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