EXERCISE

 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
                                                                                                                     Philippians 1:6

Since Paul had his knee replacement surgery almost a year and a half ago, we have been trying faithfully to workout at least three times a week. This has not been easy, but find it is extremely necessary the older we get. So, we walk the treadmill, work the weights, and ride the stationary bike to keep our bodies moving. We generally have been doing this in the late afternoon as our mornings and early afternoons are full of other activities.

Keeping our bodies in shape is just one of many areas that we need to focus on.  As people get older, it's important to keep our minds sharp. Reading and thinking activities such as sudoku help to keep our minds active and sharp.

As Christians we also need to nurture our spirit with Bible study, prayers, meditation, Bible memory and listening to what God is saying to us. All of these areas of spiritual development are ongoing just like the physical exercise and our thinking skills. Philippians 1:6 tells us that God has begun a good work in us and will carry it to completion.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy and Penny

MAY BASKET

Thou wilt shew me the path of life:  in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right had there are pleasures for evermore.  Psalm 16:11


When we were much younger, one of the activities that was common at that time was hanging a may basket.  Those participating would take a plain basket and decorate it with crepe paper and flowers and then fill it with popcorn, candy and other goodies.  Then they would take the basket and sneak up to some unsuspecting friends house, put the basket on the door step and yell, "May Basket" and run.  The person then had to try to catch those who were involved in hanging the basket.  For some of you, this might bring up some memories. 

Howard and Colleen Laser in their new condo

Recently we have had some of the members of Paul's Sunday School class move to a new locations.  Gail got the idea of hanging a may basket on them and giving them a house warming gift. So we gathered some other members of the class for the event. We were invited in and given a tour of their new dwelling.  At this time we also prayed a blessing over them and their new home.  As a part of the adventure they shared with us their popcorn and candy from the basket.

Dick and Rhea Butler at Grand Court

We found this to be a great time of fellowship and heard many good stories about the down sizing process each of them had to go through as they moved from a much larger dwelling to a smaller condo or apartment.  They were still dealing with boxes in the garage and looking forward to being settled.

Helen Mitchell just moving into Grand Court

The opportunity to hang a may basket on these friends brought us great joy.  However, we can have lasting joy by being in the presence of the Lord.  The verse above states that at His right hand are available pleasures evermore.  This isn't some fleeting happiness that is here today and gone tomorrow, but we can have a basket full of lasting joy. 

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy and Penny

THREE AMBITIONS

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands. 
         I Thessalonians 4:11a

A day in our quiet neighborhood is a far cry from what is taking place in Baltimore. It appears that none of these mandates from the Apostle Paul have been followed by the protesters and anarchists very recently in the largest city in Maryland. If they had sought direction of the above verse there would not have been any burning of buildings, destroying of property, or injuries.

When Paul was growing up he lived on a farm that promoted hard work, which many of the young people growing up today don't have that opportunity. Baling hay, milking cows, planting crops, cleaning the chicken coop, and mowing a huge lawn my hand were a few of the responsibilities that fell on Paul. Also being involved in 4-H provided many opportunities to see the rewards of hard work.

Today was a beautiful spring day with the sun shining and the grass turning lush with green. Patsy and Penny enjoyed lounging in the soft grass and sunshine this afternoon while we worked on mulching the hostas garden. It seemed so good to be out in the spring air and enjoying the physical activity which creates sore muscles and aching backs. Even though we are very tired it's a good tired.

Look for Patsy and Penny.

Our challenge is to take inventory of your life using I Thessalonians 4:11a as a guide.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

THE WIND BLOWETH

And the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.                    Matthew 7:25

For at least two days the wind has been blowing very hard, ringing our wind chimes constantly.
Our neighbor, David Mowrey, said that he thought the winds exceeded fifty miles an hour yesterday.
In Atlanta, our daughter, Rebecca, said they had high winds with hail sending them to the basement.
As a result of all the wind, Paul spent a large chunk of time this morning picking up small sticks and branches in the yard so he could make way for the first mowing of the season. Often in the spring comes high winds because of the changing weather pattern. But the wind is beneficial because it helps to dry the muddy ground that the spring thaw creates.

In our culture, there are great winds that create various philosophies and ideas that cause many people to buy into them should they not be grounded in a strong moral code. The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus the importance of being grounded in their and knowledge of the Son of God and becoming mature in fullness of Christ. He goes on to say in Ephesians 4:14, "Then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming." We need to be sure our lives and our homes are built on a solid rock which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we can know that the adversities of life or other philosophies will huff and puff and not blow the house down.

Make sure that your house will stand no matter what kind of wind comes along.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

THE GOLDEN YEARS

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

Today Paul had the opportunity to substitute in a fourth grade classroom.  The students were well behaved but full of energy.  This was a good challenge for Paul as he often takes a nap after lunch.  There was no nap today for him.,  It was a joy to be with the students, but it was totally exhausting to keep a lid on their energy,. 

Now that we are in our seventies, we have come to the realization that we don't have the energy we used to.  When we built out two homes, Paul would work all day and then go to the construction site and work late into the night.  This would go on week after week.  Now we generally go to bed between nine and ten o'clock.  The spirit is always willing, but the body seems to be weak. 

The Message translation of the Bible brings the reality of our situation in Ecclesiastes chapter 12.  It says, "In old age, your body no longer serves you so well.  Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen." 

Most importantly our strength comes from the Lord.

Blessings and encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy and Penny

PALM SUNDAY TORNADO

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance. 
Psalm 33:11-12

Fifty years ago this coming Saturday will be the anniversary of the Palm Sunday tornadoes that swept through the Midwest. Locally, two tornadoes forty-five minutes apart hit the Devil's Lake area doing extensive damage to homes and out buildings as well as leaving a death toll of eleven people. At that time there wasn't the warning system there is now so people were not prepared for the devastation that took place. Recently we heard a gentleman by the name of Don Cherry speak at the historical museum about the tornadoes and the book he has written regarding the Palm Sunday disaster at Devil's Lake.

At that time, Paul was single and living west of Adrian on Beecher Road with his parents. He was finishing his senior year at Adrian College. On that Sunday his brother and finance were on their way to Jackson after spending Palm Sunday with the family. After they left the weather turned very windy with lots of rain. We had no idea what was transpiring just a few miles from the house. Meanwhile, Paul's brother was heading directly into the tornado. However, when he reached Rome Center they decided to take a different way to Jackson and went towards Onsted of heading directly to Devil's Lake. A few miles down Onsted Highway the wind from the tornado was so strong that it picked up Paul's brother's car and dropped it in the ditch and at the same time sucking out the rear window. Fortunately neither of them were injured and after a period of time a farmer came by on a tractor and pulled them out of the ditch. During this time neither Paul nor his parents had any idea what had transpired. All of a sudden they heard a car pull in the driveway and his brother came running in the house exclaiming that Devil's Lake had been hit by a tornado and they also had been thrown in the ditch. We had no realization of the devastation that took place that evening.

The very next day Gail had an opportunity through her job to accompany the Adrian City Engineer in a flight over the Devil's Lake area. She could not believe the wide area of destruction with trees and homes flattened. It was hardly recognizable.

Seeing this made her realize how temporary things can be. Within the blink of an eye all that man holds dear can be destroyed. But, in God's Word we realize that His plans stand forever. It speaks in Scripture that we are to store up our treasures in heaven where it will not be destroyed because things here on earth are temporary but things in heaven are eternal.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

VACATION - NOT

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.  Colossians 3:15

By the first of March we were getting all excited about our trip to California to visit our son, Roger.
We already had our plane tickets scheduled for March 17th and were beginning to plan our itinerary while there. At this end there were many things to keep us busy until our departure including subbing, hosting our church's evangelist, working on a painting, and helping to organize a Lenten breakfast hosted by our church. This event was held on Wednesday, March 11th, and the following day Gail began to come down with flu like symptoms. By Sunday she was feeling so bad that she called the doctor who prescribed some medication in hopes that Gail would feel better. However, after taking the medication, she not only continued with coughing and congestion but developed intestinal issues as well. With the plane flight less than 36 hours away Paul suggested that she stop taking the medication in hopes that things would settle down.

On Tuesday, March 17th we flew to San Francisco by way of Seattle and met our son in sunny California. But, even with the sun and 80 degree temperatures Gail's illness progressively got worse. By Thursday we found ourselves in the emergency room trying to get some answers as to what could be done to relieve the illness. She was given some medication which she reacted to adversely. So, by Saturday we were back at the emergency room still trying to get some answers. A strong antibiotic was prescribed which only made matters worse. By Monday we were back at the emergency room was completely packed with at least 80 people. We waited almost six hours and finally after 10:00 p.m. we decided to leave without seeing a doctor. There was a real dilemma as our flight was scheduled for Tuesday, March 24th. No way was Gail able to fly on that date. Our only solution was to call our daughter Christiane who frequently flies Delta Airlines, which was the airline we were flying. She had a special phone number she was able to call and with very little trouble she was able to change our tickets to a direct flight on Saturday, March 28th. Even better than that, she was able to do it at no charge. Fortunately, Gail was able to fly home on that date and was so glad to be home. Christiane suggested that a wheelchair be available at both airports for Gail's convenience because she was too weak to walk any distance. That was truly a blessing.

Many times in life things don't turn out as you have planned them. This was one of those times that all the activities that we had planned during our stay were scrapped, and we basically spend the entire time in Roger's townhouse. The weather was spectacular as the sun shined everyday with the temperature in the 80s. Roger was truly a saint during this entire time as he never complained or made any indication of his disappointment. He had even taken the entire week off from work just to spend time doing things with us. It was not in the plans to visit the emergency room three times. We keep wondering why God allowed all of this to happen, but we just have to trust and to believe that He is able to bring good from all things.

We were hoping to have several beautiful pictures of California to show with our blog but this is the best we can do.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy and Penny