This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.             I John 3:16

A tradition in the Palpant household is to attend the Memorial Day parade in Adrian. It stirs our emotions to see the veterans from World War II, Korean conflict, Vietnam, Bosnia, and Iraq/Afghanistan.  Unfortunately, not many of the WWII veterans can march in the parade anymore, but they certainly attend if they can. This year there was a fitting ceremony at Monument Park that began and ended with prayer, and Adrian High School Band played the Star Spangled Banner. Following an excellent speech by a veteran, there was a gun salute and the playing of Taps. The crowd was not as large as it should have been but, more than ever, great respect was shown by those attending.

There are many places in the Bible where God told the leaders to make a memorial in remembrance of what took place from the hand of God.  An example would be the stones that were piled up after the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land. There were twelve stones representing each of the twelve tribes of Israel. A memorial that we as Christians use would be the Cross and the Sacraments. Both of these symbols help us to remember what God has done for us just like Memorial Day is a time to remember those who have fought for our country and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

A good exercise that we did as a family was to record how God worked in our lives each year since the beginning of our marriage. This is a form of a memorial or, as in Joshua, the piling of stones for remembrance. We would encourage you to create some kind of memory book or listing of important events, blessings, or milestones in the life of your family. This helps to create a memorial that is unique to you and your family.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul and Gail

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28

We, Paul and Gail, had the opportunity of helping with the wedding invitations which brought us to the realization that our Rebecca is getting married. We decided that we are going to enjoy the journey even when the busyness becomes a detractor.

Speaking of invitations, the greatest invitation we ever received was God sending us an invitation of a free gift of salvation, All we have to do is accept that invitation, and upon doing so, the journey of each day will be blessed if Christ is in it.  We both accepted this invitation when we were very young children, but it is never too late whether you're young or old. Each day has its ups and downs, but keeping our eyes on Christ allows us to view circumstances from God's perspective.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul and Gail

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O, my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.   Psalm 146:1-2

We regret that we missed our blog this past Tuesday as we were in the middle of attempting to get our spring flowers planted and preparing wedding invitations for mailing. Unfortunately, our Tuesday blog got put on the back burner. However, we couldn't wait until next Tuesday to share this news.

Yesterday Paul had an appointment at St. Joe's for a test to determine his progress. We arrived there at the crack of dawn, and he was admitted by 6:30 a.m. for testing. The test was the use of a scope into the stomach area that also included ultrasound capabilities to be able to look into other organs such as liver and pancreas. Of course, Paul received a mild anesthetic so he didn't have any idea as to how the procedure went until he woke up and met with the doctor.  Both of us heard the report, and it was good news. He stated that everything was progressing as expected and, he didn't find anything that was of concern to him. A full report is going to be sent to Dr. Kreske and Dr. Masyk. Paul is to follow up with one of the doctors at Huron Gastro in a few weeks. We certainly praise the Lord for this good news. Paul is to go sometime in August or September for a CT scan of his abdominal area. We anticipate a good report from that test as well.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul and Gail

CELEBRATION

                                                                       CELEBRATION

         I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

                                                                                       Philippians 3:14

After much sweat, tears and perseverance our daughter, Christiane, graduated from Indiana University with a MBA degree last Saturday evening.  Early that morning we left to meet all of our family at the Courtyard Hotel in Indianapolis by one o’clock. Gail had packed a lunch so we could have a picnic together before heading toward the graduation. Christiane had arranged for all of us to take a bus from downtown Indianapolis to Bloomington, Indiana where the graduation was held. After an hour bus ride we gathered with many other families of MBA graduates for a buffet dinner. At this time we had an opportunity to greet many friends and professors Christiane had met through this program.

Following the banquet, we boarded the bus to travel several miles to the auditorium where the graduation was held. Christiane got her cap and gown and hood and marched in the ceremony with others receiving their MBA degree.

She began the program in the summer of 2010 and after thousands of hours of study, many tears, and much perseverance while working full time, she was able to walk across the stage and receive her degree. During our time at the graduation we were able to meet some of Christiane’s friends and professors who are real quality people. In fact, one of her close friends, Mitch Thompson, received the Leadership Award among all of those in the program.

After taking many pictures and meeting lots of people, we boarded the bus and headed back to Indianapolis. Upon arriving in Indianapoli,s all three of our adult children were saying they were hungry. It was late but we were out voted 3 to 2 and ended up at a Denny’s stuffing ourselves with Nachos Supreme. We didn’t get to bed until after midnight. The next morning we met a little after 7:00 in the hotel restaurant for breakfast and for making plans for Rebecca's upcoming wedding.  By 9:00 a.m. we all departed, holding special memories of this milestone in Christiane’s life. CONGRATULATIONS, CHRISTIANE! Keep pressing on.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul and Gail

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

With many things going on in our busy life, we have now added the wedding of our daughter, Rebecca, in July. As a result there is a lot of planning that needs to be done to prepare for this special event. There are so many details that need to be considered, they can be overwhelming at times. However, we keep saying to ourselves and our family, "Remember to enjoy the journey".

This past Sunday evening we spent almost an hour talking to both our daughters about many of the details of the wedding and reception. Shortly after this time on the phone we went to bed, but Gail stayed awake until the early morning hours with her mind churning with details associated with the wedding. The next morning the Lord directed us to a very appropriate devotional which was a good reminder to help us enjoy the journey. It was a short but very important message from the Lord. Hopefully it will be an encouragement to you as well.

                                         
                                               Preparing for garden wedding at Rick's


The devotional read as follows: "When some basic need is lacking - time, energy, money - consider yourself blessed. Your very lack is an opportunity to latch onto Me with unashamed dependence. When you begin a day with inadequate resources, you must concentrate your efforts on the present moment.  This is where you are meant to live - in the present; it is the place where I always await you. Awareness of your inadequacy is a rich blessing, training you to rely wholeheartedly on Me.

The truth is that self-sufficiency is a myth perpetuated by pride and temporary success. Health and wealth can disappear instantly, as can life itself. Rejoice in your insufficiency, knowing that My Power is made perfect in weakness."

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul and Gail