Saturday, February 28, 2015

FULL DAY

Hebrews 4:16 
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Let us learn to come to Jesus when we need help along the way,
He bids us come boldly to His throne of Grace right now,today.
His mercy is offered to us, because He wants to help us right now,
And His grace is always sufficient as we humbly before Him bow.
We know we are needy people and need Him in a special way,
So come into His presence in prayer, and that without delay(RP)

We had a full day Friday. The Bible class was well attended as we studied the last chapter of I Thessalonians. We are blessed by the members of that class and the wonderful way they contribute to the study of the Word.  We left the Bible class and drove to Lynden where Margie had an appointment with her doctor. After that Margie treated me to a meal at a nice restaurant in Lynden to celebrate my birthday. The rest of the afternoon was enjoyed at home, our favorite place.  Thanks for your prayer support.

Friday, February 27, 2015

CARDS & PHONE CALLS

John 12:32 
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.

What the world needs is Jesus; we must tell them the story,
There is no choice on our part; the command is mandatory.
If we will just faithfully lift up Jesus by our lives and lips today,
He will use what we have done for Him in an ordinary way.
When He is proclaimed,people are drawn to Jesus our Lord,
And I assure you dear Christian, when done, this is your reward.(RP)

Margie had a restless night, but is doing okay this morning. We are in the countdown to attending the Bible class. Yesterday was a refreshing day. I received many calls and several cards for my 84th. We are so thankful for good health. Our afternoon prayer meeting yesterday was a blessing. Today we still have a doctor's appointment for Margie in Lynden after the Bible class. Thank you for praying. 


Thursday, February 26, 2015

SPRING

Psalm 118:24 
This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Every day with Jesus is a wonderful day,
On each one His great grace is on display.
He made today and we are told to rejoice,
And we know doing this is everyone's choice.
I have decided to thank Him for His gift to me,
And for the privilege of being saved and free.
Will you join with me today and praise Him too,
And keep on doing this in the days that ensue?(RP)

Every spring we are intrigued when things break out in bloom. We know it is going to happen, but when it does, the beauty is so rewarding.  It's hard to believe that soon we will have to cut our lawn.  Last week the noise of lawnmowers filled our neighborhood which alerted us to the fact WE also must start. Margie does not really want me to mow the lawn but I will try to convince her we save a LOT of money if I do. A reduction of funds "encourages" us to do this. We have a fairly busy day outlined, so I will close this off and just say again, "Thanks for praying".

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

WASHDAY

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

God demands love, and He always helps us do it,
We want to love Him, and this we readily admit.
Loving Him with heart, soul and strength is required,
We thank Him for the help to reach what is desired.
So praise the Lord for His love so we can love Him,
And the joy He gives in return fills our hearts to the brim.(RP)

Wednesday is always washday.  Since Margie has more difficulty maneuvering the steps into the garage, I do the washing. She usually folds and now is ironing. So the ritual goes on. I have the first wash in and Margie and I have had our Bible reading. She is fixing her breakfast and I am eating mine while doing this. That's the way it works around here. All other meals we have together. Yesterday Margie's therapist gave a good report of her progress. She is doing better on all the procedures. She faithfully does her routines at home also.  This helps considerably. Thanks dear friends for praying. 

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

DOUBLE HEADER

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

God wants to give us peace and will do it if we obey,
He gives to those who willingly,allow Him full sway.
Thoughts must be centered in Him, then He works, As we keep trusting, peace comes with many perks.(RP)

This morning we take Margie to physical therapy. Then in the afternoon I take the car for regular maintenance. That is our double header for the day. Our days are filled with many things. Yesterday most of the morning was spent preparing a questionnaire which we sent to the vision center where the doctor will try to fit Margie with reading glasses.  We pray that will work out, because her reading is more difficult as her condition progresses. Thanks for praying. 

Monday, February 23, 2015

AHEAD OF TIME

Proverbs 14:26 
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.

There's much to gain when you fear the Lord; the promises are here,
And those who follow His commands, the blessings will appear.
Trust in God brings confidence; and there's much more ahead,
Because in Him is a place of refuge, and we'll never be misled. (RP)

Our son and his family treated us to lunch at a very nice restaurant Sunday, ahead of time for my birthday. It was so very special and afterwards they brought dessert to our house and we enjoyed a nice visit there. They went back home later in the afternoon.  It was a lovely day and we felt duly celebrated for my day which is later this week. We enjoyed our Sunday School class and worship service also.  There was a baby dedication for two couples and then they interviewed Chuck and Cindy Heath who are going to be volunteers at Shepherds Ministries in Union Grove, Wisconsin for a couple of months. This is where our daughter Joy lived for 45 years. We are grateful Margie was able to take in all this activity. Thanks for praying. 

Sunday, February 22, 2015

BLESSING

Philippians 4:6 
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

It's easy to be upset in life, and nervous about many things,
But listen to God's word my friend, to us great help it brings.
Learn to pray before problems arise, then keep on praying more,
You will know what God can do, and your calmness He will restore(RP)

Even though Margie is not feeling her best, we plan on attending Sunday School and church this morning. It is truly a blessing to be able to do this. Our son Rawlie is here, and later his family arrives and we all plan on having lunch together.  And speaking of lunch, Margie made a delicious swiss steak meal for us yesterday. Our son was here to enjoy it. We did. Thanks, as always, for praying. We appreciate it. 

Saturday, February 21, 2015

LONG HAUL

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

Heartaches come in our life with Christ down here,
Some depart from the faith; it's hard but very clear.
Deceiving spirits draw them away, and it's a shame,
And those who depart are really the ones to blame.
The demons are everywhere, wanting us to fall,
But with the armor of God believers can stand tall.(RP)

Margie commented yesterday how one negative experience with ingesting the wrong thing, can last so long. She has suffered unbelievably after a meal where she ate something that affected seriously her allergies, and she has been sick ever since.  From now on she will exercise extreme caution in situations like this. Hopefully it will not happen again.  Our son arrived last night and we are glad to have him with us for a few hours. The Bible class yesterday was well attended and the members participated so well. We have a good time there and really enjoy having this opportunity to teach the Word. Thanks for your prayers. 

Friday, February 20, 2015

ANTICIPATION

Psalm 103:11-12 
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

God's mercy is great and is abundantly given,
We who have trusted Him are truly forgiven.
He withholds from us things that could harm us,
That's certainly why His mercy is such a plus.
He forgave our sins and removed them far away,
He will never bring them back; every thing is okay(RP)

We always look forward to Friday and the Bible class at the Ferndale Senior Activity Center. I am always grateful when Margie can be with me. Only once she did not attend due to being in the hospital. Our son told us he would be here this weekend, so we are happy for that.  Yesterday was a busy day and Margie was able to get to the hairdresser in the morning and attend prayer meeting at church in the afternoon. We thank you for your prayer support. 

Thursday, February 19, 2015

GOOD REPORT

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Automatic pilot Christians don't pass the test with God,
Any who think like this are sloppy and are very slipshod.
To help against temptations we must always watch and pray,
And in the Christian life this must be done every single day. 
Our human spirit is so willing to be victorious for Jesus' sake,
But our flesh is very weak and we are prone to make a mistake.
So put on the gospel armor and seek God in the place of prayer,
And rest in His great promises and depend on His constant care. (RP)

The therapist yesterday was pleased with Margie's progress. She was a little stronger than the week before and her endurance was improving. We are pleased. She goes through most of the routines at home, minus the sophisticated machines at the center. Today is a full schedule and we are hopeful Margie will be up to the things we would like to do. Thanks so much for praying. 

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

THERAPY

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of 
light. Ephesians 5:8

Before I met the Savior I was weary and undone,
Darkness filled my soul and I really had no fun.
Then I met the Master; Who saved me from my sin,
He forgave my sins and gave me a new life to begin.
Now I shine for Jesus who gives me strength every day,
And helps me walk for Him and put Him on display.
(RP)

Margie cut down on her therapy sessions to one a week. She does therapy at home which prepares her for the sessions with the professional. We go this morning for her Wednesday schedule. Margie's stomach discomfort was much less yesterday for which we are grateful. Perhaps the antibiotics are clearing up the problem the doctor found at the walk-in clinic last week.  We hope and pray so.  Thank YOU for praying. 

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

PROJECT

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I'm so glad we serve a Savior who is always just the same,
He does not change and we know that the Lord is His name.
In life there are many changes, we hardly know what to do,
But He never changes; He's faithful to us all the way through.
Thank God He's so reliable, and never varies one little bit,
So we trust our lives to His care, and daily to His will submit. (RP)

Even though Margie was not feeling real well, she wanted to clean out the kitchen refrigerator freezer. It really didn't take long and it sure looks better now. Margie did her physical therapy exercises partially as I helped her some by counting the routines. We both worked on material for our Friday Bible class. I ordered some socks Online and we did a variety of other things. Today I must work on a questionnaire she has to fill out for another eye doctor who was referred to her by her retina specialist. This doctor will hopefully find some help in the form of special glasses so she has better vision. We are hopeful about this new discovery from the retina specialist. Thanks for praying.  

Monday, February 16, 2015

BETTER

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.   For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:7-8

Sowing and reaping are a part of life; the laws of nature work,
And humans also reap results for things that annoy and irk.
Some try to hide themselves from God, but they are very wrong,
God will not be mocked by men, because His ways are strong.
To him who sows evil, corruption will come; this is bad for man, 
Sowing to the Spirit of God brings joy; this is God's noble plan. (RP)

It is encouraging to hear Margie tell others she feels better. We pray that will continue. We were thankful we could attend church yesterday. It was a treat to have the missionaries to Brazil, Steve and Mindy Everett.  We spoke a little Portuguese which was fun, to say the least. I think the chore for today is cleaning out the deep freeze. It has almost taken over us instead of us taking over it. I am thankful Margie feels up to the task of helping me do it.  In fact it was her idea. Thanks for praying

Sunday, February 15, 2015

SOME RELIEF

Ephesians 6:12 
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Evil abounds everywhere, and our enemy seeks our defeat,
Our enemy is the old devil, and his method is pure deceit.
We fight not flesh and blood, but the darkness of this age,
And the wickedness in heavenly places is always in a rage.
Thank God we are the victors through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Our weapon is the very best; God's word is our strong sword. (RP)

For the first time in many days Margie told me last night that her stomach was feeling better. What a blessing to hear her say this. We hope she had a good night. I think she did. For many days she did not use the sleep apnea machine, and when she started last night she had an awful time with mucous build up in her throat. I suspended it and said that was enough for last night. We'll talk to the specialist about this at our regular visit with him. Margie is asleep as I write this, but I think she had a fairly good night. We want to attend church this morning. Missionaries from Brazil will be speaking and we would like to hear them. Thanks so much for praying. It is deeply appreciated. 

Saturday, February 14, 2015

VALENTINE'S DAY

Psalm 34:3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

Oh that all couples would say the same thing; exalting the Lord in their lives,
Strong men will do this if they're anchored in Christ; they will honor their wives.
Magnifying the Lord should be the goal of all, and for couples this is a must,
But if you have failed to live up to this, then my counsel is for you to readjust. (RP)

This day -Valentine's Day- certainly has been commercialized, hasn't it?  Margie and I exchanged verbal greetings this morning. Yesterday's Bible class was down in number. We have to face reality when we teach a group of seniors. We lost one member through death this week. And because Jim Hill died, that leaves Alice Joy without a ride to Bible class. And so it goes. We pray the remaining ones will invite new folks to attend the class. Margie did pretty well yesterday until she did a certain routine of her physical therapy, and it made her stomach hurt.  We will not repeat those again. It is quite a learning process, that's for sure. Thanks for your prayers, 


Friday, February 13, 2015

WALK-IN-CLINIC

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

We have been given so much in Christ; look at these few things,
He did not give fear, for He is our peace; for this my heart sings.
By His spirit we have power so we can live and witness for Him,
And because of His love abundant, our outlook never grows dim.
We thank Him too for a sound mind; what a precious gift this is,
And with all we have in Jesus, I am so glad we know it is all His.(RP)

Yesterday I was very concerned because Margie still was not feeling well. For 5 days she suffered with the stomach discomfort. I suggested we go to a walk-in-clinic. There is a clinic which is run by the same group of physicians with whom we doctor, so they have all the records on Margie's many trips to clinics, E.R., etc. Dr. Austin concluded that Margie's stomach ailment may be aggravated by a former problem she had of diverticulosis.  He prescribed medication for this and we stopped on the way home to pick it up. We are hoping and praying this will give some relief. She had to leave her bed during the night and rest in her special lift-chair. Later she came back to bed. She is still in bed as I write this so I do not know if she feels well enough to attend the Bible class this morning. I hope she does. Thanks so much for praying. 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

MISTAKE

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.I John 5:14

We need to know more about prayer each day,
God never promises we just have things our way.
Through His word we have confidence I say,
If we keep fellowship with Him and His word obey.
We must know His will in things for which we ask,
For it we must seek, and never the truth mask.
When we do what He tells us in the word,
He hears us and this way is much preferred (RP)

I was mistaken in yesterday's blog about Margie. She had a very good night but yesterday she really felt lousy. She was pretty discouraged. We do know she was still suffering the consequences of an allergy reaction she had Saturday to some food. We hope and pray today she will start feeling better. She had a good night. We are thrilled about this because her sleep is so often very poor. We sincerely thank you for your prayers. 

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. Psalm 119:35

We usually don't like to be told to obey, but a better thing is near,
Just ask the Lord to make you walk right; that is really sincere.
His commandments are right and we should always walk in them,
By doing this, our loving Lord will never his children condemn.
And when you walk with the Savior in charge, your life will change,
And the walk of obedience is a delight, and you never will feel strange(RP)

After Margie's bout with the allergy reaction, she is starting to get back to normal today. It will still weaken her for awhile, but hopefully she'll start feeling better today.  We just received word that a man- Jim Hill - from our church who went to Las Vegas to visit his granddaughter, died this morning early. He had emergency surgery but didn't survive. He was a member of our church and also the Friday Bible class I teach. We will miss him.  His son Randy needs our prayer support. Thanks so much for praying.




   

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

THREE DAYS

Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

He was driving to town and saw a sign: twenty-five miles per hour,
He sped on, his foot on the brake; this car had too much power.
The tendency is to disobey rules, and do just what we please,
But there's something we need to hear, and my heart agrees.
God appoints authorities for our good; lets listen and obey, 
He allows these rules to be made; we better yield today.(RP)

Margie discovered long ago that when she had trouble with allergies, it took about three days to get over her sickness. We are hoping it won't take longer. She did her physical therapy yesterday in Lynden, but was fearful of getting ill during the process. Thankfully she made it and did ok during the session. She took it real easy the rest of the day. We pray today will be better. Thanks for your prayers,

Monday, February 9, 2015

SLEEP

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
I Corinthians 10:13

Temptations come in every form and assail us every day,
None is unusual, just common to all as we walk along the way.
I'm so thankful our God promises help; He will not let us down,
And for His help we should thank Him, and never give a frown.
Our God only allows what we can take; this is a gracious thing,
With this temptation he gives escape; for this we all should sing.(RP)

Thankfully Margie had a good sleep. Yesterday she was pretty well wiped out. We were not able to go to church because she was just not up to it.  We listened and watched several Christian programs throughout the day, but none of them is like being at church. We go to physical therapy this morning. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf. We appreciate this much.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

UNFORTUNATE

Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

It's true dear friend, we limit God when we say it can't be done,
He warns us that the impossible can really be done with His Son. 
We make our plans but should ask Him first; that's the thing to do,
With His direction we'll watch Him work and see the project through.
Trust Him for things that you find so hard that meet us everyday,
Seek God's will for this difficult thing as you talk to Him and pray.(RP)

We planned all week to attend the Valentine banquet at our church. Our friend Pastor Tom Ruhlman was the guest speaker so we really wanted to hear and see him. We did go. It was a lovely evening with a good meal served by the young people of our church. But Margie's allergy problem surfaced after the meal and she got ill. She bravely withstood the nausea and general punk feeling that accompanies an allergic reaction and as soon as the last "amen" was said, we were out of there and on our way home. We had a pretty tense rest of the evening trying to get her condition under control. Thankfully she got to bed and had an unusually good night. That is a direct answer to prayer. We won't be able to attend church today, which we lament, but she is just not feeling well enough.  Thanks so much for praying

Saturday, February 7, 2015

GOOD NIGHT

Psalm 27:4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.

There is something I desire from the Lord; I will seek it with all my might,
I want to spend time in His house; for me this will be sheer delight.
When I worship in His house I see the beauty of the Lord, and I pray,
Oh the joy of fellowship sweet as I commune with Him day by day.(RP)

Margie had a good night for which we are thankful. Our Bible class attendance was down due to travel and or illness for some. Our class was lively, fun, and good participation. I always give a lesson from my collection of "God's Handiwork of Nature" which the class enjoys. Our son just got off the phone with us and we enjoy the Saturday morning visits with him. Sometimes he is here on Saturday but today is working at home. There is a Valentine dinner tonight at our church. A good pastor friend of ours is the speaker. Thanks to each of you for your prayer support. 

Friday, February 6, 2015

HIGHLIGHT

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 10:29-30

To be linked to Jesus is a wonderful thing; from Him we learn so much,
His gentleness and loving heart refresh us because of his tender touch.
In Him there is rest for troubled souls; seek Him and you will find out,
His yoke is easy and His burden light; with Him there is never a doubt.(RP)

Needless to say, Friday is the highlight of the week for us. We gather with about three dozen others to study I Thessalonians. Our class has studied several books already. We move into II Thessalonians in a few weeks, then the class will choose the next book we study. Margie did NOT have a good night last night. She left me a note to awaken her at 7:30. When she went to bed last night she asked that I call her at 7:00.  But that changed during the night so she wants another half-hour. I wish I could transfer some of my sleep ability to her, but we know that's not possible. Thanks for your interest. We appreciate your prayers. 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

CHANGE

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Mortals treasure treasures, and we seem to each have one,
And it matters not the content, we just want to have our fun.
In life there are many idols and we invest money and time,
The truth of the matter is this: they clearly our motives define.
What you treasure most shows others what's on your heart,
When we love things more than God, we really are not smart(RP)

We normally take Margie to the hairdresser today, but she had a permanent last week so doesn't need to go there. We do have the regular church prayer meeting at 3, and look forward to that. Our weather pattern is getting windy. More is forecast for tomorrow. It always works that way when we put out the recycle material. We have to weigh it down with bricks. each day Margie does her physical therapy routine. I am her self-appointed coach. I will be making the last preparations today for the Bible class tomorrow. We look forward to that each Friday.  Thanks for your prayers. 

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

PLEASED

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease

We think we are important and our self esteem grows bold,
Our minds play tricks too often and our pride is soon fourfold.
Then we meet our Savior who instructs us through His word, 
Then we realize in a moment that we've been quite absurd.
In our walk with Christ down here we are to magnify Him,
And any other behavior surely puts us way out on a limb.
Dear Christian: live for Jesus and make Him the honored guest,
No longer promote yourself but magnify Him, which is the best. 
(RP)

Margies physical therapist yesterday was very pleased with her progress. She said she was doing well in her routines. It was encouraging to hear this good report. We had a full day yesterday, also visiting a friend who is very ill in the hospital. We also attended the missionary meeting at the church in the afternoon. It was a good day and Margie held up pretty well through it all. Thank you so much for your prayer support. 

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

POOR NIGHT

The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.  Proverbs 15:24

You say that the path you are on is an uphill one,
You're right for there's something you want to shun.
Take this road that leads upward; it's the way to go,
Jesus put you on it when He saved you; it's the best way.
Turn away from hell below; the upward way is the best,
Travelers on it go to heaven, and they will be impressed.(RP)

Margie did not have a good night. She has much trouble with sleep and last night was one of them. I am sorry about this because this is the day she goes for therapy and I wish she could feel better. We had a fairly quiet day at home yesterday. Today will be more active, and I pray Margie will have the strength for it. Thanks so much for praying. 

Monday, February 2, 2015

AT LAST

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

The world looks at Christians and are amazed I say,
They just don't understand and are really blown away.
They sometimes perceive us to be ignorant and plain,
And can't understand us and our straight-laced domain.
But one thing is sure and I hope it will always be,
They know we've been with Jesus, and can't disagree.(RP)

It was a joy to finally be able to attend Sunday School and church yesterday. Thankfully Margie did well through both of them and we even stayed a short time at the welcome time following the service to visit with folks. Our son returned home yesterday. We spent a leisurely day at home and watched some more Christian programs on the TV. Margie does her physical therapy at home and tomorrow we go for a session in Lynden, WA at the Lynden Family Therapy.  Thanks for your prayer support.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

GOOD NIGHT

John 5:39,40 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

Some people read the Bible thinking this brings eternal life,
But in their soul there is torment, and a sad and lasting strife.
They're not willing to come to Jesus who will give salvation free,
The Scriptures tell the great story of His dying on the tree.
So it's great to read the Bible and learn what He'll do for you,
But sinners must receive Jesus, and we earnestly pray they do. (RP)

Margie went to bed not feeling well at all. Thank the Lord she had a good night and is feeling well this morning.  Yesterday our son was here and we enjoyed his company. He will return to his home today. Margie actually did some baking and our son (and all of us) really enjoyed the delicious gluten-free rhubarb strawberry bars. Wow - they are good! We trust you who read this have a good day and thank you for praying.