Bo & I took Corbin and his two friends to Palo Duro Canyon today, and we all walked the 6 mile round trip to the Lighthouse.

No, you're not seeing double. The friends are twins. Two little boys whose parents are from Vietnam. Their names are Lam & Quan, and they are very sweet, inquisitive and fun little guys, and of course, my Corbin is also. We had a great time hiking along and visiting with these guys. I could not tell the twins apart and so every time I needed to get the attention of one of them, I would call out Lam-Quan!, and they would both turn around. I never did figure out how to tell them apart.















We were all so tired at the end and so glad to see the truck again and get some water to drink.

Then on the way home I turned around and this is what I saw in the back seat.


That's about how I feel myself tonight, ----along with a few sore muscles.

Nothing Much

Today was such a gorgeous day here in the Texas Panhandle. It was sunny, 60 degrees and virtually no wind. YeeHaw! Days with no wind are few and far between around here, so I get pretty excited when we have one, especially in the dead of winter. Lilly & I went for a 3.5 mile walk around the neighborhood. I'm trying to teach her to HEAL. She is a strong headed little booger, but she is learning. I read that when you let dogs run out in front of you on a walk, they begin to think that THEY are the leader of the pack and you are the follower. They need to know that you are the boss and are in charge. So that's what I am working on. Letting Lilly know that she's not the boss.

After our walk, I went to the mall and walked around for a while, then bought some coffee and just sat and watched people. People are funny, your know. It was a nice afternoon.

Yesterday I was pulling out of the driveway for work when I realized I forgot something in the house. I hit the garage door remote and stopped the garage door from going all the way down. It stopped at about my eye level and I jumped out of the car and proceeded to RUN towards the back door. There was only one problem..... I forgot to duck under the garage door as I ran in. Boom! I hit the door with the left side of my FACE! Owwwww. That really hurt. It took a couple of seconds for me to get my bearings and figure out what a DUMB thing I did. Today I have a big knot on my forehead and red spot under my eye. Good grief. I amaze myself sometimes with my own stupidity.

Lilly, the Attack Dog

Confessing our Sinfulness

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us (our) sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

I used to read this verse and wonder how I could possibly confess or name all my sins to God. I sure can't remember them all, and don't even think about so many of them as sins, even though they are.

Also I have read this verse and others and wondered: ' I thought my sins were already forgiven at the cross, why am I to name them each day and ask for forgiveness again. '

Well, I now think that what this verse is talking about is professing and acknowledging always that I AM a sinner, and am in need of a Saviour. --Agreeing with God that I am sinful. Alot of times that will entail naming particular sins just because I am burdened with them and sorry for them and naming them is part of agreeing with God of just how sinful I am. But I do not have to worry about naming every sin everyday in order to have them forgiven. All my sins are already forgiven at the cross.

AND I think this verse is essentially saying that all those that do truly see their sinful condition and their great need of a Saviour already ARE forgiven. The confession (or agreeing with God) is the evidence of salvation, not the cause of it.

It is true, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It's just that we won't confess or look at just how sinful we are, unless we are one of his. And if we are one of his, we definitely will confess our sinfulness.

I think that anybody that believes they can in any way contribute to their own salvation really cannot see just how sinful they are. If they could, they would know that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. No work we can do could possibly make God look favorably upon us. --Only the work that Christ has done. So..... I think the verse is saying: if we agree with God that all our deeds truly are sinful, we will know that we can do nothing to attain salvation and therefore know that only thru Christ can we be saved, and when we know this (thru the Holy Spirit's revelation), we know that we are forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness.

Hope my jibberish makes some kind of sense. And I pray the Lord will teach me and show me the truth, if that isn't it. ...........Goodnight.

Lilly Bug

*

Where is your Assurance?

Do you believe you know Christ and you will go to be with him in heaven when you die? If your answer is yes, why do you believe this is so? Why do you believe you will go to heaven? Would your answer be that you prayed a prayer one time and you are resting on that act as your assurance? That used to be my answer to that question. When I would have doubts I would actually recall to mind the time that I prayed a prayer asking for Jesus to come into my heart, and I would feel better. I would feel assured that I was a christian. So many men told me that I could do that.

I believed that Christ died for all men, but his death on the cross wasn't enough. Something must be added to it. That something was me praying that prayer, me making a decision to accept him. I thought I had to DO something to make Christ's death effectual. I know now that that is such a lie. Christ's death was completely effectual. Absolutely nothing needs to be added to it. Every single person he died for WILL go to heaven.

And I believe that when a person is relying on that prayer, that decision, that profession, the Lord hasn't truly revealed himself to them. They don't truly know him. That's not to say that they never will. I don't know who the elect are. But I believe that if you are relying on ANYTHING but Christ alone, then you don't truly know him. I didn't truly know him for many years and I believed I did. Sometimes though, even now, I wonder if I truly know him. I believe that he died on the cross to pay for the sins of his people and that every one he died for will go to heaven, but sometimes I wonder if I am one of those people. Oh, I sure hope so. I know that my only hope is in Christ. If he sees fit to have mercy on me, if he died for me, I am one of his. I think that his revealing this knowledge to me lets me know that I am one of his. But sometimes I have doubts. I am such a sinful creature. It's when I take my eyes off Christ and look at my sin that I doubt. I know his death is completely sufficient to cover all my sin. I must just keep looking to Christ for my assurance. He is my only hope, and your only hope too.

I do know that salvation is in a person, not in an act. Praise the name of the Lord!

Today Uncle John died. He is Bo's uncle on his mother's side. He lived alone in Gruver, the town where Bo works and his extended family lives. Uncle John's wife died 11 or 12 years ago. I met her just a few times before she died. Uncle John had a stroke 15 or 20 years ago and had no use of one side of his body. His wife took good care of him while she was alive and everyone thought he wouldn't survive without her, but he did. He learned to take care of himself, but it was a struggle for him everyday. He was such a kind man, very friendly and thoughtful of others, never complaining of all his struggles.

Today a Meals-On-Wheels lady went to his house to take him lunch. He never came to the door, so she called Corky, Bo's dad. Corky went over to check on him and found his body still in his bed, but his spirit was no longer with us. We're so glad that he seems to have gone in a peaceful way, but sad that he's gone.

Bo, Jocelyne, & I took him lunch on Christmas Eve and visited with him for a little while. That's the last time we saw him. Bo has always been close to him, visits him regularly, and I know will miss him greatly. I will miss his smiling face too.

Goodbye Uncle Johnny! We are so glad to have known you.