I close my eyes.

I “Like” comments and “Share” pictures on FaceBook; I even make comments (imagine that), but the readers have no clue as to my real emotions.  Nor will they.

But I will take the liberty, on my own blog, to say that I could not hurt more if I was strapped to a pole and flogged.  At least then, the pain on the outside would match the pain in my heart.

I am at a loss, clueless, to know or understand why this heartache is a reality. And clueless to know what to do.  In all of my 63 years, I can’t recall ever hurting like this.

But this morning, a thought came to me:::

How can I persevere until the end if I have not suffered through trials, troubles, temptations and heartaches that hit me where it hurts the most? 

How can God say, “Well done, faithful servant,” if I haven’t persevered through the pain and continued to praise and trust Him; continued to obey His call and ministered encouragement and salvation to all He invites me to?

It has never occurred to me to throw up my hands and quit, but I suppose I could choose to do that.  I have, however, wanted to and considered crawling in a hole, at least for a while. Or staying in bed all day.  But I haven’t and I won’t.  Where this old girl is concerned, there is no victory for the devil.  God is my Strength and Shield and He is much greater than anything Satan can fire at me.  Bitterness is not even remotely an option for me.  I have nothing but love, grace, longing and forgiveness in my heart…. and my hands are tied.  I’m frozen.  I don’t know what to do.  But that’s ok.  God knows what to do.

Waves of grief wash over me at times and I can’t find air to breathe. I don’t know all of the answers. But I do know Jesus' promise: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28). And air comes to me again.

I believe God has shown me at least one reason that I can be thankful in the midst of this pain.  I certainly long to see Jesus and hear Him say, “Well done, faithful servant.”

Are you suffering through something?

Does this help just a little?

I heard someone I respect very much say one time: “In the midst of my heartache, I closed my eyes and mentally went to my most peaceful and favorite spot and sat there in the sun by that cool brook for a long time.  Then I looked up and saw a figure walking toward me from the horizon.  I got up and watched him.  When I recognized the man in the white robe and outstretched arms, I started running to Him and did not stop until He wrapped His arms around me as I wept uncontrollably.  No words were needed.  My sobs subsided as I noticed scars in his feet.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a table with a big box and beautiful bows laying on it.  I walked over to the table and gently placed the “cause of my pain” in one of the boxes and placed a bow on it.  Picking up the box, I carefully carried it (it was heavy in more ways than one) over to Jesus and He held out His nail scarred hands and I placed the box in His hands.  His smile gave me comfort and hope and courage, for I knew He would take care of my gift box with the beautiful bow.”

Kris update: Her Best Bet

 

Dearest loved ones and friends everywhere!

Let me say that, as we travel this summer, the scope of praying friends is growing and we can’t thank you all enough!  Let me also say that we finally had rain yesterday (it started in the night Wednesday!) as we departed from wonderful folks in New Era, Michigan to head for the Lansing area.  Other than that, the heat wave still persists!!!

But that’s not what this update is all about.  It’s time to let you know that I believe God has given Kris a great opportunity at CORE (Center Of Rehabilitation Excellence, I think that’s it!), and great things have already happened.

The first care meeting was held this past Tuesday, and several of us were able to be there via tele-conferencing, including Kris’s husband, Russell, and her Air Force liaison, Darla.  The conference lasted about 45 minutes and Kris was able to be there following a great walk with her OT therapist.  (They are walking her three times a day!  Fantastic!)

The best summation of all that was discussed is that, while it is very early in her program stay, she has already shown improvement with keeping her head up straighter (one of the goals).  She has had her vision tested to discover she has lost vision capability in her left eye from the far left to about mid range.  The right eye is very good.  There were more technical explanations for this, but it likely is remaining damage resulting from the accident plus vision demands on her right eye due to her head pulled left for so long.  A simple pair of reading glasses was all that was necessary however, which Diana made sure she had while she was still there with Kris.  The photo of Kris in her “star-studded purple glasses” is attached!

Continued strengthening of her right arm as well as greater use of both arms and hands is another goal.  I asked if they might set up an email for Kris, which they did in no time, and are now working with her on the computer twice a day.  I’m not sure about giving out her email address just yet, but I will let you know.  In any case, the other great addition is Skyping, which they set up during the first week she was there.  There is an attached photo of Kris on her computer waving back at me on our laptop in front of the RV.  (George snapped that last evening right after we set up here in Lansing, Michigan.)  As you can probably see, Kris was really tired from a very full day of therapy, but she always manages to smile and wave and laugh at Dad’s funny stories!!!  (He’s my comic relief!)

Diana snapped the photo of Kris in her new bed, in her new surroundings, and it shows her desk with family photos, etc.  To the right of that photo is a large closet and bathroom, and opposite the bed and desk are two large dressers (one high one with her TV).  She has already been able to go and have her hair cut, she goes to church, she’s been to their gym (in a different building), and Diana was able to take her shopping when she was there.  The idea there at CORE is to dedicate one person 16-hours a day, 7-days a week to be with the patient, and that person goes with the patient everywhere.  The CORE van takes patients to wherever they must go, which includes shopping, appointments, the salon: anything that a person would normally have to attend to in a daily setting.  It’s to give them back a routine as close to normal life activities as possible, and is a huge encouragement for folks to TRY!!! 

CORE is Kris’s best bet for recovering as far as she can during her one-year stay there.  Obviously, speech plays a huge part as well, and the computer will surely be the instrument of choice to communicate until her voice returns.  Her posture is improving, her range of motion is improving (arms and trunk movement), her upper back and shoulder strength and straightness are improving as well. 

With constant care, with the ability to be busy and working toward the goals, and having that visual connection with family: Kris has the best chance now, I believe with all my heart.  That’s what she has needed and it gives me great peace since we must be away.  She is being cared for!!!  They have great and constant communication there and they don’t mind a bit when “Mom calls” to listen and do their best accommodate.  Little things mean so much!

Keep the prayers coming!  Never give up!  Good things are ahead!  God is so good!  Thank you so much!

Blessings,

Carol and George

[Again, I apologize for no pictures.  Laptop is not cooperating.]

The teacher and the butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole….

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its short life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.

If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

Why did God allow Aurora

On the Denison Forum subject: Why Did God allow Aurora? .... one gentleman commented well and I quote:

Mr. Denison, I admire your column and your thought provoking insights on issues affecting our culture from a Biblical perspective. In this latest event in Aurora, I know that God is not responsible for the evil in this world. When asked why He stands by and allows such events, we must understand that He stands in the same place when His Son was killed. Inevitably as we exercise our free choice, He stands ready to forgive and redeem. The fact remains that He goes through the same heartache we experience when things of this nature happens. He identifies with his creation in the good and the bad, just as any loving Father does His children. Yes, He does have power to prevent things like this from occurring, but inevitably He has shown His love toward us in suffering with us through this whole situation. This is a realistic love that is prevalent to this imperfect world in which we live. And though most of us do not want to hear this, God's grace and love is extended to the perpetrator of this act as well. God is not responsible for such events, but He stands ready to love, redeem, and restore as His heart breaks as He identifies with our heartache because He knows how it feels to lose a loved one violently at the hands of evil and lost man.

Amen. And I would examine this and other tragedies a step further... even though God is not responsible for such events, I believe that it is God's desire that these evil acts and their outcome would cause us to look toward eternity and long for an eternal life with Him where Satan and all his demons have been bound and locked away in an everlasting hell with all who have rejected His Son, Jesus Christ... These horrible acts of this world causes me to long for Heaven where God will finally exercise all His power and there will be no evil . These awful things happen on earth because we are not in heaven yet, but God is calling all of us... COME TO ME BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.... BEFORE YOU ARE LOOKING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN AND THE NEXT SECOND YOU ARE BURNING IN HELL. Jesus Christ is knocking at your heart's door with God's gift of grace, mercy, love and forgiveness, that He paid for with His life and freely offers us through the power of His resurrection.

Well, I didn't intend on preaching, but it is what it is and I long for everyone to have the peace and joy and amazing hope that I have.

Seek and you WILL find.

~~~**~~~

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
July 24, 2012
For thou, Lord, [art] good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. (Psalms 86:5)
The Lord is full of mercy and willing to forgive us! He never rejects us when we ask for His forgiveness. This outpouring of mercy and love should make us desire to follow Him more faithfully.
My Prayer: Jesus, I do not deserve Your love or mercy, but I praise and thank You for them both! Thank You for hearing us when we call to You.
This has been brought to you by the following ministries:
Blue Letter Bible
Sowing Circle

Think about it

Fear is a useful servant,

but a very harmful master.

Anger is a useful servant,

but a very harmful master.

My life is a megaphone to the world around me about what I really believe.

“He rewards those who earnestly, diligently seek Him.”

Psalm 37:23

The LORD directs the steps of the godly.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

10,000 Reasons

I woke up this morning singing this glorious praise song!

10,000 Reasons as sung by it’s author, Matt Redman.

In an interview with Matt:

Give us the meaning behind the name 10,000 Reasons.

“It's about the many, many reasons there are to worship God. And of course when I say '10,000 Reasons' that's obviously a huge poetic understatement. When it comes to worship, there are an eternity of reasons to respond to God and His worth. I love writing worship songs because there's an amazing amount of themes to get your heart into, and always a new way to respond to these ancient truths.”

Lunch with fam

Certainly enjoying spending time with daughter, Stephanie and family.  Today, we met them at Santa Fe Steakhouse for lunch.

Like father, like son.   Rick, Logan, Stephanie and Taylor.

Logan is nine.  Amazing blue eyes like his mom and grandpa.

Dessert was frozen yogurt over at the peachwave.

I could live on FroYo, I think.

Turn up your speaker!

[I recommend ear buds.]

Song of the Day – Days of Elijah by Robin Mark with beautiful introduction.  Be prepared for your heart to soar and your soul to rejoice. 

Another version by one of my favorite artists, Paul Wilbur.  I love the energy of the crowd in this video:

Paul Wilbur sings Days of Elijah

The follow version is also Paul Wilbur with lyrics added to the screen.  Days of Elijah with lyrics … sing along!!!

Now… hold onto your hat… the lady, Judy Jacobs is going to rock it!!  Come on, Jesus!!!! 

Judy Jacobs and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir – Days of Elijah

The ladies really get it done on this one.  Here’s Twila Paris’s version of Days of Elijah.

These are the days of Elijah,
Declaring the word of the Lord:
And these are the days of Your servant Moses,
Righteousness being restored.
And these are days of great trial,
Of famine and darkness and sword,
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying
'Prepare ye the way of the Lord!'

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.

These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of Your servant David,
Rebuilding a temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in Your world,
And we are the laborers in Your vineyard,
Declaring the word of the Lord!

 

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.

There's no God like Jehovah.
There's no God like Jehovah!

(Robin Mark version)

Excuse me, Are you Jesus?'

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?"

She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him,

"Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes.

She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride ... and he wondered.

He gently went back and said, "No, I am nothing like Jesus - He is good, kind, caring, loving, and would never have bumped into your display in the first place."

The girl gently nodded: "I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him - only He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Mister."

Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus?

That's our destiny, is it not?

To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day .

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

"Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections." If you're not sharing Christ, you're like someone with a million dollars in the bank and no check book or ID.

[If you have read this before, that’s okay, it’s worth reading again.  It’s such a good story that someone wrote a song about it:  http://youtu.be/64hG4yz9RHw ]

1 Thessalonians 5:

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it. 25 Brothers (& Sisters), pray for us.

God bless you and have a marvelous Monday.

Sunday in the Tulsa area

Yesterday was my day to make the hairdo Leslie sent me on Pinterest a reality.  So, today, here’s a picture of my new do!

New Beginnings Baptist Church, Bixby, Oklahoma.

Here’s a few scenes along the highway after church.

I love barn-style houses.

I know… wishful thinking.

Tonight was brisket night a Stephanie’s! Granddaughter Kristina and boyfriend, Calvin, came for dinner with us.

Kristina took off her shoes and brother Taylor put them on!  Photo opp!  Photo opp!   He’s so lucky that I’m fasting from Facebook right now.

Taylor, Kristina and Calvin.

Papa Don and beautiful granddaughter, Kristina.

We enjoyed sitting around visiting while listening to Taylor and Logan play the guitar.  I will post a picture of Logan soon.  You will not believe how much he has grown.

It’s been a very nice Sunday.

Kris update: The Most Amazing Place

To all our dear friends and loved ones!

Let me be the first to admit I was wrong. Yes, I admit my feelings were all wrong about the facility Kris was to go to when she left the VA Poly Trauma Center this week. It is, in fact, “just what the doctor ordered”... both figuratively and literally. (Thank you, Dr. Johnson!) So let me begin by recapping the past few weeks.

In the last update (June 28, 2012), I explained how wonderful her retirement ceremony had been (the attached photo is yet one more testament to her fantastic day!), and that we took Kris up to CORE so that she could see it and meet the folks there that same week. Our daughter, Diana, left that following Monday morning to return to Pennsylvania, I took Kris to the dentist that same day, then George, Joshua and I moved Kris to the VA Poly Trauma Center on Tuesday. (THAT day was such a mixed bag of emotions: glad to take her to the VA, extremely sad that it would be our last day with Kris for a while!)

Wednesday, June 27, George and I headed out for Branson to begin our summer show tour. Mixed emotions, tears, worry, trying VERY hard to let God take care of it: I was a mess! But it didn’t take long for me to realize Kris was getting her second wind at the VA. And, on top of that, when Russell took her up to CORE in Dripping Springs on Monday, July 9, I began to realize almost immediately that she was at the right place.

Diana, bless her heart, flew back out and arrived at CORE Monday evening to stay with Kris since we couldn’t be there.

She immediately set about getting Kris situated, unpacked, met with the staff, and began to relay important information about Kris’s care, what would be happening, and who to contact to follow the progress Kris would surely be making. Wednesday, Diana arranged to take Kris on a shopping outing to Kohl’s and to Bed, Bath and Beyond. CORE has a wheelchair van, and the care person assigned to Kris that day went along. One of the rules at CORE is that patients can go to church, to the store, to the beauty/barber shop, or to wherever there is a need, and arrangements can be made. The care person scheduled to be with the patient always goes along, even if a family member is there.

I learned today they are making arrangements for Kris to go to church on Sundays (when she is able and ready), and they will escort her and make all the arrangements. She will also go to the beauty salon for a haircut and style, and that just tickles me to death. Calling in to speak to her is limited to evenings at 7 p.m., which is fabulous. Her day is then dedicated to focusing on physical or occupational therapy, visits to the nearby pool or to the gym (when she’s ready), speech therapy, and any other learning/training they deem necessary. She has one-to-one care 7-days per week, 16 hours per day, and close 30-minute monitoring throughout the night.

Kris’s family will visit on the weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, and other friends are free to do so, but a call ahead is necessary. Cards and letters are very welcome and Kris’s new address is:

Maj Kristine Ratliff

CORE Neuro Rehabilitation Center

400 Old Hwy 290, Room C-1

Dripping Springs, TX 78620

They have already set her computer up with Skype so that Russell and the children can visit her in the evening at 7 p.m. via the computer and they can see each other. George will set up our Skype account this weekend. We are in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin now (south of Oshkosh), on our way toward the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, and we’ll be staying in an RV park in Iron Mountain, Michigan over the weekend.

After some really rough nights and days worrying and wondering, a beautiful verse from John 14:27 came to me: “Peace I give to you; My peace I leave with you..... Let not your heart be troubled.”

I realize now that CORE is just the right place and I can breathe a little easier. Diana’s stay with Kris was wonderful and she has done so much to make her room homey, “girlie” and lovely. Kris has already had her eyes checked and needed some stronger reading glasses, so Diana bought her a real “chic” pair of purple framed reading glasses today. And it has finally dawned on me that this place will give Kris all the things she needs daily to help her grow, re-learn, flourish, regain her self-esteem, her independence and, quite possibly, her own life back. It is a one-year program, and we are so excited about the possibilities that exist now for Kris. Diana said there are marvelous examples of patients who have gone completely back to community living who were actually had greater disabilities than Kris, and it has been an enriching experience for both the girls to spend this time together.

As for George and me, our two shows in Branson went well and we met such lovely people there. We’ll stay in touch with them. On to Iowa and two different church concerts over this past weekend, and the people there truly blessed our hearts and lives. Of course, spending time with dear friends in Iowa was just the icing on the cake. We are off now to three church concerts in Michigan, and the summer is already flying by! Pray for our safe travels and that the RV and van won’t require expensive repairs again, please! (It has been an exciting few weeks in that regard!)

Most of all, continue to pray for Kris as she enters into a whole new realm of care, and moves forward within her uniquely challenging surroundings now. They tell me each day will be full and she will be able to move through and all around on her own. It is not a big facility, but well-equipped and well-staffed. And we are just thanking God for this chance to see Kris “go!”

Blessings and much love,

Carol and George

[I apologize for not being able to post the wonderful pictures of Kris in her uniform at her retirement celebration.  For some crazy reason, I cannot retrieve pictures uploaded from emails.  Any suggestions?]

Spiritual Tenacity

What an encouraging and glorious worship service and message we were a part of this morning!

Phil Sallee, pastor at New Beginnings Baptist Church, Bixby, OK, brought a powerful message from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28 entitled “Tenacity.”

Just a few of the points that really spoke to me:

Verse 16: Rejoice always, – not a suggestion, but a commandment. And always means…. always, all the time, in every circumstance and situation.

Verse 17:  pray without ceasing, – without ceasing?  What else do I do without ceasing?  I breathe continuously.  Therefore I pray as I breathe.  On every breath, there is a prayer.  What else do I do without ceasing as long as I am alive?  My heart beats continuously.  Therefore, with every heart beat is a prayer.

Verse 18: “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -- What does everything mean?  Everything means everything… IN everything, be thankful. 

Verse 19: Do not quench (stifle) the Spirit – This verse indicates a relationship with the God by the Holy Spirit and there are things that we can do in our everyday lives that will stifle the communication we have the the Holy Spirit.  It’s amazing how I can quench the Spirit, yet it is the Spirit that indicates to me that I have done so. God is faithful.

Verses 20-22: Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil. – All indicate the necessity for me to know God’s word to be able to recognize prophesies, things, good, and evil that line up with God’s Word and Will.  How can I know which prophecies to adopt if I don’t know God’s Word?  How do I know the difference between good and evil so I can hold fast to one and abstain from the other if I don’t know what God says about them?  Each one is a command: Do not; Test; Hold fast; Abstain.  I have a responsibility to know through the study of God’s word, how to obey these commands.

Now for my favorite, the verses that ties all the above verses together:

Verse 23-24:  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify (make holy) you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Amen and Thank You, Jesus.

Saturday fun with family

This morning, I got a hair cut and Don made French dip sandwiches in the crock pot today and we carried dinner over to Stephanie’s.  It’s a Crockin’ Girls recipe that has become one of our favorites.  So simple and so delicious.

While waiting for Stephanie to put the ladder golf game together, I took a few pictures of Steph’s flowers in the glow of the setting sun.

 

We had such a nice time with the family this evening. Thanks, y’all!!

Here’s a good idea.

 

What did God say?

We met Stephanie, Rick, Taylor and Logan at Hideaway Pizza this evening for dinner.  I believe that was the best pizza I have eaten in a long time.

Before we left to meet them, it begin to rain and rained for quite a while, even after we got to the pizza place.

Yes, it rained today and afterwards, there it was. 

A beautiful rainbow.

The thought came to my mind as I took pictures of the double rainbow and I asked Don, “I wonder how many people, of all ages, don’t know what the rainbow represents?”

The story of the rainbow and the ark was a story we heard in Sunday School, but if we took a poll among elementary age children today, I wonder how many would actually know what God said about the rainbow after The Flood that destroyed all but eight people from the face of the earth and all living creatures except those He saved on the Ark built by Noah, according to His specifications.

Genesis 9 (NLT)

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

Thank You, Father, for seeing the rainbow today and remembering your everlasting covenant between Yourself and all living creatures.  I do love it when You use the word “everlasting.”  Only You could make and keep a promise like that.

Church was the plan

Lydia had every good intention of attending church with us this morning, but woke up with a stomach ache.  Trying to ignore the pain, she got ready for church but by the time we had breakfast at McDonald’s, she just couldn’t take it any longer.  Blaine wanted to go with us, but didn’t want to go without Lydia, so we took them home.  Sad.

But first, we got a few pictures.  Lydia is actually taller than me, but she’s standing on the step lower than the step I’m on.

Got a super picture of Grands with Poppa Doppey at McDonald’s.

Don and I went out to Woodland Hills Baptist Church at Newcastle, OK.  We’ve been there before and it was good to get back there.

After church, we picked up sandwich fixings at the store and went over to Don’s Mom’s for lunch and to wait for Stephanie and family to get there.

Mom was dog-sitting Rudy, and Rudy liked Logan.

Logan is normal… loves playing games on the iPad.

Before we all left, I got a good picture of four generations of Bakers: Pauline Baker, Logan Vaughan, Stephanie Baker Vaughan and Don Baker.

Sleepover time!!

Out at one of the local RV dealers, they have a koi pond in the front.  The koi are orange and a vivid peacock blue… very pretty.  The water lilies were pretty, too.

		Koi pond & water lilies VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Grandkids Lydia and Blaine got home from Christian camp this evening and came over to spend the night with us.  So good to finally get to spend some time with them. 

Blaine is ready for sleep on his pallet on the floor.

Lydia is my sleeping princess.