Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Hurricane Season is Heating Up... and Other Weather Woes


Isaiah 25:4~~ For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

It's so neat to know that God is in control of the weather here on this earth which He created. While Tropical Storm Dean and Hurricane Flossie continued to churn in the central Atlantic Ocean and close to Hawaii, respectively, Tropical Storm Erin came into being in the central Gulf of Mexico today and is poised to dump massive rains on an already soaked Texas Gulf Coast. Of course, we here in the Florida Gulf Coast will continue to monitor Dean (I don't like that name for a hurricane!). I am keeping my grandson Josh on Thursday and think we will get out and do a little "hurricane preparedness shopping."

Across the United States, a large dome of high pressure once again baked the southern Plains and South. Widespread triple-digit heat was experienced with numerous places setting or tying daily record highs across the Deep South. Temperatures were not that extreme over South Texas due to the presence of clouds and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms also soaked parts of the Gulf Coast and Florida. Despite the passage of a cold front and the arrival of cooler air, a disturbance was responsible for bringing showers and thunderstorms to the northern Plains. The cold front itself was the culprit behind rain and thunderstorms starting the day over the western Great Lakes. The front later passed mainly dryly through the rest of the Great Lakes. To the east, an area of high pressure promoted plenty of sunshine and low humidity to the Northeast. Meanwhile, monsoonal moisture and daytime heating touched off thunderstorms across the Rockies and Southern California in the afternoon. The Northwest had a dry day with hot air in place across the interior. With the immediate coastline being the exception, temperatures also became quite warm west of the Cascade Mountains.

We are hot here (it is 94 this afternoon with a heat index of 99), but we haven't reached the century mark on the thermometer this summer. Our temps have been nothing like our family and friends have been experiencing back home in T-Town where the temps have gone above 100 degrees for several days in a row. We need to pray for those who are so very severely affected by the extreme heat and for those who will be adversely affected by the tropical storms and perhaps even hurricanes in the coming days, weeks, and 3-1/2 more months of hurricane season. We shall keep an eye on the weather news and be ready to board up should a storm be headed our way. And to think, God already knows the outcome of all of our weather woes. We can trust Him!!

The Blue Angels ~~ Flying High in the Sky This Morning...

Psalm 37:4~~~ Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Sometimes you just have to do fun things with a teenage missionary guest and a teenage grandson who are staying at your house. This morning, it was my fun privilege to take Joel Schuler and my grandson Jarrett out to the Naval Air Station to watch the Blue Angels practice. The Blues do this a couple of times per week and it is so much FREE fun to go out and watch. Their practice lasts for 45 minutes and is pure exhilaration the entire time. After their practice, we made our way to the Museum where the six Blue Angel pilots assemble to sign autographs after their flight time. Joel (age 16 ~~ pictured below) has aspirations to be a missionary pilot so he was especially awed and inspired by the BLUES today. I am going to remember Joel in prayer as he has one more year of high school and then will be pursuing his desire to serve the Lord in missions aviation. As for me? I love the Blue Angels and consider it a privilege to see them any time that I can ~~ just 20 minutes from our front door. WOW!!!

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Schuler (Missionary) Family Update

....Distributing to the necessity of saints.... Romans 12:13

It is certainly our blessing to host the Schuler Family in our home this week. As servants of Christ on the Island of Roatan, we count Bro. Mark and Susan as dear new friends. Their son, Joel (light blue shirt) is a neat 16-year-old kid. Their son, Brandon, (age 19) who is a sophomore (music major) in our college this fall, has spent some time at our house this weekend. This evening, he played his banjo for us. He is VERY good!! Besides banjo, he plays trombone, dobro, guitar, and the mandolin. His music major is performance/trombone.

We are glad that the Schulers' stay has been extended for a few days and that we will have the pleasure of their company until sometime mid-week. May God bless them as they raise financial support for their continued work on the island of Roatan ~~ off the northern coast of Honduras. (NOTE: Thir oldest son, Matt, is in Roatan for the summer but will be returning to college next month for his junior year. We look forward to meeting him!!)

May God bless the Schuler Family as their labor for Him.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Update on Julie ~~ friend in car wreck in July

Mt 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

A sweet young friend of ours ~~ Julie ~~ was hit by a drunk driver on Sunday afternoon, July 29, as she was enroute to a Sunday School Teacher's Meeting. Julie spent that afternoon/evening in the ER but was discharged that night with the doctor's report that she would be sore but fine in just a few days. Well, she wasn't fine and didn't get any better. Julie has continued to have problems, and this is the report I have received from her Mom (my dear friend) today~~~

"I think I told you that Monday Julie's new X-ray shows she has a broken and dislocated rib. We just got back from the doctor this morning and he has her new recovery as being 4-6 weeks. So now we know what we are dealing with. Julie is very weak and pretty much unable to do much for herself."
I would appreciate your prayers for Julie during this time and for her Mom who is taking such good care of her during this time. God is able and we know God is good. I shall look forward to posting a "PRAISE" in a few weeks that Julie is well.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY TO BRIAN AND AMY

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Ephesians 5:23

Where have the years gone?
Ten years ago today, Richar
d walked our beautiful daughter-bride down the aisle and gave her to Brian. The bride and groom each left their parents' homes and began one of their own. It doesn't seem possible that ten years have passed.

Ten years... and four kids later! And one of them is 14! Parents of a teenage son and a daughter who will be a teenager in 8 months. What will another ten years bring? Jarrett at age 24 will be a grown man and out on his own~~ perhaps married. Brian and Amy could conceivably be grandparents at 41 and 42 years old! Isabella will have just graduated from college. Josh will be entering college, and Jaden will be just 2-1/2 months away from his 13th birthday.

With God at the helm of their marriage and with Christ as the head of their home, there are lots of wonderful blessings awaiting Brian and Amy as the years unfold. Happy Anniversary, Brian and Amy!! May God grant you many more!

Love,
Mom

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Grandsons Joshua and Jaden ~~ Our Day Together

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children. Psalm 103:17

I haven't kept my grandchildren much this summer. Amy was
home for her 6-week break and, of course, wanted her children home with her as much as possible. Since she returned to work 2-1/2 weeks ago (or was it 3-1/2 weeks ago?) I have kept some of of the grandkids here and there. Next week is their last week of summer vacation so I will try to keep more of them more often as my schedule allows. I think I can accomodate them on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I have a lunch date with friends on Thursday and then have the Bible Study on Friday mornings. Anyway, I asked for Joshua (8) and Jaden (2-3/4) today and have enjoyed them immensely. We hung out here at home for the first part of the morning but at around 10:00 we loaded up and headed off for a stop at the post office and then on to a McDonald's clear across town ~~ the only one I know of that has an inside AIR-CONDITIONED PlayPlace. The boys had fun playing, and we enjoyed our lunch. The boys wanted an ice cream after lunch, but the line at the counter was long so we decided to come home and eat ice cream sandwiches as I had some in the freezer. We ate our treat, I bathed Jaden and got him down for a nap, and now Josh and I are watching Animal Channel. (Well, I AM watching it with one eye!) I love my GRANDS and have very much enjoyed Joshua and Jaden today.

Our Missionary Guests This Week ~~ The Schuler Family

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19

{teach: to make disciples, or Christians of all nations}

Richard and I are so very blessed to have a missionary family staying in our home this week. Bro. Mark, Susan, and their son Joel (age 16) arrived on Tuesday evening and will be with us through Saturday morning. We have so much already enjoyed our fellowship with them. They are missionaries to Roatan which is an island off of Honduras. They are coming on board as missionaries with GoForth Baptist Missions and are here this week attending candidate school. I am sharing their missionary card (front and back) as well as a pic I made of them this morning. If you would like to mention them to your pastor, Mark and Susan would be blessed to come share their heart for ministry with your church. Their contact information is on the back side of their prayer card which is shown above. May God bless them as they continue their established work in Roatan.

P.S. If you click on the pic of Mark and Susan at the top of this post, they are standing on the deck of their home in Roatan and that beach scene is what they view daily.... God's gift to them as they minister to the Roatans!!

Monday, August 6, 2007

Grandson Jarrett Was Baptized on Sunday Night, August 5, 2007


Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

When we went out to Sunday dinner with Brian, Amy, and the kids after church on Sunday, Jarrett (age 14) had a special surprise announcement for Grandma and Grandpa. He was going to be baptized in the Sunday night service. What a joy that announcement was.

For those of you who don't know, Jarrett was adopted from Ukraine at age 10 in June 2003. In January 2004, Jarrett came to his parents and said he wanted to be saved or born-again. They talked to him at length about it and when they were "convinced" that Jarrett understood that he was a sinner, that Jesus died on the cross for his sins, and that he could pray confessing his sins and ask Jesus to come into his heart and save him, they led him through the sinner's prayer that evening in their home.

It has been Brian's and Amy's practice to let each of their saved children come to them requesting to be baptized. They want to make sure that the kids understand that it isn't baptism that saves them (as they have already prayed to receive Christ) but that their baptism is in obedience to the Lord's command to be baptized as a means of identifying themselves with Christ to the world.

Jarrett, along with about 12 other teenagers, was baptized last night in the evening service by Rev. Russell Baker, one of the men on our church staff . Jarrett's Grandma and Pappy Y and his Great-Grandma-Goldie (pictured with Jarrett below) came for the service. Afterwards, we were invited over to Brian's and Amy's for supper together to celebrate this special time in Jarrett's life.

Well, that is three down and one to go. Jarrett, Isabella, and Josh are all saved and have been baptized. We are praying for Jaden to come to know the Lord at an early age~~ whenever it is that he comes to realize that he is a sinner and needs the Savior. We are thankful for God's special Gift of Salvation through His Son, JESUS CHRIST.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

FRIENDS ~~ special gifts from God

Proverbs 18:24~~ A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly....

Richard and I hosted a dinner party last night. We had met a new couple in Sunday School three weeks ago who are new here and have come to enter into the ministry of which we are a part. Having moved here just 5-1/2 years ago from my hometown of where I lived my first 50 years, I remember that one of my biggest concerns was "would I be able to make any new friends ~~ real friends." I thought that might be a concern for this new couple who moved here from out-of-state just 4 weeks ago so we had a "Welcome Jerry and Peggy Party!"

In addition to Jerry and Peggy, we invited 4 other couples which made for a total of 12 people. That way, I was able to seat the men at our kitchen table and the ladies at our dining room table. The men were able to chat with Jerry and the ladies were able to chat with Peggy. It certainly sounded like our ladies table had the most fun. :) Except for Peggy, our guest of honor, the other 4 ladies each brought a dish so that made for some good eating! We had chicken cordon bleu, squash casserole, slaw, cheesy potatoes, bread, and 3 different desserts. I want to thank James and Ann, Ed and Arda, John and Jeanette, and Jeff and Sandra for coming, bringing a dish for the dinner, and showing themselves friendly to Jerry and Peggy. It was good food, great fellowship, and a special time of sharing prayer requests and closing our evening in prayer. Welcome to our new friends!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so thankful for the DEAR friends with which God has blessed Richard and me here. He is so faithful in every area of our lives. Here is a cute story that was read at the party last night. You might enjoy a chuckle from it....

DINNER FOR EIGHT
A group of country friends from the Cottonwood Baptist Church wanted to get together on a regular basis, socialize, and play games. The lady of the house was to prepare the meal.

When it came time for Al and Janet to be the hosts - Janet wanted to outdo all the others. Janet decided to have mushroom-smothered steak. But, mushrooms are expensive. She then told her husband, "No mushrooms. They are too high." He said, "Why don't you go down in the pasture and pick some of those mushrooms? There are plenty in the creek bed." She said, "No, some wild mushrooms are poison." He said, "Well, I see varmints eating them and they're OK. So - Janet decided to give it a try. She picked a bunch, washed, sliced, and diced them for her smothered steak. Then she went out on the back porch and gave Ol' Spot's (the yard dog) a double handful. Ol' Spot ate every bite.

All morning long, Janet watched Ol' Spot and the wild mushrooms didn't seem to affect him, so she decided to use them. The meal was a great success, and Janet even hired a helper lady from town to help her serve. She had on a white apron and a fancy little cap on her head. After everyone had finished, they relaxed, socialized, and played 42 & Mexican dominoes.

About then, the helper lady from town, came in and whispered in Janet's ear. She said, "Mrs. Williams, Ol' Spot just died." Janet went into hysterics. After she finally calmed down, she called the doctor and told him what had happened.

The doctor said, "That's bad, but I think we can take care of it. I will call for an ambulance and I will be there as quick as possible. We'll give everyone enemas and we will pump out everyone's stomach. Everything will be fine. Just keep them calm."

Soon they could hear the siren as the ambulance was coming down the road. The EMTs & the doctor had their suitcases, syringes, and a stomach pump. One by one, they took each person into the bathroom, gave them an enema, and pumped out their stomach. After the last one was finished, the doctor came out and said, "I think everything will be fine now, and he left."

They were all looking pretty weak sitting around the living room, and about this time, the helper lady came in and said, "You know, that fellow that ran over Ol' Spot never even stopped!!!

Friday, August 3, 2007

The Big Red Truck


We are the happy new owners of a 1995 Ford Powerstroke dually truck. Richard and Brian (along with Jarrett) traveled to Lousiana today to get it. The truck was purchased from my online friend, Jan. It is great and will serve us well. It will be a good utility truck for the projects around here, and it will be great for the kids for pulling their travel trailer.

We all traveled to LA last weekend to see the truck (and I got to meet my sweet online friend, Jan!) and ever since, Jaden has been asking about the truck. On Wednesday night, he told Grandpa and me, "I want to go to Miss Jan's and get the big red truck!" so you can imagine how excited Jaden was when the big red truck "came home" this evening. We thank God for His blessings upon Richard, Brian, and Jarrett during their 700-miles of travel today and thank Him for the big red truck!