Officially Old

Well, not myself....
My parents.  My mom just reached the ripe, crisp old age of 50 this past weekend.  (Sorry, mom!) But it does sound a little ancient...I mean, next is 60 and then 70 and then....Yikes, lets not go there! Alas, this might be me someday. Might not.  I guess it's a fact of life.  We're all getting older...it just is weird to think that my parents are half a century old. But I wouldn't trade my parents for anything in this world so I guess I'll just have to get over their old age!  And I pray that we have many days left together on Earth, and forever in eternity, since that is really what matters. 

To celebrate, the family surprised mom for supper Thursday night.  Dad had tried to get mom to let him take her somewhere out for dinner (and the rest of the family would show up) but mom decided to through a wrench in our plans and started dragging her feet 2 days before...so dad conned up the idea to have Jesse and I both "have plans" thursday night so he could tell mom that he'd cook her up a steak and have a romantic candle-light dinner.  Jesse and I put on our poker faces and *ahem* told some white lies.... to through her off.  Long story short, dad snuck more than just 2 steaks on the grill and the whole family showed up with the rest of them meal!  It worked marvelous!  And I think she enjoyed it much more than having a huge bash, or even just going to a restaraunt like we planned in the first place.


Sorry it's blurry...mom's expression as she realized what was happening



Isn't she adorable?! (the baby, that is....!)



The rest of the grandkids joined us after supper.



Friday, on her birthday, all of mom's daughters/in laws, and grand-girls did a little G-saling in Bloomington.  Grandma and Darla surprised mom and showed up part way through.  For lunch, we enjoyed the delicious entrees at the Mackinaw Tea Room. 



Lydia was quite pleased w/ her display of food...to say the least!



Mmmm-mmmm good!

God's Sovereignty

Astronomers are now convinced that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on the beaches of the world.  When you consider that our sun -- the star -- is a grain of sand, this makes Earth infinitestimally small!  And on this eensy speck of earth, out of the billions of people, the Lord of the universe came to earth to save YOU!  Truly, the heavens declare not only His glory, but His mercy!

Spring days

Ahhh... I just love this time of year.  The sweet smell of flowers blooming.  The bright greens of new growth.  The warm sunshine casting a golden gleam across the earth.  Birds singing peacefully in the trees.  Rain falling silently on the widows.  The short passing thunderstorms rumbling in the distance.  It's spring in all its glory!  And I'm in love with it. :)

If only I could take the time to soak it up, daily.  I had to capture of few of its moments to hold onto to carry me through the next week.  Just a few more days, a few more hours, and it will be mine, completely.  Gone with the studies and the lingering projects over my head!  Ahh.... then I will fully soak up its splendor! :)

The Life of a Fisherman

If you don’t become a reconciler of the lost, you will become an evaluator of the saved.

There is something inherent in our nature that wants to see people get right with God.

And if we don’t direct it at the lost, we will direct it at the saved.

Then instead of pursuing sinners, we will spend our time policing the saints.

All of us have been called to be “Fishers of Men”, but when those who are called to fish don’t fish,

They fight.

When energy that was meant to be used outside the church is used inside the church,

The result is explosive.

Instead of becoming reachers of the lost, we become critics of the saved.

Instead of extending helping hands, we point accusing fingers.

Instead of helping the hurting, we hurt the helpers.

And sadly, the lost go unreached, they poor go unfed, and the confused go unconsoled.

But, when those who are called to fish, FISH – they flourish.

Souls are reached, lives are changed, and the world is impacted.

~ Jim Newsom ~

This was observed hanging on the wall of an Amish/Mennonite Community Room.

God ADDS to and He MULTIPLIES.

He never divides, or takes away. 

Are we multiplying for God, or dividing for Satan?

Let's focus on the plusses.  The positives.

Let's be thankful for what God has given us.  No matter how big or how minute.

Let's be humbled in His presence.

Let's remember to pray for others.

And let's remember the commandments the Lord has given us:

To love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as our self.

I want to challenge you:
This week, with every person you talk to, do this: picture that person's face as Jesus'. 
If you picture that person as Jesus, you'll speak kind, loving, encouraging words to them. 
Gone will be the anger, the malice, the envy, and all the evil.
Let's keep our focus on Jesus Christ our Lord!

one

We are just one beat, ONE BEAT away from eternity.

Am I ready?

Are YOU?

Price Paid

  ³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
We, as carnal men reject Christ.  We run from Him, and hide our faces from Him. We look away from Him.

⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
He is the one who suffered for our sakes.  He bore our cross in our stead.

⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
HE was wounded, because of ME.  HE was bruised because I sinned.  But by HIM and His suffering, we are HEALED.

⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
We have ALL sinned.  We have all walked away from God and gone our own way.  But we have been given the chance to change our ways and walk towards Him, because Jesus has borne our sins. This free gift is here for EVERYONE.

⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He went through the pain without complaining.  He willfully and meekly paid the price for our sins. 


The price has been paid for you, and for me.  Jesus, the perfect man left His wonderful home in heaven, came here to this earth to walk as a man, and to bring us this FREE gift of salvation.  We are not worthy of His love but yet He was willing.  He loved each one of us enough to suffer and die for us.  He suffered a death that we cannot even begin to compare to any suffering here on this earth. And He did it personally for each and every one of us who have lived, are living, and will live.

IF you have not taken this free gift, come to the cross. 

 Jesus is hanging there for YOU.

   

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