A Short Breather

 Since we have been back in NW Arkansas we indeed have taken  time to take a deep breath. It still seems like we are on vacation and not really here for good. I am sure we will finally feel at home when we get settled in a home of our own. We will be leaving this next week for Wisconsin to visit friends and relatives that we have not seen in  few years. While we are there, we will attend a shower for our 9th great grand baby ( boy), spend time with our Wisconsin daughter and her husband, as well as her son who we have not seen in about 4+ years. God has truly blessed us by allowing us to return - we are just waiting with anticipation to see what plans He has for our future 

While in NW AR, we attended a softball game of our great grand daughter, Brielle. She really does a great job, even made 2 points for her team! She is so full of energy and enthusiastic all the time. We also took our two great granddaughters to supper a their favorite Mexican restaurant.  It seemed like we wanted t do everything that we had missed for the many years we were in S Texas.

Concentrating on catching

her teammates - a bunch of really competitive girls - Brielle is in the front row on the left

Do you ever think of why God created the earth and all the amazing creatures in it?? It was for God but also for man's enjoyment, for us to see and enjoy. Our daughter's home is in the woods - actually not far from time but really isolated. As we were doing dishes one evening, a doe and her fawn were in the backyard for a long time. The fawn would scamper and run around the yard, while Mom quietly munched on the fresh, green grass. Almost every evening at least two racoons come up on the porch to enjoy the treats left there for them. Last night a lonely possum ventured up to also partake of the food. 

                                       Momma and baby - our son-in-law named COVID 21

                                                      making sure all is ok

                                this does not show up so well, but our daughter's blue/purple hydrangeas are                                                                                            beautiful. 

Saturday, two daughters, a grand daughter,  great grand daughter, and grand son's wife Page all went to get our pedicures together. These are the times that I really treasure - a time to laugh, bond, and create memories. I am especially thankful for this time together because Page is very quiet, and it gave her the opportunity to be more involved in our girl time. She became more talkative and seemed to really have enjoyed herself.  

Damaris is mentioned in the Bible in Acts 17:31. Her name means heifer, a reference to a young girl and certainly not a slang or a derogatory manner. She was a convert of Paul when he was a Mars Hill, and was perhaps a well known Athenian. Some writers say she was the wife of  Dionysius, but there seems to be no proof of that. When Paul was mocked at Athens, Damaris along with Dionysius were there, stood by him and then believed. Paul must have been overjoyed at their conversion and knew that their names were then written in the Book of Life!

Attending our home church this morning was such a wonderful feeling - seeing old friends, renewing acquaintances, and meeting new folks as we all worshipped together through song and prayer. We feel so very blessed to be a part of this church family of God. Vance continued in the Book of Colossians God told Timothy to watch his doctrine and his life. The Book of Colossians is divided into two parts - the first part is doctrine (the root of your faith) and the second part is how you behave ( the fruit of your faith). Today is no time for us to sleep because of what is happening in the world today. A spiritual war is going on. What do you believe about Jesus? Was He a mythical character or was He a real human being? the source for us to know about Jesus and to know Jesus is the Bible. "Pretend" Jesus is the one who fuels our culture today. Jesus is the only begotten Son of our Lord, born of a virgin, raised from the dead, and the only way to God out Father. The people of Colossae were defying Jesus' deity. We believe the Jesus is God in the flesh. He was 100% God, and 100% human. If you want to  know who God is, look at Jesus. He was the firstborn over creation ( firstborn in this sense means "most important").  the universe was not created for man, but for God. A nation, like man, reaps what it sows. God is the glue that keeps the world together. Without Him all things become unwrapped. Jesus is the head of the church. Why?

1) Because He is God.

2) Because He purchased the church with His own blood.   

3) He has risen from the dead to prove His authority. 

Jesus is the hope for the world. Our own sin keeps us distanced from God. We need Him every day because we all are sinners. Jesus Christ is the Lord of all.