Longer Days???

The days do not actually get longer (still only 24 hours in a day)as it stays lighter later, so it seems so. An old Indian once said, "you cannot make a blanket longer if you cut one end of a blanket off and sew it to the other end". So much for daylight savings time!!! It really is nice though to have more sunlight and less darkness. And so it is in our lives - more SONlight and less darkness (sin).

Yesterday we spent the morning at the RV show as our Christian Resort Ministries group hosted a booth in order to spread the information of our RV ministry (placing chaplains in RV parks) as well as recruit prospective chaplains. It was interesting meeting with people, hearing their stories, and seeing old friends. It was so inspiring to listen to others as they related their testimony, shared prayers and praises, and just talked with us. Praise God that a young lady was actually brought to Christ through the ministering of one of our chaplains. It was also a lot of fun as Chaplains Roy and Paula Gee share their fun experience with you. We had the opportunity to share the ministry works on the radio that morning when Regional Director Chaplain Lee Tracey explained our ministry to the area.

Roy and Paula enjoying the RV show

The sun is shining today and it has certainly warmed up, as this morning we had to wear jackets to church. Lots of folks out enjoying this day - biking, walking, just visiting. I have a pot of chicken soup cooking, for tomorrow is the first day of our CHI Bible fellowship and study. We are going to be studying the Essential 100 - 100 essential Bible verses from Genesis to Revelation.  It will be an inspiring time breaking bread together and studying God's Word.

 

We attended a volunteers luncheon at Children's Haven office in Pharr this week. So many volunteers needed to help this ministry continue to grow. It was interesting to listen to how long some of these volunteers have been serving CHI - we have been  working there 8 years, 5 of them as Chaplains. Time never seems to slow down.

 

There have been so many different kinds of birds in the park this year - including pairs of cardinals which we have not seen in recent years. We even had a beautiful fox on the other side of the lake (the east side of the park) who took up residency for a few weeks before he was trapped and released again into the wild. Guess he liked our friendly residents and the left overs they fed him!!!

 

There was a full house in church this morning - we again had to set up more chairs. Luckily, we had enough bulletins this week. Chaplain Lee used Romans Chapter 12 as a basis for most of his sermon. In it, Paul is "begging" us (he used the word "urge", some other translations use "beseech) us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. We all want to some day see Jesus but are we ready to go now?? Are we right with God  or do we have unforgiveness and bitterness in our hearts? Wow - what a huge question. We ask for forgiveness, but do we give it as freely as we ask for it?? Do we place it at the feet of Jesus, and then take it back again? We often hear forgive and forget - we forgive but we never forget. How we remember is the key issue here. We can continue to remember and feel bitter, or remember with forgiveness and love in our hearts. We strive to follow Jesus, but still do not know the total extent of what He wants from us. He grants us grace - receiving what we don't deserve, and gives us His mercy - not receiving what we do deserve. Oh, how we need direction and encouragement from the Lord in order to use our lives for the Lord.

 

This week remember that it is OK to mess up - we are all human. Just pick up and go on - quit beating yourself up for what has already passed and concentrate on what will be. All of us need God.

 

On a personal note - we are going to be great grandparents again in June - a baby girl named Harper Rhea. Hey kids, we need a few more boys here. 4 great granddaughters and only one great grandson.