Tuesday, January 31, 2017

TIME FLIES

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  I John 4:11

The greatest example of love for us is the way God loves through Christ,
This love is available to each and all and is not at all high priced.
In fact it is free,provided by Him, and He expects us to give it away,
I do that, you see, by loving all, as I live from day to day.

It is amazing how time flies. Here we are in the last day of January. It seems like yesterday the month was starting. Because of some extra things related to our church ministries, I have had plenty to keep me going these days. I am working on our church prayer sheet today, and tomorrow I will be at the church to answer the phone and care for other things that may come up. Today is our church secretary's last day of work. We are looking for a replacement now. Please help us in prayer about this. Thanks so much.

Monday, January 30, 2017

PLENTY TO DO

The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all.  Prov 22:2

When we stand before God we are all the same, there's no rank, position or class,
Whether rich or poor, sickly or well before God you can't pay for a pass,
Common ground before God is the place where we stand, no one can boast any thing,
We stand before Him in our helpless estate, and we can only our sin to him bring. (RP)

We never run out of things to do, nor does our work list ever get much smaller. We never cease to be amazed at all the things there are to do. We are grateful for strength and desire to do them. I guess we just need to have priorities to get them done in the right order.  The business meeting last night went well at church. Margie is busy this morning doing cleaning in the bathrooms.  A window shade broke this morning so I will need to replace that today sometime. A trip to Ace Hardware should resolve it. Thanks for praying.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

CLASS FELLOWSHIP

You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.  Acts 2:28

God's gracious ways explain so well what he has planned for us,
His way of life is meant for us and oh what a marvelous plus.
He gives us joy both now and again when in His presence we land,

And then in Heaven we'll know it well, because we'll have it all firsthand. (RP)

Our Sunday School class met last night for a very nice fellowship. Plenty of finger food kept us satisfied and it was good to visit with some we do not get to talk with verey often. Today, of course, we look forward to the Sunday School class and the morning service. It will be a busy time, because tonight is our annual business meeting. Our supply speaker, Matt Whitehead continues his interesting study in I & II Samuel. We look forward to those messages. Thanks for praying. 

Saturday, January 28, 2017

CATCHING UP

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.  Psa 103:12

When God forgives sin He does a great job, no one can equal His work,
We are grateful for His wonderful grace and this duty He does not shirk.
From the east to the west is a mighty long way that no one can dispute,

And God removed our sins like that, because His forgiveness is absolute.  (RP)

We will try to do some catching up around the house and on the computer. I seem to be plagued with issues with the computer. This morning a warning sign and vocal message came up saying we had to get network security or we would lose the page I had open. I called and don't really understand all the technician explained to me. I have already talked to Rawlie about it this morning. It is strange these messages we are receiving. We had a good attendance at the Bible study yesterday. Tonight we go for a Sunday School class social. Thanks for remembering us in prayer. We appreciate it. 

Friday, January 27, 2017

NORMAL

1 John 5:12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Eternal life is profound in what is offered us,
The more we understand it's breadth it is indeed a plus,
Having Jesus means we trust Him and when you do you are IN,
Having Christ makes you one of his and cleanses you from sin.
The saddest part of this whole thing: Some don't have the Son,
And because of this they are lost indeed and their destiny they cannot shun.(RP)

Things are gettring almost back to normal now as far as computers are concerned. A few more kinks to iron out and maybe we will be back in the normal track again. Yesterday was a busy one , as usual, with Margie's trip to the hairdresser in the morning and attending prayer meeting in the afternoon.  Today we must make a quick trip into town after our Bible class. There is always plenty on the list to keep us going. We are grateful we can, and give the Lord thanks for the ability to accomplish these things. Thanks so much for praying. 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

REGULAR SCHEDULE

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.Eccl 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. (RP)

This morning I take Margie to have her hair done, then do some shopping. In the afternoon we attend prayer meeting at the church. Yesterday Margie had a good consultation with her doctor about her trips to the E.R. and check some issues that were of concern, and get some prescriptions updated. We had a meal at the Mexican restaurtant, and came home. I was able to get all the printing done for Friday's Bible class. We truly are grateful for this new Epson printer by brothere Harold bought for us. What a blessing it is. Not having to buy refill cartridges all the time is the greatest advantage of this wonderful machine. Thanks for praying.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

DOCTOR

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.  I Peter 3:12

Our God is watching over us as we live for Him each day,
His ears are listening to our prayers as we move along the way.
It’s sobering  to have the Lord against those who evil do,
And remember the ones who are guilty he already knew 
(RP)

This morning Margie sees the family doctor. This is a follow-up to her several trips to the E.R., plus check some other health concerns. I am finally getting more "breathing space" now that the computer situation is improving. I still cannot send mail on Outlook, but frankly that is not a priority now, because I have learned to do it with our gmail account. Yesterday I met with the Daws family at the church, going over details of the funeral for Kathy Kearns, Armond's youngest daughter. That service will be in Marysville, Feb. 4. 

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

DAY AT THE OFFICE

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James 4:3

Some may ask why they don't receive answers to their prayers,
Could it be that they are concerned only with personal affairs?
James tells us we can ask amiss, which wrong motives prove to be,
And the results prove well that we prayed in vain, and that's not hard to see.(RP)

This is the day I go to the church office to meet people and help the secretary with any situations that may arise. I work on my lesson for Bible study also, as time permits.  I am on call if Margie needs me and can be home soon after she calls. That doesn't happen often, but it is nice we live only 1.7 miles from the church. By degrees I am getting things moved to the new laptop. Now, at least, I have the main things necessary so I don't have to keep going back and forth on the two laptops for things I need. Thanks so much for your prayers. We appreciate them. 

Monday, January 23, 2017

ANOTHER WEEK

Matthew 7:24 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock...

Wise people make good decisions; their foundations are secure,
In all of their decisions they consult the Lord, and are very sure.
Well built houses don't happen without work; it takes time and brawn,
And when that project ends, their builder plans and look beyond.
And so it is with God's children here; they plan and work and pray,
And seek His guidance all the time, because they know this is the way. (RP)

We had a good week end, and now we look forward to all there is to do this week. I am pleased things are going better with the transfer of files to my new laptop. Some real victories were won last week and we are grateful.  We awakened this morning to a white frosty view. The sun will quickly melt those snow white roofs. Margie is busy working on the bathrooms, and I am here trying to get the mail processed and start my study for Bible class, write up the elders meeting minutes, and carry on with a bunch of other responsibilities on the schedule for today. Thanks for praying.  

Sunday, January 22, 2017

FELLOWSHIP AT CHURCH

Ephesians 4:31  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

A carnal believer out of fellowship with Christ, is headed for trouble indeed,
Whoever is caught in this tangle of flesh, should yearn everyday to be freed.
Only Jesus can give victory in a life like this; submit to Him and confess,
He'll forgive your sin, and make you new, and you will have spiritual success. (RP)

We look forward each week to attending Sunday School and the worship service at our church. It is a good time to get updated about fellow members and friends, and know better how to pray for one another.  Our son is with us, and he will be returning to his home in Stanwood this morning. It is nice of him to come visit us. We always appreciate it. We pray this will be a good day for those who read this also. Thanks always for your prayer for us. 

Saturday, January 21, 2017

COMPUTER WORK

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

Anxiety with worry and fretting, are things that can hinder us
No prayer,no thanks no talking to God are the reason we are in a fuss.
Don't be this way,talk to God in earnest today,

You'll discover the calmness He gives and soon it will all be OK. (RP)

I had good intentions of moving more files from the old computer to the new one, but many things have come into our schedule to slow it down. I still hope to get some done before the day comes to an end. Our son Rawlie called just now and we had a very nice chat.  He may even come up for tonight and spend a few hours before leaving in the morning for church. Our students voiced their reaction to yesterday's Bible lesson on genealogy in Matthew 1. They thought the lesson was hard. Hopefully next week will be better. Thanks for your prayers. We appreciate them. 

Friday, January 20, 2017

HAPPY DAY

Acts 4:12Nor is there salvation in an other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Salvation is certain and there's only one way to enter the heavenly place,
It is Jesus who saves us and we get there when his plan is embraced.
No other person or creed or rule can save a lost sinner my friend,
So come to Jesus and receive Him right now and you are certain to have the right end. (RP)

The end of another good week and this morning we look forward to the Bible class at the Ferndale Senior Activity Center. We are now studying the book of Matthew and I really am enjoying this new study. We were in Genesis for 63 weeks. What a great blessing that book was for us. I continue to try to get my regular Bible programs into the new computer, but I fear in the crash of the old one, some of the install codes were lost so I guess I will just have to purchase them the second time. Fortunately they are not expensive as hard bound books. We trust this is a profitable day for you all. We just received word yesterday that our dear friend Armond Daws, lost his youngest daughter to illness Wednesday. 

Thursday, January 19, 2017

MILDER

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

The Christian life is practical and Jesus makes it plain,
He tells us things that should be done and from others to abstain.
When praying you remember you've got something against another
You must forgive immediately and be sure there is no other.
God only forgives the sin of those who freely forgive,
And when they do it God's way they'll know what it is to live.(RP)

A change in weather has given us milder termperatures. It is nice not having that biting cold when we go outside. The week flies by so quickly. We are looking forward to the class tomorrow and our study in the gospel of Matthew. I am still transferring things to the new laptop. The glitch in Microsoft Outlook is a mystery and I just don't have time to tackle it right now. Thanks for praying

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

AUDIOLOGIST

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. Isaiah 33:2

Our prayer to God is very clear; we want His guiding care,
And of his grace and provisions great,we are very aware.
He is our strength from day to day both morning and at night,
And fellowship with Him, is our daily joy and delight.
When distress and pain are upon us, we call His name in prayer,
And salvation comes so quickly and to Him none can compare.

Our friend had hip surgery yesterday. We plan to see him then go on to So. Bellingham to my audiologist. I have regular check up today on my hearing and the devices in my ears. We still cannot sent mail from our new laptop, but yesterday I actually found a way to do it. By using Google gmail, I can do some tricks and send it. Who knows, I may just switch to it and forget Outlook. Thanks for praying. 

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

PROBLEMS PERSIST

1 Corinthians 16:14  Let all that you do be done with love.

It's so easy, it seems, to choose what we'll do, no matter the results for us,
But God has a word, for us in this verse; and this we now will discuss.
God intends that His children treat others with love, and this you should do every day,
Just give it a try and you'll be surprised when you see what it means to obey. (RP)

I wish we could report something different for you today, but our Outlook mail program only receives mail but will not send it. I paid good money for it and nothing seems to fix it. Online suggestions sound good, but right now I don't have time to pursue the last one I found last night.  There is too much pressing work right now. I appreciate your prayers as I strive to figure this out. It is a first in all the times I have started out with a new computer. Thanks for praying. 

Monday, January 16, 2017

SUCCESS

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.  Ephesians 1:3

Blessed is the theme here as we see what Christ has done,
He  saved and is preparing us for something that can't be undone.
Oh how blessed we are to have Him as our Savior and our Guide,
One who always leads us wisely and keep closely by our side. (RP)

After a wonderful morning at church, we returned home for a cup of coffee and a leisurely afternoon.  I was checkig our mail on the laptop and on a whim decided to try another attempt at trying to get all the files from our old Outlook program into the new laptop Outlook. I went through a series of routines, part of an Outlook wizard for such things. All of a sudden I realized that what I did was working and lo and behold, all the old fifles were transferred to the new machine. All I could do was praise the Lord for answered prayer.  We had prayed much about this, but I frankly had come to end of options to accomplish this task. What a great answer to prayer. The credit all goes to the Lord. Thanks for praying.             

Sunday, January 15, 2017

SUNDAY

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James 4:3


Some may ask why they don't receive answers to their prayers,
Could it be that they are concerned only with personal affairs?
James tells us we can ask amiss, which wrong motives prove to be,
And the results prove well that we prayed in vain, and that's not hard to see. (RP)

We are glad its Sunday. We will attend Sunday School, then the worship service. We plan on a leisurely afternoon at home. The computer problem persists and I frankly do not know of anything else I can do. Nothing works that I try, or what I learn Online from the "experts". Some of you are praying about it. At least I was able to get Outlook mail to come in to our new laptop, but the problem is our vast address book and other important things related to it, I cannot get transferred. Thanks for praying. 

Saturday, January 14, 2017

HOPEFUL

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God gives specific orders when it comes to the Bible we read
We are to mediate faithfully and its teachings diligently heed.
We do this both night and day as we learn to observe the law,
And keep on doing it patiently and determining not to flaw.
God promises our way will be prosperous and success will be our lot,
If we are solid in our convictions and give it all we ought.(RP)

I am hopeful that perhaps today I can get the new laptop computer functioning. The only hangup until now is that Outlook will not bring in our Juno mail. So it is hard to receive mail on the old machine then switch to the newer one to do all our other business. I pray it will work out today as I fiddle with it more. I have consulted specialist, but even they could not help. Yesterday I joined an Outlook forum and presented my problem. I hope today someone will come up with a brainstorm that will work. Thanks for praying. 

Friday, January 13, 2017

THANKFUL

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


We are thankful today the weather cooperated with us and we can have the Bible study. Our laptop also cooperated with us for the same reason, we are sure. The Lord kept it going so we can make it through this week. Hopefully tomorrow I can work the entire day trying to figure out what is keeping Outlook from allowing our mail to come through. Once that is settled, I will be on the new laptop installing the needed programs for our ministry needs. We appreciate your prayers about this. 

Thursday, January 12, 2017

DIFFERENT NIGHT

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.  Psalm 119:33

What a wonderful prayer for believers today
Will you join me in making this your prayer?
I know if you do He will teach you His way
And right to the end He'll be there to care.

During the night Margie called me. She was not able to get out of the bathroom. I helped her back to bed, and soon she said she could not not breathe. I put her in the roller cart. It is not really a wheel chair, but we made it to her lift chair. I felt she should get in it and perhaps she would get some rest. She did. She slept about 4 more hours there. We pray her strength will improve. She wants to get to the hairdresser if possible. Then we have afternoon prayer meeting. Thankfully I am still able to get into my old laptop and do some work, but I am sure its days are numbered. The new one sits here, but we are unable to get our mail because Outlook will not behave. thanks for praying. 

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

NO OPTIONS/MIRACLE

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and 
thirsty land Where there is no water..
Psalm 63:1

When in the desert all by yourself how do you commune with God?
Do you sleep on more and take more rest, and continue with a nod?
King David teaches much today with this early morning act
He sought the Lord so early on before other things distract
His soul was thirsty for his God and his body felt it too,
So he called upon the Lord right there His refreshment to pursue.
Oh what consolation for us when we early seek the Lord,
Knowing very well we'll get it and great will be our reward.

Yesterday there were no options left. My laptop "died". I prayed much about it. I could not use the new laptop because Outlook would not accept any passwords for them to transfer my files in Outlook to the new laptop. I remembered a Microsoft trick, and turned on laptop and put it in safemode. It worked, and I was able to finish my work for study of Matthew this Friday. I returned to regular mode, and the miracle happened. The machine works. So I am trying to get essential things off of it onto an external hard drive. Then I must figure out how to get Outlook into the system. I had to purchase new Office professional software, to get it on new laptop. There is still MUCH to do before I am over the hurdle on this. Thanks for praying. 

Monday, January 9, 2017

HELP

Psalm 143:8Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.

Lord help me read your Word each day
And learn Your will for me
And make my life so full of you
So others my Savior will see. (RP)

I am praying for help these days as I transfer files to the new laptop Harold gave us. It is quite a job, especially Outlook. I cannot get the settings correct to import our mail from the server Juno. With time, I am sure it will happen, but please pray with us I can get this completed and get on with my real important ministry works. Thanks for praying. 

Sunday, January 8, 2017

ALMOST

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


The laptop just about gave out completely today. I tried to start it, but it had to go through a complete and long REPAIR mode. I am amazed at these machines and what they can do. Hopefully I will learn how to transfer Microsoft Outlook to the new laptop and we are back in business, I hope. Thanks so much for praying. 

Saturday, January 7, 2017

IT IS HERE

Psalm 29:11   The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Two things we desperately need today are promised in this verse.
But all around are the enemies of God who fight Him and wish to curse.
Oh that mankind would call upon God to give them the strength that they need,
Then He would bless them with power and peace, and from their sins be freed.
Make this your prayer today, my friend, and you will get more than you ask,
He'll answer you with a loving heart and in His grace you will bask.(RP)

We had a good class yesterday morning with a better attendance because of the good weather. We had fellowship with long time friends in the afternoon, and last night during supper, our new laptop was delivered. I am in the middle of the arduous task of deciding which things I want to transfer to the new machine. I am separating things onto an external hard drive. It is going well, but I have no idea when I will be able to start using the new laptop. Thanks for praying.

Friday, January 6, 2017

WEATHER PERMITTING

Psalms 7:1
O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me


In days of turmoil and strife, it is comforting to know someone cares,
Someone who listens at all times to believers who make these prayers,
God is a refuge strong, for those who seek help in His mighty love,
Because they know He is with them, helping them from above.
Christians have those who pursue them, trying to upset their day,
But God is their strong tower, giving relief as they walk in His way. (RP)

Even though the weather report talks about snow today, we believe we can still have our class. Tomorrow the snow is suppose to intensify, so now we wonder what things will be like on Sunday for church. We will just have to see. Today our new laptop is supposed to be delivered. We hope so, because this present one is being quite temperamental. I am mostly concerned how to transfer all our files and programs onto the new one. We will face that challenge later. Thanks for praying.  

Thursday, January 5, 2017

HAIR & PRAYER

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 16:25

At midnight Paul & Silas sang and prayed to God above.
Who heard their cries and sent relief because of His great love.
They suffered much for Jesus’ sake
But God had made a plan,
To bring salvation in this jail and save the jailer man. (RP)

We have shortened our schedule title for Thursday to Hair and Prayer. Margie goes to the hairdresser in the morning. I take her there and help get her up from the chair where she gets her hair washed. Then I usually shop or whatever, then get her and we go home for lunch. Shortly thereafter we leave for church and the prayer meeting. I tired to get as much done with the laptop yesterday for fear it might die on me. I got everything ready for the Friday Bible class. Last night we had a great time and meal with Armond Daws and his daughter and son-in-law, and Char, a friend. Thanks for praying.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

PATIENCE

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Jesus calls the weary to rest; in Him is there only true rest,
In this marvelous Person one can truly be spiritually blest.
He calls you today to come to Him; there your heart will abide,
Rest and peace you will receive, because you are at His side.(RP)

Working with computers requires patience. As my laptop "awaits" its substitute, a new laptop, it is acting up in unusual ways. I hope I can get everything done I need to before it gives out. I am in the middle of preparing the new study sheet for the book of Matthew that we begin in a couple of weeks. I will hand it to the students this Friday, if I have completed it. We pray the laptop will last that long. Thanks for praying. 

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

HANGING ON

James 4:14  Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

We really do not know how long we will really be here,
Most of us agree that life is very special and so dear.
Tomorrow is so very uncertain, we all know this is so,
Just check the obituaries and then you too will know.
Life is likened to a vapor that arises out of the kettle,
Eternity is a spiritual matter that everyone should settle.
Jesus is the way to heaven; receive him for eternal life,
He forgives sin, gives eternal life and saves from much strife.  (RP)

We are hoping and praying our laptop will hang on until Friday. It crashed again yesterday. The new computer is scheduled to arrive Friday. The colossal job of transferring everything to the new one can get involved. I read several articles yesterday that mentioned it might take 30 hours. I am looking for software to help me with this. I use the laptop all the time so need to get the new one up and running as soon as possible. Our weather is very cold, and the northeast strong winds bring the chill factor down. Thanks for praying.

Monday, January 2, 2017

HERE WE GO

So we may boldly say;The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Heb 13:6

Oh how wonderful to serve the Lord and trust Him day by day,
Leaning trustingly upon Him as I walk along the way.
He is our greatest Helper and trusted Friend indeed.
And with Him no fear assails me and with Him we will succeed. (RP)

Here we go on our new adventure into 2017. At our ages, we are amazed we made it to this year. There are many things we would love to do in our service for the Lord this year. We pray He will be pleased to allow it to happen. Yesterday was a nice day for us. Our son was here for part of the morning. He helped me pick out a practical laptop for our ministry work, and we ordered it online. Harold bought it for us, and we are so grateful for his never-ending generosity. Ione Beyerlin, a long time friend at church was in the hospital yesterday morning, so I left Margie at church and I went to visit and pray for her.  Rawlie did the same on his way home. Thanks for praying. 

Sunday, January 1, 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.

We look back to last year and praise the Lord for all He has meant to us,
And realize very soon that it will be the same as we face this year with a plus.
God's goodness abounds to us all, and we never can thank Him enough,
Because we know one thing is sure: He'll be there in good times and rough. (RP)

We had a good ending to 2016 and now a fine start to 2017. Our son was with us since Thursday night, and returns this morning. The snow did not fall as deeply as they predicted. There will be church this morning. We look forward to it. We trust this day will be a blessing to you, and the entire year will be filled with His blessings. Thanks for praying.