Thursday, June 30, 2016

CONNECTION FELLOWSHIP

Proverbs 3:13-14  
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.

God promises happiness, to those who wisdom seek,
And he will give it to all, whether they are strong or weak. 
When God gives understanding it's because it has been sought,
And those who gladly find it have something better than they thought.
God's wisdom and understanding are more precious than silver or gold,
Those who possess such treasures, are blessed more than ever has been told. (RP)

Last night at church we attended the Connection Fellowship. This is a fun time outside the church including things for children and refreshments for all. Then we go into the church and have our singing, sharing and prayer time. Last night the Peru Ministry Team was the main topic. We prayed especially for those who are going on it. Several were in the service last night. They leave early next Wednesday morning from Seattle for that trip. Thanks for praying. 

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

GLASSES

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?
Psalm 27:1 

The Lord for us is many things, but light and salvation are supreme,
Before we walked in darkness and all was dreary and upstream,
Then we met the Savior, and he gave new hope for sure,
And oh how great it is to have Him and be saved and so secure.
He is now our strength for living, and with Him we are not afraid,
So march on dear Christians, and do not be dismayed.(RP)

Today we will go into Bellingham and get the glasses I ordered last week.  I hope they will help me better when I am reading my notes, or the Bible during the Scripture reading at church. The tri-focal deal was hindering my vision so I had them take it out and make them bi-focal, only that part of it is enlarged a bit to give me a better field of vision for reading close up. We'll see how they work.  Delicious?  Margie made some gluten free blueberry muffins yesterday with fresh berries from our friends the Borakers.  Thanks for praying. 

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

COMPUTER PROBLEM

So Peter went out and wept bitterly. 
Luke 22:62

How many times have we related to Peter, in what he did that day,
Denying his Lord was an sinful thing; it happened in an awful way.
Thank God his heart was right, because he wept bitterly indeed, 
Jesus looked intently at him, because he certainly had a need.
How many times have we denied Him and failed to stand tall,
Resulting in bitter anguish, ending in a disgraceful fall. (RP)

Something went wrong two days ago and I lost almost all our e-mail. I was able after a long struggle to recover some important things, but lost a lot also. It's okay. The computer is just a "thing". I rejoice that it is back to almost normal now and maybe I can recover other files from Carbonite - a great back up program I subscribe to. It has helped in on other occasions, and I think it will again. Thanks for praying. 

Monday, June 27, 2016

AT IT AGAIN

Heb 12:2 
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our Savior did much for us when He died on the cross for our sins,
Whoever invites Him into their life, we know that person wins.
The Author and finisher of our faith, no other has ever done so much,
The world ties to make it to heaven, but without Him they cannot find such.
Jesus' died on the cross and rose from the tomb, now with the Father above, 
We give Him praise for all He's done for us, because of His great love. (RP)

Sunday was a good day for us. We enjoyed a quality time of fellowship with the guest speaker, pastor Jim Shaw. We were at the Hively residence for lunch and visit with pastor Shaw.  Margie and I returned home in late afternoon for a quiet evening. Now we start at it again.  "It" is working on more chapters for our Shepherds book.  I am making good progress and hope I can keep at it. We trust your days goes well. Thanks for your prayers,

Sunday, June 26, 2016

PROGRESS

Matthew 6:24 
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

No one can serve two masters; it tells us in this verse,
No one can miss the teaching because it is very terse.
Some have as their master, money; if so, it is your lord,
The end of their story is sad, so this way you cannot afford.
Only God should be your Master; let Him now have control,
And daily bring to Him you burdens, and on Him let them roll. (RP)

Yesterday I was able to get more chapters edited for our book. I completed 93, so have approximately 77 left. This morning we go to church and at noon we will be at one of the elder's homes for lunch. The guest speaker this morning, Pastor Jim Shaw and his wife Shirley will be there for us to fellowship with as we enjoy a meal. We look forward to this. Last night we had a fun visit with my brother Harold on Skype. Trust your day goes well. Thanks for your prayers.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

GLASSES

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. Proverbs 13:4
God notices how people act; some are energetic, some are lazy,
Ambition deprived ones don't work; it seems for them it is crazy.
The result of their lifestyle is simple; they have nothing to show,
The unfortunate end of their story: this problem they never outgrow.
But oh how blessed are the diligent; God makes them rich and well,
And because work is their constant friend, they always seem to excel. (RP)

We went to the eye doctor yesterday. Margie has two more appointments later on. She also talked to the doctor about getting glasses. Her eye situation is such that often times they do not work.  But she will try another pair and see if they work.  I had my tri-focals changed to bi-focal and the reading part of the glasses enlarged so it is easier when I am teaching to see the Bible text and my notes. I am sure it will be better now.  We look forward to a leisurely day, where I will be doing more work on book chapters. Thanks for praying.

Friday, June 24, 2016

EYE DOCTOR

Then Jesus said to His disciples,"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

To follow Jesus is not a snap; He calls for soldiers who are brave,
Some gladly follow Him though some things they will have to waive.
Denying oneself is allowing Jesus to lead completely without reserve,
And deciding now that you identify with Him and Him only will you serve.
When in this mode, just keep up the pace, and follow Him without end,
And you can be sure that you will be blessed, and indeed are His friend. (RP)

Margie sees her regular eye doctor today. There are tests she regularly takes there with him. We hope to continue later this morning and afternoon on more chapters of the book we are writing. It is cool this morning, but the weatherman says by tomorrow and Sunday, it will be in the 70's. We'll see if he is right. We trust you have a good day. Thanks for praying.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

THE SAME

Psalm 35:1
Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;Fight against those who fight against me.

Troubles come and troubles go, this is our lot in life,
Some are caused by us we know, and others oft times cause strife.
We ask the Lord to plead our cause, and He will answer us.
And fight our case and surely help clear up this awful fuss. (RP)

Those who follow us know what today is.  We take Margie to the hairdresser and pray in the afternoon. I am trying to get as much done as possible on the chapters of our Shepherds book. It takes time but is enjoyable recounting the many wonderful experiences we had as we traveled for Shepherds. We hope some day to get it published. A weather change brought rain and cool breezes. A light jacket will feel good this morning. We trust you are all well. Thanks for praying. 

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

HOSPITAL VISIT

John 1:12 
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name...

God has great things in store for His own; He bestows good things,
To all who receive Him as Savior, He gives them more than kings.
He calls us children of God, and there is no position better than this,
And this is absolutely something that no one should ever want to miss.(RP)

Yesterday Margie baked, and I did more chapters for our book. In the afternoon I received an email that a man from our church had a heart attack. I went to see him and have prayer.  I was concerned about his spiritual state.  Our day went well and we finished the day, as we always do, by listening to a good radio pastor. Thanks for praying. 

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

PROGRESS

Flee from the devil. Ephesians 4:27

Every time a Christian sins, he gives the devil first place,
And this in turn is like giving the old devil a hearty embrace.
Please be careful how you live your life; let Jesus rule today,
Lean heavily on Him in all you do, and read His word and pray.
Commit your life entirely to Him, and lean solely on His arm,
He will see you through rough places, and protect from harm. (RP)

Yesterday I corrected the edited marks in 50 of the Shepherd book chapters. If I can make good progress like this in future days, it will be okay. I fertilized the flowers this morning. Our weather is superb.  The top temperature today will be around 68 degrees F.  Summer started yesterday afternoon.  If you ask people in Arizona and California, they know all about SUMMER there.  Thanks for praying. 

Monday, June 20, 2016

ACCIDENT

When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.Luke 21:9

Wars have always been men's lot; they never seem to cease,
In fact we think there are many more; they seem to really increase.
Jesus instructed us not to be afraid, when we see this happen today,
For surely they will come, and we must know they will still delay.
And we must know, because He said it is so; the end is not right now,
Because He is in control of all and someday the end He will allow. (RP)

Our son called from Omak, WA yesterday. They were at the hospital with our grandson, Benny. In the morning chopping wood for the campsite fire, the axe slipped and cut his leg.  So off to the emergency they went. He had stitches and was doing okay. He and his brother returned home to Stanwood and the family stayed. They will move today to a place that actually has cabins. That should be better. The weatherman says that summer officially starts this afternoon. Our weather here has been very nice. Thanks for praying.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

FATHER'S DAY

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Thank God for godly fathers who reared their children well,
And what they've done to help us, only time will tell.
Dads can be so very tough, so instruction here is given,
Some have probably disobeyed and had to be forgiven.
Godly fathers train them to love God and always obey,
And each child soon learns the lessons of what it means to pray.
So keep it up dear fathers on this your special day,
And God will bless you greatly and that without delay.(RP)

We often hear remarks that Father's Day is not as popular as Mother's Day. We do not have the answer to this because we think both are very important. We trust you all will have a blessed day as fathers are honored. It rained yesterday. The youth garage sale was cancelled. They ran it only on Friday. Thank you for praying. 

Saturday, June 18, 2016

GARAGE SALE

Psalm 20:7 
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

Long ago men trusted what they had; today the resources are much more,
But no matter in what men may trust, we are glad the Lord keeps the score. 
The Psalmist saw men trusting in the things that gave them strength,
And today the same applies because men will go to the last length.
Thank God we are not left in the dark; we know in whom we can trust,
One thing is for sure sure; to remember the name of our Lord, we must. (RP)

Our church yesterday and today has a garage sale to help the team going to Peru in July to help Fivos Montagiosos, missionary.  Yesterday I took some items for the sale. There was a lot of good things and a great staff in charge of the sale. I am praying today that the weather will moderate, because it has and is sprinkling.  It will be easier for them if it is dry. Thanks for praying. 

Friday, June 17, 2016

STRANGE

1 Corinthians 3:7  
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

The harvest field is the world, and souls are saved every day,
We are the laborers in this field, and we must our Master obey.
We give the lost God's Word, and preach, and work and pray,
Only God gives the increase, as we His great love display.  (RP)

It feels strange this morning, not going down to the Ferndale Senior Activity Center for the Bible class. Last Friday was the last class until Sept. 9.  I am taking advantage of this time to do more work on the Shepherd's book we would like to publish this year. That will require a lot of background work to determine which publisher we would like to use, and also the format of the book.  Everything comes with a price tag and we will carefully filter through all that to find the best deal.  We also must consult an editor. It is a beautiful day in Ferndale. Thanks for praying.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

SAME THING

Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath. Ephesians 4:26

Fits of anger can enslave you; you have allowed things to go too far,
Relationships suffer great loss, and in general things are really bizarre.
When the first signs of anger appear, the first thing to do is settle it,
God clearly states right here that you settle things now; do not forget.
Every twenty-four hours, each and every problem should be resolved,
And when done God's way then each situation is definitely absolved. (RP)

Each Thursday we almost always do the same things. This morning I take Margie to the hairdresser. She cannot raise her arms high enough to care for it herself, that's the reason we go to the beauty shop. In the afternoon we attend prayer meeting. Not many come for that, but at least a few are there and we know God is pleased when His people pray. Thanks for YOUR prayers. 

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

LAB WORK

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

Jesus our High Priest watches over us; He never rests or sleeps,
It is great to know that our concerns, and anxieties He keeps.
Jesus sympathizes with us in every weakness we have today,
And we know that he looks upon us; His heart is moved to pray. 
Thank God He took our sin upon Himself but did it without sin,
He did this that day, and believe me he did it without chagrin. (RP)

Margie will have some regular lab work done today. We are looking forward to a fairly quiet day at home. We will be washing clothes and I want to work on the church prayer sheet and get that into the church office. Yesterday was baking day. Margie made meat loaf and porcupine meat balls.  It is all frozen and we can enjoy it for several days. Thanks for your prayers.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

ANTHONY'S

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone,forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.Mark 11:25

If you have a problem with anyone as you pray, you must stop and think,
And do what is right before a holy God, and never from this duty shrink.
Forgiveness is the secret of prayer; if you do not forgive, your sins persist,
So forgive that person against whom you hold a grudge; God will then assist. (RP)

We had a fairly busy day yesterday, but it ended with a nice meal and fellowship at Anthony's Restaurant in Bellingham.  Armond Daws and his daughter and son-in-law entertained us there. Armond's former neighbor Char was also with us. We did quite a bit of shopping for essentials, before we had supper. We were glad to be back home. Thanks for your prayers. 

Monday, June 13, 2016

GREAT DAY

2 Corinthians 12:9 
And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul prayed for God to remove his thorn, but His answer was different indeed,
God told him to keep the thorn, but that something better was guaranteed.
His grace is sufficient for every need, and Paul learned the lesson that day, 
He listened intently to words very clear, he heard what God wanted to say.
Paul learned that in weakness there is strength, when God's power is at work,
And he will now boast in infirmities, but his service to Christ he will not shirk. (RP)

Yesterday was a great day all the way. In the morning we heard pastor Ken Van Cooten preach. It was a powerful message. Then we traveled to Stanwood to attend our grandson's graduation celebration. We enjoyed a delicious meal cooked mostly by our grandson Nathan, visited, then returned home. What a wonderful day. Because there are no more Friday Bible classes until September, I will be doing other necessary things that have needed my attention for some time. Thanks for praying. 

Sunday, June 12, 2016

GRADUATION

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Psalm 51:12

Oh the sweet plea of the psalmist here, talking to God in prayer,
Down in the dumps as it were, with sadness in there somewhere.
He prays for the joy he found when he met Christ so long ago,
His heavenly Father sweetly bestows it, and his heart is now aglow.
How wonderful to renew this joy that our salvation brings,
God's generous Spirit works this in us and our heart sings. (RP)

Our grandson, Benny graduated from High School Friday night. This afternoon his folks are having friends in to celebrate with him. Lord willing we will attend. Yesterday was a BIG day with a funeral in the morning and another graduation celebration in the afternoon. It was a full but blessed day. We look forward to services this morning. Thanks for praying. 

Saturday, June 11, 2016

EVERETT BORAKER FUNERAL

James 4:7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

God's order is right, because He knows the way things should be,
Submit to Him, then life will take on new meaning; we all agree.
The devil wants us to do wrong,so please listen to God today,
Submitting to God pays off and the devil will then go away. (RP)

This morning at 10 we conduct the Everett Boraker service. A long time friend, Everett died last Saturday. He suffered much. Now we pray for his widow Helen and Charlotte his sister and other family members. The weather is much cooler today. Our son arrives early to practice for the duet he will sing with Glenn Golay.  So it will be a busy day. Thanks for praying. 

Friday, June 10, 2016

PROBLEM FIXED

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Proverbs 28:13

People try to fake it, and cover up their sins,
But he who does so, we know he never wins.
He wants to prosper, but we know he never will,
Because our Father's will he just does not fulfill.
If he or she just confesses their sins to God now,
And humbly go His way, and at His feet humbly bow.
Then God will pour his mercy upon them today,
And they will receive His blessing all along the way. (RP)

After my brother Harold alerted me to the potential electric problem we could have, I called the local power company to our home, and they determined that our problem was in our house, not with the power company.  Our grandson Nathan came yesterday and in a matter of less than 5 minutes found the problem, as my brother described, and had it fixed. A switch in the panel box was defective and causing all the outages, and flickering lights. What a blessing to have it fixed. We appreciate my brother and our grandson's help to us. Thanks for praying. 

Thursday, June 9, 2016

ELECTRIC CONCERN

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7

This is a marvelous provision for God's own, 
If we seriously do what it tells,
So faithfully follow the Word, 
and this plan all others excels. (RP)

The lights here have fluttered, dimmed, stopped, and in general have been erratic for a couple of days. My brother in Anchorage counseled me to unplug the freezer. We also called the Puget Sound Energy emergency response and they came to test the system. All was okay from the street to our house, so now we know the trouble is inside the house. Our grandson Nathan is coming today to look at it. Harold told me it could be serious, so we are praying the problem will be found and corrected. I appreciate Harold's advice. Thanks for praying.  

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

WASHDAY

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the Lord;Be of good courage,And He shall strengthen your heart;Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Waiting is such a boring thing I hear some say just now,
Because you never dreamed it so that God would this allow.
Many things move speedily, in this nervous world down here,
But wait a minute my dear friend, I have a word of cheer.
Waiting for God to work things out is the best thing you can do,
He gives courage, strength, and a happy heart, especially for you. (RP)

Wednesday is almost always washday.  I remade the beds this morning. Margie does not have the strength to do them. I enjoy doing it. Now I am washing the clothes. That too is hard for Margie to do, so I am happy to do it.  I was able to get some advanced work done yesterday on our Genesis class. Friday we hand out the work sheet that will not be used til the class returns Sept. 9.  Yesterday afternoon we attended the missionary meeting and heard Grace Stowell's account and pictures of her trip to Ecuador. It was very good. Last night I attended the elder meeting at church. Margie was glad when I returned home. There was a time when I could not leave her. Thankfully she is happy I have that service. Thanks for praying. 

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

GOOD NEWS

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Gal. 6:7

Deception is the devil's tool to keep men far from Him,
But God's not mocked with men’s routines,
What he sows will be reaped and It’ll be grim. (RP)

Margie was thrilled with new word from the insurance regarding her retina treatments. They are allowing those eye ball injections as often as the doctor requires. What an answer to prayer. We are busy these days with preparations for Everett Borakers funeral service. We appreciate your prayers.

Monday, June 6, 2016

FULL SCHEDULE

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

When God's children try to run away, He has to bring them back,
And chastisement is His measure to keep us on the chosen track.
The Lord chastises in many ways,and surely each one hurts,
And you can be sure of this: recipients get their just deserts.
Discipline is applied to those who go astray; will they return?
They will keep His word for they are always the Father's concern. (RP)

Starting yesterday we have a full schedule every day of this week. Some weeks stack up this way. With the funeral coming Saturday, this adds another day to our list. This morning Margie goes to the retina specialist. This is an important schedule. Margie is concerned our insurance will not pay it after awhile. We will have to check on this. We were mighty glad we had evaporative coolers the last two days. It has been hot outside but with them, the inside temperature has been tolerable. We trust your day goes well. Thanks for praying. 

Sunday, June 5, 2016

WITH THE LORD

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.Heb 4:12

This Book we call the Bible is God's word for all mankind,
Its pages are inspired and the best that one can find.
The message of the Bible cuts deeply to the point,
And those who pay attention, it will never disappoint.
This Book knows what you're doing and your thoughts it reads so well,
And in bowing to its power, all your fears it will dispel. (RP)

Saturday we received a phone call from Charlotte Boraker saying that if we wanted to see her brother Everett alive, we better come quickly because he was dying. I rushed down there and spent several hours with them. Helen, his wife, told me that previously there was planned a family "party" of their children and grandchildren at 3:00 PM.  Isn't God's timing amazing. At 4:10 Everett entered Heaven's glory with his family right there. So we ask you to pray for Helen and Char in this loss. We will say more about this as the day of his funeral approaches. Thanks for praying. 

Saturday, June 4, 2016

GOOD CLASS

...but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

We all have friends who may fit this bill, but there is really just one,
He really is the Just One, and we know that He cannot be outdone.
Jesus knows all about you and me,and is ready to help all who call,
And He will not play favoritism to you, whether one is great or small.
Thank God we have Jesus, our faithful friend and day by day guide,
He constantly watches us with His love, and always is on our side. (RP)

Yesterday's Bible class went well. We have just one more before the summer break. There are some who would like to continue, but we know the attendance would drop considerably if we did.  Last night we used the evaporative cooler in our bedroom because it was quite warm. The cooler did the trick and we slept well. We are sure today is a great day for families, because the sun is strong and the weather is great. We look forward to tomorrow and being able to go to church. We missed last week due to sickness. Thanks for praying. 

Friday, June 3, 2016

THEY SAY

Then Moses said to God, Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name? what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. Exodus 3:13-14

The names of God are important to us and reveal to us very much,
In fact His names help us all through life and bring us the Master's touch.
For each of our needs, He has a name that helps, displaying His loving care, 
If you doubt God's help don't forget his I Am because it's always there,
When we are aware of the I AM who speaks, there's nothing for us to fear,
He supplies what we need with His special name and we know he is always near. (RP)

We are told by the weather forecasters, that by this weekend, the temperature could reach into the 90's. I am glad we have our water coolers nearby and ready to go. We should have no problems at all. This morning we look forward to Bible class. We just have one more before the break for the summer. We trust your day will be a blessing. Thanks for praying. 

Thursday, June 2, 2016

ONLY ONE THING

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

There may be some who worry and fret about things that happen today,
But to all who are bothered and nervous about things, I have something to say.
Remember dear friend, God made this day, it is His every step of the way,
Why not thank Him, for making it, and all its beauty on display.
Learn to rejoice in what God has made and give Him glory for it all,
And you'll be the winner and benefit from it, no matter if your great or small.
(RP)

There is only one major thing on the to do list today. We will attend, Lord willing, the afternoon prayer meeting at church.  Margie decided not to go to the hairdresser this morning because her hair still looks good from her perm last week. Last night we went to the Connection Fellowship at church. That's the first time we had been at church since being there last Thursday for prayer meeting. The weatherman predicts warm weather for us this week end. Thanks for praying.  

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

SLOW-GOING

Psalm 30:2 
O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.

At all times, it matters not, we have a God who hears,
And when we cry out to Him He understands our fears.
In sickness or distress or no matter what is ailing you,
Our God pays attention and will come to you anew.
Sometimes he does a miracle and heals you on the spot,
He resolves issues that money never could have bought. (RP)

At this juncture in our sickness, all I can say is that it is slow-going. I have tried to do all the right things, but perhaps I have missed some. We are praying Margie does not come down with this too.  She did not have a good night. I remade the beds this morning and the first load of washing is on its way. I was able to get the church prayer sheet done so I can send it to the church office today.  Thanks for praying.