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