED on my hearing aid...

Ummm... what is this doing out here? Why is it on the floor? Chupa is the only cat that jumps up on the dresser. The other cat had a leg injury and is not able to jump that high so I knew immediately that Chupa had taken the aid off the dresser and both the cats probably played soccer with it during the night. I also noticed that the mold was broken as if one of them had taken a bite out of it.

Oh bummer.... I vowed I would do better and put the aid IN THE CASE every night. Well... it didn't happen. One night my husband had gone to bed and it was dark and I couldn't find/feel the case on the dresser so I HID my hearing aid under other stuff on the dresser figuring it would be safe and I would find the case in the morning.

Bad idea.
The next morning the first thing I did was look for that hearing aid as I was very curious if Chupa found it. It was gone! That darn cat had found it!

I got on my hands and knees and looked all over my house. I went downstairs and checked the basement.. nothing. Where could it have gone? I went upstairs again and decided to make a cup of coffee and I stepped on my aid for the second time! Yeah... but... the mold was missing. Had it come disconnected during the soccer play? So, back on my hands and knees, I'm looking for the mold now which is hard to see as its almost clear.

Found it, I did.
but... this time it was in two pieces. the cats had taken another bite out of the mold and now there was no upper part. It was only the part that goes inside the ear. It still worked so it wasn't a total loss.

I did check to see how much it cost to make a new mold... ready for this? $100!!! oh geez. I will do without if its that high. So far, my mini mold is doing its job but I do not need to learn this lesson again. From now on, the hearing aid goes into my sock drawer which gets closed.

That darn cat can't get it there!

Are you letting your dream die?

I want to share something I read recently, It was written by Charles Garfield who shared a powerful story of a man who wouldn't let his circumstances stop him from living his passion:

"One day I was driving from my home in Northern California to the San Francisco airport, consumed with the talk I was flying to give. I found myself in early morning rush hour traffic and then a real Manhattan-style traffic jam. I wasn't going anywhere. All of a sudden I heard loud rock music. I looked up and couldn't believe what I saw - the toll taker I was approaching was dancing! I said, 'Please, Lord, not this morning. It's not a time for one of your tests.'

"Anyway, I got to the toll booth and gave him my dollar. He gave me my change with a backhanded slap, moving in time with his music. Now, I can't go through life pretending that these amazing things are not happening. So I asked the toll taker a standard, in-depth research question, 'What are you doing?' He said, 'I'm having a party.' I said, 'What about the rest of these people?' He said, 'They're not invited.'

"I thought, 'This guy is either nuts, or he's going to teach you something.' I couldn't find out then, but I made a mental note to find him again. A month later I did. It was during the middle of the day, so there was no traffic, and he was still dancing, the music was still blaring. He insisted he was having a party.

"I told him that I studied high achievers for a living and that I needed a certain kind of story. He said, 'You want to study me - great, take me to dinner.' After dinner, I asked him what kept him going. I explained the concept of mission. He said, 'You want to know my mission? I'm going to be a dancer someday. With what they pay me in that toll booth, I can't afford dance lessons. So I have the same two choices every other person has. I can let my dream die or I can dance in the toll booth.'

"Now here is the key issue. There are 16 other people just like him, with the same job - no special privileges - members of what I call the 'bitch and moan' school. These are the people who say, 'Oh, it's miserable. My boss won't let me do it. The organization won't let me do it. My parents didn't let me do it. The school system ruined me.' Yet one guy has managed to see a different world and a different set of possibilities.

"He was saying to all of us, 'I can let my dream die, or I can make it work anyway.' Peak performers are people who will make it work anyway. When everybody else is complaining or talking about the obstacles, peak performers will make it work anyway."

*An excerpt from Charles Garfield, Noetic Sciences Review 6 (Spring 1988) 19-20.

What to do if have a kitchen oil fire?

Today I want to show you something serious and I hope this never happens to you but now you know what to do if it does!

READ BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO!!

A family firefighter recently sent me the attached short video - and I would like to share the prevention information with each of you. It is well worth watching! And it could save your life.

This is very stunning - please read and then watch the very short clip.

I never realized that a wet dishcloth can be a one size fits all lid to cover a fire in a pan!

This is a dramatic video (30-second, very short) about how to deal with a common kitchen fire ...oil in a frying pan. Read the following Introduction, then watch the show ...It's a real eye-opener!!

At a Fire Fighting Training school they would demonstrate this with a deep fat fryer set on the fire field. An instructor would don a fire suit and using an 8 oz cup at the end of a 10 foot pole toss water onto the grease fire.

The results got the attention of the students. The water, being heavier than oil, sinks to the bottom where it instantly becomes superheated. The explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil up and out. On the open field, it became a thirty foot high fireball that resembled a nuclear blast.

Inside the confines of a kitchen,................ the fire ball hits the ceiling and fills the entire room, Also, do not throw sugar or flour on a grease fire. One cup of either creates the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite.

This is a powerful message----watch the video and don't forget what you see.

Tell your whole family about this video... or better yet, send it them.

Inspirational Thoughts

Just a couple of inspirational thoughts for today...

When you wholeheartedly adopt a 'with all your heart' attitude
and go out with the positive principle,
you can do incredible things.
- Norman Vincent Peale

Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.
- Thomas Carlyle

I Believe

This is a song that keeps going through my head. I thought if I blogged about it, maybe my brain will switch to another song? Regardless... this is a beautiful song and I love the words as well as the harmony. Enjoy...

I BELIEVE

I believe for every drop of rain that falls
A flower grows
I believe that somewhere in the darkest night
A candle glows
I believe for everyone who goes astray, someone will come
To show the way
I believe, I believe

I believe above a storm the smallest prayer
Can still be heard
I believe that someone in the great somewhere
Hears every word

Everytime I hear a new born baby cry,
Or touch a leaf or see the sky
Then I know why, I believe


Written by: Erwin Drake - Irvin Graham
- Jimmy Shirl - Al Stillman)

God is in Control story

This past weekend was our November Deaf Cafe, Flint program. I have mentioned several times that my husband, daughter and myself are part of this ministry. Its an AWESOME group of dedicated committed Christians who love to serve the Lord.

Deaf Cafe is a monthly 2 hour variety type Christian program. We have drama, skits, music, videos, power-points, games and devotions. Its a great 2 hours of fun and laughter and serious learning about God's word too. Our purpose is to reach those - deaf or hearing - who might not normally attend a regular church. In everything we do, God gets the glory.

And God certainly got the glory this past Saturday. We had a special guest speaker, David, who planned to do 15 mins of magic tricks and also the devotion at the end of the program. His wife, Sharon who is wonderful with music, would lead the team in a couple of songs. They arrived Friday night and we practiced with no problems. Everything looked good for Saturday's program. Saturday at 11am, I received a VP call from the husband of a team member. David and Sharon were spending the weekend at their home. We were informed that there was a family emergency and David and Sharon had to immediately leave for home.

Oh my! Four of the other team members of DC just happened to be spending the weekend at my house so the majority of the team was there. We immediately said a prayer for David and Sharon (found out Sharon's brother had a heart attack and he passed away last night - our deepest sympathy to them). We then put on our thinking caps as we had to quickly come up with Plan B. We had 15 mins to fill in the first half, we had to come up with a devotion speaker and a new song leader. My husband John said he would take care of the devotion and Kirstan would do her best leading the song. As Kirstan is deaf herself, that is a big achievement for her. Sometimes she can hear the words on the CD and sometimes she gets lost. We knew it would work out. I found another video to show (my job is tech person) and we would extend one of the dramas.

We knew God was in control!
We practiced the main drama just one time an hour before the program started at 6pm. My husband, (it just so happened that he had many roles during that program) played a "Billy Mays" character by first trying to selling "Super Duper Clean" products that clean EVERYTHING. Later he meets Jesus and realizes that Jesus is the only thing that REALLY cleans EVERYTHING. He then becomes a spokeperson "selling" Jesus. The team sang "Nothing but the blood of Jesus" in the middle of this drama. It was VERY effective and one of the best dramas we have done. GOD GETS THE GLORY!

Kirstan also wrote about Saturday's program in her blog. Check out her version too! Don't forget to click on the google ads!

Are you a reason, season or lifetime friend?

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life,
whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Standing up for my Faith

I wanted to share about a discussion I was a part of last week. I belong to a business forum and while I asked a different question, someone brought up the fact that I include the byline of Psalms 16:8 in my emails. That opened the door to discuss whether or not its a good idea to include religion with your business.

I decided I was going to do a little test.
On my eBay site, I sell a lot of Bible related study books. I also sell other items like military stuff, photography books and magazines, clothing, household items, etc. I know some of my buyers are Christians but not all.

I decided I would remove that Psalms 16:8 byline when I send emails to those who did not purchase a Bible related book. I did that for three days and I felt so guilty. Why was I hiding the fact that I am a Christian? Am I ashamed to admit that? Am I concerned about offending those who might not share the same beliefs? Am I afraid of losing business?

I couldn't do it.
I could not separate my faith and my business as my faith is who I am. I can't hide my faith anymore than I can hide the fact that I am deaf - although I tried very hard to do just that when I was younger! My faith is something I want to share. I want everyone to know that I am a Christian and I'm not ashamed to admit that.

I have since put back that byline and it goes out to everyone I respond to. If I offended someone, oh well.. they can take their business elsewhere. I know the Lord will prosper me for being faithful and not being ashamed. I am not of this world!

What does Psalms 16:8 say?
"I have set the Lord always before me because He is at my right side. I shall not be moved".

Therefore, no matter what the world says, I'm not moving and I'm going to stay firm with my Lord at my right side.

Be true to yourself today too.