How Can I Connect With God? Therefore Do Not Worry. Godliness With Contentment. Update.

How Can I Connect With God?

“Successful, satisfying relationships involve two-way communication. Connecting with God is the same way. If you are willing to do your part, God will do His.

Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

Connecting with God means communication that goes both ways, as in a conversation with another person.

Your Creator wants to connect with you. He wants to hear your honest questions. He wants to offer you understanding. He wants to hear your worries and provide comfort and hope.

But God can seem distant, remote and unconcerned with our daily troubles. What can we do to close the gap and connect to God?

Talk to God

Communication is essential. So, a great first step toward connecting with God is prayer. God appreciates the humility it takes to bend our knee and bow our head before Him. Humble prayer is an acknowledgment that answers are not deep within ourselves, answers only come from the Creator of life.

If you are not familiar with prayer, here are a few points to consider:

Approach God with respect, show honor for who and what He is. You can ask God even the hardest questions if you come before Him with the winning combination of humility and respect (Isaiah 66:2).

Expect answers (Hebrews 11:6). Follow up on matters you bring before God by reading your Bible.

Listen to God

A second important step toward connecting with God is to do what He says (James 1:25).

Connecting with God means communication that goes both ways, as in a conversation with another person. Prayer is you talking to God, reading your Bible is God talking back to you. However, If you only listen to what God says to you, but never act upon it, the conversation will die out. Communication and connection require active feedback!

Our Creator likes to begin by giving us simple things at first. He wants to see how we respond before moving on to more complex things. For example:

Responding positively toward God might begin with responding positively toward His commandments. The Ten Commandments are simple but life-changing. What makes the commandments complicated are the layers upon layers of human reasoning and manmade traditions we have built around them.

You might also find that reading God’s Word might show you attitudes and harmful ways of thinking that you need to change.

Try to be attuned to what the Bible is saying to you and respond!

Acknowledge your blessings

Your Creator also communicates with you through blessings and answered prayer. Some prayers seek big picture understanding, but many prayers seek God’s intervention and help with specific problems you are facing.

Try to be mindful of events in your life that are actually blessings and answers to your prayers. Notice the opportunities that come your way, troubles that unexpectedly resolve themselves or turn in your favor. These can be dismissed as coincidence or understood as answers to prayer (if you have indeed prayed).

If you have been blessed and helped in some way big or small, then go back to God and give Him thanks! Remember, in your ongoing conversation with God, prayers are you talking. So, just like you would offer thanks to other people in your life for the little things they do for you, offer your thanks to God. Thankfulness is a great way to build any relationship, including your relationship with God.

Successful, satisfying relationships involve two-way communication. Connecting with God is the same way. If you are willing to do your part, God will do His.”

Learn more about listening to God through reading your Bible with this free study aid: How to Understand the Bible.”                     From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/how-can-i-connect-with-god?

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“Therefore Do Not Worry”

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“During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His audience, “Do not worry.” That’s easier said than done. This Bible Study Starter will help you explore ways to worry less and trust God more.

Matthew 6:25-34

(New King James Version)

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Questions:

1. Jesus said that worrying can’t add a cubit (a unit of measure) to our height. If worrying doesn’t accomplish anything, why do you think it’s such an easy habit to fall into?
2. What are three of your biggest worries right now?
3. What practical, reasonable steps can you take to reduce the likelihood of those worries becoming a reality?
4. Will any of those steps guarantee you protection from your worries?
5. Jesus said that the Father provides food for the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the field—and then explained that God cares much more about you. How can remembering that truth make it easier not to worry about uncertainties in your own life?
6. There’s a difference between “not worrying” and “not making an effort.” What steps can you take to maintain the balance between not panicking about problems and not doing your part?
7. To fully let go of our worries, we must believe three things about God: i.
   • That He is able to help us.
   • That He is willing to help us.
   • That if He chooses not to help us, it’s not because He is abandoning us, but because He can see the bigger picture and has something better in store for us.
     Which of those truths is hardest for you to believe? Why?
8. God promises that if we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, He will provide the rest of our needs. What can you do to make the Kingdom of God a higher priority in your day-to-day life? What habits can you introduce into your daily routine? How do you think these habits will impact your worries?” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/bible-study-starters/therefore-do-not-worry/?

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Godliness With Contentment

1 Timothy 6:6

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

In 1 Timothy 6 Paul addresses our attitude and approach to money, possessions and wealth. In verse 5 he mentions some who saw religion as a way to gain wealth—a dangerous, greedy, selfish attitude that Paul warned Timothy to avoid.

Instead, Paul pointed to the truly important “gain”—becoming more like God and living contentedly with what we have. If we learn to be content with the necessities of life—food and clothing (verse 8)—we can avoid the sorrows and pain that can be caused by a burning desire to become rich.

For more about coveting wealth and the antidote of contentment, see our article on the “10th Commandment: You Shall Not Covet.””

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/godliness-with-contentment/?

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Update

Around here, we still have to wear muzzles when we go into stores, offices, or anywhere there are people, but at least the coronavirus doesn’t seem to be spreading like it is in other places. 

My great grandson Stephen, the one who just graduated, was visiting his grandma, my daughter Wendy in College Station, so I donned my big sunglasses, pulled myself together, and got on the freeway on Tuesday.  I really need to find out why the glare of the open road bothers my eyes so.  The sun is so bright on these 95-100 degree days.  I was early, so I stopped at Kroger’s in College Station and bought items that cannot be bought in Navasota.  I had a cold bag with me.

The four of us, Wendy, her father-in-law, Tony, who lives with them,  Stephen and I had a nice visit and we played a dominos game called chicken foot.  Old Tony won, they think he has Alzheimer's, but he is still sharp.

After lunch, Wendy took Stephen, me and her two dogs to a park.  It was very sunny and I wasn’t wearing walking shoes, so that wasn’t so enjoyable for me, especially when I tripped over a root.  My hair blew into a mess and I looked a fright, see picture on FB. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3693931657288992&set=pcb.3693931897288968&type=3&theater

But it was worth it just to see Stephen who I hadn’t seen for years.  He wants to be a Nuclear Engineer. To each his own.

Normal goings on during the week, trips to the local pantry, thrift shop and then to Tractor Supply, yes, we do have one of those nearby, to get some Wellness cat food.  It is cheaper there than at the pet shops. My cat, Casper, is supposed to be coming home soon.

On Friday, Cherry, my church neighbor and I studied the church’s Bible study for this week, then we went to Dollar General.   But because of new regulations about Sabbath gatherings, neither of us went to church today.

Lake Texana and Submerged Texana, TX. Kit Carson.

 

For "Travel Tuesday", let's visit Lake Texana, in the Texas Gulf Coast region of TX.

"Home to some of the best beaches in America, the Texas Gulf Coast region draws millions of visitors to this Texas playground. Stretching some 350 miles from South Padre Island & the Rio Grande Valley, all the way to Beaumont & the Louisiana border, this region is renowned for its wildlife & natural beauty, as well as the home of America's space program. Discover the Beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast Region."

Lake Texana State Park, Texas

"Halfway between Houston and Corpus Christi, Lake Texana State Park is a great spot for swimming, boating, fishing and wildlife viewing - including deer and alligators. The park features a Nature Center and offers interpretive programs throughout the year. For more information, visit www.LifesBetterOutside.org.

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"The majority of the park consists of mixed oak and pecan woodlands. White-tailed deer,squirrels, rabbits, nine-banded Armadillos, and raccoons are numerous. There are occasional bobcat and wild turkey sightings. American alligators are also found in the park.

Lake Texana contains many native and exotic species of aquatic vegetation. Large stands of water hyacinth are present throughout the reservoir. Moderate densities of giant salvinia, hydrilla, coontail, spikerush, cattail, pondweed, and bulrush are also present.

Lake Texana contains vast floating beds of water hyacinth which provide marginal habitat for most sportfish species. Isolated beds of hydrilla, coontail, and other submerged aquatic vegetation provide the best habitat for largemouth bass. Most of the reservoir contains submerged timber and numerous stumps, ideal structure for catfish species. In periods of high water, flooded terrestrial vegetation provides excellent habitat for all game fish species. The Navidad River channel and the adjacent shallow area called the "jungle" is a favorite bass fishing area, water level permitting.

Hikers, birdwatchers and other nature buffs should explore the 1.3-mile Lake Texana Nature Trail that traverses creek bottomlands, providing up-close views of the park’s fauna and flora, as well as wooden butterfly homes erected to protect the winged beauties from predators. Wooden footbridges spanning a creek add a scenic touch to the trail and afford excellent vantage points for spotting critters that call the waters home.

A growing number of birders are finding their way to Lake Texana, too, because of the impressive number of bird species spotted in the park. More than 220 species of avifauna have been documented to date, drawn by the overlap of coastal prairie, hardwood bottomland and riparian  habitats. Migrating songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and scavengers like the Mexican buzzard (cara cara) are frequently seen at the park."

Lake Texana State Park Drive Through.

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Speaking of Texas: Texana

A popular wedding site today, the 150-year-old former Texana Presby­terian Church stands near its original location. (Photo by J. Griffis Smith)

"It’s a safe bet that few of the boaters and water-skiers who frequent Lake Texana, near Edna, realize that less than 75 feet below the surface of this placid body of water lies the site of a once-bustling river port. In the mid-1800s, as many as 20 vessels a week docked here.

Established in 1832 on the Navidad River by Dr. Francis F. Wells, one of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred colonists, and Wells’ sister-in-law, Pamelia McNutt Porter, the town was originally named Santa Anna after Antonio López de Santa Anna. However, the Mexican soldier and politician’s popularity soon waned and residents changed the name to Texana.

During the Texas Revolution, the town served both as a port of entry for volunteers and as a training camp. When the war ended and the Republic was organized into counties, Texana became the seat of Jackson County. “The Navidad was a navigable river then, and boats were able to dock and turn around at Texana,” says Frank Condron, president of the Jackson County Historical Commission.

In mid-1836, New York capitalists Augustus and John Allen, in search of a site for an inland deep-water port, approached Wells about buying the land on which Texana was located.

“After making their survey of the entire gulf coast they decided in favor of Texana, it being the farthest inland with no obstruction,” writes I.T. Taylor in his 1936 book, The Cavalcade of Jackson County. When the Allen brothers offered Wells a substantial sum, he set a price twice that amount. Legend says his response so angered the brothers that one of them declared, “Never will this town amount to anything. I curse it. You … will live to see rabbits and other animals inhabiting its streets.” The Allens then bought land on Buffalo Bayou and established their dream city of Houston there instead.

Nevertheless, Texana continued to grow. By 1840, it had regular steamboat service, and in 1858, residents erected a courthouse. In 1880, it boasted regular mail and stage routes, a flourishing business area, and a weekly newspaper.

The next year, agents of the New York, Texas and Mexican Railway proposed routing the railroad through Texana in exchange for $30,000. When town leaders balked, the railroad moved seven miles north, by-passing the town. Many Texana residents followed and established a new community called Edna. It soon became the county seat, and by 1884, Texana had become ghost town. It seemed as if the Allen brothers’  curse had been fulfilled. Some might say the final blow fell in 1979, when Palmetto Bend Dam was built on the Navidad River less than a mile below the old town site, forming Lake Texana and flooding the area.

Today, the reservoir is at the heart of Lake Texana State Park. Because Texana’s namesake park attracts some 88,000 visitors a year, perhaps the Allen brother’s curse was dispelled after all.

Traces of Old Texana

Lake Texana State Park, east of Edna, offers camping, hiking, fishing and other watersports. (Photo by J. Griffis Smith)

While the town of Texana no longer exists, you can find traces of it at several sites in and around Edna (at US 59 and TX 111). Lake Texana State Park (7 miles -east, on TX 111) also features occasional programs on the pioneer town. Call 361/782-5718; www.tpwd.state.tx.us.

The Brackenridge Recreation Complex (across TX 111 from the state park), once the site of the Brackenridge Plantation, displays early photographs of the area and offers tours of the restored Historic Texana Church, which was built in 1859, moved to Edna in 1884, and finally moved here, a few miles north of its original location, in 2001. The quaint Greek Revival structure is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Owned by the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority (LNRA), the park also includes the Brackenridge family cemetery. Call 361/782-5456; www.brackenridgepark.com.

Two other sites display Texana artifacts and photographs: LNRA headquarters (at FM 3131 and FM 1822; 361/782-5229; www.lnra.org), and Texana Museum (403 N. Wells St.; 361/782-7146; www.jacksoncountytx.com), which offers exhibits on local history.

A number of buildings were moved from Texana to Edna in the late 1800s. Only two historic homes remain: the 1866 Bronaugh-Hasdorff home, at 203 E. Brackenridge St., and the 1876 George F. Horton home, at 404 Hanover St."  By Nola McKey

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On This Day:

Kit Carson born in Kentucky, Dec 24, 1809:

"Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson, one of the most celebrated heroes of the American West, is born in Richmond, Kentucky.

Shortly after Carson was born, his family moved west to Howard County, Missouri, an ideal spot for a future frontiersman to learn his trade. By the early 1820s, nearby Franklin, Missouri, had become the starting point for the newly opened Santa Fe Trail. As an apprentice to a Franklin saddle maker, Carson spent three years watching the covered wagons head westward for Santa Fe. Finally, the yearning to follow overwhelmed young Carson, and he ran away from home to join a trading caravan.

Intelligent and resourceful, Carson made a new life for himself once he reached Santa Fe. He learned enough Spanish to serve as a translator, and soaked up information about frontier knowledge and skills from the many mountain men who came to town. When Carson was 22 years old, he met the famous Irish mountain man Thomas Fitzpatrick, who offered to take Carson on a trapping expedition in the northern Rockies. Carson jumped at the chance, and soon became a skilled trapper and a cunning tracker. In January 1833, when a band of Crow Indians stole his party's horses, Carson trailed the Indians for 40 miles and his party was able to recover the stolen steeds.

Possessed of an uncanny ability to remember geography and topography, the illiterate Carson gained international fame after he served as a guide for John C. Fremont's 1842 western mapping expedition along the Oregon Trail. Fremont was so impressed with Carson's frontier and guiding skills that he rehired him to guide his 1843 exploration of the Great Salt Lake and the Sierra Nevada. When Fremont published his reports on the two expeditions, he wrote glowingly of the young scout, and Carson had his first taste of national fame.

After serving with Fremont in the Mexican War, Carson gained even greater renown as an Indian fighter in New Mexico, and the authors of popular dime novels began featuring him in their western tales. Literally a legend in his own time, Carson had the bizarre experience of colliding with his own mythic self. Late in 1849, Carson led the pursuit of a band of Jicarilla Apache who had kidnapped Mrs. J.M. White and her child from an emigrant caravan. Carson and a company of Taos soldiers tracked down and defeated the Apache, but they were too late to save Mrs. White, who was found with an arrow through her heart. Carson discovered a dime novel lying near White's body-the novel featured Carson as the hero of a story where he single-handedly fought off eight Indians.

Although he spent much of his life fighting Indians, Carson apparently had great sympathy and respect for them--in 1867 he became the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Colorado Territory. Despite his failing health, Carson made a strenuous trip to Washington with delegates from the Ute tribe to argue on the Indians' behalf in treaty negotiations. Shortly after he returned to his home in Boggsville, Colorado, he died at the age of 58, but his legend continues to grow, thanks to countless novels and movies celebrating his life and adventures."

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Yesterday:

Jay wanted to work, so Misty and I got in the van to get him, but it wouldn't start.  A door wasn't closed all the way, and the inside lights ran down the battery overnight.  The Puddle Jumper is still being serviced down the street at Jim's, the mechanic, who is down with a bronchial infection.  The new muffler has arrived, but he is too sick to install it.

Misty was very upset that she wasn't going for her 'walkies' down at Jay's, and took her time taking me for a walk around the front yard.  Jay walked up here, as his ATV battery was dead, too.  Must be this cold weather!  

As I don't have the clear vinyl up on the screen porch this winter, the aloe plants would get too cold in there when it freezes. So they are all in the temporary greenhouse that we made with some old patio doors.

Rather than take the two wire shelf units off the screen porch, as I didn't really have anywhere else to keep them, we went up to my attic and brought down some pieces of very thin plywood and paneling.  We cut pieces to fit the eight shelves, so now the foster cats could go out there without breaking their legs on the empty shelves.  Jay always wants to cut up new full sheets, and was amazed at what we made with the old scrap paneling that I had kept to re-use.

These are two weird cats, they didn't seem to like their first outing on the screen porch at all.  They did jump up on the shelves though, so I was glad that we had added the paneling.  I had a cat that broke her leg jumping on something like that, years ago, so I am very cautious now.

After a boost with the battery charger, the van was ready to take Jay home when we were through for the day.

Big Bend Ranch State Park. Photo Tour, Dec 20-22. Landing and Take Off at BBRSP. Commander at Pearl Harbor Canned. Hyperthermia Cancer Treatment.

 

For "Travel Tuesday", let's visit Big Bend Ranch State Park again, in The Texas Big Bend Country region.

"Named for the Big Bend National Park, the westernmost region of Texas boasts pristine parklands, wide open skies, popular hiking and camping areas, and the beautiful Davis Mountains. Relive the days of the Wild West or experience the international culture of old El Paso. Discover the Park Lands of the Texas Big Bend Country."

Big Bend Ranch State Park

"The ultimate hikers paradise that is fascinating and different each time you visit. The Closed Canyon Trail is one of the few slot canyons in Texas and follows a dry creek bed from the head of the canyon to the Rio Grande. The trail is about a mile and a half, easy going for the first quarter mile, and then gets steeper with rocky drops. The scenery is breathtaking - steep sheer tall cliffs that seem to close in on you, large veins of calcite on the cliff faces, cactus growing sideways from solid rock, and lots more.

 

Over a quarter million acres to horseback ride, raft, mountain bike and camp under a blanket of stars.

Welcome to the Other Side of Nowhere!

Big Bend Ranch State Park offers outdoor recreation for the truly adventurous. This remote park features rugged mountains, steep canyons, amazing views, unparalleled night skies, and solitude in a high desert setting. The park stretches along the Rio Grande in far west Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Things to Do

Visitors can hike, mountain-bike, backpack, paddle, ride horses or explore by vehicle (the park has two- and four-wheel-drive roads). This is Texas’ biggest state park, so there’s a lot to explore!

The park has 238 miles of multiuse trails (for hiking, biking and horseback riding). Visitors can explore 70 miles of unmaintained dirt roads in high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles. The Rio Grande/Rio Bravo area offers great day-use access. Visitors can float, fish and hike, or drive the scenic Camino del Rio (FM 170). Each February, the park helps host the Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest. Visit our Activities page to learn more.

Campers can choose from vehicle-accessible, backcountry or equestrian sites. All sites (except backcountry) can be reached by vehicle. Some roads require four-wheel-drive or high clearance. Campsites offer solitude and great vistas; all (except backcountry) offer some camp amenities. Limited lodging and food service are available at the Sauceda Ranch House and Sauceda Bunkhouse.

The park also has a 5,500-foot paved airstrip. If you plan to fly in, call ahead to let park staff know when you will arrive and to get up-to-date information.

Pick up backpacking, camping and river-use permits at the following places. You can also purchase maps and hunting and fishing licenses, as well as find information about the Big Bend region.

• On the east side, near Lajitas:  Barton Warnock Visitor Center
• On the west side, near Presidio:  Fort Leaton State Historic Site
• In the park’s interior:  Sauceda Ranger Station.

For more information on visiting the park:

• El Solitario Newsletter:  Overview and Visitors Guide
• What to do in one day, three days, or one week!
• Policies on Dogs at Big Bend Ranch State Park
• Swimming Safety Tips

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are always needed at Big Bend Ranch State Park. Visit our Volunteer page and keyword search for “Big Bend.”

Ranger Programs

Park rangers lead tours throughout the year. These include hikes and four-wheel-drive trips to learn about archeology, geology and nature. Rangers also lead mountain-biking and photography tours. Call the park at least seven days before your visit to request a tour.

• For more information, visit our Activities page.
• Check the Events page for upcoming activities.
• Ask about the Junior Ranger Explorer Packs available for free checkout at the park!

Commercial Outfitters

Commercial outfitters lead guided tours and rent sports gear. They rent kayaks, canoes and mountain bikes, as well as other camping equipment. Outfitters lead horseback rides, river rafting trips, 4x4 tours, mountain bike tours, campouts, nature and birding hikes, and art and photography classes.

Are you uneasy about tackling this rugged park on your own? Do you want to try a new activity, like mountain-biking? An outfitter may be able to help. Visit our Outfitters page for contact information.

Area Attractions

On your way in or out, stop for a dip in the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool at Balmorhea State Park.

Near Fort Davis, you can visit Fort Davis National Historic Site or Davis Mountains State Park. Learn about desert plants and animals at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center. Enjoy a solar viewing or star party at the McDonald Observatory. You can also tour museums and art galleries, and road bike and hike through scenic areas.

If you like desert quirky, check out Terlingua. Tiny Marfa offers art galleries, mystery lights, and more."  http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/big-bend-ranch

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Big Bend Ranch State Park Photo Tour

"Come take a Photo Tour with us to enjoy the true photographic magnificence and backcountry camping of Big Bend Ranch State Park. You will be able to photograph and camp in areas of the park that are only accessible via primitive roads, impassable to all but 4-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicles. Each tour goes to a different location within the park.

When:  Dec 20, 2013 05:00 PM to Dec 22, 2013 01:00 PM

Where: Big Bend Ranch State Park

Contact Name-Blaine Hall. Contact Email: blaine.hall@tpwd.texas.gov 

Phone 432-358-4444

These tours will take you to some of the most rugged, remote, and scenic locations in the park and are intended for photographers who would like to work in the park but lack the proper vehicles for reaching these sites.

Different tours will go to different locations, so join us for more than one! An experienced professional will be available to answer questions and provide help where needed, but there are no classroom activities – just 2 days of uninterrupted photography.

The tour price of $350 includes one night’s lodging at the Bunkhouse, one night’s camping “on location”, all meals, and transportation. Space is limited to 6 photographers – the perfect size for a campfire supper and friendly conversation. Reservations, details, and payment can be made by calling 432-358-4444. The tour fee will need to be pre-paid and is non-refundable.

**Note: you must bring your own camping supplies: tent, cot, sleeping bag, pillow, etc. We are only providing the ride to the location, food, and the atmosphere.

Tour dates are: December 20-22, 2013; March 21-23, 2014; March 28-30, 2014"

Big Bend Ranch Airport, from the east.

The park also has a 5,500-foot paved airstrip. If you plan to fly in, call ahead to let park staff know when you will arrive and to get up-to-date information."

Landing at Big Bend Ranch State Park

"Visiting BBRSP by airplane is the best way to go - overfly the ranch compound to alert them to your presence, and a truck will come out to pick you up."

 

Takeoff from Big Bend Ranch State Park airstrip

 

More at: http://www.tomzap.com/FLIGHTtoBigBendRanch.html

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On This Day:

Commander at Pearl Harbor canned, Dec 17, 1941:

"On this day, Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel was relieved of his command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet as part of a shake-up of officers in the wake of the Pearl Harbor disaster.

Admiral Kimmel had enjoyed a successful military career, beginning in 1915 as an aide to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He served admirably on battleships in World War I, winning command of several in the interwar period. At the outbreak of World War II, Kimmel had already attained the rank of rear admiral and was commanding the cruiser forces at Pearl Harbor. In January 1941, he was promoted to commander of the Pacific Fleet, replacing James Richardson, who FDR relieved of duty after Richardson objected to basing the fleet at Pearl Harbor.

If Kimmel had a weakness, it was that he was a creature of habit, of routine. He knew only what had been done before, and lacked imagination—and therefore insight—regarding the unprecedented. So, even as word was out that Japan was likely to make a first strike against the United States as the negotiations in Washington floundered, Kimmel took no extraordinary actions at Pearl Harbor. In fact, he believed that a sneak attack was more likely at Wake Island or Midway Island, and requested from Lieutenant General Walter Short, Commander of the Army at Pearl Harbor, extra antiaircraft artillery for support there (none could be spared).

Kimmel's predictability was extremely easy to read by Japanese military observers and made his fleet highly vulnerable. As a result, Kimmel was held accountable, to a certain degree, for the absolute devastation wrought on December 7. Although he had no more reason than anyone else to believe Pearl Harbor was a possible Japanese target, a scapegoat had to be found to appease public outrage. He avoided a probable court-martial when he requested early retirement. When Admiral Kimmel's Story, an "as told to" autobiography, was published in 1955, Kimmel made it plain that he believed FDR sacrificed him—and his career—to take suspicion off himself; Kimmel believed Roosevelt knew Pearl Harbor was going to be bombed, although no evidence has ever been adduced to support his allegation."

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Yesterday:

In the morning, Ray came over to visit for quite a while, just to get away from the hubbub at his house.  He still hasn't been able to get all the matted blood out of his hair from the truck accident.  It will take some scrubbing, which he isn't prepared to do yet, as it hurts too much.

A little while after Ray left, I had a long chat with my ex-daughter-in-law, Becky.  She had a double mastectomy a couple of years ago, only to find out that she is now riddled with cancer all over her body. Right now, she is on chemo again, and she is trying to raise $45K to have full body hyperthermia cancer treatment in Germany.   Well, I had to find out more about it and spent the entire afternoon researching the treatment, and who does it. It works on the same principle as having a fever which is the Lord's way of killing the bad cells. That's a lot of money, but she thinks it is her only chance. 

I did find out that they also do it in the USA, and even have clinical trials near here in Houston.  I printed out a bunch of information about it, and will give it to her when we have lunch together on Friday.

“Lunch With an Astronaut". Blast into Space Center Houston. Houston Wilderness. Arboretum & Nature Center. Comet ISON Celebration, Dec 14. King Tut's Tomb.

 

For "Travel Tuesday": Let's see what's going on in Houston, TX, in the Texas Gulf Coast region.

"Home to some of the best beaches in America, the Texas Gulf Coast region draws millions of visitors to this Texas playground. Stretching some 350 miles from South Padre Island & the Rio Grande Valley, all the way to Beaumont & the Louisiana border, this region is renowned for its wildlife & natural beauty, as well as the home of America's space program. Discover the Beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast Region."

Houston, TX.

"This sprawling city hums with the energy and independent spirit that turned it from swampland into the fourth-largest city in the U.S. 

Everything is big, from the towering skyscrapers to the city's prominence in aerospace, oil, shipping and finance. Even the architecture makes big, bold statements, like the medical center towers that resemble two giant syringes. A thriving business center, the city has become increasingly cosmopolitan, with an influx of diverse ethnic groups and a strong emphasis on the arts. Opera, ballet, symphony and theater are all top-notch, and museums abound.

The summer midday heat is easily escaped inside the numerous attractions and shopping areas, particularly in the pedestrian-friendly 6.5-mile underground city. Since you're in the place that broadcast man's first step on the moon, you may want to pay a visit to Space Center Houston, where you'll be whisked into outer space through simulations and films. Once back on earth, you can hop on the tram to the complex's NASA/Johnson Space Center to watch astronauts and engineers at work and in training."

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A planetary power lunch at Space Center Houston

"For space buffs, astronauts are intensely fascinating. Only a select few dreamers make NASA’s cut to join the ranks of space travelers. Their mastery of science, aviation, and physical fitness sets them apart. Their explorations are heralded in classrooms, books, and movies.

But at the end of the day, astronauts are flesh-and-blood humans like the rest of us. And many are happy to share their stories with the interested public. Space Center Houston offers that chance with its weekly “Lunch With an Astronaut” program.

Astronaut Leroy Chiao visits with diners at Space Center Houston’s Lunch With an Astronaut.

Space Center Houston launched the program a couple of years ago. Proving to be a popular draw, the center has Friday lunches lined up through 2014. The schedule features retired astronauts such as Leroy Chiao, who participated in four space missions between 1994 and 2005, and Brian Duffy, who took part in four space missions between 1992 and 2000.

“One of the biggest things our visitors have asked us for is having an up-close-and-personal experience with an astronaut,” says Mike Wampler, marketing manager for Space Center Houston.

At the lunches, “the astronaut gives everyone a brief overview of his experience as an astronaut and then he goes from table to table spending time and answering questions. He signs a bio card, and takes photographs with the people at the table,” Wampler explains.

In addition to the Friday lunches, Space Center Houston also offers presentations by astronauts at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Fridays in the center theater.

“Those that really want to take their visit to the next level will plan for a Friday visit, plan to go to the theater engagement, follow it up with lunch with an astronaut, and spend the rest of the day in the building,” Wampler says.

Lunch tickets are sold on a first-come basis. They cost $49.95 for adults and $29.95 for children ages 4-11. The ticket includes entry to Space Center Houston for the day." From: http://blog.texashighways.com/?p=3183

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Blast into Space Center Houston

"It was about time that I finally explored Space Center Houston, if only for a couple of hours during a short visit to Bay Area Houston.

While I didn’t have time for the in-depth NASA Tram Tour or Level 9 Tour, I was able to focus my attention on several areas of the complex: Starship Gallery, which follows the progression of the Space Race from the 1960s through Skylab, complete with some of the actual capsules and equipment; the Astronaut Gallery, a dazzling collection of spacesuits worn by men and women in space; the massive-beyond-words Saturn V spacecraft housed at Rocket Park, and even took in a “Meet the Astronaut” talk given by Michael J. Bloomfield of Shuttle Atlantis and Endeavor missions.

The vivid timelines that accompany the Starship Gallery and the Saturn V rocket brought back memories of seeing Apollo launches on (mostly black & white) televisions in elementary school. Peering into the Mercury capsule in the space-simulated display and imagining myself in that tiny crawl space gave me a claustrophobic chill. I also touched a moon rock and saw how moon artifacts were processed and analyzed. In the Astronaut Gallery, I marveled at the contrast between the enormous “Michelin Man” bubble suit worn during the early days of the Gemini program, and the sleek blue jumpsuit worn on the Shuttle mission by Sally Ride.

Next time you find yourself in the Bay area, don’t discount a trip to NASA for lack of time. You’ll be amazed at how much “space” can be compacted into two hours." From: http://blog.texashighways.com/?p=1094

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WE ARE HOUSTON WILDERNESS. IT'S OUR NATURE

"HOUSTON WILDERNESS is a broad-based alliance of business, environmental and government interests that act in concert to protect, preserve and promote the unique biodiversity of the region’s precious remaining ecological capital from bottomland hardwoods and prairie grasslands to pine forests and wetlands.

These ecoregion landscapes decrease repetitive flooding, improve water quality, boost outdoor recreation, ecotourism, and economic growth."

Gulf of Mexico

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The city of Houston is situated in one of the most ecologically diverse major urban areas in the country. The forests, prairies, savannahs, bayous, bottomlands, coastlines and ocean around Houston comprise ten ecoregions, seven of which are land based and three of which are water based. Ecoregions are large areas of land or water that contain geographically distinct assemblages of species, natural communities, and environmental conditions. Click on the links below to learn more about our local natural world:

Land Based:

Big Thicket

Piney Woods

Trinity Bottomlands

Columbia Bottomlands

Prairie Systems

Post Oak Savannah

Bayou Wilderness

Water Based:

Coastal Marshes

Gulf of Mexico

Estuaries and Bays 

Download Houston Wilderness' atlas of Biodiversity by clicking on the link to the right:  CLICK TO DOWNLOAD (EXTERNAL LINK)

Download Houston Wilderness' List of Ecoregion Sites

PRESERVE

PROTECT

PROMOTE

 

 

 

 

 

More at: http://houstonwilderness.org/

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Houston Parks and Outdoors

"Houston rates first among the nation's 10 most populous cities in total acreage of parkland, beating out Phoenix’s 45,020 acres and San Diego’s 47,383 acres, according to a 2011 report by The Trust for Public Land. Houston has 49,643 acres of total park space, with 22 acres per 1,000 residents. The national average is 12.4 acres per 1,000 residents."  More at: http://www.visithoustontexas.com/things-to-do/parks-and-outdoors/

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The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

"Located on the western edge of Memorial Park, the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and the opportunity to experience the natural world. This 155-acre non-profit urban nature sanctuary provides education about the natural environment to Houstonians of all ages. It plays a vital role in protecting native plants and animals in the heart of the city where development threatens their survival."  More at: http://www.houstonarboretum.org/about

Kid’s Programs

• Children's Classes
• Nature Camps
• School Programs
• Home School
• Scouting

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Adult Programs

• Arboretum at Night
• Art in Nature
• Exploring Nature
• Green Living
• Health & Wellness
• In the Garden
• Natural Crafts & Food

Arboretum at Night, Comet ISON Celebration

Experience the Arboretum at night with this special series of evening events.

Comet ISON will make an appearance in Earth’s sky in 2013. Join us and view this magnificent event!
Note: As of Tuesday, October 22, astronomers believe that Comet ISON may break up during its late November journey behind the sun. As such, Comet ISON may not be as visible as predicted before sunrise on Saturday, December 14.  A decision will be made on Tuesday, December 3 to continue with or cancel this event. If we cancel this event, all registrants will receive a 100% refund.

While it’s hard to predict just how bright the comet will be when it arrives, some astronomers say it could be as bright as a full moon, perhaps even visible in daylight. It’s predicted to be brightest in late November to early December.

Join us for a stroll through the woods to the North Meadow Deck for coffee, croissants and the night sky. Members of the Houston Astronomical Society will be on hand for an opportunity to get a glimpse of this exciting Comet ISON.

Dates: December 14, 2013    Time:   5:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.

Pricing: Members: $30  Non-Members: $40; $15 per child with minimum age of 9.

Register for Event: http://www.houstonarboretum.org/event/comet-ison-celebration

Just a few of the things that are going on in Houston, TX.

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On This Day:

Archaeologists enter tomb of King Tut, Nov 26, 1922:

"In Egypt's Valley of the Kings, British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon become the first souls to enter King Tutankhamen's tomb in more than 3,000 years. Tutankhamen's sealed burial chambers were miraculously intact, and inside was a collection of several thousand priceless objects, including a gold coffin containing the mummy of the teenage king.

When Carter first arrived in Egypt, in 1891, most of the ancient Egyptian tombs had been discovered, and the majority of these had been hopelessly plundered by tomb raiders over the millennia. However, Carter was a brilliant excavator, and in the first years of the 20th century he discovered the tombs of Queen Hatshepsut and King Thutmose IV. Around 1907, he became associated with the Earl of Carnarvon, a collector of antiquities who commissioned Carter to supervise excavations in the Valley of the Kings. By 1913, most experts felt there was nothing in the Valley left to be uncovered. Carter, however, persisted in his efforts, convinced that the tomb of the little-known King Tutankhamen might still be found.

King Tutankhamen was enthroned in 1333 B.C. when he was still a child. He died a decade later at the age of 18 and thus made only a faint impression on the history of ancient Egypt. In the 13th century B.C., Tutankhamen and the other "Amarna" kings were publicly condemned, and most records of them were destroyed--including the location of Tutankhamen's tomb. A century later, in the 12th century B.C., workers building a tomb for Ramses VI inadvertently covered Tutankhamen's tomb with a deep layer of chips, further protecting it from future discovery.

After World War I, Carter began an intensive search for Tutankhamen's tomb and on November 4, 1922, discovered a step leading to its entrance.  Lord Carnarvon rushed to Egypt, and on November 23 they broke through a mud-brick door, revealing the passageway that led to Tutankhamen's tomb. There was evidence that robbers had entered the structure at some point, and the archaeologists feared they had discovered yet another pillaged tomb. However, on November 26 they broke through another door, and Carter leaned in with a candle to take a look. Behind him, Lord Carnarvon asked, "Can you see anything?" Carter replied, "Yes, wonderful things."

It was the antechamber of Tutankhamen's tomb, and it was gloriously untouched. The dusty floor still showed the footprints of the tomb builders who left the room more than 3,000 years before. Apparently, the robbers who had broken into Tutankhamen's tomb had done so soon after it was completed and were caught before moving into the interior chambers and causing serious damage.

Thus began a monumental excavation process in which Carter carefully explored the four-room tomb over several years, uncovering an incredible collection of several thousand objects. In addition to numerous pieces of jewelry and gold, there was statuary, furniture, clothes, a chariot, weapons, and numerous other objects that shed a brilliant light on the culture and history of ancient Egypt. The most splendid find was a stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested within each other. Inside the final coffin, made out of solid gold, was the mummified body of the boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for 3,200 years. Most of these treasures are now housed in the Cairo Museum."

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Yesterday:

When I got up it was cold and raining again, so Misty had to wear her barn coat for her first 'outs'.  She doesn't want to go out in the rain unless she is wearing it.

Ray brought a drawer with him from his kitchen in my guest house.  Shay is so pleased with what we did to the cooktop cabinet, that she asked us to fix a drawer.  (I shouldn't have bought those cheap cabinets from Furrows!)

We went up into my attic to find the right thickness of drawer stock for the bottom of the drawer, as the original one was made of cheap cardboardy stuff, and it had bowed.  While we were up there, we winterized some of the roof vents.  I have to keep my attic from freezing as my water pipes and water heater are up there. 

We took the drawer apart on one side, and using the old bottom as a template we carefully cut a new one out of good wooden drawer stock, checking each cut with a builder's square.  It has to be very precise to go in the slots, but we made it fit perfectly, and screwed it back together, better than new.

It was still rainy and chilly when we went outside to cover up all my thousands of aloe plants with strips of old sheets and mattress pads.  It will be in the 40's during the day, but now we should be ready for the 25-28° nights coming for the next three days.