The Storyteller | Mary Vee

Masada is a one of my top places to see in Israel. I've borrowed these photos from my nephew's brother-in-law...with his permission :) The word Masada is Hebrew for fortress. I didn't know that. How fitting.  Masada wasn't like some city surrounded by massive walls with weapons of mass destruction aimed at potential enemies. Masada was a plateau-mesa. A very high, isolated flat land, more of a rock. It overlooks the Dead Sea. I went to Jewish sites for information choosing to share their take on the story. The rebellion started long ago when the Greeks first forced Jews to worship other gods. In time past, it's true, there were Jews who chose to worship other gods, but the Greeks levied laws that not only forbade Jewish worship in the Temple, but forced Greek worship on the people. Death was the penalty. A rebellion rose up from the faithful to God and over a period of years resulted in the Hanukkah celebration and Jewish freedom to worship in the...

Silence in not always golden The ice by-product can be extremely damaging Photo by Mary Vee I really don't want to ever lose my right to hear both sides. Of any story. As a Mom, I often found the tattler was the inciter. NOT ALWAYS. And it was for those very moments I was glad I took the time to listen to both sides of the story. As a teacher of elementary school children, I learned quick what I saw was not always the truth. Holding a chat time with those involved brought out both sides of the story. In social media, we get to make our statement. Present our cases. The beauty of the comment section is those reading have an opportunity to challenge our thinking...and either heighten the importance of the issue or diminish it. It also brings different sides to the story adding to clarity...or muddying the waters. I recently saw a post of FB. It most likely was the inspiration for this post. The video presented issues happening in Venezuela. I had been watching th...

So how do you feel about the election? This is the day we'll walk in your shoes. I must admit, I am disappointed. To me the next four years will be a difficult road.  The president may do a lot of bad things or maybe great and wonderful things. I don't have a crystal ball, and God has not made me privy to the next four years. What I do know is, whether my choice of president won or not: The political commercials have ended. We had the freedom to vote We had the freedom to talk with others about the election We had the freedom to like or dislike the winner We have the obligation to respect the winner  (Romans 13:1  Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ) God will guide the hand of the president for His overall plan. God never promised us a rose garden on earth. May God bless our country and those wh...

By Mary Vee Heather M is the winner of the book giveaway from last Friday! Stop by this Friday for another book give away. God works through many community settings to help us through our situations. Seems like the one we grow up in tends to be our favorite. Paul and his wife from Jackson, Mississippi celebrated an anniversary. They traveled to the farming community in Ohio where he grew up and had a special celebration with their family.  He told me how he loved the secure and free lifestyle he had while growing up in the small Ohio community. "We never locked our doors, never had to worry about doing it. Folk who live there today do the same. It's a close knit community where people can trust each other." I asked him about Jackson. "Oh, Jackson is a different kind of town. It has all the big city features, shopping and all. The problem is, parents have to watch their children all the time. Crime can get out of hand. We live there because my wife lik...