What would you expect to happen next? Even here I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start

But here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly there was alone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off………..

“And the rockets red glare,
The bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free
And the home of the brave!”

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of soldiers are serving you here.

Remember them as they fight for you!

Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here at home and abroad. For many have already paid the ultimate price….

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins on 5/14/07
LSA Anaconda is at the Balad Airport in Iraq , north of Baghdad .

God Bless America
In God We Trust

Yes, remember this as you celebrate your freedom this 4th of July.  Love, Ruthanna ]]> http://understanddreams.com/2008/06/30/god-bless-our-soldiers-happy-4th-and-the-rockets-red-glare/feed/ http://understanddreams.com/2008/06/26/why-didnt-i-think-of-this/ http://understanddreams.com/2008/06/26/why-didnt-i-think-of-this/#comments Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:23:09 +0000 Ruthanna http://understanddreams.com/2008/06/26/why-didnt-i-think-of-this/ Dance like nobody’s watching! Live your dream! Matt Harding, our hero in this video, proves again the importance of acting on your dreams. Apparently, he took the first step and the rest is history! For a fun and inspirational “tour of the world” click below and enjoy! Hats off to Matt for the inspiration and also to his sponsor, Stridegum.com for making his dream a reality.  Personally, I find this immensely inspiring.  I hope you do too.  What dream lies dormant within you now?  Think about that as you watch the video…  I know, I am.  Love, Ruthanna

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

I could hear the urgency in her question, so I answered:

My dear friend, it is my purpose to help people understand that you can interpret your own dreams.  Granted, it is not always easy!  It takes thought and prayerful consideration.  But, you can.  If this dream concerns you, and obviously it does, ask God to help you understand it.  Then, be patient, but expect the revelation to come.  If there is a message for you, it will come.  Be open and willing to hear, is my best advice.  God bless, Ruthanna.

But wait!  Very unexpectedly, God moved on my heart and I found myself writing to her again:

Dear Friend… this morning as I awoke, I saw  “your burning cross” and this is what was revealed to me:

God wants His love to burn in your heart.  Whether you have already received Him , or not, He is revealing His love for you by initiating this dream.  I was reminded that God came to Moses in the desert and spoke to Him through a burning bush!  It was a way for God to get his attention.  Moses noticed that the bush itself was not consumed by the fire.  Fire, in the natural, is destructive, but God’s fire is not!  It is pure and does not consume or destroy.  It energizes and illuminates!  I was also reminded that God led His people through a wilderness with fire by night.  Fire also guides and provides Light.

The interpretation:  Perhaps God is revealing Himself and His love to you personally, in a sense inviting you to embrace and trust Him and let Him guide you at this time.  He may also be letting you know that He will energize you for the task at hand; and that if you’ll take His Hand, now, He will help you.  He is there with you now but wants you to let Him fully into your heart and life so He can do more.  Again, He’s wanting you to let His love burn in your heart.  If you’re having trouble loving someone, you can exchange your love for His and His love will be easier to give than your own.

I was amazed that this interpretation came to me this morning.  I don’t usually get interpretations for other people, but I hope this blesses you.  And, I hope you will receive it, as the gift that it is.  Sincerely, Ruthanna

Her reply back to me after receiving this:  “Dear Ruthanna, thank you for interpreting my dream.  That is amazing!  I think I am getting closer to God.  Thank you so much!”

The first and most important thing to remember is that it’s your dream and you are equipped to interpret the dream yourself. Therefore, as you search to understand a dream, I urge you to make it your priority to learn how to interpret your own dreams. Don’t go searching to find someone else to interpret it for you. You are capable of figuring it out yourself. Then, start listening. Open your heart and mind to hear what the dream is trying to tell you. I believe a prayer would help… something like this “Father, God, help me understand this dream… especially if you are trying to tell me something important. Open my heart and mind to hear what you’re saying. I pray this in Jesus Name, amen.”

Then, it will come. That still small voice in your head and you will know it’s true. There’s so much I’d like to share with you about hearing, so I hope you’ll go ahead and get my book. As soon as you complete the transaction, you will be able to download it and start reading it right away on your computer. God bless you. And, sweet dreams.  Love, Ruthanna

The following pictures are of the same place but taken in different seasons!

Lessons on Life

There was an Indian Chief who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the Winter, the second in the Spring, the third in Summer, and the youngest son in the Fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said ‘no’ it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful. It was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life.

He told them that you can not judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it’s Winter, you will miss the promise of your Spring, the beauty of your Summer, the fulfillment of your Fall.

Moral:

Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don’t judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come.

Live Simply.
Love Generously.
Care Deeply.
Speak Kindly.
Leave the Rest to God.

Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Failures keep You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But God keeps You Going!

Garfield on the oil crisis

A lot of folks can’t understand how we came

To have an oil shortage here in our country.

~~~

Well, there’s a very simple answer.

~~~

Nobody bothered to check the oil.

~~~

We just didn’t know we were getting low.

~~~

The reason for that is purely geographical.

~~~

Our OIL is located in

~~~

ALASKA

~~~

California

~~~

Coastal Florida

~~~

Coastal Louisiana

~~~

Kansas

~~~

Oklahoma

~~~

Pennsylvania

and

Texas

~~~

Our

DIPSTICKS

Are located in

Washington, D.C. !!!

Any Questions?

NO?

Didn’t think So.

David LaBonte, of California, writes: 

"My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the Orange 
County Register which was not printed. So, I decided to 'print' it myself by
sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined.”
 
Dear Editor: 
 
So many... have based their arguments (in favor of immigration) on how 
this land is made up of immigrants. One suggests we should tear down the
Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated
the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry. 
Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to those people why 
today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. 

Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the 
United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York 
and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and 
kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new 
country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in 
their new American households and some even changed their names to blend 
in with their new home. 
 
They had waved goodbye to their birthplace to give their children a new life
and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one
culture. 
 
Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to
protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had
brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children 
came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men 
whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan .. 
None of these first generation Americans ever gave any thought about what 
country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, 
Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States 
of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those
villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the
Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one
flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have 
thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who 
they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed 
so much to be here. These immigrants knew what it meant to be an American. 
They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. 
 
And here we are in 2007 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same
rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set 
of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful 
to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. 

I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve 
better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations 
to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better 
life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those
waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens
to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start 
talking about dismantling the United States just yet. 

(signed) Rosemary LaBonte 
 

FOR THE WRONG THINGS TO PREVAIL THE RIGHTFUL MAJORITY NEEDS 
TO REMAIN COMPLACENT AND QUIET!!  NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN!! 

KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING.

I hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the nation!!