Happy Birthday Jesus

Happy Holy Days 
Merry Christmas 
Happy Birthday Jesus

Trials And Tribulations

Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put his boots on? He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. By the time she got the second boot on, she had worked up a sweat.
She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as they worked together to get the boots back on -- this time on the right feet.
He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off.

He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them." She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again.
She said, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots ..."
Ever have one of those days?

Sharing in His Sufferings

I would ask you this question as I have myself:
Can we ever be like Christ without suffering like Christ? We won’t ever suffer to His extent, but the question is, can we be more like Christ if we never suffer? The Bible seems to support the idea that suffering is never wasted. Paul wrote that just “as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Cor. 1:5), so Paul set as his goal to “know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil. 3:10)
 I like to think that these are what Jesus was referring to when he spoke of pruning the branches so they would bear more fruit. (John 15)
https://youtu.be/31xRZFs-Gj4 

This makes my circumstances just a little more tolerable. After all, It's all about ME.  :-)

Much Love, Dennis

More than a feeling

REASON TO KEEP QUIET IN CHURCH

A mother was giving instructions to her three children as she sent them into Sunday school, "And, why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" Her son quickly responded, "Because people are sleeping!"  :-o

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I've been feeling an urgency to reach out; expanding my witness for Christ. Maybe this could be an explanation.

Knowledge Shall Increase
Daniel 12:4 ...'even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.'

Wars and Rumours of Wars
Matthew 24:6-7 ...'And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.'

Famine and Earthquakes
Matthew 24:7 ...'and earthquakes, in divers places.' 

Being Killed for Your Faith
Matthew 24:9-10 ...'Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

Increased Sin
Matthew 24:12 ...'And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.'

People Shall be Lovers of Themselves
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ...'This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.'

Please get your Bible and look up these scriptures to make sure of the context.

Much Love, Dennis
 

 








 
　

Thanksgiving

Four Reasons Leftists Hate Thanksgiving And Conservatives Should Love It

Much love, Dennis

The Prodigal Son

A few old couples used to get together to talk about life and to have a good time. One day one of the men, Harry, started talking about this fantastic restaurant he went to the other night with his wife. “Really?”, one of the men said, what’s it called? After thinking for a few seconds the Harry said, “what are those good smelling flowers called again?” “Do you mean a rose? the first man questioned. “Yes that’s it,” he exclaimed. Looking over at his wife he said, “Rose what’s that restaurant we went to the other night?”
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This is a true story that I heard from Joyce Meyer.

A few years earlier, during my freshman year of high school, I’d started hanging out with a new group of friends, and I wanted to spend all my time with them doing things my family didn’t allow. The more I rebelled against God and my parents, the more my life spiraled out of control.

By the time I left home I was already smoking pot and drinking, and had even used cocaine. Eventually, I tried every drug you can imagine: crack, heroine, whatever was available. I sold drugs. Went to jail a couple times. Anything I could do to run away from God, I was absolutely doing it.

I had an apartment and my friend Nate moved in with me. We did everything together. We drank together, did drugs together. Everything we had, we split right down the middle.

At that time drugs were more important to me than anything else in my life, and that created a lot of issues. Nate and I moved around to different apartments because we’d get kicked out for being loud. Our neighbors called the police on us many times. It was pretty common for them to come into our apartment, handcuff us, and search for drugs.

One night I was feeling pretty down. Nate and I had been arguing, and I was tired of dealing with police. It had been years since I’d considered talking to God about anything, but I decided to pray, and God told me that if I didn’t go home that night, I would never go home.

I called my mom at 3 a.m. and my dad came to pick me up. I wouldn’t say they were overly excited to have me back. I had issues with honesty and had lied to them many times. Nobody trusted me. I have a little brother and two little sisters who didn’t want anything to do with me.

For a couple of months, I pretty much locked myself in my parents’ house and didn’t come out. I started attending church, got a job, and did community service after getting arrested on some previous drug charges.

While I was getting my life back together, Nate overdosed on heroine and died. I just knew that could have been me.

And I knew that I needed to dive straight into God’s Word and never look back.

Even though I’d spent so much of my time and energy running away from God, He showed me that He still cares about me. I’ll never doubt His love again. Today, I have a great relationship with Him. I can’t imagine making a decision about my life without going to Him first. And I’m extremely grateful He gave me a second chance, and an entirely new life.

It’s amazing what I’ve been able to receive while living my life God’s way. About a year and a half after I moved back home, I met my wife, Tanna, at church. We started dating and got married. Our 3-year-old son, Jeremiah, is the best kid ever. I can’t wait to get home every day and spend time with him. I’ve also earned my family’s trust back—my entire family.

In February 2015, I was asked to share my testimony at the Joyce Meyer Ministries conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

I don’t like to talk in front of people, so I was pretty nervous to get up on stage. But I felt very honored that my grandma asked me to do it. My knees were shaking, but God was helping me through it. And I knew there were people there who needed to hear what I was going to say.

See, I grew up in a family where our whole life was about God, but I never really tried to maintain a relationship with Him personally. Whenever I got into trouble, my mom would always try to drag me back into being obedient. But some kids just need to learn their lesson on their own—and I was one of them.

That day at the conference, I shared Proverbs 22:6. It says, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it (NKJV). That’s a pretty solid promise.

If you’re trying to teach your child or someone you love to follow God—and they’re doing everything they possibly can to avoid Him—don’t be discouraged. Don’t lose hope. Keep on praying. Do what the Holy Spirit shows you to do, and then leave it in God’s hands. He loves them too. And He’s got their back.
Much Love, Dennis

The Book of Parables :-)

I ran across this earlier in the week. It was titled  "The Book of Parables"


“Once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; and the thorns grew up and choked the man. And he went on and met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man a thousand talents of silver, and a hundred changes of raiment.

And he got in his chariot and drove furiously, and as he was driving along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him hanging here!

 
And he hung there many days and many nights. The ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he fell on stony ground. And it begin to rain, and rained forty days and forty nights.

And he hid himself in a cave. Later he went on and met a man who said, “Come in and take supper with me.” But he said, “I can’t come in, for I have married a wife.” And the man went out into the highways and hedges and compelled him to come in! He then came to Jerusalem, and saw Queen Jezebel sitting high and lifted up in a window of the wall.

 When she saw him she laughed, and he said, “Throw her down out of there,” and they threw her down. And he said “Throw her down again,” and they threw her down seventy-times-seven. And the fragments which they picked up filled twelve baskets full! NOW, whose wife will she be in the day of the Judgment?”

Much love, Dennis

The 10 Plagues

Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in
Sunday School. "Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind
enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon
bridge, and all the people walked across safely. He used his
walkie-talkie to radio headquarters and call in an air strike. They sent
in bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved."

"Now, Joey, is that REALLY what your teacher taught you?" his mother
asked.

"Well, no, Mom, but if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never
believe it!"
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I was listening to James McDonald this morning. He was speaking about the story of Moses, God, and a Pharaoh. As Christians we are saved by faith, believing that Jesus is God in human form. We were not privileged to see signs like these. God used Moses and his brother Aaron to convince Pharaoh to set the Israelites free. The 10 signs that followed seem very obvious from the start that the God of Moses was all powerful.

With his brother Aaron, Moses asked the Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave Egypt in order to celebrate a feast in the wilderness to honor their God.



The Pharaoh refused.

God told Moses that He would demonstrate His power to convince Pharaoh. How does someone who sees these signs be so ignorant?

First, He would "harden the heart" of the Pharaoh, making him adamant against their leaving. Then He would produce signs whose escalating severity culminated with the death of every first-born Egyptian male.

1. Water Turned to Blood

2. Frogs

3. Lice

4. Flies

5. Livestock Diseases

6. Boils

7. Hail

8. Locusts

9. Darkness

10. Death of the First Born

These were real, water to blood. That's absolutely gross!

Each plague was a little worse than the one before. I know that Pharaoh's heart was hardened, but it just seems so obvious looking at it from (3400-3600) years ago.

We are experiencing some signs today. Nothing quite as obvious as what God displayed to the Egyptians, but I personally would not want to live through anything like the 10 plagues.

Thank you Jesus for delivering me from my sins. It's obvious to me that God is exactly who he says he is.

Much love, Dennis

　
 　

God's recipe

I've used this before but it is worth 3-4 posts.  Church Gossip

ildred, the church gossip and self-appointed arbiter of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose in the other members' private lives. Church members were unappreciative of her activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.
      
      She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon.
      
      She commented to George and others that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.
      
      George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just walked away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny; he said nothing.
      
      Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house... and left it there all night!
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This is about the best thing
I've ever read as an explanation.

Sometimes we wonder,
'What did I do to deserve this?' or
'Why did God have to do this to me?'
Here is a wonderful explanation!
A daughter is telling her Mother how everything
is going wrong, She's failing algebra, her boyfriend
broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and
asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the
daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.'
'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers.
'Yuck' says her daughter..
'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'
'Would you like some flour then?
Or maybe baking soda?'
'Mom, those are all yucky!'
To which the mother replies:
'Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves.
But when they are put together in the
right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! '
God works the same way. Many times we wonder why
He would let us go through such bad and difficult
times. But God knows that when He puts these things
all in His order, they always work for good! We just
have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all
make something wonderful
God is crazy about you.
He sends you flowers every spring and
a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.
He can live anywhere in the universe,
and He chose your heart.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are
here we might as well dance!
Much Love, Dennis

DIETING

I asked my wife, "What do you love most about me? My tremendous athletic ability or my superior intellect?"

"What I love most about you", Cheri quickly replied, "is your enormous sense of humor."

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I had an appointment with my pulmonologist this week. This was just a biannual follow-up. He told me that things were looking okay except for one area.

Apparently I need to gain some weight. I know that I lost more than I needed 2 years ago, but I have been gradually putting on a pound or 2.
Surely adding a few lbs. will be easier than losing a few :-)  I had a big lunch today and now I feel like a balloon about to burst.
much love, Dennis

My Mother In-law

Care for Your Mother-in-law

A man, his wife and his mother-in-law went on vacation to the Holy Land. While they were there, the mother-in-law passed away.
The undertaker told them, You can have her shipped home for $5,000 or you can bury her here in the Holy Land for $150.
The man thought about it and told him he would just have her shipped home.

The undertaker asked, Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your mother-in-law home, when it would be wonderful to have her buried here and spend only $150?

The man replied, a man died here 2,000 years ago, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. I just can't take that chance.
 
 
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If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would spend 30 minutes every day studying the Bible, I would have called you a nut.
I've grown in my relationship with Jesus from my current circumstances. Believe it or not, the last 10 years have been very good for me. I was a Christian before my accident, but I would have never experienced the growth that my accident led me through. My mother in-law has laid hands on me several times during prayer and helped me to understand scripture when I was at an impasse.

Right now I'm asking for prayer for her. She has a class reunion this Friday and Saturday and is really wanting to attend. Darla has a very bad infection in her inner ear and sinus, causing a considerable amount of pain. She has been to the doctor and is taking antibiotics plus pain relieving ear drops.

Lord God, please remove the pain and infection causing the pain so that she can attend and enjoy her class reunion .
I pray this in Jesus name, Amen




 

TOOLS

Top 10 signs that you are in the wrong church:

10. The church bus has gun racks.

9. The church staff consists of senior pastor, associate pastor and sociopastor.

8. The Bible they use is the Dr. Seuss version.

7. There is an ATM in the lobby.

6. The choir wears leather robes.

5. The worship services are B.Y.O.S. (bring your own snake).

4. Communion is a two-drink minimum.

3. The pastor regularly attends meetings in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

2. The ushers ask, "Smoking or non-smoking?"

1. The Women's Quartet are all married to the pastor.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]
I'm a big tool guy. Kind of like "Tim the Tool Man Taylor" on the TV show.
 
https://youtu.be/0V9YZ7C88iU

I really enjoyed working with my hands and having the correct tool for each project. I can remember being frustrated in my late teens and early 20s because I was trying to get by using homemade tools. I was unsuccessful or sometimes very slow to accomplish specific tasks. As time went by I was able to accumulate enough tools to make jobs easier and faster.

In today's circumstances I'm using different tools for completely different reasons. When I need help with Bible verses, understanding and searching for particular topics, I use a website called Bible Gateway. They offer 30 different versions of God's word and the ability to simultaneously show up to 5 side-by-side comparisons. I can search for topics, phrases or specific words. They even offer a tool that will read aloud the written word. Thanks to God for tools like Bible Gateway that helps me accomplish the jobs that I have today.

Much love, Dennis

My Niece

After God created Adam, and he had been in the Garden for a really long time, he started to get a little lonely. So, Adam went to God and said, "This Garden is amazing, but I'm starting to get a little lonely; is there anyone that you can send to keep me company?"

God answered, "I have the perfect person. She will help you with almost everything. She'll clean, cook, wash your clothes, be your friend, and even rub your feet after a long day. She really is perfect in every way!"

Adam said, "That sounds great! How soon can you send her?"

God replied again, "I can send her right away, but there is one thing ... it's going to cost you an arm and a leg to get her."

Adam thought for a moment, and then said, "What can I get for a rib?"
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I like to take this opportunity to brag about my niece, Randi Boyer Lackey.

 

She has been running and lifting weights for several years. She recently found a sport that seems to be perfect for her.

This is basically an obstacle course that contains water, mud, barbed wire, tall walls that have to be scaled and many other extraordinary tough hurdles.

Randi is now considered to be number nine in the world!

 

 

  

 

Congratulations Randi and thanks to her friends for getting her involved.

 

Much Love, Dennis

 

Depression

Top Ten Ways the Bible Would Be Different If God Was A College Student
10. The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning - cold.

9. The Ten Commandments would actually only be five, double-spaced, and written in a large font.

8. New edition every two years in order to limit reselling.

7. Forbidden fruit would have been eaten because it wasn't cafeteria food.

6. Paul's letter to the Romans becomes Paul's email to abuse@romans.gov

5. Reason Cain killed Abel: They were roommates.

4. The place where the end of the world occurs: Finals, not Armageddon.

3. Out go the mules, in come the mountain bikes.

2. Reason why Moses and followers walked in the desert for 40 years: They didn't want to ask directions and look like freshmen.

1. Instead of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, we would have put it off until the night before it was due and then pulled an all-nighter.

 

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I want to talk about something that is new to me. I am seeing a doctor for pain management. I have learned that many of the drugs that are typically used to mask pain also carry a significant risk of depression. I thought that depression was just a feeling like "The Blues".

I was definitely misinformed. Unfortunately I experienced depression firsthand. I am typically a happy and joyful person. The side effects caused me to think of nothing but bad thoughts including suicide. The more you think about it, the worse it becomes. I think that my dad was the first to notice. One morning he asked me what was wrong. He said that he had not seen my countenance look so down.. My wife and mother-inlaw noted that I was going to bed earlier and earlier each evening. The next weekend we went to a good friend's house for burgers and a small pool party. I had thoughts of suicide dancing back and forth in my mind. I was trying to figure out how to leave my circumstances without the aid of someone close to me. I didn't want anything bad to happen to them just because I couldn't handle my circumstances. At a certain point I decided that my best option was to drive down towards the deep end, 10 feet. Square up my chair and drive off into the deep water. 

There would be no way that anyone could get me out of the water before my lungs filled up with water and my diaphragm pacer ceased to work. As I pondered these things, I was engaged in conversation with my good friend. Fortunately God knew my thoughts and my possible actions and drew my attention towards an outward conversation instead of the self-centered satanic influence caused by the side effects of a commonly used source of pain relief.

Since then, I've met with my doctor, explained my thoughts and he discontinued that source of depression and we started with something else.

I am able to talk about this now only because God saw my thoughts and intentions and engaged me in a conversation with my closest friend.

I now know that depression is much deeper than someone having a bad day. I've been trying to look for signs of depression not only in my life, but in the lives of others.

After this experience, I ask that everyone look for the signs in your family and friends. Engage them in conversation and look for ways to help.

I do want you to know that I am no longer being influenced by those satanic thoughts.

Much love, Dennis

Max Lucado

It's been a while since I have posted anything. It's kind of a lazy issue. I ran across this message today from Max Lucado, one of my favorite authors. I have shared it on Facebook and apparently it moved me more than it did others. I'm going to post it in this venue because I really feel like it's something that God had for me and something I should tell others. Here is a link:
http://contentz.mkt4731.com/mson/2015/07/02/O8QFMKyoNF21/index.html

Much love, Dennis

A.D.

An older preacher told the story of a young minister interviewing for his first pastorate. The Pulpit Committee had invited him to come over to their church for the interview. The committee chairman asked, "Son, do you know the Bible pretty good?"

The young minister said, "Yes, pretty good." The chairman asked, "Which part do you know best?" He responded saying, "I know the New Testament best." "Which part of the New Testament do you know best," asked the chairman. The young minister said, "Several parts." The chairman said, "Well, why don't you tell us the story of the Prodigal Son." The young man said, "Fine."

"There was a man of the Pharisees name Nicodemus, who went down to Jericho by night and he fell upon stony ground and the thorns choked him half to death.

"The next morning Solomon and his wife, Gomorrah, came by, and carried him down to the ark for Moses to take care of. But, as he was going through the Eastern Gate into the Ark, he caught his hair in a limb and he hung there forty days and forty nights and he afterwards did hunger. And, the ravens came and fed him.

"The next day, the three wise men came and carried him down to the boat dock and he caught a ship to Ninevah. And when he got there he found Delilah sitting on the wall. He said, "Chunk her down, boys, chunk her down." And, they said, "How many times shall we chunk her down, till seven time seven?" And he said, "Nay, but seventy times seven." And they chucked her down four hundred and ninety times.

"And, she burst asunder in their midst. And they picked up twelve baskets of the leftovers. And, in the resurrection whose wife shall she be?"

The Committee chairman suddenly interrupted the young minister and said to the remainder of the committee, "Fellows, I think we ought to ask the church to call him as our minister.

He is awfully young, but he sure does know his Bible."

I have really been enjoying the miniseries called A.D. It is on Sunday nights at 8 PM CST on NBC. I think this would be a good miniseries for everyone.


For many years I assumed that A.D. meant After the Death of Jesus. It came to mind one day that if BC was Before Christ and A.D. meant After the death of Christ then there was a gap of 33 years. It didn't take long to find that A.D. actually had a different meaning. A quick search of Wikipedia revealed the following:
Anno Domini (AD or A.D.) and Before Christ (BC or B.C.) are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The term Anno Domini is Latin,
translated as "In the year of the Lord", or "In the Year of Our Lord": It is occasionally set out more fully as "Anno Domini Nostri Iesu (or Jesu) ti (In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ").

A.D. The Bible Continues. Here is a short clip from one of the episodes.
https://youtu.be/B8NqbrQ0LCk
I urge you to check it out.

Much love, Dennis
 

　








　



　



　

God endorses laughter

When I read my Bible sometimes I find myself snickering.
Like that time when the main event at Mount Carmel brought out 450 idolatrous prophets on one side…

and Elijah, all alone, on the other.

You remember the story (1 Kings 18). Baal vs. Jehovah. Big altar, prayer for fire. The One who "answers by fire" Will have the one true God.
From morning until noon the prophets of Baal called on their "deity". Those guys got so anxious that they "leaped about the altar which they made."

Elijah became amused at their antics and started mocking them, possibly the 1st recorded case of talking trash: (Jacob Diesselhorst) "Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened" or Baal may have "gone to the bathroom." "snicker snicker" Come on, :-) smile; it's okay.
 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be thy name.
³² And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
³³ And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood.

³⁴ And he said, Do it the second time; and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time; and they did it the third time.
³⁵ And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
³⁶ And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening oblation, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
³⁷ Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that thou, Jehovah, art God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

³⁸ Then the fire of Jehovah fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
Much love, Dennis  

Graduation

I have been helping out with our local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) about 2 1/2 years. It's great to see these teenagers put their faith on display at such an early time in life.  They have been a source of energy for me, mainly because when I was that age I had Jesus as my savior, but there was very little evidence. Congratulations to the graduating seniors of Fairview High School and especially those that were in the FCA. I will not have much face-to-face contact with them, but we can stay in touch through Facebook and emails. I look forward to the newcomers next semester.

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It was the kindergarten teachers birthday and the students decided that they would each buy their teacher a gift.

The first student, whose parents own a florist shop, gave her a present. She held it and said "I guess that it is flowers". "How did you guess?" asked the little boy. She laughed and thanked him.

The second student, whose parents own a candy store, gave her a present. She held it and said, "I guess that is some candy."

"How did you guess?" asked the little boy. She again laughed and thanked him also.

The third student, whose parents own a bottle shop, gave her a box which was leaking. The teacher touched the liquid with her finger and tasted it. "Mmmmm is it wine?" she asked.

"No," said the little girl.

So she tasted it again. "Is it champagne?" she asked.

"Noooo," replied the little girl, "It's a puppy."

much love, Dennis

Dr. Frank Crowe

A good friend of mine Dr. Frank Crowe changed his address earlier this week.   He passed away quietly in peace at his home on Sunday.  I didn't know him very well other than a couple of visits shortly after he began practicing in Fairview. I actually don't even remember why.
 When my circumstances changed due to my accident I spent 60 days in Houston. During that time my mother and friends established a Care Pages account that allowed updates on my condition and permitted others to leave messages for my mother, Cheri and I who were many miles from home. Dr. Crowe and his staff left several messages. They were always compassionate with a genuine feel of warmth and love.

When I received this computer it enabled me to read and post on Care Pages and set up a Facebook account. It wasn't long before Dr. Crowe and I became friends online. Dr. Crowe soon became my good friend Frank Crowe.

Frank was a master of the art of laughter. He always had the best one-liners and comebacks along with posting of other funny material. Whenever I see something related to Walmart, I have to smile. If you were friends with him on Facebook you know why.

 Frank and I grew closer through private messages. We talked about faith and prayers.

He was not without problems of his own, but I don't remember him ever mentioning it. There were several occasions when you knew things were not well with him because he was a daily fixture on Facebook. He has moved on, but will not be forgotten. I look forward to greeting him in heaven.
Much love, Dennis

Mother's Day

 This is for all of the hard-working moms, grandmas and aunts.  But especially for my wife who does all of these things plus all of the yard work.

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed." She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches, rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.
She then put some wet clothes into the dryer, put a load of clothes into the wash, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the newspapers strewn on the floor, picked up the game pieces left on the table and put the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse. Mom then creamed her face, put on moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and trimmed her nails. Hubby called, "I thought you were going to bed." "I'm on my way," she said. She put some water into the dog's dish. Then made sure the doors were locked. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out a bedside lamp, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks in the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her list of things to do for tomorrow. About that time, the hubby turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular "I'm going to bed," and he did.

No need for a joke with this post. The story is funny enough on its own, especially in my circumstances.
Much love, Dennis

Tornado season

My wife wrote this interesting view about our tornado preparations.

Cheri's Blog




Much love, Dennis

Growing Old Gracefully

 

While he was visiting, my father asked for the password to our Wi-Fi.
“It’s taped under the modem,” 
I told him.
After three failed attempts to log on, he asked, “Am I spelling this right? T-A-P-E-D-U-N-D-E-R-T-H-E-M-O-D-E-M?”

777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

 

We are all growing older each day on this side of heaven. But for many of us we will spend eternity in a brand new body. No more aches, pain, stress…

We will spend our time praising and worshiping the God who sent his son Jesus to this earth with one purpose. To sacrifice himself for the sins of everyone who has ever breathed our atmosphere.
However, those who have reached the age of understanding the gospel must make a decision. We must choose between eternity with God in heaven or eternity in hell with the father of all lies.
We are, as Christians, are celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, [Good Friday-Easter Sunday].
Let's all invite someone to join us in Heaven where we will be forever young.

 

2 Corinthians 5 [NIV]
Awaiting a NEW BODY

 

 

5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, ³ because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

much love, Dennis
 

 

 

 

 

 

Pressure Sores

A farmer was driving along the road with a load of fertilizer. A little boy, playing in front of his house, saw him and called, "What've you got in your truck?"

"Fertilizer," the farmer replied.

"What are you going to do with it?" asked the little boy.

"Put it on strawberries," answered the farmer.

"You ought to live here," the little boy advised him. "We put sugar and cream on ours."

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I have been dealing with pressure sores for nearly 2 years. At 1 point there were 5 deep ulcers.

Today all that remain are 3 small scabs. I'm going to post 1 picture, because frankly they are gross. I am overjoyed for the healing, even though God's time table was slower than mine. I'm a happy boy.

 

Much love, Dennis

Jesus Loves Me…

I have been around religious people pretty much my whole life. At times I thought that I was a somewhat knowledgeable Bible student. However, it seems like the more I learn, the more I realize what I actually knew was just a drop in the bucket,  Jesus talked about having faith like a little child. Sometimes I think that I should revert back to a time when my belief was like that of a child. Here are some things that I remember from my youth

Moira was struggling to get the tomato ketchup out of the bottle. As she was trying the phone rang and her 4 year old daughter, Mia, answered it saying, 'Sorry, mummy can't come to the phone at the moment because she's hitting the bottle.'

Much love, Dennis

church attendance

An elderly couple was attending church services .

About halfway through, she leaned over and whispered to her husband, 'I just let out a long silent fart. What do you think I should do?'

He replied, "Put a new battery in your hearing aid."
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My church attendance this winter has been sporadic. I have several reasons, (excuses) for my absence. Most of them legitimate. Weather, flu and other airborne viruses are at the top of the list. Some days I know that it's very hard for Cheri to get both of us suitable for the public. I am thankful that God provided me with a Proverbs 31 wife. I am always able to hear God's word on TV, but there is something about worshiping with others of like mind.
much love, Dennis

my wife's blog

This is a portion of my wife's most current  blog. It has been a very dry fall and winter so far. Today we did wake  up to  1/4 inch of snow.

I thought I would add a little "attempted humor" to start.

IT'S BEEN SOOOO DRY JOKES

So dry the Baptists are sprinkling and Methodists are spitting
So dry the trees are bribing the dogs.
Its so dry here that the fire hydrants are chasing the dogs around.
So dry I’m spitting cotton.
It’s so dry that the cows are giving evaporated milk
It’s so dry you’re only permitted to eat watermelon between 8pm and 8am.
It’s so dry the government has announced a water pistol buy back scheme.
It’s so dry, crooks are siphoning off radiators instead of gas tanks.
It’s so dry, they’re encouraging people to pee in the pool.

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click on this link to view Cheri's blog

 CHERI'S BLOG

Much  love, Dennis