Dry run

VERSE FOR THE DAY

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36 

Those in bondage to sin, listen up, there's hope for you in Christ,

Be sure and come to Him today; you need not be enticed.

Jesus invites you to come to Him so that He can set you free

And when He frees you from sin, my friend, then you will really see. (RP)

Margie read all day in our journals without finding ideas for another story for our Brazil book.  That's why it was a dry run.  But I did write one new story. It may be that we are nearing the end of ideas and our project will be almost over.  Our editor is now reviewing scores of stories.  Margie's sleep last night was not a dry run. She had a fairly good one.  Today will be busy with our afternoon prayer meeting and Margie's hair appointment this morning.  We expect also a visit from some of our family today. We sincerely thank you for your prayer support.  

Not again?

VERSE FOR THE DAY

Be still and know that I am God Psalm 46:10

Confusion, noise and racket, abound in every place,

Distractions and annoyances multiply, to keep us from God's face.

I hear a clear voice from heaven telling me right now, be still,.

God wants us to listen to Him, His love our hearts to fill.

Know that He is God, my friend, take time to let Him speak,

And you will know the joy that comes with this fellowship unique.(RP)

It happens so often. Margie tries a medication and it works one time, then the next it fails.  That's last night's story. It did not work.   We will see what can be done tonight to help her.  Meanwhile, we worked more on the Brazil book.  I sent 45 more stories to the editor.  I wrote two new ones and have 3 more to do today.  The ideas keep coming as Margie reads through our journals. We are still working on a title for the book.  We don't want a LONG one, but short and to the point.  Thank you for praying with us about this and other issues related to Margie's health. 

It worked

VERSE FOR THE DAY

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;When I awake, I am still with You.  Psalm 139:17-18

To realize that God thinks of me, is a fact more valuable than gold,

His constant thoughts to me, the number of them can't be told

.My heart overflows with gratitude when I think of His love for me,

 I cannot understand it all and from it I don't care to flee.(RP)

The second trial sample of sleep medication the allergist sent Margie also worked.  The night before it did not.  She took a larger dose and all was well.  She will be talking to the doctor today about ordering one of both of these that did so well.  We sent out our yearly January update letter to all on our email list.  Many of these were returned.  We never cease to amaze at how often people change their email server.  I also sent off 45 more Brazil book stories.  I will try to get another bunch sent today as well.  We really want to get the book deal finalized hopefully so it will be ready for Christmas.  Thank you for praying. 

Hope for improvement

VERSE FOR THE DAY

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. Eccl. 9:10

Refreshing it is finding such a thing, that a man works with all his might,

Women too are included in this and should do it with delight

.No matter what your work may be, God will help you do it well,

And when life's journey has reached its end, your story, eternity will tell.(RP)

We enjoyed being at church yesterday.  It was a quiet day.  For the first time we were by ourselves.  Our son did not come to Ferndale this weekend.  Margie tried the other sleep medication the doctor sent her.  The first gave her two wonderful nights of sleep.  Last night was not as successful.  She did not sleep as well.  We are hoping the allergist will ok the first one that worked and get some more for her.  Today we continue on with the Brazil book project.  I will send off probably 75 more stories to the editor sometime today. We are trying our best to get it finished as soon as possible.  Thank you for praying.

Thanks for sleep

VERSE FOR THE DAY

Then Peter said, Silver and gold I do not have,but what I do have I give you:In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up,and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength  Acts 3:6-7

This crippled man for many years, tried in vain for a cure,

On this special day news came for him, a man so very poor

Peter preached in Jesus' name, and took him by the hand,

And then gave him a word so sweet;rise up my friend and stand..(RP)

Again, we are so thankful for a good night for Margie.  It is a blessing.  Yesterday she helped so much by reading through our journals for story ideas.  I was able to work on about 75 stories and get them ready to send to the editor.  We look forward to church today.  Thanks, dear friends, for your prayers,

Wonderful sleep

VERSE FOR THE DAY

And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the Man!  Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. So he went out and wept bitterly. 

Matthew 26:73-75 

Sometimes God uses little things to remind us of our ways,

Peter learned this the hard way on one of his denial displays.

Our minds are remarkable too and Peter's was active that day,

When God used a rooster to warn him of the price he had to pay.

.Stand tall for Jesus, dear friends, never losing control of your speech

,Honoring the Lord with your lives; witnessing to all within reach.

Margie's allergist sent some new trial packs of sleep medication ( non prescription) and the one she took last night surely did work.  She had one of her best nights.  We are thankful.  Thanks for praying.  We continue on our Brazil book.  It takes a lot of work but is enjoyable. We hope we can get it done in the next weeks and off to the publisher.

Same story

VERESE OF THE DAY 

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength;They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.Isaiah 40:31

Waiting, for most, is a grueling chore, and one that we all need to hone,
The rewards are great for those who persist and its results will soon be known.
Our Lord gives strength unbelievable, for those who will hear His voice,
At journey's end, and we obediently walked, we will know we made the right choice.

We hope soon Margie's sleep problem will be resolved.  She comes with a long history of this issue so we just don't know the answer. Thankfully she has learned to cope with it but a good night's rest is a blessing I wish she could enjoy.  We teach a Bible class this morning at the Ferndale Senior Center.  It is a real fun time to be in the Word.  The "students" do well and I appreciate them.  Thanks so much for praying. 

Poor sleep

VERSE FOR THE DAY

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,seeking whom he may devour.I Peter 5:8

God wants us to be aware of our enemy out there; and are sure we know all his tricks,
He works with such cleverness and is vicious for sure, and the believers he carefully picks.
Our adversary he is, with an appetite strong, like a lion he desires us dead,
But be sober and vigilant and on your toes, making us the object of his dread. (RP)

I wish I could give a better report this morning on Margie.  We do not know why, but the first part of her night she was awake. At 1:30 she took some sleep medication and made it through the rest of the night.  I am letting her sleep in this morning even though she wanted to get up at 7.  We have a fairly busy day ahead of us and I know she will not be very perky after little sleep. Our grandson is still with us.  His mother's car is in the repair shop (In Bellingham, WA) and was supposed to be ready Tuesday but hopefully today it will be. We don't take for granted your prayer support.  Thank you much.
LATER  Margie told me now, that the medicastion she took really helped her through the night.  She was grateful for the sleep she did get.  We are thankful.

Didn't work

VERSE FOR THE DAY

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.I Corinthians 2:9


The gift of salvation is complex indeed, for the human mind to know
But God by His Spirit reveals deep things to us, because he knows we are slow
The blessings of God are richer than words, that man could invent or make,
 How thankful we are for our Father above who never makes a mistake
We who love Him find treasures untold in the wealth of our Father's embrace,
And eternity will tell all we don't know right now, when we see Him face to face.  (RP)

Margie tried to put into practice some more suggestions the sleep specialist gave.  But she did not have a good night at all.  We are so sorry about this.  She will doubtless return to the customary routine and continue on that way.  We had a very busy morning and afternoon because we needed to get some supplies while in the city.  Thanks for your faithfulness in praying for us.  We cannot thank you enough.

Check up

Verse for the day

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

The Lord gives light in darkness, and salvation for the lost.

This came with a momentous price for him a very high cost.

Because He is my Savior now I know there's nothing to fear.

And my Savior's always with me and his help is so sincere.

I thank God for the strength He gives me for my life from day to day,

And I will learn upon Him as He takes me all the way.  ( RP)

We go to the sleep specialist this morning where he will place the chip from her C-PAP machine into his computer and determine how she is doing.  We will do some shopping while in the city. Yesterday Margie did more reading in our journals for seed thoughts for the Brazil book. Thanks for praying . We really appreciate it. 

Not so good

VERSE FOR THE DAY

I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.  Revelation 3:15-16 

Sluggish workers for God are an ugly lot, bringing judgment from Him above,
He would rather see work that is hot or cold, not insipid and lacking love.
When God is displeased with our work for Him, we better step back and look,
And ask His forgiveness and cleansing now,and return to the path we forsook.
(RP)

We had a good day yesterday at church and a meal with our son and grandson. The rest of the family was not able to be here and we missed them.  In our spare time we continued work on the Brazil book and I was able to write three more stories.  We now have over 180 for which we are thankful.  Margie didn't have a good night. We have no clue why. We pray tonight will be better.  And again, we thank you for praying for us. 

To church we go

VERSE FOR THE DAY

 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?;Jesus said to him;I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Matthew 18:21-22

God is always so long-suffering, let's learn from Him today,

If your friend needs your forgiveness, give it now without delay

When on this vital subject, do it God's way, please, don't fail.

Ignoring God's instructions will more problems soon entail.

(RP)

Margie told me this morning she had a real good night. Thank you Lord.  We look forward to Sunday School and church this morning. We missed last Sunday because of Margie's poor sleep the nigh before. Yesterday I was able to write 4 more stories for our Brazil book.  That brings the total to 180.  We are pleased.  Our son and grandson are with us and suppose they will be returning home today.  Thank you one and all for your prayer support.

Sleep

VERSE FOR THE DAY 

Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,  I Timothy 6:18

After salvation comes good works which God commands us to do, 

He gives the strength to work for Him and the tasks to always pursue.

We all are gifted in different ways, some give of their money and share,

Others give time and talents to God, and of each one He is aware

(RP)

When Margie gets a good night of sleep, it is always a blessing.  Last night, after finally falling asleep, she had one of her best ones. Yesterday was busy with my Bible Class.  It was well attended with one new member. Margie continues to read our journals to cull out seed thoughts for more stories for our Brazil book. Our son arrived in the evening.  Our grandson has been with us all week.  We heard of a dear friend who is very ill and if you receive this on Saturday, please pray I will be able to speak to him about the Lord.  Thank you so much for praying.

Lightning fast

VERSE FOR THE DAY

For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Matthew 18:11

Today it's hard for mortal man, to understand God's ways,

To know how much He cares for us and the kindness He displays.

We read His word and learn so well that love sent Christ to die,

And  peace and joy and eternal life are the results we can't

Margie had a good night and we are glad.  Today we will teach the Bible class then start more preparation for our study in Hebrews when we return home.  We have one more week in the book of James.  Our son should arrive today.  Grandson Nathan is here now and has been all week  Everything is white with frost this morning. Our grandson spotted a white owl on our neighbor's house top. It was quite a sight. Yesterday we were delighted to have a short visit by phone with Joy Bresson at Shephereds. Later we spoke with Al Pick  with whom we worked as a church representative on the west coast for Shepherds.  Thanks, dear friends, for your prayers,

Not so good

VERSE FOR THE DAY

"And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12  

At times I am inclined to ask myself, I wonder what God thinks of me,
Then I look in His Word and read this verse and immediately I see.
If I am haughty and stuck on myself, I can know things will not go well,
God will humble me in His sovereign way and bring me out of my spell.
But I want to learn to do things His way and humble myself before Him,
When I do, the results are sure, because he fills me with Himself to the brim.

We are sorry Margie did not have a good night.  She is wondering if maybe the air hose was not rinsed sufficiently when she washed it yesterday.  We'll work on that and see.  She continued reading through our journals, getting ideas for stories for me to write.  The day before she found 3 and I wrote them up.  Yesterday I sent off 51 stories to the editor and hopefully soon I'll send more.  Today is busy with activities.  Thanks so much for praying. 

Another blessed night

VERSE FOR THE DAY 

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea;and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night,and made the sea into dry land,and the waters were divided.Exodus 14:21

We never know how God will work as He leads His dear children along,In our story today they were by the sea and there was a mighty throng.In a miracle never seen, God divided the sea and His children walked over on dry land,And his love and strong arm were seen by all as the One with the very strong hand.(RP)

We worked most the day on Brazil book.  I was able to complete 3 more chapters (or stories)  Today we work on the prayer sheet for our church plus more on our book deal.  We appreciate  your support in prayer. 

Great night

VERSE FOR THE DAY

Therefore Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord.Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you..2 Corinthians 6:17

Clean living is God's plan for His own, and the guidelines are clear and plain,

Get away from that which is unholy, and never touch the profane.

When you separate yourself as directed, and follow His wise command,

You will know the sweet peace that surrounds you, as you follow what He planned.(RP)

We wondered what kind of a night we would have last night. I was feeling a little under the weather but thankfully we both did well. We went to town in the morning for Margie to see the foot doctor, then we shopped a little before coming home.  We worked on Bible class material and Margie continued her search for material for our Brazil book.  Thankfully, she did find a couple of things and I will write them today.  Thanks so much for your prayers, 

Thankfully better

VERSE OF THE DAY 

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

We need strong foundations in everything, especially in spiritual things,

And how great to know the Lord is my Rock, what a thrill to my heart this brings.

And yes He's my Fortress to shelter me well, and keep me secure in His place,

And I am content with my present lot, until I look on His face

When the enemy attacks, He delivers me; what a refuge for my soul

,With His shield I'm protected and my salvation is sure--all beneath His control. (RP) 

Yesterday our son had to return to his workplace early.  Nathan our grandson stayed and was here last night.  Margie thankfully did well again.  Yes, I got the medication that we forgot the day before, therefore she was able to sleep better.  We missed church but some called to inquire why.  We appreciate your prayers and thank you for them. 

Poor sleep

VERSE FOR THE DAY 

To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.Acts 10:43 

The Bible preaches the gospel, it's as clear as the prophets declare,

Remission of sin for the sinner, is there for those who prepare. 

Trust Jesus as personal Savior and experience forgiveness, my friend

The result will be joy forever, peace, contentment and life without end..(RP)

A first for us yesterday:  We forgot to pick up Margie's prescription at the drug store.  Thus, she had no medication and the result was a very poor night.  As I write this, she is finally sleeping.  She left a note for me that she would not be attending Sunday School or church service.  I hope she can sleep and get some rest.  She wanted me to go on to church, but I will not leave her alone.  Our son, Rawlie, just left for work in Everett.  There was a problem with one of their products and a recall was made.  Rawlie programmed all the software to handle that very expensive process.  Thanks friends for your prayers,  

Cold Saturday

VERSE FOR THE DAY

For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God inm your body and your spirit which are God's   I Cor. 6:20

God paid a great price for redemption, the blood of His only Son,

Jesus did all this on Calvary; and there the sin's battle was won.

We glorify Christ in our body, giving thanks for all that He did,

With our spirit we have fellowship sweet, and from Him nothing is hid.

The temperature this morning was 24 degrees.  Tonight it is supposed to be 18.  We are thankful for heat.  Margie had a good night.  Today our web site is down and I will have to do some work to get it back online.  Our son and grandson are here and we are glad.   Thanks for praying.  

Bible Class

VERSE FOR THE DAY

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

A heart that is happy is truly blessed, God intends it to be this way,

That's why the command is given oft times, 'cause He wants us to obey.

Rejoicing can be done in many ways, but there's one He directs to you,

Rejoice IN THE LORD is His word to you; Do it and have joy through and through. (RP)

The temperature fell to 27 here during the night.  Margie had a few "hurdles" during the night but got a pretty good rest anyway.  We have the Bible class this morning at the Ferndale Senior Activity
Center.  We are hoping a good number will be there. Yesterday as usual, was a very busy day. The afternoon prayer meeting was a blessing. Today, we hope we can get more done on the Brazil book.  There is MUCH to do and we must keep plugging away at it.  It is a very enjoyable task.   Thanks, dear friends for praying.

Adjustment

VERSE FOR THE DAY

My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. Proverbs 1:10

God's word is so practical, instructing parents to do right,

If their children listen to them their future will be bright.

So when sinners entice your children, give them God's advice.

Don't consent to their tempting, and your results will be precise.(RP)

I don't know how we missed it before.  A simple adjustment on the C-PAP machine made all the difference.  For the second night, Margie had a wonderful night.  We pray this will continue so she can get proper rest.  Today's activities are increased with more things to do, but Lord willing, I will continue work on the Brazil book project.  I surely hope to bring it to a conclusion in the near future.  Thanks for praying for us.  We do not take it for granted.

Better

VERSE FOR THE DAY

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.Romans 8:28

In this world we sometimes wonder how God works His plan for us,

But His Word so plainly tells us that for His children it's always a plus.

Each day all things work smoothly in His master plan ordained,

He purposed this day's schedule and by His power is sustained.

Margie is still sleeping which hopefully means she had a better night.  She has been apprehensive about the C-PAP machine but gave it one more try last night.  I am thinking the results were positive by the fact she is still sleeping. We hope it is. Our son lost power to their house last night so met at a restaurant for supper.  They have plenty of high winds there and the generator is a blessing. Snow is predicted for here but there is nothing sure.  Thanks so much for praying. 

Weather

VERSE FOR THE DAY

 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 

John 15:5

Abiding in Christ, what a wonderful place, the branches secure in the Vine,

To think that He cares so much for me, and all His promises are mine.

I know I can depend on His strong arm, helping every step of the way,

So I go in His strength knowing very well that in Him there is joy everyday. (RP)

Our shopping list alerts us to the need of getting more supplies today.  Heavy winds are predicted for this afternoon with plenty of rain.  We are glad our family tested the generator, in case of a power outage.  We wish Margie could do better sleeping but at least she did get some rest. Yesterday we did a lot of work on the Brazil book and I also worked on study for Friday Bible class.  Thanks for remembering us in prayer. 

More of the same

VERSE FOR THE DAY

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us,an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.Ephesians 5:2

Because of Christ's love we are to walk in love, His example is all we need,

When He gave Himself on Calvary that day, it was the greatest sacrifice indeed.

His work on the cross was an aroma sweet to our Heavenly Father above,

And all who receive Him for salvation today will know much about His love.(RP)

Margie certainly did not have a good night.  We are sorry about this. Yesterday I was honored to preach at our home church.  Our grandson wanted to come hear me preach and we were pleased to have him with us.  Today we will continue our pursuit to bring closure to our Brazil book deal.  We are not close to that goal yet. Margie is still going through journals of the last ten years we were on the field, culling out seed thoughts for me to write stories on. Thanks for remembering us as we do all this and especially for Margie's health. 

Preaching

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.Phil 4:13

The enabling power of Jesus, helping all who are His own,

Giving help for God honoring efforts, knowing we're not alone.

His strength is so assuring and his presence a comfort indeed,

So with courage we face each challenge knowing this promise is guaranteed.  (RP)

I am happy to be preaching today in our home church.  Our grandson is here and plans to be with us which is special also.  Yesterday Margie spent a great deal of time reading through our journals, culling out seed thoughts for the Brazil book.  I rewrote some of the stories she corrected and also started another new story which I should complete today sometime. Margie did not have a real good night and we are sorry about that.  We pray tonight will be better.  Thanks again for your prayers.

Weekend activity

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith,giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,I Timothy 4:1

It's always sad to hear of those who will not receive God's Word,

Who gave up their faith and don't respond to things they formerly heard,

How pitiful now for them to give heed, to the voice of demons out there

Allowing the enemy complete control and an a eternal life of despair.(RP)

Margie had a good night. I am having breakfast with a friend who leaves for work this morning on the east coast. 

Our son is not able to be here this weekend due to some problem at the company where he works.  We will be preparing for our ministry tomorrow at church.  I have the honor of preaching.  I appreciate being able to serve this way.   Thanks, friends for praying. 

A pattern

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,with all your soul, and with all your strength.Deuteronomy 6:5

God wants our love, not a half-heart love;we must do it with all our might,

And when exercised thus for our Savior's sake, It is for Him, pure delight,

So with strength that He gives, let us Love the Lord, with conviction from our heart,

And we know that the Lord will be honored for sure, because we really did what was smart.  (RP)

As usual after a treatment Margie usually doesn't do well at night. That's the way it went last night.  She will rest today after we return from the Bible class. Yesterday we had a pretty full day of activities.  Our son may come today along with our grandson to continue work on one of their rental homes. I will continue preparations for the Sunday message in our church.  Thanks for praying.  We appreciate it much.

Another busy one

But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written;Be holy, for I am holy.

I Peter 1:15,16

A call to holiness God gives to us today,

He is our pattern and we follow all the way.

In our daily walk, holiness is to prevail,

Living otherwise is definitely to no avail

(RP)

We are happy Margie had a good night.  Today will be busy with 3 schedules, including the afternoon prayer meeting at church.  I am working on the Friday Bible class lesson also plus a message for Sunday at First Baptist in Ferndale. Thanks so much for praying.

Quiet day

I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it,And nothing taken from it. God does it,that men should fear before Him. 

 Ecclesiastes 3:14

God's creative work is done and will stand through the ages to come

,His foresight is matchless and perfect and it cannot be taken from.

The Lord has done it for a reason; in Him all mankind should trust

And because He is holy and pure, to receive Him personally is a must. (RP)

We had a fairly quiet day yesterday and we both worked a long time on our Brazil book project. I wrote another chapter and Margie did some proof reading on it and others I wrote.  I will be in contact wth the publisher to figure our our timeline. We missed the Christmas and now Easter promotions so will take their advice about our next target date. Margie had a good night and we are thankful.  Thank you for your prayers.

Happy New Year

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven

.Ecclesiastes 3:1

We face this New Year with hearts aglow, for all God is able to do,

And pledge ourselves to Him today and with new vigor our efforts renew

.His plan for us may be varied indeed as we trust Him fully each day,

And know that his direction is always the best as He leads us along the way.,

(Ralph Poulson -2013)

We pray you all have a delightful start to the New Year.  The years slip by so quickly and we must take advantage of each day as a gift from God. We are earnestly asking the Lord to help us finish our Brazil Book project so we can get it to press.  I am still writing more stories as Margie discovers seed thought ideas while re-reading our journals of the years spent in Brazil.  We are grateful Margie had a good night.  We have no plans for today except our work on the book and preparations for the Friday Bible class this week.  I am also in charge of putting together the church Prayer Sheet.  Thank you for your prayers,