…that it’s been so long since I stopped in with a note to all my friends.  I promise to do better.

 

It’s Memorial Day weekend.  Have you thought about what it means to you?  To some it means cookouts with families and friends.  Some attend memorials for loved ones lost in battle and serving our country.  And to quite a few, it just means they have a much needed “holiday” from work.

What ever your thoughts, they are all important.  Just remember that those that fought and gave their lives for our freedom should be remembered.  Our pastor today in church said that we shouldn’t just think of all the white crosses as “just crosses”.  Those laid to rest have gone on to their eternal life.  Many are left behind to grieve for them, miss them and wish they could die for them. 

To all of our members of the armed forces, and I think also to all the public servants…. police officers, fire and rescue personnel…. remember them as well.  Say a prayer for all the families, wives/children/parents who gave the ultimate sacrifice when they lost the one they loved.

Happy Memorial Day.  May God Bless each and every one of you.

It’s our 3rd, but it feels like our 30th. That’s not meant in a bad way, but in a wonderful one.  My husband and I will celebrate our 3rd anniversary this Wednesday in May.  It was a short courtship and engagement.  Short may even be an understatement as we met and started living together in just weeks, that was January 2009.  In late February while having dinner with his mom he got up to check on dinner and instead of walking past me, he knelt beside the chair I was sitting in and proposed.  It was just the timing was right, there was no ring or plans, he pulled a saw blade sticker from a piece of mail and pressed it onto my finger.  He loves his tools so it was actually quite fitting.  It was nice that his mom got to be there….you see she passed away soon after that on a New Years Eve that will stay in our hearts forever.  She was an awesome lady, I would have been very fortunate to have her as a mother in law longer.  Oh yea, back to the proposal, Jeff was a bit anxious so we began preparing right away and were married in May of that same year.  We selected a quiet place with a lot of nature, a gazebo on the water at a public park.  We had some great trips for our honeymoon and following anniversaries but this year we did something different… we went camping.  We didn’t exactly rough it but we sure had a great weekend.  We rented a cottage that was a log cabin with log beds and a nice corner lot in a campground.  We spent time together, although very easy for us to do because we are together most of the time, it would have probably been difficult for couples that have lost their connection.  That’s sad for them, but we are very happy and had a great time driving up, checking in and from there we ate, relaxed, rode our bikes, had a few drinks and ate more and played cards, scrabble and backgammon.   He still beats me in scrabble, he has a really great strategy.  Better yet, I whipped him in acey ducey.  He had something to say about that for sure HAHAHA, something about my “unorthodox” way of playing and how would he ever figure out a defense to it.

We are back home now and on the actual date of our anniversary I’ll be taking off work early and spending more time with my husband.  If the weather is nice we will be casting off the Lynnhaven Pier and pretending to fish.  I say pretend because we just sit and talk, sometimes don’t even talk, just sit together and offer a buffet of bait to the crab that steal it off our hooks.  It’s ok though, I’m just happy to sit there and be with him.  He’s a pretty special guy and it makes my heart go crazy just knowing I’m lucky enough to have hooked him.  I love him with all my heart and look forward to many more anniversaries with him.

Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou are with me.  Psalms 23:4.

A Christian physician was caring for one of his patients at his home.  The sick man asked, “Dr. am I going to get well?”  He replied, “I don’t always know, but I do know you’re a pretty sick man.”

The man said, “I don’t want to die, tell me what’s on the other side.”  And the doctor answered, “I wish I could tell you but I don’t know.”

As the doctor opened the door to leave a dog sprang onto him. The physician turned to the patient and said,”This is my dog.  He has never been out of the house.  He had no idea what was in here.  But he knew his master was here and he leaped in without fear.  I cannot tell you what is on the other side, but I know the Master is thre and that’s enough for anyone.  When he opens the door, I expect to pass in without fear.  There I shall dwell in His house forever.”

Just Checking In

 A minister passing through his church
 In the middle of the day,
 Decided to pause by the altar
 And see who had come to pray.
 
 Just then the back door opened,
 A man came down the aisle,
 The minister frowned as he saw
 The man hadn’t shaved in a while. His shirt was kinda shabby
 And his coat was worn and frayed,
 The man knelt, he bowed his head,
 Then rose and walked away.
 
 In the days that followed,
 Each noon time came this chap,
 Each time he knelt just for a moment,
 A lunch pail in his lap.
 
 Well, the minister’s suspicions grew,
 With robbery a main fear,
 He decided to stop the man and ask him,
 ‘What are you doing here?’
 
 The old man said, he worked down the road.
 Lunch was half an hour.
 Lunchtime was his prayer time,
 For finding strength and power.
 
 ‘I stay only moments, see,
 Because the factory is so far away;
 As I kneel here talking to the Lord,
 This is kinda what I say:
 
 ‘I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
 HOW HAPPY I’VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND
 YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON’T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT
 YOU EVERYDAY.
 SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY.’
 
 The minister feeling foolish,
 Told Jim, that was fine.
 He told the man he was welcome
 To come and pray just anytime
 
 Time to go, Jim smiled, said ‘Thanks.’
 He hurried to the door.
 The minister knelt at the altar,
 He’d never done it before.
 
 His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
 And met with Jesus there.
 As the tears flowed, in his heart,
 He repeated old Jim’s prayer:
 
 ‘I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
 HOW HAPPY I’VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND
 YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON’T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK
 ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
 SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY.’
 
 Past noon one day, the minister noticed
 That old Jim hadn’t come.
 As more days passed without Jim,
 He began to worry some.
 
 At the factory, he asked about him,
 Learning he was ill.
 The hospital staff was worried,
 But he’d given them a thrill.
 
 The week that Jim was with them,
 Brought changes in the ward.
 His smiles, a joy contagious.
 Changed people, were his reward.
 
 The head nurse couldn’t understand
 Why Jim was so glad,
 When no flowers, calls or cards came,
 Not a visitor he had.
 
 The minister stayed by his bed,
 He voiced the nurse’s concern:
 No friends came to show they cared.
 He had nowhere to turn.
 
 Looking surprised, old Jim spoke
 Up and with a winsome smile;
 ‘the nurse is wrong, she couldn’t know,
 That he’s in here all the while
 
 Everyday at noon He’s here,
 A dear friend of mine, you see,
 He sits right down, takes my hand,
 Leans over and says to me:
 ‘I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,
 HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I
 TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
 ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
 I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING
IN TODAY.’