12 things I love about my husband...

1. He has a wonderful kind heart.


2. He loves me no matter what I look like.


3. His heart for God is growing deeper through the years.


4. He is HONEST and FAIR in his business and in life.


5. He drops dollars from the top of the staircase for me to catch.


6. He ALWAYS loves a good joke!


7. He ADORES his 6 grandchildren, they light up his face!


8. He 'gets it' when I tell him about something I am feeling deeply.


9. He loves to make me happy.


10. He is dependable and trustworthy.


11. He is always ready to pray about anything I ask him to.


12. He makes me laugh!

Happy Birthday Courtney....

Beautiful huge sparkling eyes...

a giggle that is always ready to start...

a gift for drama and acting, I mean a REAL gift!!

absolutely 'gets it' when I'm telling a funny story...

She has a real desire to be God's girl...

LOVES to remind me of when I put on black eye liner instead of lip liner and never knew it...SHE knew it!!!

I got one of her very first smiles, never will forget that day!

Responsible, reliable and strong character...

Right from the start, you stole our hearts!

14 today...no way!!!!

Happy 14th Birthday Courtney!!! We love you tons!!!

'Chosen by God'... amazing to me

Hope springs from those words,

Redeemed and set free!

God spoke my name before I was formed

He knew who I was before I was born.

Human heart spends a lifetime, seeks endlessly

For the answer to life - God abiding - in me!

He has promised me LIFE, in the name of His Son

No searching for more, the victory is won.

Coming before Him, I bend my knee

Heart filled with thanksgiving for His gift to me.

The rest of my life - such a small offering

To the one who has saved me, My God and my King!

Sonja

Pieces of paper stuck in my Bible...

Through the years, I have stuck notes and special things I have heard or read, into the inside cover of my Bible. Many times when I reach for it, the whole thing falls out and all over the floor. So far it hasn't broken the habit, there is a treasure trove of valuable 'bits and pieces' stuck in there.

Today, in an overflow file of those notes I found:

NEVER GIVE UP:

"...for He (God) Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. (I will) not, (I will) not, (I will) not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake nor let (you) down, (relax my hold on you). - Assuredly not! "

Hebrews 13:5b (The Amplified Bible)

Another amazing promise, for today, and for every day...

"Notes" from my Dad...

When my dad went to heaven in 2001, we were all so blessed to come together for his memorial service in southern California. One of the things we did together was go to his office where his books were EVERYWHERE... just as they had been in our home, all through our life. My mother used to say she had to 'make a path' to walk through dad's study. In all of his books, as we began to look and decide where they should all go, were his notes.... underlined... thoughts added ...prayer requests... scripture... and his heart... on page after page. In the drawers were the little scraps of paper and notes, written through the years of his life, including prayers for us as his children. I remember as a child, dad was always jotting things down. The only time he didn't have his pen and paper ready was when he was preaching. If anyone else was preaching, the heart of the message went into his notes.

They would fill many books, and they filled his life.... and enriched his ministry and his walk with God. And in turn, our lives as his children are richer and fuller, as we watched and learned...In my bible is a page from his notes, hand typed by dad on his 'hunt and poke' old typewriter, words given to Joe and I at our wedding by dad...

"This is a happy day, a crowning day for both of you. It seems to me that the rest of us have come to see 2 strands of love interwoven in your wedding tie today- a kind of double romance. We have watched. We have seen your human love take shape along with the divine love of Christ in your hearts. They are not the same, and the one is not a substitute for the other. But, they are married. They are one. They make the divine triangle of love complete. This makes your marriage for me as a father and as a minister a double blessing.

Sometimes it has been said, "Love is 50/50, but Christ shows us a better way. The trouble in our society today is that too much is only on a 50/50 basis, half hearted and divided. Life is not half and love is not half, it is not 50/50, it is 100% both ways! Forgiveness is not 50%, it is 100%, and many times you will both give in 100%. This is the life of love. Keep everything on a 100% basis, with nothing between. Share your secrets together, your joys and your sorrows, your trials & triumphs.

I would like to give you a very wonderful verse for this your wedding and your life together. Matthew 18:19 "If 2 of you shall agree on earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven". ...If I could give you a check for a million dollars today, it would not compare with what Christ gives you in this verse......"

Once in awhile, I get this paper out and re-read it. Words from the loving heart of my father... and words for a lifetime!

David, a Man After God's Heart...

I am taking such a great bible study course at our church right now. It is about the life of David, who was CHOSEN by God and was a man 'after God's own heart'... I have ALWAYS loved the story of David in the Bible... the reason is that despite the grievous sins he committed, David had a deep desire to be God's man, and God called David 'a man after his heart.' ...It is a huge comfort to me that God KNEW in advance, exactly what David would do, both right and wrong, and yet... GOD SAW THE POTENTIAL OF DAVID'S HEART, and He CHOSE David! I know that God has CHOSEN me in the same way . HE SEES MY POTENTIAL AND WANTS TO SEE THAT POTENTIAL REALIZED. That is just an amazing thought, that this same God Almighty... loves me and is shaping me day by day into what He wants my life to be.

The verses that tell us "YOU WERE CHOSEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD," and "BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN YOUR MOTHER'S WOMB, I KNEW YOU AND SET YOU APART" ... those verses feel like a personal message to me from God, and tells me how important I am to Him, that HE created me and chose me. Not 'the rich and famous, or smart or beautiful', but ME!... WOW!!!

PINK, PINK, PINK.....

My 'buddies' at our local bank went all out in transforming their bank



for Breast Cancer Awareness Day. I'm about a week late, but I ran by there this morning and got these pictures before they 'un-decorate'...





This is in honor of Betty, and all the others who have already traveled this road, whatever the form of cancer... Molly,John, Mary Lou, Dennis, Kevin, Carolyn, Carson and countless others! We are all in this fight together! Thanks for your courageous examples to the rest of us... and to all of my friends at the bank ( you too, Kyle!)... thanks for this very special reminder!

October, Fall and Pumpkins...

Fall is almost here,
I can feel it in the air,

Pumpkins, pumpkins
everywhere!