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2/20/2020 0 Comments Salty, eh?
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8/10/2019 0 Comments Focus On......the positive. We are drawn to people who display a positive attitude toward others and toward life. Most folk want to live a helpful, loving and caring lifestyle. We're drawn to them by their cheerful attitude, smile, and unselfishness. They're the ones we want to emulate, be around, hang out with, and otherwise include in our lives.
So let's focus on positive qualities like being selfless, generous, contented, helpful, and loving...and be on the lookout for ways we can reach out and show love to the individual who may feel unloved or unlovable. Yes...what we focus on often determines the outcome of our day... so let's focus on being more loving in word and deed. 7/20/2019 0 Comments The HEAT......today in mid July makes me long for the above cold, snowy conditions...but next winter, I'll be longing for warmer temperature. That said, the cartoon I found on Facebook gave me a laugh. I'm not sure I can cut and past it here, though. Hmm...gonna give it a try.  4/20/2019 0 Comments Just Some Thoughts about EasterThese days many consider Easter to be nothing more than bunnies and chocolate eggs. But fore me, Easter is so much more. Easter is about Jesus' overcoming death and thus overcoming that dark force for those who believe in Him. In this age of prove it science, many refuse to believe. For them religion is okay for others, but it's not for them. For others it matters not one whit what one believes. All truth is relative for them. Due to a struggle I plunged into when I was a very young woman, I beg to differ. But first a peek into the earlier years of my life...
I was raised by Christian parents, educated in Christian elementary schools, attended a public high school, and continued my education at two different Christian colleges. As is well known, a little knowledge is as dangerous thing...especially to faith. I became disillusioned and soon flipped into agnosticism. It became convenient not to believe in anything at all. With no Supreme Being to whom I was accountable, I could do as I pleased without moral constraint. Told that this enormous universe had been set in motion by the collision of random molecules, my childhood faith dissolved. Now I could easily do as I pleased, skating near the edge of eternal disaster. Fast forward a couple of years to the day I met a couple of loving Christians who became friends. They challenged me awakening my search for ultimate truth. I thought if I knew the truth, then I'd be free from the inner anxiety that nagged at me. I decided to challenge whatever had set this universe in motion. I said, "God, if you are real and the teachings in the Bible are true, then I want proof that you're real!" Audacious, right? Not really. Foolish, more likely. That night as I closed my eyes, Jesus appeared on the "screen" of my mind. A feeling of peace enveloped me...and I instantly knew...without a shadow of doubt...that Jesus is REAL...more real than anything I'd ever encountered before that night. Within a couple of days, I made a drawing of Him as I "saw" Him. That picture hangs on the wall of my house as a reminder...lest I forget...or ever doubt my experience. What does all this have to do with Easter? Simply this. Jesus' resurrected and living today is why I celebrate Easter! Not bunnies. Not eggs. Not chocolate goodies or jelly bean eggs. Jesus is the reason for the season, as we say at Christmas. Today by God's grace, I'm a believer. Jesus is who He was reported to be by the Bible. One New Testament author reports what Jesus said to doubting Thomas...that those who believe without seeing are truly blessed. Myself? I identify with Thomas. I'm blessed even though I had to "see" to believe. That's my experience. Call me crazy if you will or perhaps a person could accept that a person who believes isn't necessarily nuts...that it is true that Jesus Christ is real...that there is a huge God who set this immense expanding universe in motion...that this God cares a whole lot about this planet...that He loves those who live on it in spite of the fact that He is a Being who transcends what we know of the universe...is actually bigger than that...God deigned to become one of us to show us what love truly is. That, my friends, is truly mind boggling! Praying you have a blessed Easter, my friends. Until the next post, I remain, Cassandra Wessel, aka, Cass or Sandy to my friends 4/16/2019 0 Comments What a Snafu!Somehow, in trying to improve this website and blog, I ended up creating a NEW WEBSITE...in error! I've just managed to take all that down and delete the site. Now I am back to just this site. I barely keep up with this site, so why start another one? One is enough don't you think? As for the configuration of this site, you'll find it's much the same. By the way, head on over to the book review page for a post of my latest terrific read. Blessings to you all on this upcoming Easter...I'll say more about that later.
3/19/2019 0 Comments There are days...Like this one where nothing goes right, except when we persevere. Today, I've been trying to post one single review...needless to say....what could go wrong did. Sigh. Now the review is up at Facebook, Amazon and here at Words About the Word. Hannah Claire's Wilderness is a story to be read! I pray you enjoy it as much as I did. Bye for now.
2/1/2019 0 Comments Things we doSometimes I'm amazed by the things I say or write...more often I'm either embarrassed or ashamed by loudly declaring my sinful humanity instead of my redeemed Christianity. To paraphrase my Saviour, "God forgive us for we so often do not know what we have actually done when we choose to do what we do."
The above picture just about shows what it looks like around these parts since that photo is of Cook Forest which is not far from where I live. The difference is that our snowdrifts are deeper. We had about a foot of snow fall over the last weekend. Below zero wind chills and blizzard like conditions saw many events cancelled including worship on January 20, 2019 at the church where I've been attending. Good Shepherd is only a couple of miles from where I live as opposed to around ten miles into Tionesta where my son lives these days. That's where the closest Presbyterian church is and being a retired minister in that denomination, I try to attend a Presbyterian service as often as possible, but these days with roads being what they are and my doctor having restricted my driving to good roads and weather, I've been worshipping closer to my mobile home. That said, I still write devotionals for the Presbyterian Church in Canada's website Daily Devotions page. They've had some really talented devotional writers published there of late. I look forward to it arriving in my inbox every day. Here's the link to that website... https://presbycan.ca/
Facebook seems to have their act together again these days so I'm now sharing back on that social media platform. As for other news, I've been doing a lot of pre-publication reading for other authors and will review these books when they are available for purchase. One thing that's been a bit of a hassle is that my computer has been acting up. My keyboard sticks from time to time, but only certain keys. Not sure what that's about. I've run virus scans, etc. Some of the keys seem to be working again, but others...well time will tell if I'll be needing to take my laptop in for refurbishing. Been praying about this minor detail Sigh.
On a more serious note, the last two days I've been watching the services for our Forty-First President George H. W. Bush. Sadly, I'm among those who never truly appreciated this honorable man's achievements...probably because he never bragged about them. He just quietly went about the business of running the country in a most amicable fashion. The Eulogies about this great man highlighted what President Bush 41 was loath to share. Likewise, the contrast between his achievements and character as compared with current politicians stands out sharply. I name no names since my mother taught me to say nothing if I can say nothing nice. Well enough about politics. Now let's consider the upcoming Christmas season, or holidays as so many in the media are calling them. Yes, Hanukkah is also coming up too and we certainly want to honor that festival, but being a Christian, the birth of the Christ has greater personal significance. Without the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in Bethlehem of Judea, this world would be a much more cruel place than it is. I can't lay the blame for all the nastiness at Jesus' feet, no, I lay my own nastiness at the foot of His cross and beg forgiveness. He was only good, kind, loving, self-sacrificing, generous and gentle with those who came to Him. He couldn't help but shine with God's personality since He was God-made-manifest among us, God Incarnate, God become fully human while still emanating holiness. Jesus' eyes positively shine with love. How blessed are we when we know Him! Have a joyous Christmas Season, my Christian friends, and a happy Hanukkah celebration to my Jewish friends. Blessings, joy, and peace now and forever, Amen! 10/8/2018 0 Comments Facebook FrustrationARGH! Facebook hacks are out of control. My presence over on Facebook has been compromised so I have DELETED ALL my Facebook accounts and contacts. Ugh! Hated to do that, but.... after wasting beaucoup time over days trying to sort it out, all that happened was everything got more messed up! I am officially having NOTHING whatsoever to do with Facebook from now on...or at least until they get their act together. Sad since I really enjoyed chatting with my friends over on Facebook, but now... well, it's time to move on. I'm now at Google plus and will post here more. Sigh. Hopefully the nasty folk that messed up Facebook won't proceed to take down all communication here in the USA! Nuff said for now from me. You may go back to your regular scrolling of the internet.
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