Hey, Do You Remember the Story of Esther?

Can you guess what the picture at left has to do with Esther?

If you're like me you answered, "Uh, no."

Apparently Hassidic Jews celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim in this way. This picture was taken straight from one such party.

For those of you who do not know what the Purim Holiday represents, I will tell you. It is a celebration of the Jews' salvation from genocide in ancient Persia. Yep, you know me; I have a definition of genocide for you - the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group.

The book of Esther tells us that King Ahasuerus' Grand Vizier, Haman, plots to completely wipe out the entire Jewish population in Persia.

Esther approaches King Ahasuerus and requests of him to save her people from a self-centered mad man.

As the story goes, the King is enraged to learn that the man Esther speaks of is his, so called, right-hand-man, Haman. He then orders that Haman be hanged from the gallows prepared for Esther's uncle, Mordecai.

This being ironic, because Haman had been the one to order that the gallows be constructed after Mordecai had refused to bow down to him. (Esther 1 - 9)

How often has God saved us from total destruction? Well, personally speaking, "many a time!"

I can't deny that I am known to kick up my heels to the beat of a praise song, but only while alone in my family room.

In such tumultuous times wouldn't a big ol' party in celebration of all the wonderful things God has done for us, not to mention all the figurative train wrecks he has prevented, be very appropriate?

I, for one, would be the first to arrive and the last to leave. Um... although, I think I would forgo the table dance.

Until next time, love and blessings, Laura K.

Castles...

Castle… a retreat safe against intrusion or invasion.  Hmm, when I looked up castle in the dictionary, I found the aforementioned definition.  There were two others, but I found this one to be the most interesting.  I use castles quite a bit in my book for different reasons.  I will not go into all those just now, but I have decided to share a scene in my book that takes place in one of these strongholds.  I hope you enjoy it.

“Welcome, my friend.” The voice of Almighty God lay smooth on the atmosphere, majestic yet hushed.

“Your Majesty.” Aiteo became aware of his wide unchecked grin. Clearing his throat, he pulled his lips together. He many times expressed his joy with such abandon before his master, but they were there to discuss a royal princess of the King, and he wanted to show his sincerity, and level-headedness for the task.

            He, like all the other assigned protectors, always saw the face of God. Yet, at this moment, he had been honored with a private meeting with the Almighty.

The angel breathed in the scent of olive wood and myrrh and thought about the majesty of his Lord – inescapably capturing, encompassed with great knowledge and wisdom. His white hair, like lightening and fire at war with one another, billowed around His all-knowing eyes that reflected every tiny morsel of existence’s history, and His mouth, when open, spoke endless truth and love.

Instead of the majestic throne room, they sat within a grand castle, an original model for the ones on earth. He allowed a slight chuckle to escape his lips as he thought of man’s arrogance in believing they had initiated the ideas.

            “What do you find so fascinating, Aiteo?” the Almighty inquired.

            Of course the great being knew his Master would already be aware of his thoughts. After all, he reads minds. He was being humored. “Just thinking of your man, my King.”

            “Oh?”

            “It is extraordinary how he actually believes he is wise in and of himself. Very few realize how mindless they would be without Your inspiration. And, well, I find that fascinating.”      

“Yes, man entertains me with his meditations. But today we are here to discuss one who has a mind set for my work. She is after my heart, Aiteo, and I can use her for my great purpose. As you know, my eyes go to and fro throughout the earth searching for a faithful servant.”

“This one reminds me of David.” Aiteo gazed out the window at the comings and goings of the saints. “Are you saying Katie’s heart is pure toward you in this way?”

“Ah, yes, and just as you saw David become a great king, you will see Katie Mylady become a great princess.”

“Her life is so hard, Master.” Aiteo’s strong confidence began to wobble.

God smiled. “Her day is coming. You know the process too well, my friend.”

Aiteo realized he was more than personally involved in this one. “Tornado, earthquake… tsunami?” He hoped her trial would not be too great.

“On a scale of tornado to tsunami, huh?” God seemed to be enjoying this. He handed the heavenly being his assignment.

After scanning the eternal plan Aiteo jerked his head up and then back to the plan. “How will You do this, my King?”

“Just be patient my trusted servant and watch My will unfold.

His mind began to race at the possibilities. “I will not fail You, my King. Thousands will move under my command to assist your royal princess.” He rose and bowed low with due respect.

Where is Your Prince Charming?

Just wanted to talk a bit about a little-known topic -- Kate and William’s upcoming royal wedding. Yes, I do jest.

Girls everywhere are looking to add a title to their names, and are very disappointed that William will now be off the market.

With hunky royals all over the world in palaces from Sweden to Brunei, airline tickets are selling like hotcakes to those who seek their own fairy tale ending. I’m thinking United Airlines’ jingle “It’s time to fly” might take on a completely different connotation.

There’s a How to Date a Prince blog, www.howtodateaprince.com, devoted to “Miss Prince Hunter”  where you’ll find questions like “Is HRH (His Royal Highness) into you?” and “Prince or pauper? How to tell if you are dating a prince.”

As a result, Prince Harry is being hunted like game. His favorite hangouts are staked out by hundreds of wanna-be princesses.

I don’t know about you, but I smell a reality show.

Whew, all this hullabaloo makes me want to say, “Hello! The Prince of all princes is available. His name is Jesus and, he wants to hold your heart, and make all your dreams come true. Talk about your fairy tale endings.

Revelation 9:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True.

Girl, I have goose bumps on my goose bumps!

So, listen up all you future princesses. Faithful and True will come riding on a white horse to rescue you. He will then whisk you away on his noble steed to your royal castle where you’ll live happily ever after.

If you’re not a princess yet, you must call on the name of Prince Jesus!

Only believe…

Mark 16:16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.

Until next time, Love and Blessings!

A Dandelion and a Pig's Ear

This is a picture of a dandelion covered with dew.

Most of us relate the dandelion to feelings of scorn. Their daisy-like blooms quickly turn into a hideous fountainhead that requires only the slightest breeze to send seeds floating in pursuit of a spot in our otherwise manicured lawns.  They are known to create deep, strong root systems that take every garden tool in the shed to extract!  Yet, here they exude an incomparable beauty. Challenging the old adage, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

With that said, I want to share with you something that caught my eye this morning while perusing the internet:

Los Angeles, best-selling author, James Frey, has stirred the publishing world again. He announced Monday that he would sell his new “religious” novel via an art gallery. The title - The Final Testament of the Holy Bible.

Nope, not done yet.

It tells the story of a second coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah to millions of Christians, but just plain Ben Jones to family and friends. Ben, whose real name is Zion Avrohom, is a hard-drinking man who lives in a dirty apartment in The Bronx, New York. He smokes dope and has relations with women and men.

Are you sitting again after falling in the floor? Good, then I’ll continue. My first reaction was grabbing my chest as I gasped for air. Then, I started thinking…

Why is Hollywood, along with the media in general, so interested in Jesus? And, why are they so determined to deface Him? Because He is real. Satan tells them that He poses a real threat to their “life as they know it”.

So how do we turn this pig into silk?

We pray! We post about it, offering the truth. If we as Christians did not have some sort of darkness to shine the light on, we wouldn’t have a ministry. So I choose to embrace this with determined vigor and spin some silk!

Job 12:22 He floods the darkness with light, he brings light to the deepest gloom.

 Love and Blessings, Laura K.

Making a Turnout – My Peno Gemizo Elio Stage!

Today I feel the need to share with you some of my musings. Over the last year I have experienced what I now refer to as my “Peno Gemizo Elio” stage. “What on earth are you talking about?” you might ask. Well, before I answer that question, I would like to muse just a bit more. And along the way you may figure it out for yourself.

Life for me has been a roller coaster ride. I know that is a worn out, trampled on metaphor, but it just fits. In the truest sense, I have had numerous hills, valleys, and sharp curves. When you have a child with special needs, the norm is nonexistent.

Just as I was settling in to the childhood stage of a developmentally delayed daughter like a warm, cozy cup of spiced tea, I suddenly found that adulthood had arrived and it was time to rethink, recharge, and make a turnout (a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction).

I must say that I have handled this poorly still uncertain of the correct way to negotiate the tracks so to speak.

So, what is a girl to do?

I have latched on to Jesus like a bird in a hurricane!

Most days I have no idea what I am doing, or what I should do. Yet, I know Jesus, and He knows what to do. Just knowing He is there somehow makes sense of it all.

Psalm 18:1- … I love you, LORD; you are my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold.
Psalm 18:28 LORD, you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness.


So, what does Peno Gemizo Elio mean? To receive into the soul what serves to refresh, strengthen, nourish. Fill yourself with God. (New Testament Greek)

“Woooh! Wooooh! I’m making a turnout.

Love and Blessings, Laura K.

Run and Win!

This picture is taken from what some call the “Toughest Race on Earth" - a grueling six-day, 150 mile trek across the Sahara desert.

Even though the most skilled runners found that they could only run downhill for short periods of time, they were glad they came.  The amazing setting was well worth the effort.

This picture and my S.S. lesson this week got me thinking about “tough races”.  I have found that our time here on earth seems to make the most sense when compared to a race.  Of course, I’m not the first one to make this comparison.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul said, “Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win.”

Think about that – You must win.  God wants us to win.  He never intended for us to run our race and lose.  I love that! And, it is my personal belief that if we set out to win, we will notice the amazing setting, and it will be well worth our effort.

So let’s suit up today in our running attire, and set out to win.

Love and Blessings, Laura K.

Heaven is for Real

As most of the world can imagine, Christians love to think about Heaven.  Especially during these present days filled with crime, destruction, national disasters, and just down right times of fear, we find ourselves looking upward and saying, “I’m ready God. I’m ready for those streets of gold, those pearly gates, to see my missing loved ones.”

But it seems that a little thing called the New York Times Bestseller List is proof positive that many Americans - Christian and non-Christian – are very interested in Heaven.

The following link attests to my lofty thinking:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42191453/ns/today-today_people/

Have you ever had a dream about Heaven?  If so, please share a comment of that experience below.

Until next time!

Love and Blessings, Laura K.