Little leaks lead can to big problems!

Today at 11:15 AM

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty awesome is our God, Monday!  I was anxious to get the water bill for the fire department this month (I am secretary/treasurer for fire department) because last month it was really high, more than double the usual amount…the reason, a leak.  A leak somewhere, but where?  That was the important part….where was the nasty water leak that was causing the water bill to soar???!!!  So the search was on, it was finally determined it was the flapper in the women’s toilet….a dumb little flapper caused that big of an increase….I was skeptical.  My husband fixed it right away…then the wait for the new bill.  That’s why I was so anxious to get the bill…..I was not as sure as him that that was the cause….for heaven’s sake a stuck flapper….a little leak in the toilet caused that huge bill!  Well, I knew the bill probably came on Saturday because ours did, so on my way home from church yesterday I stopped at the fire department to get the mail.  Sure enough, the water bill was there and….well for goodness sakes…..the bill was the usual minimum……so obviously the toilet was the problem….a little leak….a big bill!  As I drove home contemplating the leak situation, a thought came to me.  I wonder how many “little leaks” I have in my life that left “unfixed” could create big problems…..Seemingly  trivial gossip about a co-worker…..a grudge that stays stuck in my attitude…..cards and letters long over-due…..hasty judgment on a friend’s situation…..occasional skipped prayer time……habitual tardiness…..just little “leaks” right!  No big deal right!!!!  “OK Father, I get it!  “Little” seemingly harmless actions and attitudes can cause big problems for others….pain, anxiety, pulling us away from a life that makes You smile….a life that does not bring glory to Your Holy Name!”   OH Father, forgive our little leaks…..we want to do our best for You, but we are so weak….we mess up so often.  Father, fill us with the desire to live closer with You, so that You can “prevent” us from leaking so much!  Thanks for forgiving us when we mess up!  To You be all glory!

 

Jesus said, “My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:12-13.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  Luke 6:31.  Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”  John 13:15.  Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Hebrews 10:24.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8.  Encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  1 Thessalonians 5:14.  Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”  Luke 6:37. 

Love you all!

 

Kathie A. Johnson

God's love and comfort

Good Morning Friends!  Fear not!  We are HIS Friday!  I told you about my sweetie being sick, well he is doing better….Thank you Father, but now, I am fighting it off!!!  Trust me, I am fighting, but I have a cough…kind of a yucky cough….a yucky cough that seems to always fire up in the middle of the night!   Don’t you hate that!  Well sure enough, I had not been asleep to long last night when I was awakened by that “special” feeling in my chest and throat…..that you are “fixin” to start coughing feeling…Yep, first one…then another!   UGH!!!!!  In the darkness I reached onto my night stand and felt for a cough drop….Ahh….there’s one….again, I fumbled in the darkness and got it open…POP….into my mouth.  Almost Immediately I could feel the soothing relief permeating my irritated throat and chest…Cough drops have always amazed me…..how they know right where to go to get the “special” feeling….no chewing or swallowing , just put it in your mouth and the relief gets started….how the heck do they do that….As I drifted back to sleep, coughing subsided, a sweet thought over- came me….God’s love and comfort…..in life’s darkness….when we are fumbling in life’s darkness….His love is there….no chewing, swallowing (maybe our pride at times), no begging, no price to pay…got to buy cough drops….no buying God’s love and comfort…..POP…..feel trouble stirring in your heart and mind….POP…..God is right there waiting to soothe and comfort you….get you through the darkness…fears subsided…..get you through the darkness into the marvelous light of HIS  LOVE…….permeating our hearts and minds, soothing comfort for all of the dark times……Warm Love engulfing us….sweet peace….through His mercy and grace…..Oh Father, thank you for Your sweet love and comfort when we need it most!  Forgive us when we try to do it without YOU…..Father, all Glory to You!

 

Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains!  For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your disease, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  Psalm 103:2-5

Love you all!

 

Kathie A. Johnson

Receptionist

Get er done!

Today at 11:01 AM

Good Morning Friends! Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!  Me oh my, Luke 1: 37, “For nothing is impossible with God.”  Took on a whole new dimension for me this past weekend!  My husband got hit by some kind of horrible cough, cold, sinus, chest, deep cough, headachy, body achy, tummy yucky sickness last weekend.  Well it started about Thursday, but by Friday at noon he was off the ranch and in the recliner….and that’s where he stayed until yesterday!  Now those of you that know him, know that is not at like him….not even a little bit!  So, Friday night when I went up to fill the seed buckets in the fodder factory, I knew I had quite a weekend ahead of me…..standing there alone, filling the buckets I let our Father know exactly how I was feeling about the weekend ahead……Saturday morning, I got up early, got on my work clothes, grabbed a tablet and proceeded to get detailed instructions from my sicky!   He carefully detailed how much fodder, each group of animals got (and how to place it on the truck),  how many buckets of wheat for the calves, bull, sheep….lambs get 50 pounds of pellets, fodder on top and fill troughs with alfalfa and don’t forget to water them….oh cows need half a bale of Alf alpha too….(we are talking a very large bale)…..suddenly he stopped….sadly shaking his head he said, “there is NO WAY you can do this!”  Again, this is not like him….he always thinks I can do and he always manages to get up and go, not Saturday.  Oh boy, I thought I am going to need some reinforcement for sure……So, as put on my coat, hat, and gloves and headed out the door I said, “Father……you are coming along aren’t You?”  Please!”  I was feeling really overwhelmed and unsure of what lay ahead of me…..first obstacle…getting the old feed truck started!  Great little 1983 Isuzu diesel with a little flatbed….has no heat, no defrost, driver’s side door doesn’t latch….and oh gosh did I tell you that to get it started you have to spray ether in the air filter first!  I got the hood popped, found the latch to lift it and then stood staring at all the parts…air filter…hmmmm….let’s see I should remember which one of these figga ma jobbies is the air filter….yep, think it’s this one…one little squirt Kim said that’s all…ok done, now let’s start it.  With a few rattles, bumps, and lots of exhaust we were up and running!  Thank you Father!  Axle (remember our new little dog) and I headed out….our FATHER right beside us…We took one chore at a time, one bucket, one bag, one flake….when I got to feeling like I wasn’t going to be able to do it….I took a deep breath, feeling HIS gently touch I continued…..Cooper, Katy, and Mommy came over and helped me for a while, wow that was wonderful….Mommy said, “what a workout!  I need to do this more often” as she flaked large chunks of alfalfa to the cows.  Late in the afternoon, after giving the lambs and calves their nighttime food, I pulled off my boots and jeans, slipped into some comfy sweats and started sorting the laundry….I was totally exhausted, my back, legs and arms throbbing, but I felt good….the job, big job, for today was done….I smiled as I thanked our Father for going with me…..”For nothing is impossible with God.”  Lesson learned.  Thank you Father for reminding me that if I take you along with me, no task on the ranch, at work, in my family, heart or mind is too much….With YOU we can “get er done!”  Thanks also Father, for getting Kim on the road to health, for the doctors, nurses and meds that You provide!

 

Jesus said, “Because you have so little faith.  I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20.  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm.  29:11.  The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 31:8.

The seasons of your lfe

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully loved by HIM, Thursday!  Happy first day of spring my friends!!!!  Although it didn’t really feel like spring at 32 this morning, or look like it with frost covered pastures, I chose to wear a beautiful sun-yellow blouse and my vintage flower earrings and matching pin (left to me by a dear old friend) in hopes of appearing, “spring like.”  Here in the office everyone seems to be cheery, lots of talk of working in the yard, planting flowers and gardens!  The Home Depot add has pages of flowers, garden tools and everything you could ever need to “spring” up your yard!  Out with the weeds and in with blossoming flowers……right!  “Oh, Good Morning Father, Happy first day of spring to You! What’s up?”  “Kathie, My child….it is a beautiful day isn’t it, I made this day for your rejoicing.  I love you, my child!  Now about this “spring” thing…..It is wonderful for you all to work in your yards, enjoying the beauty of creation I made for you, flowers blooming, green grass….no weeds….wonderful indeed!  But, my child….how about your spiritual yard?  Could it use some cleaning up….some planting….seeds of fervent prayer, weeding out of negative attitudes, blossoms of time in God’s word and Christian fellowship, fertilizing your actions so you grow more kind, unselfish, caring actions to your family and friends?  Just think of the beauty produced through “yard work” with Me….My love for You will shine through you producing bountiful blossoms of love!  Go my child, I am with you….always through all the seasons of your life……winter, summer, fall and spring!”  Father, I want to grow and blossom for You, with Your Love…..I want to produce bountiful fruits of the Spirit…..help me, please.  Thank you Father!

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law….Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.  Galatians 5:22-23 & 25-26.  The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.  Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.  Isiah 35:1-2.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  James1: 22-23.  Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.  2 Timothy 4:2.  We love because God first loved us.  1 John 4:19.Keep on loving each other.  Hebrews 13:1.

Love you all!

 

Bumps in the road, but filled with joy!

Good Morning Friends!  Wise and wonderful is our God, Wednesday!  Been feeling kind of down and out the last few days….you know feeling sorry for myself…..hit some bumps in the road of life….nothing any different than anyone else goes through at times….but it’s me…and I’m tired….down and out…drowning in a sea of worry, stress, bills……Needless to say….my attitude….definitely was not shining with God’s love, quite to the contrary actually.  Snuggling into my recliner this morning I opened God’s word to Psalm 126…..”When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion”,…..OK now that hit me right off…..BACK the CAPTIVES….yep, there had been trouble for someone….held captive, but now they are BACK….OK, so I am captive right now, imprisoned by stress, worry, bills…..but I will be BACK!  “Our mouths were filled with laughter”  don’t feel like laughing right now, but I will be back….”our tongues with songs of joy.”  Well, kind felt like a slap to the face of my attitude…Maybe if I got to singing some joyful songs, praising and thanking God for His tender mercies…..Maybe…..Hold on….. "Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’  The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”  My goodness, the Lord has done great things in my life, I should be filled with joy….just found out that Hailey is going to have my second great grandchild……now what could be more joyful than that!!!!  And I’ve rediscovered the sheer delight of sour gummy worms, added bonus Katy loves them too!  Cooper is starting T ball, summer fun!  And oh my goodness I will have all my family together in California for Hannah’s high school graduation!  Added bonus Harper graduates from 8^th grade the same day, so we will get two for two!  Double bonus…..looks like Papa and I might very well get to bring Brayden and Dane back with us for a couple of weeks!!!!  Woo Hoo!  I AM filled with joy!  I am so blessed!  So many precious grandchildren, children,  a husband that thinks I am “impeccable”, house, home, food, clothing, great job!  I AM filled with joy!  A Wise and Wonderful Heavenly Father, that loves and forgives me when I feel sorry for myself, blesses me with HIS grace and mercy!  I AM filled with joy!!  The Psalm ends saying, “Restore our fortunes, O Lord….Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.  He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy  carrying sheaves with him.”   Restore…..HE will restore me, in HIS way, and HIS time….in the meantime I will be joyful and sing HIS praises…..looking forward to carrying in the sheaves of HIS LOVE!  Thank you Father, for the times that make me look UP to YOU!!!!  Fill me with the pure JOY of Your Perfect Love and forgive my weakness.

 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.

Love you all!

Mending fences

Good Morning Friends!  Fabulous Friday, loved by HIM!!!!   A few years ago we had a really wet spring….so wet that the creek that runs through our property, filled to over flowing, breaking its banks and flooding a pasture.  The whole event was pretty strong, so when the flood waters broke loose they took down a quarter to half mile of fence bordering the creek.  I mean to tell you…plum flattened that fence, laid it down!!!!!  Now with the fence down the cows and sheep had total access to pastures on both sides of the creek…..not really the ideal situation.  Of course, my husband had good intentions of fixing the fence immediately…..however, life happens!  One year rolled into the next, big plans to get to it, but cows and sheep roamed where they pleased….each year more grass, limbs, leaves grew over the flat fence making a job that once would have been not easy, but very do able, now seemingly impossible!  Year in…year out….can’t tell you how many times I heard “I gotta get that fence up.”  So many times, that got to the point I really didn’t hear him….especially when he complained about the animals being where they were not supposed to be!  Tuesday when I got home from work, he was sitting on the screened porch, munching on chips and dip and sipping a nice cool beverage!  Remember how beautiful and warm it was on Tuesday, so I went in changed my clothes and put up my stuff so I could join him.   He shared his chips and even had a cold drink poured for me.  We chatted about our work days, enjoying our snacks, relishing in the beautiful spring-like weather.  I needed to take care of my critters, as I was heading out the door he hollered, “hurry up, we are going for a ride!”  When Kim wants to go for a ride on a week night he has a specific plan….something that can’t wait to have my attention.  Maybe a new tool in the shop, or the beginning of one of his creative inventions or maybe a set of twin lambs….well, I had no clue what he was up to on Tuesday.  As soon as I finished my chores we hopped in his truck and headed out!  First stop, the gate that leads into the pasture that had flooded….I hopped out, unlocked the gate and in we went.  Within just a matter of a few seconds I knew what he was up to!  No new tool, or baby…..the fence was up!!!!!  The whole length from one end of the pasture to other…..up…..in one day he had, with the help of a young neighbor, put the whole fence back up….one day….not even a whole day, he had done all his farm chores too!  I was quite impressed with his accomplishment and praised him for a job well done….we of course had to drive the whole pasture and check it all out, although not perfect the fence would definitely do its job now!  As we headed back to the house I couldn’t help but think how at times, we let the severe storms of life flatten us….our spirits, our moods, our finances…..flattened relationships…..we procrastinate…..let the messes in our lives get worse and harder to fix when we have the perfect tool with us all the time to get the job done!  Our Heavenly Father is there to guide us with HIS wisdom, support us with HIS love, wrap us in HIS comfort…..HE”S there 24/7……why do we procrastinate….allow ourselves to get depressed, emotionally and spiritually….we make ourselves sick with worry and heartache…..when like Kim, when he finally just did it, got the job done in a few hours…..we can get our fences back up by going to our FATHER, giving HIM our worries, letting HIM carry the load!  Oh Kim’s fence is not perfect nor will our “fences” in life always be perfect.  Life on this earth because of sin is just not perfect….but Praise God He sent His Son to die for us and promises to mend our fences until we get HOME with HIM!   Oh Father, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!  You supply all the tools we need to keep our fences up!!!!!

 

Just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  2 Corinthians 1:5.  Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18.  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  Isaiah 43:2.  The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him  Nahum 1:7.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11. 

Love you all!

 

Dazed and confused...

Good Morning Friends!!!!   Wonderfully and Thankfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!  Well, it has been a wild and crazy week….but I am determined to spend a little time with you today!!!!  Hope you are having a most blessed week wrapped in His love!  A few days ago for some reason or another Kim and I decided to start letting the chickens out of their coop during the day.  I love to have them out in the yard eating bugs (as well as leaving little treats for us), but we had so much trouble with critters terrorizing them that for the last couple of years we have just left them in.  Several years ago, Kim fortified their coop to be critter proof (well other than snakes, they still find their way in and steal my eggs), that’s when we started leaving them in….Well, like I said for some reason or another we have been letting them out and oh boy do they like it!  They hunt and peck through every blade of grass, hay bales, leaves, tore up the insulation around the faucet and they love to go in and pester the donkeys!  Well, the other night it was getting time to lock them back in their coop, so I looked outside to see if they were about all in roosting for the night.  Yep, all but one, she was in the donkey pen obviously dazed and confused, pacing back and forth along the fence that butts up to the coop!  I watched as she went back and forth, wanting desperately to get out of there and into her house!  I kept hoping she would find her way, but after a minute or two I knew I would have to go out and catch her.    The donkeys shelter made a dead end alley way and I waited until she got in there and then grabbed her!  Bless her heart she went crazy, screeching in a tone that told the world she just knew she was going to die!  Squawking and flapping her wings I carried her over to the coop…..all the while her rooster was having a fit…..an absolute get-me-out-of-here, my lady needs me-fit!!!!  Crowing so loudly I am surprised that Kim couldn’t hear him in the house….Although he couldn’t get out of the coop, that rooster, man of the coop, was giving it his all to try and rescue one of his hens!  As soon as I put her into the coop, everyone calmed down, but I was just so touched by the roosters leap into action…..no concern for himself….his loud crowing let the world know he was on his way!  Thinking about him the last few days, I have had to wonder how often I miss opportunities to leap into action to help someone in need…I kept thinking about how loud he was; then this morning I ran into a verse in God’s word that just really hit my heart…..from Luke 6:45…..”For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”  Oh my….based on what was coming from his mouth, there could be no doubt what was flowing from his heart!  He wanted to help his hen, his fellow chicken and he let the world know….kindness, understanding, empathy, concern……that’s what came from his mouth.  I had to hang my head in shame as I thought of so many times I have spoken unkind words, selfish, thoughtless words with no concern for the consequences…..Oh my goodness never giving one thought to what my heart must look like to our FATHER!  How sad to think that people in my life might me pacing around in a “dazed and confused” time in life and I stay quiet or worse yet say unkind, thoughtless things…..Father, forgive me when my heart does not reflect you…..enable my words and actions to reflect the love in my heart for YOU!  Our glorious Heavenly Father!

 

May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees.  May my tongue sing of Your word, for all Your commands are righteous.  Psalm 119:171-172.   Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.  Proverbs 12:18.   Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.  Psalm 141:3.  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your moths, but only what is helpful for building other up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Ephesians 4:29.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14.

Love you all!

The new addition to the family

Good Morning Friends!  Forever HIS, Friday!  Well……somehow or another we have a new dog at our house!  This past year was tough on us as far as our dogs go….lost 3, so I was somewhat surprised when Kim came home with a small, not too young dog.  He was a stray that had landed at a friend’s house in Gertie and it seems……that every time my husband was there the dog vied for his affection……not to mention that his friend really wanted to get rid of the dog.  So, Axle now resides in Lula, America!  He is a handsome little guy a mix of maybe Jack Russell and Dachshund, brown and white and quite stout.  Upon arriving at our house, Axle seemed a bit confused; he wanted to be with us, but if we tried to pick him up or pet him he ran off….very leery of our touch…it was sad, poor guy, easy to see that someone had been less than real nice to him causing him to be real skittish.  I knew there was no sense in forcing myself on him, rather I needed to just be patient, kind, reassuring (and an occasional treat never hurts).  Well, Axle has been with us for about 2 weeks now and he is really coming around; he’s so excited to see us, and follows us everywhere we go!  He loves to go with Kim in the truck and he loves to be petted and have his belly scratched!  Yep, Axle is going to be a great addition to our family….thanks to a little patience, smothered in kindness!  Do you have any Axles in your life….not dogs, but rather people…..people that for some reason or another need to be reassured of their worth….people that are leery of getting too close…..scared of getting hurt.  We so often think we know just what everybody else needs to get all fixed up!  Well, that just isn’t always the case!  I’m pretty sure that we could have chased Axle away if we would have insisted on  pushing our affections on him…..now slowly he is becoming a loving, well- adjusted pet!  For me I know that even in my prayers, at times, I become over bearing with my requests for people I feel are in need.  I think I know what they need…..Well, everyone needs prayers that’s for sure, and God knows exactly!!!  What He needs us to do is to send them to HIM and in the mean- time….be kind, patient, reassuring…..we may never see results like Axle, but we know that God is working!  He wants us to shine for HIM, to not judge others, but rather to be alert to those that might need patience…..kindness….reassuring.  Father, thank you for knowing needs, so that we don’t have to explain….help us to trust in Your will for our concerns and fill us with the will to love others like You love us!

 

The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.  1 Corinthians 1:25.  As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12.  “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear,” says the Lord.  Isaiah 65:24.  Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Jude 20.  As believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  James 2:1.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.

Love you!

Kathie A. Johnson

Impeccable Taste

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully loved by HIM Wednesday!  Last night I went with my husband to a Storm Watchers class at the Vo Tec…needless to say when he asked me to go with him, I was not all that excited….However, always trying to be a good little wifey, I agreed to go, with a smile.  In hopes of easing my less than enthusiastic attitude, he enticed me with dinner out before class.  I had hitched a ride with my good friend from Clarita, so Kim picked me up at 5 and we headed to dinner.  We decided on Oscar’s Chinese Restaurant.  When we have Chinese food, I always read our fortunes out loud.  I finished eating first, so I opened my cookie and read it…something about good news coming my way…that’s always nice!  When he finished, he opened his and handed me his fortune.  OMGOODNESS!  As soon as I read it I burst out laughing….Those of you who have the distinct pleasure of knowing my husband will understand my reaction immediately…for those of you who do not….Well….let’s just say….when you look up the definition of “redneck” you will find him there!  The last worry he ever has is how he looks….he wears bib overalls everywhere and when they get worn, he cuts them off for shorts and wears them to town (sorry Julie, I know how that hurts you)….he is a red headed, chubby, out spoken, work-alcoholic…he gets his clothes so dirty I know that people think I don’t wash them, jokester, red necked, man; he could re-write the book on “frankly….I don’t give a d…..n…..getting the picture……So when I read his fortune…..I could not help but burst into laughter….I laughed so hard I couldn’t even read it to him.  Every time I tried I would just burst into laughter that was, in fact, a bit loud for a restaurant…..OK, are you ready to hear what it said…..I am laughing as I think about it……OK, here it goes…..”You have impeccable taste”…..that’s it……giggling and wiping tears from my eyes waiting for his response…..You know what that little redneck said……without a second’s hesitation…….”Of course I do…..I picked you!”  So now….you have his other side….kind, unselfish, loving……Look up “impeccable” in the dictionary……”.perfect, without flaw”  of course he could not be further from the truth, but wow how blessed am I to be married to such a redneck!  All throughout the evening I couldn’t help but think about his response…..How quick we are to point out the flaws of others…..how thankful I am that the only PERFECT, FLAWLESS MAN died for me….and you! True God and True Man our sins…our flaws are forgiven……we are blessed.  Father, please help us to treat other as You treat us…..To YOUR Glory!  Thank you Father for the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son, for us.

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.   For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  John 3:16-17.  Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:2.  We love because God first loved us.  1 John 4:19.  Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.  Jude 2.

Love you all!