Got Snow?

Ya! We got snow. Five inches to be exact. 

Music by Jon McLaughlin

Song: Perfect 

CD: Indiana 

Memories

I remember...

1. A time when if you’d call a person on the phone you didn’t have to ask them where they were.

2. When gas station attendants pumped your gas, washed your windshield, and gave you a piece of bubble gum for coming in.

3. The lunch ladies wheeled a water cart through the grade school giving us each a cup of water to keep us hydrated on hot school days.

4. The smell of Pink Pearl erasers permeating the air as I practiced writing my spelling words.

5. When bottled water was only for Hollywood stars. (For that matter I remember when even movie stars didn’t drink from bottles.)

6. Green stamps were given out at grocery stores and you could buy nearly anything with them. Man that was fun.

7. There were only three channels on TV and you needed rabbit ears and tin foil to see them.

8. In order to look up a word you had to grab the dictionary from the top shelf of the living room.

9. The smell of burnt toast in the morning. I love overdone toast still today. I don’t think mom’s toaster worked well.

10. The little transistor radios we three kids received for Christmas one year. They were tan, about the size of a single size cereal box, and had a round station dial we’d scroll through endlessly.

11. My white patton leather Easter shoes in 5th grade. They had a huge square buckle on the top and blocky 2” inch heels. I resembled a Pilgrim.

12. The first fast food drive thru in our area called “Shutes.” They literally shot the food to you through a vacuum system, like the banks today. There was one glitch however. It jostled your order with such force that your drink would invariably arrived with the lid popped off and your drink spilled to high heavens. Needless to say it didn’t last long. Note: people still hand us our food today.

13. Watching McDonald’s employees make French fries in the side window of the building under the big golden arches. It was our Friday night treat.

I could go on and on as I trace the cobwebs of my mind. It's fun to think back into my childhood. There are so many fond memories of things past and now I'm curious. What fun memories pass through your mind as you reminisce? Perhaps like me you will have trouble keeping the list short. But, who's counting. List away. I'd love for you to share. 

Let's "Face" It

It wasn't but one year ago I had absolutely no idea what it meant to blog. I was encouraged to dive in but hadn't a clue how deep the waters where or where it would lead. 

As an obedient and curious chap, I muddled my way along until one day blogging clicked. Today I love the OLM blog as if it were my child. I feed it regularly, clothe it in the best attire I can afford, nurture it with the word of God, and share it with everyone I know. My blog is now my comfort zone.

Then, as life would have it, along came another modern marvel someone challenged me to learn. This time it was Facebook. "Oh you just have to join. It's great networking and every one does it" she said.  Like two old fogies Jimmy and I became curious about what the whoopla was all about, so a couple of months ago we began dipping our toes in this new body of water. We filled out our profile and began fiddling with all the features. I'd poke him and he'd poke me, even though neither of us felt a thing. We started inviting a few friends and soon our friends list began to grow and grow and grow. Friends from church, friends far away, and friends from long ago. Just two days ago my best friend from high school contacted me through Facebook and once again I was utterly amazed. 

We still have lots to learn. Jimmy and I have never figured out how to effectively poke each other. If we do it has to be literal. Nonetheless, I can assure you these two boomers will master the art of Facebook if it's the last thing we do. 

 

So tell me now...are you on Facebook? If not give it a try. Fiddle with the features and poke your best bud. (If you succeed tell me how you did it.) Look up a long lost friend and catch up on what's going on in their lives. Pray for one another, join a group, and let your light shine. You have a lot to offer and others will be blessed. Dive in and enjoy!

Remembering God's Word

1st and 15th Siesta Scripture Memory Team!

Your Two Scents

Each week OLM provides a video devotion designed to help you dig deeper into God's word. After filming 32 videos on topics I have a particular passion for, I'd like to open the forum up to you!

Is there a particular topic, person, verse, or event of the Bible you would like to learn more about?  If so, I encourage you to leave a comment on this post and offer your suggestion. If by chance the topic is personal feel free to select the "anonymous" option in the comment section. The point is not who asked the question but finding answers. Remember, whatever question you may have, no matter how odd it may seem, is being asked by others. Nothing is new under the sun, that includes questions you may have.

So have at it ladies. Ask away. The floor is yours. We will prayerfully consider each and every entry and look forward to hearing what's on your mind!

Online Lessons Available Now

Hi ladies! Through the Olive Leaf Ministries I am pleased to present a new feature available to you and all your friends. Now, free of charge, you can join me as I teach class Sunday mornings, speak to mothers of preschoolers (MOPs) and all other speaking engagements the Lord sees fit to send me. Best of all you can listen at your leisure and from the comfort of your own home or office. 

Each lesson comes with a printable outline so you can follow along and take notes with the group. Isn't modern technology the cat's meow? As my mother would say, "Handier than a pocket on a shirt." 

So there you have it. No cost, no fuss, and no travel. In spirit we can meet together and dig deeper into the matchless word of God to learn more about Him. No matter how you look at it it's a mighty good deal. Join me now!

Click here to visit OLM's online lessons.

Our Struggles Are Not Necessarily Weakness

Little 8 year old Grant went home to be with the Lord last Friday, February 6th. We will be attending his funeral this Saturday, Valentine's Day. 

His parents have made it clear this day will not be a day of grief for their beloved child is with his, and our, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Instead, this day of love will be a day of celebration. In fact we've been asked not to wear black, but rather one of Grant's favorite colors such as green (for frogs) or pink (his secret favorite color.) How cute is that! I plan to wear pink, which happens to be my fave as well, and bring along one of Dani's fuzzy stuffed green frogs. 

Please pray for this special family as we honor this young life that touched so many of our own. Little Grant may have lost the battle with this unknown muscle disease, but he won the war over sin and death thanks to Christ and His work on the cross.

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, 

yet forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, 

for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14b

A Healthy Heart

Come Tour Kansas City!

The weather is gorgeous in Kansas City so I'm gonna take you on a tour of the town. Put on your walking shoes, grab your dog if you have one, and let's head on out. There is plenty of room and Jimmy and I'll pay for the gas.

(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

Nelson-Atkins Museum

Ecclesiastes and Cocoa Bean 

enjoyed the tour too.

Museum front lawn.

It's vast and beautiful.

Nancy with a "birdie" on her shoulder.

Liberty Memorial

View of Union Station from the Liberty Memorial

Continue tour below...

Come Tour Kansas City! (cont.)

Country Club Plaza

A great place to eat and shop.

Water way along the Plaza

We had a great day out and I'm glad you could tag along. Hope you are enjoying nice weather in your town as spring of 2009 taps at the door.

Have a great weekend. See you Monday.

A Good Night's Sleep

Just got up and realized it was 6:37 am and Cocoa Bean has slept all night long. He still refuses to stay in his crate at night, but he's doing great in bed with us, so we'll take what we can get. I think we are making progress.

Mercy Not Sacrifice

Welcome ladies and happy Monday! Today I felt like offering a written devotion as opposed to one on video, a video sabbatical of sorts. Since God’s word never goes out and comes back void, it doesn’t matter how it is presented.

The Holy Scripture never ceases to amaze me. The tiniest most obscure passage or word can prompt a divine revelation and Hosea 6:6 is one such passage,

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, 

and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”

These words pack a powerful punch to my heart, because it aches with great grief right now. Grief over lost independence that all parents expect when their children grow up. Since Dani’s Autism has made it so Jimmy and I will be her caregivers for the rest of our lives, the reality of never gaining my freedom later in life weighs heavy on my soul. As of late, for some reason, my heart has been groaning more than usual.

This passage in Hosea, however, does well to set my sails in the right direction and I meditate on it day and night. It reveals the deep things of God by telling us He prefers, or is drawn toward, a heart that is full of kindness for others and love for Him. Far more than any amount of hard work we could ever do in His name, He would rather we show our love for Him by being merciful toward others. This convicts me beyond measure as it exposes the sin within my heart that desires to work for Him more than show mercy. Fretting and brewing over how much I could do for Christ if only I didn’t bear this heavy burden, I place work for God above mercy. It’s a subtle trap many of us fall in to. Just ask King Saul who knows from first-hand experience.

“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” 22 But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:20-22

Ladies, our primary responsibilities in life are to fear God, keep His commands, and show mercy. We must never put work for God above Him and His command, even though work may appear to be the more valuable option. Mercy is vital because without it we become critical, impatient, selfish, and judgmental, all the things that lead us away from the heart of God. May we heed the words of the prophet and choose mercy over sacrifice for it is in essence the only true offering God desires.

And the Cheer Goes On...

The Christmas season may be over but the holiday cheer continues on in my kitchen. I absolutely love Starbuck's Christmas Blend coffee, so this year I wised up and bought a couple of pounds of this delicious bean before they took it off their shelves. I just finished the bag I purchased before Christmas and pulled out the current stock I had stored in my freezer. This load should last until March at which time I'll begin enjoying Yukon or Verona once again.

If you savor Starbuck's coffee what are your favorite flavors?

Joy in Trials

Laying It On the Line

When I began blogging one year ago I adopted four rules I promised the Lord I'd keep:

1. I would always seek to glorify Him.
   
2. Blogging would not be a forum to complain.
   
3. I'd seek to uplift my sisters in Christ.
   
4. The OLM blog would a positive and refreshing place to visit.
   

I've honored these rules even though sometimes life doesn't always run smoothly. As an example Jimmy has been in between jobs for three months, winter has us cooped up inside our home, the sun is scarce as hens' teeth, we've been battling the creeping crud (head and chest cold), I fell on the front porch after our last snow while taking Cocoa out to pee in the wee hours of the morning, and our lives have been overrun by puppies since Thanksgiving Day. Normal routine has been out the window for months and as one who thrives on structure, it's been difficult to handle at times. Perhaps you can relate.

Our most recent trial began when our puppy, Cocoa Bean, began having trouble after the last pup of the litter left. Though an angel during the day he would howl, whine, and bark in his crate all night long. Experts (the vet and Google) said it would pass after a day or two but after ten sleepless nights desperation propelled us to ear plugs and Tylenol PM. 

A couple of mornings ago I woke so tired and depleted I was in tears. I asked God what this little dog needed to be content at night and if it had been a mistake to keep him. That's when it dawned on me. Keeping him had not been a mistake. Cocoa has known our scent and touch since the day he was born and with everyone else gone, we are his greatest comfort. He simply needed us at night. 

With this in mind we decided to break the cardinal rule of dog care and let him sleep with us. Lo and behold we are all sleeping like babies once again. When Jimmy and Cocoa come to bed later in the evening, Cocoa races to my neck, cuddles up, and falls fast asleep. About 3 am he rustles around enough to let us know he needs to potty and then heads back to bed and sleeps till morning. Breaking the cardinal rule has brought great relief. 

Oh sweet ladies, some of you are going through much tougher circumstances and I want you to know that whatever you are going through you are not alone. No matter what image any of us project in a blog or in life, we all have hills to climb and valleys to endure. The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hope is never lost if you keep your eyes on God because He is our light. Trials will indeed come but each challenge serves to polish us into the image of Christ. Whatever you are going through God knows your pain and will provide you with the strength and comfort you need. Things will get better. You can count on it. 

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, 

for his compassions never fail. 

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." 

Lamentations 3:21-23

The Next Generation

God is at work in the next generation.


Jason Castro, American Idol contestant.

"O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done." 

Psalm 78:1-4 

Can God Trust You to Wait?

Behind the Scenes at KY3 TV

Yesterday we went to Springfield, Missouri to visit our son Drew. He took us to KY3 Television Station where he works and gave us a tour of the studio. We met his co-workers, learned about television production, and took a few pictures. It was quite interesting to get a glimpse behind the scenes.

Drew in front of the camera for a change.

Putting on lipstick in the green room 

which is not green.

Just pretending.

After our tour we went to Lambert's Cafe "The Only Home of Throwed Rolls." To make it easy for the waitress we all ordered Chicken Fried Steak. (Really, it's just because the steaks are that good.)

Thanks Drew. We had a great time!

Automatic Paw Washer

Ever need something so badly that you racked your brain trying to find a solution all to find the answer in your own backyard? Well, I've been trying to think of another way to clean Ecclesiastes' paws before he walks into the house. Right now I wash each paw in his water bucket on the deck, then rinse it out. It does the job but breaks the back.

As with many inventions discovered by accident, we found a fabulous paw washing system the other day. Jimmy was playing with the dogs in the back yard and tossed a toy on top the pool tarp. As Ecclesiastes went to retrieve the toy, his weight lowered the cover below the rain swollen waterline, just enough to thoroughly rinse his feet. With a puddle of water following him where ever he walked, we were happy to see a new, fun, and easy way to wash Ecclesi's paws!

Ecclesi and the traveling puddle.

Cocoa Bean getting interested.

Cocoa Bean thinking of summer.