Where is Mankind headed and when?

Dear Friends, Family and whoever may read this.

I am going to post part of a book on this blog, that I read many years ago. It has brought me extreme comfort when I observe the troubled times us Christians are living in.
Over the centuries there has been much debate about an event that Christians call the RAPTURE.
The topic has been criticized, debunked, and even called an 'escapist theory'. I have heard it said that Christians only believe in a rapture because they think they deserve to 'escape tribulations, or the Tribulation.
Yes, its true! I definitely want to escape the seven years of Tribulation that is coming on the earth. It will be a time of extreme deception and hardship to all who are living on planet earth.
A false messiah will arise and take complete control over all mankind, requiring a mark to be put in the hand or forehead. This is commonly known to Christians as the 'Mark of the Beast'.
If you have read the Bible, you know that it tells us that whoever takes this mark will not inherit eternal life with Christ, but will be thrown into the Lake of Fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Down the centuries, many have speculated when the 'Rapture could happen. Some have set actual dates...and have been disappointed. I personally believe the Rapture could not have occurred any sooner than this century, and particularly these later years/. The advancement of technology, the computer age, and now the World Wide Web is the catalyst needed to speed us into the final days of mankind, on this earth, as we have known it.

Times are changing, and changing fast. We are speeding to the end of the age. But, we know this already because Jesus said that we would recognize the signs of the end of the age.
Jesus's disciples also had concerns about the 'end. But, they didn't yet understand that Jesus died for a yet unborn 'church. So, with parables and examples, Jesus did leave us very direct clues. A person needs to realize that we are following a 'Jewish Messiah, that died for the JEWS first, and then us Gentiles later. We are lucky to be grafted in to the Jewish plan....
So, in that light, let me present this thought.

To be able to understand the times we are living in...and even to understand a Jewish Messiah, we MUST comprehend some 'Jewish stuff!

On that note, I will post below, and on another post (Jewish Weddings First Century Style part #2) a part of a book I have that gives alot of insight into what we are facing now in 2009. With all the talk of Armageddon, the Anti Christ, the Rapture, the Mark of the Beast and all the questions and fears those topics produce, the following passages should ease some of the fears and questions that we all have....
I know it did for me!

Thanks for reading..
God Bless.


**** Forbidden Knowledge, or is it? ****
Author: D.A. Miller
IS Book Number 0-939513-75-7

Chapter 2
Where is Mankind headed and when?

..."Are events in the Middle East leading to some type of Armageddon? If so, does God give any information in the Bible as to when these world shattering events might occur? Does God tell us when the Rapture and the end of the world will be?
Before we answer these specific questions from a biblical perspective, lets look back at a group of worried men living during the time of Christ on earth. These men, disciples of Jesus, had questions about their futures, much the same as we do. The truth that Jesus would soon be leaving struck panic to their hearts.
Jesus in His usual calm manner comforts His followers by saying,

"Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know and the way ye know."

Thomas, who became famous for his habit of verbalizing his doubts, pleads. "Master, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father, BUT BY ME." John 14:1-6

To understand the full impact of these words on His disciples we must look into the customs of the times. In so doing we will realize the great calming influence these words must have had on
His worried followers.
In fact, for nineteen hundred years, millions of readers have been inspired by the words and stories of Jesus written in the four Gospels of the New Testament. Jesus, here in His soothing words to the disciples, had alluded to the marriage customs of the day.

**** JEWISH WEDDINGS ****
Throughout the New Testament, God uses the analogy of a bride and groom to describe the relationship of Jesus to the church. As a groom pledged love to his bride, so Jesus committed His love to believers, pledged to return for us and promised us an eternity spent with Him.
The people of Jesus' day fully understood the betrothal (A pre-marriage agreement similar to an engagement) and marriage customs of which He spoke. However, we in the twentieth century need to look at these ceremonies as they were during the first century, to fully understand the significance of Jesus' teachings. This understanding not only deepens our appreciation of God's love for us, it also gives us added insights to prophetic events and offers comfort in a time of world unrest.

Read these scriptures: John 14:1-6, Ephesians 5:23-32, Revelation 19:7-9, 21:9 and 22:17

...continued on next post : "Jewish Weddings First Century Style".

Gramma's old Bible

After the passing of my beloved Grandparents; Elmer and Hazel Afseth, I often found myself pondering what words of wisdom they might impart to me pertaining to some circumstance and situation I was in. Well, they are gone now, so I have to use my imagination or memory.
On one particular day, browsing an old well worn Bible of Gramma Hazels, I read the front cover and back, an area all filled in with Grammas scribbles and jots of wisdom that she must have hurriedly wrote as she sat in church listening to a sermon.


I really enjoyed reading what she gleaned from the sermon, and considered worthy to be written down in her bible for her to ponder later, and remember.
So, here are some of the scribbles (deciphered) for your enjoyment as well.
And I write here, quotes from Gramma Hazels bible that she wrote by hand over the years. ..........



"...My Saviour's love triumphs over condemnation"


"...The Blood of Jesus keeps on cleaning us up from sin..."

"...Warn the LOST or we will be responsible for their Blood..."

"...The measure of our Love for the Lord, measures our love to the brethren..."

"...We find REVEALED knowledge through the Word..."

"...To him that OVER COMETH2, will I give..."

"...If the Lord is not Lord of all, He is not Lord of anything- This pertains to our lives-
We must let him be Lord of all..."


"...We are saved to please God, not to escape Hell only- We are a witness and a testimony
John 4:20"


"... 318 times the Word declares the coming of Jesus..."


"...Matthew 6 THE LORDS PRAYER..."

Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day,our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the Kingdom and the
Power and the Glory FOREVER. Amen.


"...Romans 5:8 and John 10:1..."

"... Long Suffering with Joyfulness..."

"...70 AD The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed..."

"...Wisdom is when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech..."

"...Daniel and Isaiah had visions of the Anti-Christ..."

"...Exodus 20 The Ten Commandments"

"...2500 years from Adam to Moses..."

"...Luke 13:24 The unsaved's peril..."

"...Romans 10:10 Confirm with the mouth..."

"...Pray the hardest, when it is the hardest to pray..."

"...Psalms 42:1-11..."

"...Acts 1 Jesus (40 days after death)..."

"...Sermon on the Mount Matthew 6..."

"...You are what you believe- You will become what you say..."

"...You can find him in the Bible, you can find him in many churches,
But until you see him in the mirror-you have a long way to go..."

"...We don't have a ministry, We ARE a ministry..."

"...Philippians 4:13..."


"...I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me..."

"...If you are self centered, you will self destruct..."

"...As faith moves the hand of God, so does fear move satan ..."

"...Healing Matthew 19:18..."

And the most important scripture that says it all:

" For God so loved the World, that he gave his ONLY begotten son,
that whosoever will believe ON HIM, SHALL BE SAVED..." John 3:16


Thank You Gramma for leaving such an awesome legacy of love,thru the words you wrote in your bible that still speaks to us today. Though you are now gone, You will NEVER be forgotten. I love you. Val.

The third property is the charm!

Once upon a time ago, in a far off desert land, there alighted (what we call snowbirds)... and there they made their home in the desolation of the Sonoran desert. It seemed crazy for anyone to willingly leave the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, but migrate they did!

One by one, family came for a visit to see just WHAT was so special about this desert that drug part of our family so far away? Well, I first noticed there was lotsa 'couch time on that new comfortable brown leather sofa...... and Bill O'Rielly to get every one all rilled up!
But, that isn't enough to convince a die hard Northwesterner like me.....
Apparently others in our family thought likewise, as soon, others began the migration south to see what was really going on down yonder....
It all began with two sisters getting together on the telephone giggling about a plan to live closer together...at least in the same state! So, the one sister still in the Northwest, decided to come on down (grabbing her husband with her)  and check it out.
Here is where it gets rather hairy........Uncle Pat had spotted a really nice waterfront piece of property and he wanted to check it out...... So, the two brother in laws got out the map and charted a course to find this property.
When all the "MAN" talk got done, Joan was getting anxious to get going and see this place......make up was all done, hair combed, now just for those slow men to get ready...geeeeze!
So.....off to chart a boat. This property was somewhere up river so it seems!
AS the boat chugged and chugged along, Bob was pointing out the extremes that could happen by living so far upstream.
The Boat was always breaking down....
You have to deal with the Nile River Virus, cause there are so many mosquito's...
And, you never know when one of those Mexican 'wetbacks' might come sneaking up on your dock at night! The more dad talked, the less enthusiastic Pat and Joan felt.....soon, they just wanted to turn around and head back. Obviously, homes on the water were NOT for them!!!
(No matter HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY LOOK!)
Joan just decided................Forget that one! I don't know how to swim anyway!
So, with that trip wasted, the disgruntled group headed back to the land and sand.
(But, it was a nice trip....)
Uncle Pat is worried that he is giving up such a nice home....he really did want that one you know! However he has plan B under the cuff. A couple more properties to look at......so, we will see if the next one is a better deal!
Back home, everyone finally came to the conclusion that living way down river, and ON the river was just not practical after all. Too many cons, and not enough pros....
~Sigh~ on to the next one.
Luckily enough, this property was on the ground, on the sand, and easy to access. You didn't need a boat to reach it, and it was very pretty.
Pat wasn't too sure about it though, due to the extensive yearly maintenance required. He didn't feel up to the paint job, and the landscaping. He had wanted to come to the desert for more freedom, not MORE work. Heck, he had worked hard all his life....and he wasn't looking for more.............so............ sorry Joan, Pat put his thumbs down on this one too! Maybe, just maybe, the next property will be the one!
You know what they say, the third is the CHARM!!!!

Ok...after a long boat ride, and the house was wrong...(too close to the water), then driving all the way out on some dirt road to look at a really beautiful charmer with plenty of room for all the kids and grand kids.....(too much maintenance)....I now sense that Joan is getting a bit to the end of her rope...........eeeekkkk hold on Joanie, maybe the third one is the charm!
So the fearless foursome commandeerd the little Green land rover, and head out on some GPS guidance system...... who really knows where they are going, but, I heard its toward some "Castle" or "Dome" or something eerie sounding like that....
Have fun guys!...See ya there!
During the drive, and while enduring the bumps and dust and rocks......Joan leaned over to whisper something into Pats ear. Something like this..."Pat, I' ve had it! Just BUY the next property we look at".  "I am tired of shopping around, and I MEAN IT!"
Pat took one look at the intent look on Joans face, and knew she was serious.
So, after a 4 and a 1/2 hour drive, they finally arrived at the "THIRD PROPERTY", and boy was everyone relieved to just squeeze out of that little green torture chamber!
By now, Pat remembered what Joan had told him, and decided upon this one to buy.
Hey, the price was excellent...and well, yeah, it needs a little fixin up, but so what? He figured now that he is retired, he has plenty of hobby time....and fixin up the home should be a rewarding experience! So, Pat started showing Bob around the place, pointing out what all the property had as little extras....(some firewood already down!) Lots'a rocks....no need to mow a lawn!
And Joanie got so excited about the house that she started right away to see if they had the cash on hand to give the down payment.

Pat started calling the bank, telling them to put a "SOLD" sign out front....he couldn't remember the last time he felt this good, and had such a cool new dig to call home!

Everything was going sooooooooooo good, that is until brother-in-law Bob found the moonshine. OOOOPs.............
Needless to say, in their extatic mood of celebration, everyone started dipping in, until the entire jug was empty, and everyone was a hootin and a hollerin, and making such a ruckus that the local sherriff had to show up.

The Sheriff was nice enough to let the two ladies off the hook, but the fellows had to be put behind bars...The Sheriff threatened to throw away the key....and he just might have, because they sat and sat and sat in there weeks on end.
Sherrill resorted to preaching, and trying to arouse local sympathy in a grassroots, or should I say (sandroot) movement of protests to let the guys out of the slammer.
But, no matter how much she preached, the townspeople just turned a deaf ear to her pleas..... they had seen this type of thing all too many times before. As far as I know, she is still there to this day, preaching and hoping to gain the rightful release of Bob and Pat...........
I don't know what happened to Joan. I think she is sitting in the pews somewhere, listening to her sister preach.....
Well, there is an old fable floating around the place now..... its been a good 50 years since the ole two rabblerascers were locked up. Its been said that the Ghost of Pat still haunts the bar, and on a full moon you can hear bottles clinking and if you try hard enough, you can smell the whiff of ole moonshine.....

As for Bob........he was never seen nor heard of again. Its been told that he dug a secret tunnel out back of the cell, and he escaped.
Whoooooooooo knows???????????????
Just beware of the 'Third Property' the next time you go a looking....

There was a time when...

This song is woven from the very fabric of our land, our flag, our nation.
It should be on every radio station, and every American should be proud.

I remember standing every school morning, placing my hand over my heart and saying the 'Pledge of Allegiance" to the American flag flying in the corner of our room.
One girl didn't have to, she just stayed sitting down 'cause she was a Jehovah's witness or something. We all thought her a little bit odd........ I mean, what does our American flag have to do with her religion?
I remember carrying a huge old American flag with my prancing yellow horse named Fella in a parade in Snohomish. We were very proud of that, me and my horse.
The flag is just material.... we know that. However, the significance and meaning woven into that material is what keeps good men going when facing enemy combat or prisoner of war concentration camps.
The Flag is our symbol. No one else in the whole wide world can claim those colors or combinations.....it is OURS.
We need to believe in our individuality of our nation amongst the world. We stand alone in sovereignty as a nation..........
so far....

" CONSTIPATION" by: J.H. Tilden M.D

When Dad arrived at Fayetteville, with a bunch of books that I loaded into the R.V. and he brought them here for me..... I began unloading them and looking for room in the bookcase. One particular little green book caught me by surprise. It was titled "Constipation". I thought for half a minute that it must be a kinda joke book ....... upon opening it, I noticed it was written in 1939 by a REAL medical doctor.
I couldn't help but glance thru it....and had a few chuckles, and snickers.
I wonder how much importance we actually place on constipation nowadays....that is; until we find ourselves locked in a bathroom with the agonizing condition....... wondering if "IT" will EVER COME OUT? And, sighing with GREAT relief, and Thanks to God when it does plop on out...

I thought you might enjoy a few precerpts..........

....."Rule number #1. must be observed:
Never Eat Unless Absolutely Comfortable in Mind and Body from the Previous Mealtime?
(Val says Whhhaaaaaaaattttt?)

And here is another one:
"Constipation is an affection- it is not a disease; hence, whatever the cause is, it must be sought out and removed. (?)
"To use anything -any ONE remedy or any hundred remedies- is equivalent to limiting cause, and that shows a fallacious understanding of what constipation is. No cure can come from a treatment based on a false conception of cause and cure. (?)

And here is the humdinger.......
"As to cause, it is as impossible to find a single cause as it is to find a single effect or a single remedy. The causes and effects become a tangled web,as we see causes becoming effects and effects becoming causes.....
(Ummm, OK!)

Anyway....here's hoping to ya all that you are enjoying a constipation FREE summer.

Arizonian Reunions of all sorts!

Sorry for the upside down, sideways, mixed up photos. My photo editor is crazy right now, but, I am going to post this blog anyway.
This spring was a fandangle mixture of reunions, new beginings, endings of old things and new hopes birthed.
I finally got my son back..... and my sanity. Enough said about that.
You must be able to tell by the smile on my face, that I am happy!
We were also blessed to see Braydon again.... the first time for the parents, second for me. He had grown alot since last fall, but then again babies do that!
Jessica, Nancy and baby all looked healthy and happy. So good to spend time with the family again!

Then there is the times in the desert....
Goofing around in the poppy fields. Mom and I grabbing what we could before the farmer made his rounds and caught us pilifering off his crop!
Matt and Dad hit a car show, and we all made it to the castle dome mine!
My favorite photo is of Matt bowing before the white cross.....

It was warm, dry and pleasant. I just love the desert now....cant get it out of my bones, so to speak.
The humidity of North Carolina wrecks havoc for the old people like me.

I got to see my favorite father in law again...and felt bad leaving him. We dont speak the same language, but we manage to communicate somehow....
All in all, by the time I flew back home on June 25th (Michael Jacksons D day) I was excited to get back home to my family here.
Hope ALL my family everywhere is doing good, and please stay in touch.
All my love,
Val.