Christmas shopping

This picture was taken at Cabelas. Janie and I went to Kitchen Collections, Ikea, Cabelas, and Wal-Mart Christmas shopping. We still have more to do but we are getting close. Traffic was bad in Dallas and Fort Worth. We are in Henderson now and tomorrow I will be with my mother and Janie will be with her's. God bless you.

Breakfast with Friends

Janie wanted to take my picture with the Christmas lights

I had breakfast with some friends this morning.  I really enjoyed it.  The one who bought me breakfast also served as a great example to me.  In spite of circumstances that would normally bring one down this one chose to keep a sense of humor and right off the bat met me with words that caused me to laugh. This one will be reading this blog and I want them to know that I needed what they gave me.  God is amazing.  He knows me so well and knows exactly what I need and I needed the experience of this morning.

Happy Snowmen to greet our guests

I have spent this day getting the sermon ready for tonight and it is a text from 2 Chronicles chapter 20.  The story found there just amazes me.  Next I worked on the sermon for Sunday.  I have it printed out and ready to go.  I took a break and hung up some Christmas lights outside.  I am definitely in the Christmas spirit. I am really looking forward to seeing the grandkids next week.  I told the group down at Lorena at the services last night that we would be having the grandkids at our house most of next week and then added that their parents will be there too but we don't pay them any mind.  That is of course not completely true for we do enjoy visiting with them when the kids are in bed.  My son-in-law, Scott, is a great guy.  I enjoy hearing him tell about his work at the school between driving a school bus and fixing computer problems it sounds like he never has a dull day.  I am so proud of Stacie and Scott and how they have raised their kids.  Scott's patients in the Lord's work has amazed me. 

Sunset in Lorena last night

This brings my mind to my son in France.  I wish that we could see them for Christmas too.  We will most likely talk to them by means of Skype during the season but it is not the same as being with them in person.  I am very proud of Jason and Angie. They have dedicated their lives to God's service and have paid a high price for it.  They truly have forsaken all to follow the Lord and He will bless them. 
Let me not leave out Sarah and Justin.  Justin recently demonstrated steadfastness in the faith and it has cost him.  The price is worth the benefit for by standing his ground and keeping the faith he will be blessed of God.  Sarah is sweet, kind, smart, witty and faithful.  She loves the Lord and supports her husband while he pastors a church. Justin and Sarah are a blessing to us and I am proud of them.

Sunrise this morning in Fort Worth

Perhaps these blessings are why I am in such a Christmas spirit.  God has blessed me so.  God bless you.

P.S. Janie, I LOVE YOU!

Nap Time

The ladies Bible study at the parsonage

Janie is taking nap right now.  I had gone to the store to do some shopping and she was working when I left. She left me a note on the refrigerator saying to get her up at  3:00.  She worked the night shift going to bed about 5:00 this morning and then getting up at 8:30 to go with me to the nursing home.  I believe that entitles her to a nap.
I am doing a strange thing.  I have downloaded onto my cell phone the Shakespeare play "Hamlet" and am reading it in sessions of 1 to 2 minutes at a time.  I read a few pages just now while waiting in line at the store.  I like Shakespeare and reading his work improves my language and writing skills.  Most of my non-Biblical reading time is spent on books about the Song of Songs.  The few minutes here and there of idle time waiting I use to either pray or read Shakespeare.  I just figure that these few minutes here and there each day add up to hours in a week and should be put to good use.

Janie's new table cover

Our Sunday was an outstanding one.  We had great services in the morning and fellowship afterward.  The food was really good and the company was even better.  I sat beside Clint, the young man who was burned so severely a year and half ago.  He is doing very well and has a great sense of humor.  Sunday night was exceptionally good and the crowd that was there seemed at first to be small until I had them all to sit in the center section together.  I made it look like there was twice a many there.  I showed some videos of some things that were on the news and it really caught their attention.  They all seemed to really like and enjoy the service.
My mother called today and she is having a plumbing problem and wanted to know if I would be coming to Henderson.  I told her that was my plan and so I will try to get over there on Thursday.  She has baked some bread for us and that will be a big hit with my grandkids next week.  Well it is time to awake my lovely wife and then I am headed out to do some visitation.  God bless you.

Parents, a blessing from God

Mother eating at the Smoke House in Henderson on Friday

Janie took her mother to the beauty shop on Friday and I took my mother out to eat lunch.  I enjoyed my visit with her.  She is doing very well.  Janie's dad was not doing as good.  He was hurting and really did not feel like going to the eye doctor on Thursday but was forced to go anyway.  He is having a rough time of it.  He was still hurting on Friday so spent the day in his chair. 
Parents are a blessing from God.  They bless you when you are young and tender and need their care.  They bless you again when you are old and graying and need your care.  I had great strength and vigor to care for my children when they could not care for themselves.  I thank God for that.  I sure could use that same strength and vigor now as I help to care for aging parents.

Janie's mother looking for something to watch.

Today I have been working on the lessons for Sunday.  The Sunday School lesson was first thing on my agenda today and with that finished I tackled the sermon.  I will be preaching from the text where Simeon meets the baby Jesus. Sunday night I plan to show some video clips of things that have been in the news recently.  These are things that have disturbed me and I want to shine the light of God's word on them.  I plan to do this each Sunday evening for a while.  The object is to help our church members to know how to deal with the things of this world.  The church needs practical application of God's word.  The world is being deceived and someone needs to stand up for the truth. 

Christmas lights in Athens 2010

We have a fellowship tomorrow after our morning services.  I am cooking a pork roast and making some beans.  Janie is making a salad and a chocolate cake.  I am on a low sodium diet but I have used salt in the food I am preparing. I will just have to go easy on the portions.  Well its off to bed for me, then up early for prayer and meditation.  Merry Christmas everyone and God bless you. 

Dr and Dentist

All went well at the eye doctor today. My father-in-law got a good report there. Janie and I had a good trip to the dentist also. One might think it impossible to enjoy a trip to the dentist. If dentists and dentist office personnel were all like a certain one in Center Texas enjoyment and dentists would not be such an oxymoron. God bless you.

Christmas Shopping

Elijah inside one of our new foot stools

We had a really good time at the Bible study this morning.  We got some work done this afternoon and then went down to Lorena for services there.  I really enjoy preaching in their services they are a really good group of people and we have grown very attached to them.  We are praying for God to send them a really good pastor.

Justin cooking hot dogs on the fire pit

We did a little Christmas shopping today and plan to do some more tomorrow.  It really is hard to work it in with our busy schedule of things we need to get done.  We did not go to the gym today but did yesterday.  I am hopeful we can work it in tomorrow before we head to Henderson. 

The dentist in Center, Texas will be visited by the pastor of Walnut Street Missionary Baptist Church and his wife on Thursday.  The good folks of Tyler, Texas may see them also doing a little Christmas shopping in their fair city on their way through.  Those two sure are in the Christmas spirit.  They have been making and list and checking it twice. The parsonage will have some outdoor Christmas lights if the pastor gets around to it this week.  Stay tuned for the pictures will most likely be posted here.  God bless you.

Attendance Up

We enjoyed our stay with the grandkids on Friday and Saturday and the talent show they were involved in.  The food was good.  We arrived at our daughter's house and went to work helping her get everything ready to go to the talent show.  Janie and I with help from the kids got the food ready to go and then got loaded up and headed out.  The talent show was real good and the three older grandkids each displayed a booth showing their talents and interests.  The next morning we went with them to Karate classes.  That was real interesting.  They had Jonathan, the three year old, test for a belt and he passed.  His "kata" was fun to watch.  I will place a video of it here if I can.

Joshua and Ruth by their booths at the talent show

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We had great services Sunday and it was good to see our attendance up even though we had several out sick.  Today I went to Fort Worth to be there with one of our church members who was having surgery.  Every thing went well and I got home, after a stop at the bank and the grocery store, about 3:00.  I had to run back up town to get some stamps and some envelopes for the France mission's treasurer.  The minute books were ready so I picked them up and will get them off in the mail this week.  All in all it has been a productive day.  I did a small amount of thesis reading and I have 2 more things I need to get done before I hit the hay.  The first is a trip to the gym and the second is my French lesson.  My conscience will be clear if I can get both of those worked in before my day ends.  God bless you.

Friday after Thanksgiving at our house in Hillsboro

Laverne

My aunt Laverne, my mother's sister, is in a hospital in Houston and is in very serious condition.  My prayers go up for her and her family.  This picture was taken in 2007 of her with her husband, Jesse, daughter, Judy and her son-in-law.  Her son, Keith was not able to attend the reunion that year. 

In my childhood years we did not see much of Laverne and her family.  Mostly we would see them during the summer time at my grandparents house.  I have nothing but fond memories of Laverne and Jesse. 

Janie at Canton Texas 1st Monday Trades day December 2010

Janie and I came to Henderson this afternoon by way of Canton.  Trades day was not crowded at all and we were able to park real close to one of the pavilions. We enjoyed shopping and this second picture is of Janie at one of her favorite booths.

I have been told that my mother now has a cell phone.  I am glad that she does and just hope she will not have any emergency where she will need it.  Maybe she will buy a computer next and join the blog-o-sphere.  I can just see her using Facebook and Twitter.  God bless you.

Its Fixed

Sunset on our way to Lorena, Texas

My Rosetta Stone Software has been malfunctioning.  It would not recognize the headphones until I restarted the computer 2 or 3 times.  Once it did let me in it would lock up after 3 frames.  I called tech support and the man on the phone had a heavy British accent.  He found the problem and gave me the solution so now it works. This process took 2 hours out of my day so I did not actually learn any French today.

The Grandkids helping Janie make pies

We had 2 young men to come to the front door this evening.  They were Mormons.  I talked to them briefly and told them where I believe they are wrong in what they believe.  I pointed out a few of the contradictions between their book and the Bible. I knew that I would not persuade them from their beliefs but at least they have heard the truth.  I told them what they must do to be saved and they seem content to believe that they are saved. Janie asked them to remember when they come into eternity what we had said to them.  The young man that did all the talking was 19 years old and has been a Mormon all of his life.

I am on a no salt diet.  It has been fine so far.  I made some chili with no salt and it was good. This no salt diet has me eating a lot of fresh veggies and fruits since those in cans are often salted.  My Thanksgiving meal consisted of a plate with cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper and no salt.  It was good.  God bless you.