Snowing again

It snowed, it is snowing now, and we are to get a few more inches tonight and tomorrow....

We have been able to set up several meetings in the next few weeks. Jim will be filling the pulpit for the next two Sundays for a small church south of South Bend. We are glad for the speaking opportunities.

I have to deal with my anemia again. It has gotten back to the point where I was in 2004, and I need to get some iron infusions. Thanks for remembering us in your prayers for these next weeks to come. Please pray for more meetings and support.

Early morning from the front window

The snow is more peaceful when I don't have to go out!

Children's meetings

We have had the opportunity to do a couple of children's presentations this month. The kids are always excited to see the tropical insects and butterflies. I found this artist's watercolor of tropical butterflies and thought it was beautiful.

Please pray for us to get many meetings set up for the next few weeks and months. We keep pressing on!

Thanks for your faithful prayers.

"One of the greatest tragedies of a believer's life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."
Author unknown

"All Thy works shall praise Thee..." Ps. 145

The true joys of Christmas certainly include seeing families cherishing time together. The smiles say it all!


This last month we traveled to Rochester, MN to encourage Dad as he endured a difficult surgery and cancer diagnosis. He still has some decisions to make regarding further treatments, and we would appreciate your prayers. The Mayo Clinic just has to be seen to appreciate their size and model of care. Even though the circumstances were tough, the family time was sweet.

Following the trip to MN, we drove to much warmer Tennessee to celebrate a lovely Christmas with Sara's family. They invited us and Bob, Janelle, and Olivia too. So as far as I am concerned, it was just perfect. We saw our grandchildren and had wonderful fellowship with the church folks and Sara's folks.

To finish out the month and into the New Year we drove to Chesapeake and enjoyed more warm weather and lots of fun family time with Dan, Sara, Peter, Bob, Janelle, and Olivia. We presented our Brazil work there the last Sunday of the year. Please pray for fruit from these churches.

We are now home again....Whew! I would not trade any of the times shared with our loved ones. What a Christmas blessing!
Everything here remained safe and dry. We do not take the Lord's protections for granted.

Thanks for remembering us in your prayers.

Entanglements

Things are kind of quiet for now. We have been finishing Christmas shopping, and Jim is working some part-time hours at his long-time employer for many years. He is helping them with software updating and report writing.

I have been reading a small book published in 1939 by Amy Carmichael. She reminds believers of the dangers of entanglement to social expectations, noisy unproductive talk, ("We should write it down as a law of the house that those who are absent are not to be discussed to their detriment, that no belittling stories are told of anyone, nor anything said about anyone unless it passes through the three sieves: Is it true? kind? necessary?"), and of spending time doing things instead of cultivating a closer walk with God.

We are so often reminded not to be caught up in the worldly entanglements of the secular Christmas celebrations. I need most of all to faithfully have my quiet time devotions and to walk with God. I need to be sensitive to the Spirit's reminders to watch my words especially when talking of other people. I need to pay great attention to my expectations being from the Lord.

Thank you for your part in helping us through prayer. It means so much.

Let us be wholly surrendered to God this Christmas.

First snow

The snow began falling last evening while we were enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with John and Noreen. The snow is beautiful with the Christmas lights. I took these pictures in this morning's early light.

Praise and thanksgiving

Because He first loved us...
"We love him, because he first loved us."
1 John 4:19

Because in Him we live, move, and exist...
"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."
Psalm 73:25-26

Because we have resurrected lives...
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
Galatians 6:14

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
2 Corinthians 5:21

Because you pray for us...
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
James 5:16