CHURCH AT HOME

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths. 

Proverbs 5:21

God is watching over things, and nothing escapes His eyes,

No matter what a man attempts, God is never taken by surprise.

He ponders every path we take, and knows exactly what we do,

Some day,He will reveal to us things we never imagined He knew.

In light of this dear friend, don't you think you better get things right,

Invite Jesus to be your Savior, and things will be okay in His sight.(RP)

Yesterday's schedule was different. We were ready to go to church and learned there would be no services because the electricity was off.  We stayed home an watched church programs on the TV. We watched several of them. At lunch we met our son and daughter-in-law in Bellingham and had a very nice time. Our son drove us home in our car and Gina attended a wedding shower in town. Later she came to our house and after a nice visit, they returned to their home in Stanwood, WA.  It was a lovely day. Today it is windy and raining.  Our lights went out for just 1/2 hour this morning. We hope that is the end of the outage for us. But MANY are still out after Saturday's heavy windstorm. Thanks for praying.  

BLACKOUT

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 

Our position in Christ is a justified one by faith in His work for us,

When we opened our lives and invited Him in to give us His perfect peace.

Oh how wonderful it is have such delights and the assurance of eternal life,

And a Savior who cares so deeply for us and that surely will never cease.(RP)

Yesterday the storm did a lot of damage. We escaped, thankfully, but many have it rough. Even today some are still in darkness without electricity. Margie and I were all ready to go to church and Sunday School when we received the word that our church is without electricity.  It was to be a special day with our pastor just returned from Asia, and Catherine Russell from Thailand, jointly giving reports of their ministries. Then a planned luncheon after church was how the morning was to end.  That is all cancelled now. At our house we have not had a power outage like many other places. We do have a generator and our son called me to run through the routine of how to hook it up to the house wiring system which his neighbor did for us several years ago. Fortunately we have not had to do it all, even though today they promise another high wind and rainy day. At this point all is calm. Thanks for praying. 

MORE OF THE SAME

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

Romans 12:2

It is so easy to get in a rut and act and talk like most of the lost,

But remember dear friend, doing this will certainly have a cost,

God commands us to be transformed by the renewing our mind,

Don't forget to do this and be as those who are spiritually behind.

When you don't conform to the world and are transformed, it's great,

You will prove that the acceptable and perfect will of God is first rate.(RP)

Heavy winds and rain are part of the weather forecast today. It is refreshing to have the moisture again. It has been dry a long time. I sent a welcome text to our pastor who was returning from Asia and he responded by saying he was at LAX airport.  It was 7:08 when he sent the text. We have no idea when he got home. This feels like a lazy day. I think we will help it by doing the same thing. Thanks for your prayers.

RAIN

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:May they prosper who love you.Psalm 122:6

Israel like all places is loved by God,but it has a special place,

We are to pray for Jerusalem, and upon it He will pour His grace.

God promises a certain prosperity for those who love this land,

And this blessing will come to all who lovingly follow His command.(RP)

During the night it started to rain. There is not a lot of it, but it seems to be sprinkling. It has been a long since we really had a good soaking. We hope it happens this time. As I write, Margie is still in bed, which makes me think she did not have a good night. We will soon know when she wakes up. Our pastor returns today from his ministry trip to Asia. Our church missionary, Catherine Russell returned from Thailand Tuesday. Sunday they both will give a report to the church. That will be great. Thanks to all you friends for your prayers. We appreciate them.

PREPARATION

Mark 16:15 

And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

The great commission has been given us, we know what needs to be done,

Christians must go to the lost everywhere, and preach til the battle is won. 

We are not sent to just anyone, but God's command is for all the earth,

Because He knows each person there, and for sure how much they are worth.

So believers in Jesus, heed the command,and go to a lost world in need,

Telling sinners that there is hope in Christ,and only with Him will they succeed.(RP)

We are in the countdown mode now for the start of the Bible class Sept 4. A week from tomorrow it starts. I am prepared with the lessons, but yesterday spent some time making  a new attendance record sheet. Margie does that part at the study which I appreciate very much. This morning I redressed the wound on Margie's ankle. Tuesday we go for the next check up at the Wound Healing Center. Today is Margie's hair day and in the afternoon we go to prayer meeting. Thanks for praying.

TREATMENT

He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Prov 10:4.

The facts are here in language clear about how some people are poor,

They are this way because of laziness and of this you can really be sure. 

The diligent man has enough to eat 'cause he's not afraid of work,

And he uses wisely his time you see and his duties he does not shirk.(RP)

Margie went through the Wound Healing Center yesterday and the first visit was about two hours long. They thoroughly checked her and examined her wound and took a biopsy. A good part of this process was that the same doctor who performed a hernia repair for Margie years ago, was the doctor in charge yesterday. A Christian doctor and we had a wonderful time visiting with him. After this we had a late anniversary meal together, shopped for a few things, and went home. We had been gone 5 hours from home. The smoky weather cleared considerably and for this we are thankful, especially for those who have breathing and allergy problems. Thanks so much for your prayers. 

WOUND CLINIC

Is not My word like a fire says the LORD, And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Jeremiah 23:29

God describes to us the power of His word and all it can do,

Like a fire it takes our lives and burns out sin, and makes us new.

His word like a hammer breaks our stubborn wills and sets us free,And the results are so rewarding that all who know us can really see.(RP)

Margie is getting herself ready for our trip to the Wound Clinic this morning.  I am filling out the paper work for her. We are praying they will be able to get this pressure ulcer healed and she will be okay. The weather is definitely cooler in the morning. A little heat feels good. We are in the countdown now for our Bible class- just ten more days.  Several have voiced their desire for the restart of the class. We are pleased to hear this. Thanks for praying.