Saturday, April 30, 2016

KITCHEN LIGHT

Matthew 22:37 
Jesus said to him,You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

We are prone to do things half-way instead of doing it all,
God tells us something special; please do not
forestall.
We are to always love the Lord with ALL our heart and soul,
And while doing this allow Him to have complete control.
With our minds we are also to love Him; this is for us now,
And I pray we will all be attentive and make this solemn vow.(RP)

Our Friday morning Bible class went well and we came home for lunch. In the afternoon I decided it was time to install the light fixture in the kitchen ceiling. The old one was defective and flickering too much, even after I put new bulbs in it. Our son encouraged us to put in L.E.D. bulbs.  At Ace Hardware I purchased it and started the installation. Then the doorbell rang and it was our grandson Nathan. He came to look at the old rug he will haul away after our flooding episode earlier in the week. Well, he asked how things were going, and I said I was installing the fixture. He took right over and finished it in no time at all. Wow it works nice!  The light is so bright. We love it, and thank God for Nathan who came just when I needed him. We are thankful. Thanks for praying. 

Friday, April 29, 2016

CHIROPRACTOR

Psalm 119:105 
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 

Most people desire to walk in right places as they live from day to day,
It is so wonderful to hear these words, Jesus will help you in the way. 
His word gives light to our pathway always, helping us not to stray, 
And our feet are lit by His word also so that we in the right road will stay.(RP)

We visited the chiropractor yesterday.  Margie had vertigo and I had a hamstring muscle that was aching. I had never had that ache before, so learned something new about my body. We live and learn.
We look forward to Friday and the Bible class this morning.  Thanks for praying.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

PLUMBING

Philippians 4:6-7 
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

If your heart is in a frenzy, and you don't know what to do, 
Just do what Paul wrote here, and God will see you through.
Anxiety has a good solution, and God gives it to us here,
Talk to God about your problem and the answer is very near.
Give all to Him in thankful prayer, and His peace will come to you.
And you find answers far surpassing and His blessings, not a few.(RP)

We never know what a day will bring.  After my dental appointment, I was having lunch, and all of a sudden a terrific noise (bang) and rushing water in the garage. I discovered the hot water faucet to the washing machine had come completely off the pipe. Rawlie had repaired this faucet replacing it with the present one. It was not his fault, because Nathan came ( I called him because he was providentially here in town) and said the pipe was defective on which the fitting was installed. He repaired it, and I removed the old carpet filled with gallons of water. I cleaned things up the best possible. Thank you Lord for having Nathan in town. He had visited us in the morning and so here he was back to make the  repair. We are thankful. Thanks for praying. 

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

DENTIST

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20

Will you open your life to Jesus, He is knocking to come in,
By invitation only will He enter; when will you begin?
When He enters your life, my friend, He'll have communion sweet with you,
And the blessings He bestows, will be more than you ever knew.(RP)

Yesterday Margie had a dental appointment.  Today I have mine. It is also wash day, and we are in that project now as I write.  I will finish putting together the prayer sheet for our church and send it the church secretary.  We are in the countdown now at church, because there are only two more times our present pastor preaches before his departure. We appreciate much prayer as this transition is made. Thanks for praying. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

SECURITY

For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 
1 Samuel 2:30

God deserves honor; we who are His should give Him what is due,
And we trust that many will come on board, and their will not be just a few.
God honors those who honor Him, so join the happy band of those who do,
You will be blessed by God Himself because you faithfully followed through.
Remember the sad warning given here for those who despise the Lord,
Their lot will be sorrow because on them His displeasure will be outpoured. (RP)

For many years we have paid for our security system. Lately it has been defective and service calls were expensive and still it did not work. Companies will not give grace and terminate your contract. You MUST pay or else. Yesterday Comcast came and disconnected the line to the system and the technician was so kind, he did not charge for it. Now we have Simplisafe installed and working for which we are glad. What a difference in price: from 50 dollars to 14 a month. Thanks for praying. 

Monday, April 25, 2016

BLESSING

1 Thessalonians 5:18 
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

We are prone to be thankless in so many things and most of you will agree.
He does not ask us to be thankful FOR these things, but IN them; do you see?
God's will for us is to be thankful, in the trials we face every day,
What a joy it is to be thankful, and from the heart His will obey.(RP)

Yesterday I was invited to preach at a local church while the pastor was away. Our son and daughter-in-law also attended because Gina has relatives who attend this church. We had a nice time there. Rawlie was asked to give a testimony and after that he sang a solo. It was very special having them there and participate in the service. After church we met our family at a restaurant and enjoyed lunch with them. This week will be busy for us because we both have appointments with the dentist. Thanks for praying. 

Sunday, April 24, 2016

VISIT

Proverbs 16:3 
Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.

Some have trouble with wrong thoughts; they walk along a dark path,
They are not in sync with God's truth, and they fall under divine wrath.
It is so very easy to change this route, and walk the way one should,
Just look to the Lord and turn now to Him, and don't be misunderstood. 
Commit all your works to the Lord right now, and let Him rule your way,
You'll be happy you did, and all will be right as you live for Him each day.(RP)

Rawlie and Gina came yesterday. We invited them for lunch. I had just prepared some bell peppers, so we enjoyed those at mealtime. They will go to the church where I am preaching this morning and after church they have invited us to have lunch with them. How nice! We look forward to this. Thanks for praying.  

Saturday, April 23, 2016

BELL PEPPERS

Philippians 4:11 
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.

Contentment, what a jewel this is; it speaks so loudly and clearly,
Its outcome is special and desired by those who seek it sincerely.
Those who are content have learned lessons so large; it is great,
I am sure there are many who want it, but we know they must wait.
According to Paul, all the lessons he learned were timely indeed,
And each of us can do as he did and surely we will succeed.(RP)

Today is bell pepper day. Margie has already cleaned and prepared them for stuffing.  I will prepare the meat and fill them and do the baking. We usually have stuffed bell peppers each Saturday, but we ran out of them in the freezer So I must do them today. My brother sent a text as he was boarding the plane in Seattle. The flight would be at least 3 hours, so he arrived probably around 9:30 last night. I believe Margie has some baking she also wants to do this morning. Thanks for your prayers. 

Friday, April 22, 2016

TRAVEL

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 
2 Cor 5:7

I am glad we don't have to see what's ahead. right around the next bend,
We are only asked to walk by faith and totally on the Lord depend.
He knows so much better what's ahead, and I can trust Him for that,
But if I go it alone and walk without Him, I know I will fall down flat.(RP)

Harold goes back to Anchorage today. We have enjoyed his two weeks here. Each day he comes by after work for a meal and visit. It has been great. When the company he works with locally is ready, he will return to complete the project. Yesterday the 4 things on our schedule were completed okay. I spoke at the luncheon at church where we enjoyed a Peruvian mean, sponsored by Helen Steele, who will be taking a group to Peru in July.  Thanks for your prayers.  

Thursday, April 21, 2016

ALL DAY

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.Matthew 5:16

Jesus told us we are the light of the world, so let that light shine today,
Portray Christ to all you meet today in the things you do and say.
When the world sees how we live for Him, and faithfully follow His will, 
It is likely they will glorify Him, and their hearts with His love will fill.(RP)

There are four important things on today's schedule so we will be busy most the day. This morning I take Margie to have her hair done.  At noon we attend a senior luncheon at our church. I also speak while there. In the afternoon is prayer meeting and after that my brother Harold comes for a meal in late afternoon. That is his last visit on this leg of his project here in Ferndale. He leaves tomorrow for Anchorage. It has been nice having him these few days. We will miss him. Thanks for praying. 

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

WHAT A MEAL!

The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. Gen 39:2-3  

Joseph was a man of God,who trusted in His name,
And truly spoke of God to men, and a mighty man became. 
Successful he was because of his trust, in the God we know so well,
And God honored him in all he did and of his fame we all can tell.(RP)

My brother took us to Anthony's last night for a delicious meal. It was great to be with him and have the fellowship over such a meal. Today we are busy washing clothes and Margie will iron as much as she can, then I will do the rest.  I have an elder meeting tonight. Harold should be with us a little after 4 PM. It's going to be another gorgeous day.  Thanks for praying. 

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

84 DEGREES F.

Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

We make so many plans down here; I wonder if we think we are right,
Things we may want to do, are maybe done selfishly and with spite.
I am so glad the Lord overrules, and determines the steps we make,
He does this I am sure for our benefit when we foolishly make a mistake.(RP)

It was 84 degrees F. here yesterday. For those who live in Phoenix, they would have loved it. I cleaned up our evaporative coolers yesterday and had them going when my brother from Alaska arrived. It was lovely in our house. Today is supposed to be just a bit cooler. I am working ahead on the Genesis study and also for a message I am to give Thursday. It seems as if there is plenty to keep us busy. Thanks for praying.

Monday, April 18, 2016

BUSINESS MEETING

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it.
Isaiah 30:21

God does not leave us in the dark; He leads us by His light,
And what He does with us each day, is proper and very right.
Through His word we hear His voice telling us, this is the way,We are so thankful because when we walk in it, things are okay.(RP) 

Last night at church was the last business meeting that Pastor Dave had at our church. He will be leaving May 22. I was asked to give some observations on things I have noted in pastoral transitions. The business meeting was preceded by a potato bar which was very good. Today we are back in the mode of preparing for the Bible class on Friday.  Margie is busy cleaning the bathroom. I will clean the other one. The weatherman says our temperature will be in the 70's today. Things are getting warmer. Thanks for praying.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

COUNTDOWN

Ps 145:18 
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

Near to You we want to be as we walk this earthly path,
Please help us obey Your commands and readily give You all,
Humbly we go in submission each day and learn to call upon You. 
Your grace sufficient will abound to us and we will have blessing both large and small.(RP)

This morning at church starts our pastor's countdown for his transition into the new position to which he was elected. He is the new Executive Director of Baptist Network Northwest.  He starts his 4 part series this morning which will bring him to the end of his ministry here. We were privileged to have our son and his wife here for a visit yesterday and then in the evening my brother Harold came by for supper. It was nice having them here.  Thanks for praying.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

BEAUTIFUL DAY

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:25

God deals with things that come in our lives,
Resolve your strife now before trouble arrives.
Forgive your friend, and God works in you, 
Forgiving your sin and making things new.(RP)

I have already been to shop this morning. What a beautiful day! We hope it is pleasant where you live also. Our son sent a text that he will be here within the hour for a short visit with us. We look forward to that.  Last night we were not able to go the restaurant because Margie was feeling a little under the weather. We will do it some other time. Harold came here and had his supper with us. He is working in his hotel room today on the project that brought him to our county. He does not know how long he will be here, but we hope it will at least be this next week. We enjoy having him here. Thanks for praying.

Friday, April 15, 2016

ON THE GO

Remember these, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!
Isaiah 44:21

What a Savior Israel has in the Lord our sovereign God. 
He loves them with everlasting love, that is very deep and broad.
His chosen ones now serve Him and forgotten will never be,
So rejoice today dear Christians and join the glad jubilee.(RP)

We seem to have plenty to keep us on the go most the time. We are glad we can. We don't take any thing for granted and are thankful for the strength to do what we are doing. We enjoyed Harold's visit yesterday afternoon. Margie made a delicious rhubarb custard pie, which was a delight to savor. Tonight Harold invites us to a restaurant for supper. That will be a great treat. We will go down to the Bible class in a couple of hours. We always look forward to it. Thanks for praying. 

Thursday, April 14, 2016

REGULAR SCHEDULE

Psalm 30:5  
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

The woes of life come and go, and God is sometimes displeased,
But an encounter with Jesus is worth it all, and by it we are eased.
We praise Him for His favor which faithfully follows us all the way,
And through our tears, he speaks to us and helps us to obey.
His joy is given us amidst our trials; in the morning we seek His face,
The answers He gives, ministers peace;they are full of His rich grace.(RP)

Today brings us to our weekly normal schedule: Hairdresser in the morning and prayer meeting in the afternoon.  We are enjoying the early evening times with my brother Harold. Margie prepares his meal with a tasty dessert.  We watch a couple of news programs, visit, then he heads for the hotel. He goes to work early, and works through the lunch hour, and gets here shortly after 4:00 PM. Thanks for praying.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

DELUGE

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.Ps 111:10

Some talk of being smart; Our God sees things in a different way,Fearing Him is priority if wisdom we desire,
And he who wants good understanding must do things as He says,And if you follow them from the heart, all these things you will acquire.(RP)

Last night after my meeting, I came out and boy was it raining! I was mighty glad our windshield wipers were working okay.  To add to the deluge, today the city of Ferndale is "flushing" the water lines. This is washing day here, so I asked the men on the water project, what I should do. He told me to run water in the bathtub for 5 minutes and all would be well. That I did and now we are washing clothes. We enjoyed our first meal last night with my brother Harold. He will be here again tonight. Thanks for your prayers,

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

SPECIAL TIME

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. Psalm 119:67

God allows troubles in our lives as we live down here, And we who experience these things, it is very clear.
Before our afflictions our tendency was to wander away,
And we did not have direction and we often lost our way.
Thank God for the hard times He allows us to go through,
Because they turn us toward God's word and keep us true.(RP)

My brother Harold came to our house after his work day here in Ferndale, and we enjoyed a meal together and a nice visit. He is here on special assignment to do electrical work. We are happy he will be with us for several days at least.  Today I take Margie to the retina specialist. She will have another shot in her eye plus the other testing they do. The weatherman predicts rain today and tomorrow. We'll see if it comes. My brother hopes so. He loves the rain. Thank you for your prayers. 

Monday, April 11, 2016

ARRIVAL

Isaiah 65:24
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

What a gracious heavenly Father we have; He is ever attentive as we pray,
Even before we call upon Him, He is listening to us all along our way.
I am so glad He answers prayer; what an encouragement this is to me,
I hope that you will trust Him more and a faithful follower you will want to be.(RP)

My brother Harold arrived in Bellingham last night late. He will drop by our house after work this afternoon and we will have a meal together.  Margie is working on part of that now. Yesterday was a big day at church. They announced that pastor Dave received an unanimous vote to be Executive Director of Baptist Network Northwest.  I preached in the morning service followed by a church picture taken outside.Then we came back into the Welcome Room for refreshments honoring the Volunteers Appreciation recognition. At night we returned for the evening prayer and fellowship time at church. Thanks for praying.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

ANNOUNCEMENT

Psalms 118:24
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Every day with Jesus we can all be happy and content,
With Him guiding us always, many things He will prevent.
God made this day for all of us, let's be thankful right now,
Worship Him in all His beauty, and at His feet humbly bow.
He is in control, so we will always rejoice each and every day,
And come into His presence when we worship Him and pray.(RP)

Today at our church the announcement will be made concerning the election for Executive Director of Baptist Network Northwest. If our pastor was chosen, then May 22 will be his last day at First Baptist. That announcement will be given sometime before I preach this morning.  Our church family and friends will gather right after church for a photo.  It has been a long time since the entire church was present for one. We hope it goes well this morning.  Thanks for praying.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

LOOKING FORWARD

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 
Romans 13:8

There is a debt that everyone owes, God tells us about it here,
For those who listen to His command, they get the message clear.
The debt we owe is love itself, and we express it to each one,
When this is done we fulfill the law and honor God's dear Son(RP)

We look forward to my brother Harold's arrival Monday. He actually flies tomorrow from Anchorage, arriving in Bellingham and early Monday morning he will be at the work place. That evening he will be here to have supper with us and fellowship. We look forward to this. Today Margie will be doing some baking, I am sure, in preparation for Harold's arrival. We look forward also to church tomorrow. I have the privilege of preaching. Thanks for praying. 

Friday, April 8, 2016

IT'S FRIDAY

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Some may think they have it rough; nothing works for them,
But in this verse is a treasure of truth; this is a golden gem.
For those who love God, everything in life is worthwhile,
And all things work according to His plan; so now we smile.
God called us for a purpose, and we can thank Him for that,
And His plan will always surpass; it will never, ever fall flat. (RP)

Paul Harvey often said on this day, It's Friday!  So today for us is Bible study and we look forward to it. Yesterday was a full day also with Margie's trip to the hairdresser and afternoon prayer meeting. I have been hitting the books a little more lately because I will be preaching at our church Sunday morning. I also look forward to this.  And I appreciate your prayers for it. Thanks for praying. 

Thursday, April 7, 2016

ANTHONYS

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

What wonderful counsel is given us here, to follow every day,
Kindness in action is God's word to us as we walk in His way.
Tenderness is possible only in Him; the Holy Spirit makes it so,
And forgiveness is the magic that if followed makes us grow.
God has forgive each of His children, call us to do the same,
And when we follow these powerful rules, we truly exalt His name.(RP)

Armond Daws, a long time friend invites us each month along with his daughter, Linda and son-in-law Carl, to have a meal with him at Anthony's.  It is a top-grade seafood restaurant. We usually meet them at 4:00 for the "Sunset Special".  We did this last night and we always enjoy our time with them. Armond is 96+ and still bright and lots of fun. We appreciate his monthly offer.  Today the weatherman said we should have tempertures in the 70's.  Thanks for praying.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

PLEASED

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

There is no good and perfect gift except what God can give,
Men may think they have the best, but it's like water held in a sieve.
Our heavenly Father rains down gifts so many we cannot count,
And no matter how we receive them they pile up like a mount.
So remember dear reader, our heavenly Father cares for you,
And He is always the same no matter what you do.(RP)

We are off to a good start for our Wednesday work. Changing bed sheets, washing clothes and all those goodies that happen on wash day. Our pastor asked me to preach Sunday and I appreciate this greatly. Please pray as I prepare the message. We still have a pretty busy week so there is not much time for leisure. Thanks so much for praying.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

FULL SCHEDULE

Psalm 94:18 
If I say,My foot slips,Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.

As we walk along life's road, so much can happen each day,
We may slip without a warning, and our situation is in disarray.
How thankful we are in knowing God's mercy is there to uphold,
We are sure He will not let us down, because his promise is bold.(RP)

There are days like this. Things sort of stacked up and we will have to be careful to work in all the tasks we are supposed to do today.  Margie has a foot doctor appointment and we will try to pick up some necessary groceries while in town. I have an early morning prayer meeting and I may drop by Walgreens on the way home to take advantage of their 20% discount for senior members today on the first Wednesday of each month. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow. Thanks for praying.  

Monday, April 4, 2016

WIND AND RAIN

Psalm 27:1 
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?

Will you stand with God's Word and declare yourself His; do it right now,
He will give you light and salvation if you will just come to His with this vow.
When you belong to Him you need not fear; He gives strength for every day,
And for each day He gives Himself, and what a blessing as you talk and pray. (RP)

The weatherman predicted wind and rain. We heard the rain but not the wind. Last week was summer-like weather. Again on Thursday we are supposed to have 70 degrees. Yesterday was a good day at church for Sunday School, morning worship, and the evening service. It was nice having part of our family here on Saturday for awhile.  Thanks for praying.


Sunday, April 3, 2016

ARE YOU GLAD IT IS SUNDAY?

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen..
Galatians 1:9


Careless words are easy to speak; please watch closely what you say,
Unwholesome talk is never good, and hurts people along the way. 
Let us learn to help our friends by what we say and the things we do,
And if we do, we will benefit and certainly be a blessing to them too.
Decide now to glorify God with all you do and every thought and word,
God listens and watches what you do, and will be happy with what He heard.(RP)

We hope you all have a place of worship today. We look forward to going down he hill to our church in Ferndale. Today after 3 weeks of other activities during the Sunday School hour, we return to our classes. We look forward to this. It seems April arrived so quickly this year. Could it be our age? Our weather has been delightful. Trees and flowers are blooming everywhere. And I still haven't got flowers in the front of our house. I must do it soon. Trust you have a great day. Thanks for praying. 

Saturday, April 2, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Mark 13:31 
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

God's Word is everlasting, it will never pass away, 
It is right here beside us each and every day. 
It matters not if all disappears, the Bible is here to stay,
It stands the tests of time, and will always be on display.(RP)

Our Bible class was pretty well attended yesterday, but some of our regulars were still not well. I send the absent ones either a hard copy study sheet or do it electronically through e-mail. When I announced to the class that it was my brother Ernie's 90th birthday yesterday, Margie's brother suggested we all sing Happy Birthday.  We did and I recorded it, but I do not believe I can send the audio to him. The class was very enthusiastic in their singing. We trust you have a good day. Thanks for praying. 

Friday, April 1, 2016

HOPEFUL

Psalms 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Waiting is an on-going thing; some like it and others don't,Some people like to wait and to be anxious, they won't.
God wants us to wait on Him, which means we trust,
Those who wait have something to learn; they must adjust.
Friend, just take heart like we are told, and wait on Him, 
And He will bless you for it, and save you from every whim.(RP)

We are praying and are hopeful that we will have a full house at Bible study this morning. Several have not been able to attend the last several weeks due to illness or other demands, so today maybe most of them will be back with us. The weather is super these days. The days have been nice and warm. We trust you all have a wonderful day. My brother Ernie today turns 90, but the celebrations were yesterday, because April 1 was yesterday over there. Thanks for praying.