2/19 ;-)

After the christening of his baby brother in church,
Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.
His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied,
"That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home,
and I wanted to stay with you guys."

2/18 Thought

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.

C S Lewis

It Snowed 29 years ago February 17th

A reprint from last year a way for me to remember that I am a very blessed man, blessed indeed….

You may ask how I remember that.
It was on that day in February that a couple of kids that many said would not make it, said their vows. Married by a minister who we did not know, in a church that we did not attend with no rehearsal prior to the evening. The day started out with some snow flurries and turned to several inches of snow by the evening. As my best man and I made our way to the Church in my 1965 Chevy truck, we topped a hill and looked down to see several cars in a tangled mess. I was unable to stop, so I did the best thing I could do and steered into a yard coming to rest in a ditch against a line of hedges. Due to the roads, we were already running dangerously close to being late. I got out of the truck in my baby blue tux (quite stylish at the time) and slid down the hill, where I explained to the group of angry, frustrated drivers that I was late for my own wedding. To my surprise they crawled back up the hill to my truck with me where they and my best man (also dressed in an equally stylish baby blue tux) pushed the truck back on to the street and around the wrecks.
I learned later that back at the church my future father-in-law was saying, "I told you he wouldn't come, I told you he was a bum."
I did finally make it, a little muddy, a little cold, a little frustrated and scared to death.
I look back today and can say the same thing about the last 29 years.
We both made it to the church that day; and due to the same determination we have made it these years. We have gotten stuck, sometimes others didn't believe in us, it has taken a lot of help from family, friends and strangers to get us out of ditches that I put us in. But today we are here, but not at our destination. Just like that day not so long ago, we are not finished yet, we are only beginning another phase of this wonderful journey.

Happy Anniversary Deb.

Greg

Some poetry help for Valentines

I searched and found some of the best poems and sayings I could for this special day. I am thinking about getting into the greeting card business

I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon. ~Author Unknown

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip. ~Jonathan Carroll, "Outside the Dog Museum"

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown


True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked. ~Erich Segal

Maybe the best is:
A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it. ~Frank A. Clark


OK maybe I should not go in to the greeting card business..

Elizabeth's Party

Many know that Mona was admitted to the hospital over two weeks ago with pneumonia and has been on a ventilator now for 14 days. Last week her daughter Elizabeth had her birthday. We did what Mona would have done for us, instead of the normal study, and youth program on Wednesday, we stopped and had a party. It was not to forget about Mona, but to honor her by giving her family what she would have given if she could. Today she had lung surgery; she is stable but has a long road ahead.

Elizabeth ask me to pose with her, here we are together.



Her Party Pictures

2/10 Thought

I came across a powerful writing about prayer, it is a bit messy, but so is life.....

How shall I pray? Are tears prayers Lord? Are screams prayers, or groans, or sighs, or curses? Can trembling hands be lifted to you, or clenched fists, or cold sweat that trickles down my back, or the cramps that knot my stomach? Will you accept my prayers Lord. my real prayers, rooted in the muck and mud and rocks of my life, and not just the pretty, cut-flower, gracefully arranged bouquet of words? Will you accept me Lord as I really am. Messed up mixture of glory and grime?
Ted Loder from Guerillas of grace

2/7 thought

If you have courage, you will influence people based on your convictions. If you lack courage, you will influence people based on your comfort zones. Courage will take you anywhere you believe God is leading you. Without courage, you will go where you are comfortable. [Wayne Schmidt ]

Blog Anniversary!

February 1 2007 I posted my first Blog, now 280 posts later I celebrate 1 year. As I scan back over some of the posts I find a lot has happened in a year. Good and bad days, stories, dumb jokes, quotes and videos. I was thrilled as many of you joined this e-community and began sharing your journey.

As I look to the future I am reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln, the best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time. I guess that is where a Blog helps, it causes you to take each day and find something in it to share or save. I don’t know what the future holds, but I plan on being here watching, and writing about it whether good or bad.

As said in a tale of two cities, "it was the best of times and the worst of times", I think Art Buchwald said it better; "Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got" ;-)

May you live all your life
Greg