Old Friends and New Friends

It's been a good week, I've had several visitors and as always enjoyed each one. A longtime friend and Christian man, Vinton Baker stopped by for a short visit. He would have stayed longer, but unfortunately I had a doctors appointment in Enid. I went to school with his daughter Delia.

My mother-in-law and I both had appointments dam the St. Mary's medical complex in Enid on Thursday. She got a very good report on her shoulder and they are just continuing with rehab for now.
I am down to one skin breakdown on my left ankle. It is slowly healing and I'm looking forward to the day that those pesky breakdowns are a thing of the past.

On Friday Dan and Gwen Willits stopped by and brought with them Mike and Patty O'Brien. Dan and Gwen are part of my group of special people, and my Brother and Sister in Christ. It was an honor to meet two of their good friends. Those four were on a tight schedule and so they were unable to spend very much time here. I did manage to brag about my computer and coax them into a picture just before they left.

I have a group of "Special People" and I love them dearly. They know who they are because over the last 7+ years I have learned to tell them. It was not something that I was accustomed to or comfortable with, but I have changed a lot over the years. Saying  "I love you" is much easier than putting it into practice. Right now the Lord as been teaching me to practice love. I'm not talking about the easy kind of love, but kind of love that we are to have for those that we don't even like.


Matthew 5:42-48  Amplified Bible 
42 Give to him who keeps on begging from you, and do not turn away from him who would borrow at interest] from you.
43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;
44 But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
47 And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?
48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Here is a quote that I think my friends understand about me. :-)

 "A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Much love, Dennis