To All My Blog Friends - here are 5 things that I've received in one form or another and just had to pass them along.  Enjoy - Candy - May God Bless You All!!!!!

I also have a pray request...My husband and I have just moved to a very small town.  There are only 3 churches here of my religious preferences.  I've been to all 3 of them - without wanting to even go back. They either were not friendly (and if you cant make a friend instantly in a church?!?) - or not spirit filled enough. I truly miss the worship of a church. I still read my bible and I go onto a special grab bible study group - but I feel like something is missing. Just keep me in your prayers.

#1

THE LORD'S PRAYER Rather cleverly done. This is in two parts, the prayer (in blue type) and GOD (in red type) in response. It is very, very good. **********

Our Father Who Art In Heaven.

Yes?

Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.

But -- you called ME!

Called you? No, I didn't call you. I'm praying. Our Father who art in Heaven.

There -- you did it again!

Did what?

Called ME. You said, "Our Father who art in Heaven" Well, here I am What's on your mind?

But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like fulfilling a duty.

Well, all right. Go on.

Okay, Hallowed be thy name . .

Hold it right there What do you mean by that?

By what?

By "Hallowed be thy name"?

It means, it means . . good grief, I don't know what it means. How in the world should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?

It means honored, holy, wonderful.

Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before. Thanks. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Do you really mean that?

Sure, why not?

What are you doing about it?

Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control, of everything down here like you have up there. We're kinda in a mess down here you know.

Yes, I know; but, have I got control of you?

Well, I go to church.

That isn't what I asked you. What about your bad temper? You've really got a problem there, you know. And then there's the way you spend your money -- all on yourself. And what about the kind of books you read?

Now hold on just a minute! Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!

Excuse ME. I thought you were praying for my will to be done. If that is to happen, it will have to start with the ones who are praying for it. Like you -- for example.

Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others.

So could I.

I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free.

Good. Now we're getting somewhere.We'll work together -- You and ME. I'm proud of You.

Look, Lord, if you don't mind, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. Give us this day, our daily bread.

You need to cut out the bread. You're overweight as it is.

Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups. Praying is a dangerous thing. You just might get what you ask for.

Remember, you called ME -- and here I am. It's too late to stop now. Keep praying. ( . . pause . . ) Well, go on.

I'm scared to.

Scared? Of what?

I know what you'll say.

Try ME.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

What about Ann?

See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up! Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories. She never paid back the money she owes me. I've sworn to get even with her!

But -- your prayer -- What about your prayer?

I didn't -- mean it.

Well, at least you're honest. But, it's quite a load carrying around all that bitterness and resentment isn't it?

Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her. Boy, have I got some plans for her. She'll wish she had never been born.

No, you won't feel any better. You'll feel worse. Revenge isn't sweet. You know how unhappy you are -- Well, I can change that.

You can? How?

Forgive Ann. Then, I'll forgive you; And the hate and the sin, will be Ann's problem -- not yours. You will have settled the problem as far as you are concerned.

Oh, you know, you're right. You always are. And more than I want revenge, I want to be right with You . . (sigh). All right . all right . . I forgive her.

There now! Wonderful! How do you feel?

Hmmmm. Well, not bad. Not bad at all! In fact, I feel pretty great! You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight. I haven't been getting much rest, you know.

Yeah, I know. But, you're not through with your prayer are you? Go on.

Oh, all right. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Good! Good! I'll do that. Just don't put yourself in a place where you can be tempted.

What do you mean by that?

You know what I mean.

Yeah. I know.

Okay. Go ahead. Finish your prayer.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Do you know what would bring me glory -- What would really make me happy?

No, but I'd like to know I want to please you now. I've really made a mess of things. I want to truly follow you. I can see now how great that would be. So, tell me . . . How do I make you happy?

YOU just did

#2

The Five Finger Prayer

This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives.

#3

find a penny pick it up....

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, 

gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. 

Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the 

weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous 

about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, 

and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and 

Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. 

The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest 

restaurants.  Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this 

kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.  As the three 

of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was 

walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking 

down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was 

supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened 

penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man 

reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his 

pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have 

for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? 

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no 

longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and 

asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the 

man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. 

She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? "Look at it." 

He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United States of America." 

"No, not that; read further." "One cent?" "No, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" 

"Yes!" "And?" "And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. 

Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States 

coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling 

me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if 

my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I 

do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it 

is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and 

pennies are plentiful! When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. 

I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my 

mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had 

to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an 

inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! 

And, God is patient...

Have a blessed day!!

The best mathematical equation I have ever seen:

1 cross

3 nails

--------

4 given

#4

2 boxes from Me to U

I miss my boys something awful. I'm newly married and ive moved out of the country. because of the schooling system here - my kids couldn't come. the U.S. is so far behind Australia - unbelievable huh?!? they would have had to of gone back 2 grades just to be where they are there in the U.S. now if they were still little boys - that probably wouldn't have mattered - but they are almost ready to graduate highschool. anyway - back to my boys. they are my life. as a matter of fact - they are the ones that found my husband for me. i had a good friend from my church that was always after me "candy you need a man" i'd say "no i dont i already have 2" (referring to my 2 boys). so my friend went to my boys - gave them a Christian web site and told them to find me a husband. They actually got on this site - and started out the conversation - "we are 2 teens looking for a husband for our mother - any takers?" 5 men responded. they actually held interviews. they talked to these men for 4 weeks w/o me even knowing it. there were 2 men not from the U.S. so they contacted the embassies of those men and asked for info on them. they reviewed all the info they gathered and made their decision. THEN they told me about Rodney. They had told him that they would tell me about this and give me his email addy and see if anything happened. while they were at school that day - i sat and sat and sat and did nothing but fret - what should i do. well i decided to contact this Rodney person and just see what kind of man my boys thought i would be good for. now i must also say that i had been w/o any relationships in my life since i left my ex-husband cuz of infadelity on his part - and that was 14 years. just me and them and i was perfectly content. well like i said - i finally broke down and contacted him. he emailed me almost back within minutes told me his yahoo IM ID and i added him to mine and then instant messaged him. too my surprise - he was a very decent man. we talked and talked for hours. i got to the point where i didnt go to my chat room anymore - i just wanted to talk to Rodney. after about 2 months of chatting - he had asked me for my phone number - so i gave it to him - the next thing i knew - my phone was ringing. and again - we talked for hours. now like i said in the first place - this man lives in Australia - and here i was in Florida. this went on for months. we both felt something was happening between us. then the "L" word came out. oh boy did i freak out. i all of a sudden felt like i was back in grade school. i got all girlish. but for some reason i couldnt bring myself to say that word back to him. now don't get me wrong - i knew that I cared for Rodney - but that "L" word - just couldnt say it. I was still raw from my ex - catching him in the bed with my very best girlfriend - that kinda does something to a woman. yes even after 14 years it still hurt. i all of a sudden got very shy around Rodney. He was the sweetest thing i had ever met - but he was still a man. you girls out there know what I'm talking about. It's rough on a girl when her heart is broken like that. well things still were progressing between Rodney and I. he then asked me to come to Australia so we could meet - and of course my boys too. and again - i freaked out. how could i fly half way across the world to meet a man that ive talked to for almost a year now. my boys were double excited. Then one day he asked me if i had been into my email yet - i said "no i wanted to talk to u" he said "look at it" i said "ok". OMG i fell off my chair. Rodney had bought 3 round-trip tics to oz leaving in 3 weeks. i came back to our chat - but he wasnt answering me - and then my phone rang - and it was him. he immediately told me to calm down - breath - breath - u know what i mean. he told me to think about it for a week - and not to fret that they were refundable if i decided not to come. and then again he said that he loved me - and he wanted us to get married. OMG HERE WE GO AGAIN! I couldnt believe it - here this man whom lived in Australia and us 3 in the state of Florida - and he wants us to marry without even meeting in person first - i mean what if we really didnt get along in person. although i never lied to him about me - how was i to know that he didnt lie to me about anything that we shared with each other. i had seen pics of him and he did have that web cam thing - i didnt have web cam but i did send him pics of me and of us 3. he even got his older children involved - and they contacted me via email and encouraged us as a couple. they kept saying things like - "I've never seen my dad so happy - even when he was with our mum". I told Rodney that i needed to think about this. I would not be contacting him for at least a week - i needed no distractions. i contacted my grandmother - whom i believe has a direct telephone line to God himself and many other family members and friends that i knew that would join me in my praying. for 3 days i didnt sleep or eat. i was on my knees praying like i've never prayed before. my boys called my mother and told her that i wasnt sleeping or eating and too come over to our house and make me - they hadn't succeeded. well she showed up and started praying with me. and then on that 4th day - i made the decision to go to Australia with my kids - i mean it was only for 3 months - but as far as marriage was concerned - that was on hold to see if we liked each other in person. i was thinking along those lines - i didnt tell Rodney though. then on the 5th day i came back online to talk to him. i started out with "hi Rodney - I Love You". YES i said it. well we had 2 more weeks to get things taken care of. i contacted my landlord whom i was renting to buy from - told him what i was doing - he said he would rent my house out and when/if i came back he would let me have it back again. found a home for my dog - it was summer time so i didnt have to worry bout school for my kids. well then the very next week - my ex contacted me. He is in the Navy so he hasn't had decent contact w/ the boys for many years now and wanted to know if they would come and stay with him for some time now that he was off of sea duty. by the way - he had married my ex best girlfriend the day our divorce was granted and had 4 kids with her. my boys told him well we are going to oz w/ mum to meet her new husband - they were well over the age of needed his permission so i didnt really even see it necessary for him to even know. he understood - and said for them to at least think about it. well they got online and asked Rodney to call they had to talk to him. I thought it was very special of them to talk to a man they had never met the way that they did. my oldest was going through something - wouldnt tell me - but boy did he tell Rodney and got his opinion. i still to this day dont know what it was that was said between my boy and my husband. they told him of what their father had just asked of them. asked him what they should do. they must have been on the phone for about 30 mins or so then they both hung up and told me - we gotta go and weigh our options. so off to their room they went - they didnt want to eat that nite - they were discussing their future between themselves. i think i've raised my boys to be very independent - they are very level headed kids. Kids here they are 18 and 20. you know what i mean. i asked them if they wanted my input. i helped them weigh everything out. now i never told them why their father and me split after all they were babies when all that happened and they still loved him and their half brothers. well they decided to go to their fathers house and let me come to oz by myself and see if this was really going to work between Rodney and me. i hugged them and thanked them for thinking of me like that. 4 days later they were on a bus to Washington state. and 2 days after that i was on a plane to oz. OMG i was so nervous. it was a 6 hr flight to LAX and then 19 hrs to oz. i didnt sleep a wink on the flight. talked up a storm to the stewardess telling her what i was doing - all of them thought me very brave and congradulated me. then the plane landed in oz. oh my i cant explain how many butterflies were in my tummy. all through customs i was a nervous reck. i was even asked if i was on some kind of drugs and was tested before they would let me through. i told the customs officer why i was here - and he then appologized for putting me through a drug test - and congradulated me. did they know something i didnt know????? well finally i was going around the corner to meet Rodney. I saw him immediately - he had a grin on his face from ear to ear and a bunch of flowers. you ever hear of "Love At First Sight?" well that was it. i knew that i could be with this man for the rest of my life. he then got down on one knee and asked me again to marry him. i said "get up here and give me a hug first" we touched for the very first time - sparks galore - we kissed - and i said "YES". I knew right then and there i had made the right decision. i couldn't wait to get to him home so that i could call my boys and tell them. they were estatic - they yelled and whoo hoo for what seemed like an hour. Rodney and them talked - and he asked them officially if he could have their mother's hand in marriage. they said "yes of course". i then called other select family members and told them. i never once got a negative "WHAT DID YOU DO?" from anyone - they all congradulated me. many many "way to go's". well i was here for 3 months - they wouldnt allow us to marry or change my visa status while i was here on it. so then after 3 months i had to come back to the U.S. i had to put in the correct forms into immigration in order to marry Rodney. it was the hardest thing i had done in my life. i was in the states for another 7 months - immigration required we be seperated for at least 6 months and keep proof of how we stayed in touch - submitted all the correct forms - worked and saved money to come back on. immigration then told me that i could come back and get married. i called Rodney - and he said he wet his pants. he couldnt believe it was happening. not to mention me not believing it. we then made plans for me to come back to oz. and within 3 weeks i was back on a plane going back to a man that i couldnt live without anylonger. i stepped off the plane that 2nd time - and he looked even more handsome than i remembered. he then got back down on his knees and asked me again. everyone in the airport started clapping and i said "u better get up here and kiss me" and after that i said "u bet i will - hows tomorrow?" we laughed for hours. we went the next day to the marriage department to fill out yet more forms. they said we had to wait for 30 days - so we made an appointment for 31 days after that. we went back home - lord i missed that unit - but actually im glad that my boys had not come - it was way toooooo small for 4 ppl. we then went to his mums house - she had no idea i was coming back - surprised her - she couldnt get her door opened quick enough to hug me. then we went over to his sisters - whom did the same thing. we had breakie and called the rest of his family from her home. they were all very excited to hear the news. we started making all the plans then. only had 31 days to plan a wedding seemed like next to impossible - but we did it with his families help. it was absolutely beautiful. his sister was my mattron of honor - one of his older daughters was a brides maid - his other daughter was sick she couldnt even attend - his youngest daughter were my flower girls - his brother walked me down the isle - and since my boys couldnt be with us - i printed their pics and carried them with me down the isle. and ive been on cloud 9 ever since. my boys are still there in the U.S. and I cry just about every day - missing them something awful - but soon they graduate from highschool and they will be coming here after that. so that is my story. thank you for taking an interest in my fairtale story.