PRUNING

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to conclusions that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritually refining process, with glory just around the corner.          I Peter 4:12-13 The Message

People who have vineyards and orchards have the responsibility to prune their grapevines and thin their peaches, apples, and other fruit so that the remaining fruit will be large and flavorful.  When a metallurgist refines gold, he has to heat the gold to a very hot temperature so that the impurities can be removed. A woodworker often has to apply rough sandpaper to a piece of wood to help smooth and finish it into a beautiful, decorative piece.

Recently, Patsy got into some burrs to the point that her ears were all matted. As hard as we tried we were unable to get the burrs out and untangle her matted hair. It was time to take both pups to the groomer to see what could be done. Generally, when they have been groomed, they come back with a basic trim. However, we got a call from the groomer stating that Patsy's ears were so badly matted that she was going to have to be trimmed very close, almost shaved. Obviously, Penny would have to have the same cut, even though she wasn't as bad. Needless to say, drastic measures had to be taken in order for the matting to be removed. In a few short weeks, we are hoping they will return to their normal look. We sense that they are a bit embarrassed about how they appear.

                                              Hiding

                                              Embarrassed

It has been determined that our grandson, Darien, needs braces for his teeth. The dentist is concerned that his adult teeth will need to be straightened in order to have a proper bite. The past month or two he has gone through the preparation procedure to have the braces applied. This past week Darien had the braces installed. For the first few weeks the braces will be uncomfortable and annoying, but Darien will soon get use to them as part of his mouth. Certainly, this temporary discomfort will create a much better oral situation for him in the long run.

                               Beginning stage of braces for Darien

In our lives God often takes us through a pruning or refining process so that we come out much better in our walk with Him and our relationship with others. When we are going through these difficult times, we don't realize that it is for our best, but God has promised in I Peter that "this is a spiritual
refining process, with glory just around the corner."

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny-

French Relatives

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps and did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
                                                                                                                       Matthew 25:1-4

We have been making preparations for the coming of some of our French cousins the end of August. A menu is being planned in hopes that we will have sufficient food on hand for their visit.  They will be here for a week along with our children. A reunion is also being planned at our home for Sunday, August 25th so lots of planning has to take place. The French are known for their excellent  cuisine and are known to spend a big portion of their time cooking and eating which is a focal point of their culture. When we have visited France, it is nothing to spend two to three hours at the table in eating and conversation.  Maybe I need to back up at this point and remind everyone that Paul's father was French, and he has more relatives in France than he has in the United States.

 French relatives-Lady on right will be visiting us with her husband. 

Our daughter Christiane is named after her.

Because we want their time here to be memorable, we are doing an extra amount of planning and preparation so everything will go smoothly. For the reunion, we have relatives coming from New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, California, and Minnesota. /Not only are we having to prepare food, but we are also organizing day trips to acquaint them with the area that Paul's father and uncle experienced when they first came to the States.

All of this activity reminded us of the story of the ten virgins in the Bible. Five of the virgins were well prepared and five were called foolish  as they did not have any oil for their lamps. Whereas, the wise virgins made preparation for a jar of oil along with their lamps. Not only are we to keep our house in order in all ways, but it is also important that we are prepared spiritually. We don't know when Christ will return or we may be called home.We need to make sure that our complete trust and faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have a daily walk with Him. So, the old Boy Scout adage is true, "Always be prepared."

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

Friends

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the countenance of his friend.  Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)

For several years Gail has been meeting three other ladies for lunch on a regular basis. The lunches usually take two to three hours. Obviously there is more to the meal than just what they had to eat.
They are called "The Rosey Friends" because they always keep their conversation in a positive light.
Each time they would choose a different restaurant, but it didn't seem to matter where they met, the conversation always flowed.

                Jan, Deb, Pat and Gail in The Thing ready to go to lunch.


Last July one of the Rosey Friends moved to Tennessee after her husband retired from Dow Chemical. This week they came back to Michigan to visit family and, of course, the Rosey friends wanted to pick up where they left off. On Tuesday morning, they gathered along with their husbands at the Palpant home for a breakfast and good conversation.  Family and the blessings of the Lord were the topics of discussion around the table. The couple that had moved to Tennessee took a trip to the Holy Land this past April. The account of their experience was fascinating and spellbinding.

As Proverbs says "iron sharpens iron", it was a special time of interaction that was encouraging and affirming. It really confirmed the importance of relationships, and how they can have great impact on one's life. Barbra Streisand sang, "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world". We certainly appreciate the people that God has brought into our lives, which makes us very blessed.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

P.S. (This includes Patsy and Penny as dogs are a man's best friend.)