Thursday, August 31, 2006

FAREWELL..


Wendell's cousin Sean just stopped by to say good bye to Charlie and us.. His car is packed, and he is on his way to New Jersey as I write this. He got a job in Alaska.. great job... and he's excited to get started. Saturday he leaves from Newark to Los Angeles.. and then to Anchorage I believe. From there he'll take a smaller plane to Dillingham Alaska where he will call home.
We'll miss having him for our family picnics and including him in all the family stuff that goes on here. Hopefully he'll be coming back around next Easter if he can. He's an adventurer.. Starting out like this is like starting a new life..
He'll have no family around and will have to find all new friends..
Keep in touch, Sean.. we will miss you around here..

THE WATER HAS RECEDED

Just a quick note- talked to Wendy. They are home as of yesterday when the raging stream beside their house became tamer, and just a fast moving creek. The danger of flooding there is still present with each rainfall, and thus they have moved as much of their valuables as they can to higher ground until the rainy season ends this fall.
I thank God for your prayers and their safety.

WATCHMAN OVER ISRAEL

"Behold, He who keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps." Psalm 121:4

These words came to mind this morning as Wendell woke me up after my night's sleep. I was tired and was ignoring the alarm clock that was screaming at me to 'get up'!
The words are as true today as they were for Israel so long ago in scripture. Words of comfort as our Watchman watches over us while we are sleeping. Much like knowing your Mom or Dad is in the next room at night and you feel the security of their presence. Yet not just at night.. but all the day long God watches over us, protects us, and gives safe passage through this world. He never gets tired. Now that is security.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

EXERCISE FOR BEGINNERS

Yeah.... I wish that was me....... but , alas.. my sedentary lifestyle has caused me to rearrange my body fat, and most of it is settling in my waistline! UGH. JJ saw her PCP yesterday and we girls decided it was about time we DID something about our waistlines... So..
This morning when I got up, I gingerly stepped on the scales, and with a deep breath, took a look at the damages of no exercise for so long. .. ... Well, I'd gained 20# since December. But my clothes don't fit the same.. my fat stores seemed to be moved .. Hmmm
Tonite was our first workout night at JJ's. Mandy took a "CRUNCH'' DVD with us planning to get us moving. JJ took a look at it and announced that we would need something much more elementary.. so she pulled out her Jenny Craig workout tape.
I have to admit, by the time we did the whole program, I was feeling tingly.. hot.. sweaty, but not really hurting. There are parts that cause my bad foot to complain, but those I can skip over for now.
It was such fun! More like learning to dance.. WOOHOO!!
I'm looking forward to our 2nd session next Monday. In the mean time, I'm gonna try to get Wendell to do some easy walking in the driveway to get him moving. I doubt he could/would try the aerobics at this point, but in time, perhaps.

A VISIT TO THE PULMONOLOGIST

Today Wendell saw the Pulmonologist (lung doctor).. He's not doing that badly, and as anticipated, he gave him a couple of 'puffers' to help him along. He'll be going back in December for his next visit. He also gave him several suggestions for his CPAP masks that might fit better. We will be contacting the provider in the next day or so. Gotta check 'em all out. Who knows, I might find a better one too???
That's it for the day... keep us in prayer daily.. thank the Lord for all He's done for you.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

NEED PRAYER...NOW !!!

I just received a phone call from Wendy. They have moved to higher ground with yesterday's rainfall. They are staying with Cory's folks till the water recedes. All their valuables (pictures, and those kinds of things) are safely relocated, but the water is threatening.
As you will remember, the neighbor's yard is nothing but a huge rockpile. The rain has brought the water levels up nearly to Cory and Wendy's driveway and thus the garage. The house is on the same level next to the garage. If the rain persists, it may push the house off the foundation.
Please remember this family.. PRAY NOW. God has kept them and their home safe before in the midst of disaster, and He will again.. but we need to pray.

THE RAIN HAS MOVED ON

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--
The symbol used by Christians to communicate secretly when Christianity was banned throughout the Roman Empire. If a Christian wanted to identify whether the person he was talking to was also Christian, he would discreetly draw the ichthus on the ground with his feet. If the other person was also a Christian, he would recognise the code and add an eye to the fish drawing, confirming that he was also a Christian.

Just a bit of trivia for you. Good morning Bloggers !!! After all the rain and dismal weather yesterday, and the early morning drizzlies, it looks like the sun may shine after all. It's gonna be a great day!
I just noticed that today would have been Wendell's Dad's birthday.. 102 years ago today.

Much to do here.. I pray my back holds out while I work. Not gainfully employed, but work nonetheless. I did get the morning off yesterday, but was called in at 3pm till 7pm to help on another unit. Difficult because I am not familiar with their paperwork, but the staff was wonderful and answered my questions without complaint. I was glad to be of help.
Remember Wendell in prayer if you would- as he sees the pulmonologist tomorrow. He still has shortness of breath on exertion, but not cardiac related, thankfully. This is a lung problem likely, and there are things he can do to improve it- hand held nebulizers and 'puffers' to open the alveoli. We shall see.
I'm going out today to look for heavy curtains/blinds for the bedroom. Also, we need our 'staples'.. water, coffee creamer, and olive oil. I suppose if I had to choose what things I would never want to be without, these 3 would be high on the list.
I can get all these things at Super Wal-Mart, but I really don't like to shop there, as the store is so huge it hurts to walk all the way around it to find a couple of items.
So........ gotta get moving. I slept in again today. I guess I needed the sleep. I push myself every day.. up early and to bed late.
Pray for us.. keep us in mind as you go about your day.
I'll be back later..

Monday, August 28, 2006

BIRTHDAY WISHES GOING TO...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKY
TODAY IS YOUR DAY
ENJOY IT!!

I missed a birthday this month.. another co-worker, and my 'office buddy'.. Sara..
HOPE YOUR DAY WAS SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL!!!

RAINY MONDAY

Yesterday I awoke to a pounding thunderstorm.. late.. and with an excruciating backache. I nearly couldn't get myself out of my bed. I'm thankful that days like this aren't frequent any more. It took hours to get it controlled and once that was accomplished, it was still unstable the rest of the day, but I could get around better. One of those days where you are just thankful you don't HAVE to be somewhere.. though I wanted to be in church. I would have missed work had I been scheduled.
Today I am scheduled to return to work, but being the 3rd secretary, there is every possibility that they will give me an 'on call' status, and I won't have to go in..... well, I'm hoping for that anyway.
I did have a pretty wonderful vacation week.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

WAKE UP

This was sent to me by my friend Elsie.. I thought it interesting and decided to post it here on my blog..

About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some2,000 years prior:
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."
"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage "
Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election
Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million;
Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000
States won by: Gore: 19; Bush: 29
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2; Bush 2.1
Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country.
Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare..."
Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some
40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.
If the Senate grants Amnesty and citizenship to 20 million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then goodbye USA in less than 5 years.
Pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.

MIMI AND THE BOYS

VISITORS


It's always a pleasure to have our family come to visit us. Wendell's brother and wife, Jim and Marylou, stopped by for a visit last evening.. They live in the Carolinas.. so we don't get to visit nearly often enough.
I can't seem to get this picture any sharper.. probably our lack of lighting in this room.

Friday, August 25, 2006

MARRIAGE

We've been married a long time.. in fact, more than half of our lives now. But we are still learning principles of marriage. And so I continue to search out articles that teach me how I am to live with my husband and continue under God's guidance.
Scripture is full of information for married couples. We simply need to follow the advice given there, and harmony results. Ah, but there are pitfalls along the way.
I found this article this morning and want to share it.

Biblical Principles for Christian Maturity
John H. Stoll, Th.M., Ph.D
Copyright 1996, John H. Stoll
Dr. John H. Stoll is Executive Director of A.S.K., Inc., a professional counseling and Bible teaching organization. Over the past 45 years he has been a professor in five Christian Colleges/Seminaries, as both a Theologian and Marriage and Family Therapist. For the past 18 years he has been the Director of a Christian Psychological Clinic in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN.
Chapter 35 - Foundation for Marriage
The primary complaint in most marriages is that a lack of communication is the basis of discord and misunderstanding. Though this is a problem, to be sure, it is the result of the problem, not the root cause. In order to construct a foundation for marriage, based on God given principles, one must first look at the basic problem.

I. The Causes of Marital Discord: There are basically four.
First, the root cause is SELFISHNESS.
Since selfishness began with Adam/Eve, and is passed along to all mankind, this problem constantly intrudes into marriage, which leads to division not union. The ego centeredness in all of us overwhelms, and this brings problems in every aspect of life.
Second, there is the problem of COMMITMENT.
The original will of commitment made in the marriage vows, needs to be reinforced daily on the part of both husband and wife. The selfish tendency in each of us to go our own way, can only be overcome through exercising daily and continuing commitment.
Another problem is that of PRIORITIES.
Generally we tend to place our work first, then our family, and finally our responsibility to God. For the Christian these priorities need to be reversed. When God is placed first in our life, the family second, and our work last, then our personal life will be more fulfilling, and God will honor our priorities (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Romans 8:6), and this in turn will benefit everyone in the family.
Note: most ministers have their priorities right, but have a tendency to fuse one and three together, so that their wives and families get left out, which is tragic both to them, as well as a poor testimony to their congregation.
Finally, the fourth problem is a lack of TRUST between husband and wife.
Trust is the foundation and jewel of marriage (Proverbs 31:11). Trust is built through the WILL of Agape love (I Corinthians 13). This type of love is not of the emotional variety, but of a willingness to project one's self to their partner unselfishly, through honesty, truthfulness, integrity, understanding, openness, encouragement, etc. The combination of the willingness on the part of each to the other, produces a trust that nurtures emotional love and fulfillment that is so satisfying.
Selfishness is a hindrance to building trust, whereas trust can only be nurtured by not only trusting the other, but by being trustworthy of the trust they have received. This takes a commitment of the WILL.

II. Building a Fulfilling, Fruitful, Relationship: there are three basic principles or guidelines to follow, in order to have this kind of a marriage relationship.
Since most marriages suffer from a daily, almost imperceptible erosion, there needs to first be a RE-COMMITMENT to each other. This means a renewal of trust in each other. It may not be easy, because of the past abuses of trust, but this is where one must first trust the Lord, then their mate. It is also necessary for each to trust the Lord to help them be trustworthy, since each has squandered the original trust that was given to them.
Moreover, it requires a cutting off of past "garbage", and not "dumping" it on each other every day. Instead each must be committed to work at being trustworthy of the new reservoir of trust they have received. Included must be a willingness to forgive and be forgiven, since a change of habits does not come easy. When one slips back into the old habits, there must be confession and forgiveness, without a casting up of the past such as, "there you go again, I knew it was too good to be true". Rather, reflect upon the time and place where the re-commitment took place, and a trusting in the genuineness of the willingness of the commitment that was made.
Each has a personal responsibility to make the necessary changes, and at the same time be accepting of the other, realizing the imperfections each has. This takes time to change, as well as trusting and becoming trustworthy.
The next step is to develop the WILL of Agape love. As was noted above, this is the love of will, not emotion. It is a selfless love, willing to give, rather than take. Selfless love, bonds; selfish love divides. Agape love accepts each other, "warts and all". It produces a reservoir of trust, through daily, positive reinforcement of each other, refraining from criticism and casting up, and never takes one's partner for granted.

The final step is to work on the four "C's" of marriage:
1) A daily continuing COMMITMENT to the one you love;
2) Developing open COMMUNICATION, by accepting each others thoughts without attacking. The ultimate goal of every marriage should be an "emotional nakedness" between husband and wife, without fear of being "attacked", though this does not mean they have to think alike. This is far harder than physical nakedness in the bedroom, but far more important; 3) Provide for loving CONFRONTATION. God never intended us to think alike. It is not do you confront, but how. In Proverbs 15:1 it says, "A soft answer turns away anger";
4) Have a willingness to COMPROMISE, since we will never think alike. Compromising helps us to overcome our bent toward selfishness.

III. Conclusion and Commendation: God has entrusted the leadership of the family to the husband/father, and therefore it is his responsibility to "set the pace" by example, rather than by precept (Ephesians 5:25; I Peter 3:7).
When a husband/father sets a loving pace by example, and treats his wife like a "queen", then she will have no problem willingly submitting herself to her husband. She does not want a driver, a bully, or a dictator, but a loving, accepting mate.
Since parents are developing learned behaviors in their children, which they will carry over into adulthood, and transfer over to the one whom they marry, it behooves parents to set a proper example before their children.
Dr. Shedd, a Christian psychologist, once asked a five year old boy if his Daddy loved his Mother. The boy proudly answered that he did. Then Dr. Shedd asked him how he knew that? The little fellow said, "When my Daddy comes home at night, and Mommy is in the kitchen getting supper, Daddy comes in and pats Mommy on the fanny; boy does my Daddy love my Mommy". That Father probably never realized that his behaviors made such an indelible impression on his son. And, this carries over into most all examples parents display before their impressionable youngsters.
Finally, daily pray that you may be sensitive to meeting your beloved one's needs. There is nothing greater to bind and bond a husband/wife together than a spiritual sensitivity that each has for the other. This produces the Lord's blessing on the relationship that is fulfilling.

Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Thou art the potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me, after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way,
Hold o'er my being, absolute sway,
Filled with thy Spirit, till all shall see,
Christ only, always, living in me
" Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."
2 Timothy 2:22-26

Thursday, August 24, 2006

EYE EXAMS


Yesterday was a very busy one with Wendell and I going to the eye doctor for our exams.. it took 2 1/2 hours to complete the comprehensive testing, but well worth the time.
Wendell's eyes have had some changes, but there is no sign of any serious problems such as retinopathy that is the nemesis of diabetics. He does have very early cataracts, but these are not a problem now, and can be dealt with later.
New glasses for both of us was the order of the day.. I also had some minor changes in vision, and these should be adjusted with corrective lenses.
I thought it funny to see Wendell's pupils so huge and dilated.. till I got the drops too.. my right one was huge, but the left one was still small.. I guess I looked funnier than he.
Next week he sees the pulmonologist...
Gotta get moving... have a fabulous day.. pray for us.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

A VISIT WITH GRAMMA

This week we have had the pleasure and honor of having 3 of our grandchildren stay with us for a couple of days. We've been having a grand time. Here are some of the things we did..













Crafts !!! and playing outside were high on our lists of things to do..











Climbing trees...........













Making brownies !!













Playing fun games together...









Scavenger hunt.... and a tent in the front yard !!















And making a scrapbook of the things we liked to do here..........












Ooops! One very minor mishap.. we learned NOT to touch a hot iron. Thankfully, no damage was done, and all is well...













Good kids get treats !!!


















And time to just sit back and do what you want- like play in the mud.. and when there isn't enough, you make your own with a bucket of water!!













Working on Christmas gifts for cousins...









And a snack & movie before bed.. Ah...this is the life!

Sunday, August 20, 2006

THE WORST SIN

"And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment."
John 16:8 NLT

The worst sin

What would you consider the worst sin you could commit? Adultery? Stealing? Murder? You might be surprised by the answer the Bible gives.
The worst sin—and the one with the most far-reaching consequences—is this: to refuse to believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit convicts guilty men and women of sin "because they do not believe in Me." (John 16:9)
On that final day, it will not so much be the sin question as it will be the Son question.
All sins can be dealt with and forgiven if we believe in Jesus.
We must not forget that knowledge brings responsibility.
It is a grave thing to shake off the conviction of the Spirit.
Jesus said the Spirit came to convict us "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged" (John 16:11).
The ruler or prince of this world, Satan, was judged at Calvary.
When Jesus went to the cross and died in our place, Satan lost his death grip on humanity.
The spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment, but He wants most of all to give us assurance of forgiven sin.
Why not let Him do what He really desires to do? Why not come to Jesus? Or if you have already done that, help someone else to follow your example.


Adapted from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie (Tyndale House) pp 222-24

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE


It seems as though August is our biggest birthday month... here's another....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE !!
Though you live far away, we love you and hope your day is a fantastic one!

IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT



Hey! That sounds like the beginning of a great novel! But, wait........ we must have had quite a storm here yesterday evening.. the clock stopped at 8:24 when the lights went out... no power. I was at work at the hospital, so was unaware of what I'd come home to.
Wendell always leaves outside lights on for me.. funny, I never noticed the pure darkness around the neighborhood. Last night there were no lights on for me when I arrived at home....UGH! That meant stumbling through the yard to the front door and hoping I didn't trip over anything in my path.

Once inside the house, I realized what had happened.. I thought someone turned off all the fans, lights etc at first.. but quickly realized that I'd have to find light somewhere to get around before trying to go to bed.

I needed that flashlight in the bedroom, but to get to it, I'd be stumbling ....... AHA!! the perfect flashlight!.. My cellphone !!!! It doubles perfectly as a flashlight, though it doesn't stay on long..

I lit a scented candle for some light in the bedroom, and then tried to figure out what to do. Hmmmmmmmmmm
There really wasn't anything I could do but pray the power would be restored soon. I needed to go to bed.. to sleep... but how could I do that without the c-pap?? It's electric.. and I have SOSA.. I have to have that thing going to breathe at night. Well, I just had to 'wing' it.. I used the cell phone to get myself settled into bed, and then tried to get comfy.. it wasn't easy. I'm so used to that machine providing my air for me at night or when I lay down.
On the rare occasions that I fall asleep without c-pap, I awaken with severe headaches...today is no exception.. killer headaches are not nice to experience... At least I know the cause.
It's about 4am, and I awoke when the power came back on.... along with the headache.. I will need to work on that this morning as I do want to go to church. Hopefully, the Tylenols will kick in and a shower will help too.
Wendell is working today.. his first weekend of the season. The extra hands at the park are gone back to school, and later, the layoffs will begin. In the mean time, the schedules have to be rearranged to cover the weekends, so he's now working a few before his layoff comes up.
Fortunately for him, the power is now on and he's able to have a hot cup of coffee before leaving. I'm thankful for the fans back on and will join him with a cup of coffee shortly- sometimes caffeine helps the headache too.
So..... hopefully this is just a bump in the road, and all will proceed well today..
Have a fabulous day.......... pray for us... needing it a lot this day.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

PRAYER REQUEST

One of the ladies in our church has just had open heart surgery to repair the mitral valve.. That's 2 heart surgeries now for our little congregation this year.
Please remember her with prayer and ask for a smooth recovery.. the surgery went well.
We are thankful to live in an age where cardiac surgery is so fine tuned.. and successful nearly all the time.

AUGUST 19 YET ANOTHER BIRTHDAY


WISHING YOU THE BEST ON THIS DAY, CHRIS...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!


Friday, August 18, 2006

KEEPING UP WITH BABIES

Check out the bottom of this page to keep up with the baby progress...
Baby Girl Blair is due Dec 21.. and Baby Valentine, March 30......

ANTICIPATION

"What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.
For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse.
All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering.
We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don't need to hope for it.
But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently."
Romans 8:18-25 NLT

"Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will have eternal life."
Matthew 19:29 NLT

Facing trials

We have strength and courage to face the trials of this life because we can look beyond them to the glory that God has in store for us.
We know the sacrifices we make now will be rewarded by God.

Adapted from The Promise Bible (Tyndale House) p A53

HAPPY 44th ANNIVERSARY


HAPPY 44th ANNIVERSARY
BILL & CAROL



May God bless you richly and give you many more..

Thursday, August 17, 2006

ONE MORE AUG 17 BIRTHDAY


HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID MOCK....
I have no picture.. but the wish for a happy day is there !!!

AUGUST 17 BIRTHDAYS!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J.J. !!!
Today is our oldest daughter's birthday........ she's .........well, old enough to know better..
I love this picture of her at the Pittsburgh Zoo when she was just a little girl.. and she continues to milk cows even to this day! Have a great and wonderful day today, my dear.


AUGUST 17 BIRTHDAYS!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN !!!
LOOKIN' GOOD !!


John is the newest addition to our family and fits right in.. It's his day today.. if you see him, wish him a happy one.

AUGUST 17 BIRTHDAYS !!!

IT''S YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY , MATT......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
AND LOTS AND LOTS MORE !!!

WORLD OF CHILDREN PERFORMS

Last evening I had the honor and pleasure of going to one of Joyce's performances with World of Children at the Lowry House, an assisted living facility locally. The group did a wonderful job. They are a sign language group well known to the Butler area. Each one wears an international costume from around the world. Joyce has been with this group since she was about 4 yrs old. Their performance is like poetry in motion literally.




They served refreshments after. Cookies and punch.


Great job, Joyce.. atta girl!