Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

Bo & I are getting ready to drive to Tyler tomorrow to have lots of good food and fellowship with my family. We will have the meal on Friday instead of Thursday so we will be driving tomorrow. At least there won't be much traffic on the highways. Yea! After eating and visiting all day on Friday, we will head out Saturday morning to Austin to visit Jocelyne for a couple of days. Really looking forward to seeing her, too.

Cody, Jenny & Corbin are going to Dalhart for Thanksgiving with her folks, and Mason, Jocelyne & Whitney are going to Stanton to be with their maternal grandparents. Jocelyne is going home on Friday to be there on Saturday when we get to Austin.

Well, that's it for us. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW

1 Cor. 15:56, 57
Robert Hawker
(1753-1827)

"The strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."–1 Cor. xv. 56, 57.

Pause, my soul, over this solemn, but yet sweet verse. "The strength of sin is the law." Doth sin derive strength from the law? Yes, for the motions of sin, which is in our members, gather strength from the precepts in God's holy law, just as pent-up waters, that are increasing from various sources, will swell and rage the more because they are restrained. And this is what the apostle means, when he saith, "Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence." For the mass of indwelling corruption is stirred up, and excited into action by the law. The Lord, in rich mercy, teaching us by this very process; that so totally corrupt is our nature, that we do not know the whole workings of sin, until, by the holiness of his commandment, we are led to see, and feel a disposition to break it; like the first transgressors in the garden of Eden, who lusted to eat of the forbidden fruit, because it was forbidden, so that the very precepts of God, by the sin of our nature, become the means of giving strength to that sin of our nature. The law of God, in this instance, acts upon the heart, as when the gardener's spade uncovers the surface of the earth, and the worms, which before lay concealed, appear. The worms were there before; but. they did not appear before. In like manner, the law turns up the heart, and then appears the sin which, though there before, lay undiscovered. Is this thy case, my soul? And dost thou still carry, about with thee such a body of sin and death-! Well might Paul call it the mystery of iniquity; and well might Paul, from his deeper knowledge in the anatomy of the heart, cry out so greatly under the burden of it. Oh precious, precious, precious Lamb of God! how little understood, and less regarded, even by those that know somewhat of thee in the riches and greatness of thy salvation, is it considered, in ten thousand instances which pass away in the gulph of forgetfulness over our unthinking minds. Lord, give me to see and feel, yet more and more, that in myself I am virtually all sin. And, Oh Lord, give me to see and feel, yet more and more, that thou, and thou alone, art my righteousness. And let the apostle's hymn of praise be henceforth daily and hourly mine" Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ"

From THE POOR MAN'S MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS

Saturday, November 14, 2009

THAT WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR THE GUILTY

Exodus 34:7
Robert Hawker
(1753-1827)

"That will by no means clear the guilty,"–Exod. 34:7.

Pause, my soul, over these solemn words! Will not Jehovah clear the guilty? And art thou not guilty? How then wilt thou come before God, either now or hereafter? Hearken, my soul, to what thy God hath also said; "deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom." Oh! soul-reviving, soulcomforting words! yes, Jesus became my surety, took my guilt, and bought me out of the hands of law and justice. God hath not therefore cleared the guilty, without taking ample satisfaction on the person of the sinner's surety. Hence now the double claim of justice and grace demands the sinner's pardon. Here then, my soul, rest thy present and thine everlasting plea. Keep up a daily and hourly remembrance of it at the mercy seat. While Jesus lives, and lives there as thine advocate, never doubt thy acceptance in the beloved: guilty as thou art in thyself, yet spotless in him. The same God which made thy Jesus to be sin for thee, who knew no sin, makes thee the righteousness of God in him.

Friday, November 13, 2009

I Believe This:

I defy anyone to find a solitary text of Scripture in the New Testament that uses the law to motivate, inspire, regulate, and even guide the believer. Believers are motivated by love, inspired by gratitude, regulated by grace, and guided by the Holy Spirit. The whole Word of God, the complete revelation of His will, is our law. Our lives are governed by love, not by fear. We walk by faith, not by legislation. We walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh (Romans 8:9-14; Galatians 3:3).

- Scott Richardson

AMEN.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Happy Birthday Cody!

Today was Cody's 30th birthday. THIRTY!? Really?? ---So hard to believe.

We made our annual trip to the Big Texan and it was lots of fun.


Cody & Mason had their annual pepper stand-off. Those were some HOT peppers and I think it was a tie this year.



We all had our picture taken with Corbin in the big chair.







Here's Corbin sitting down to eat the 72 oz steak.






*

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Bo & I had a couple of visitors this past weekend. Mary Helen and John were here, and we were so glad they came to visit. We had Cody, Jenny & Corbin over on Friday night for a cookout. Saturday morning we went to watch Corbin play football. Saturday afternoon we walked 6 miles to the Lighthouse and back in Palo Duro Canyon. We had a great time there even though I fell down and got a big scrape down my arm. Ouch! Then Saturday night we went out to eat and Mary Ellen and I got a haircut at the mall. After that we went home and went to bed. We were so tired from the walking 6 miles. Sunday morning they loaded up and headed back to Tyler.

Here are pictures:




























*

Thursday, September 10, 2009

In the Knoxville airport

Sent by my iPhone

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Bo & I are eating at Lineberger's Seafood in Gatlinburg tonight.

(I'm trying out sending this by my iphone.)

Sent from my iphone
We are in Gatlinburg, TN just outside of the Smoky Mountains




Monday, September 07, 2009

We are in Tennessee! It's so pretty and has so many trees.



This is our friends, Donnie & Mary. We spent the night with them last night and had a great visit.



Hey Corbin look:

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Bo & I slipped off to Colorado Springs today for a little weekend getaway. Tonight we went down to Old Colorado City and walked around for a while. Bo sat on a bench and I set up the camera to take our picture using the time delay, then made a beeline for the bench myself. Can you tell I just sat down a second before this picture snapped?



Tomorrow we plan to go to Manitou Springs and to Pikes Peak.

We're having a good time!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Family Reunion

Yesterday we went to Bo's 3rd annual paternal family reunion. There were lots of folks there and we enjoyed visiting with everyone and eating lots of food. Good food.

I took this picture of these two cute little boys having a hot dog in a swing.



Bo's cousin's son had a BIG cooker and did all the cooking.



Here are pictures of Bo & three important women in his life:


His sister:


His daughter:


And his mother:


Bo's dad is in the hospital so he didn't get to be there. He has had pneumonia, but hopefully he is getting better.

It was a nice day.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Not a Whole Lot Going On Around Our House

Bo & I planted some small shrubs in our backyard next to the garage today while Lilly treed a cat that jumped our fence.



I have been sick since Tuesday with a sore throat, cough, fever and runny nose. Ugh. I must have picked up something in California.

Oh, and I got my hair cut very short. I mean really really short. I can't believe I did it, but I like it pretty well, I think. It will surely be easy. There's not much there to fix.

Oh, and one more thing..... Mason got a job!! Yea! He finishes up his clinicals July 24th and will take the Surgical Tech exam the same day. He hasn't been working anywhere for a couple of months now. He decided to just do school, but since he is living on his own now, his finances were getting rather tight, with no job. (He had been very diligent to save a good bit when he was working, and that's what he's been living on). Anyway, on Friday he got a call from a surgery center here in town offering him a job. He had interviewed with them about a week ago, and they were checking out references and such. I guess everything checked out good. I would think they must be very good for them to hire an 18 year old boy. ---I'm so proud of him.

[Correction: Mason told me today he is taking his exam on the 15th, this Wednesday, not the 24th]

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Oh. My. Goodness II





Yesterday we went to Lake Tahoe for the day. So beautiful, I could hardly take it in. Bo & I hiked a mile out to Eagle Lake up rocks and hills. I am pretty sore today, but must say it was so worth the walk.

Last night we went to the Bible Conference that we came out here to attend. We have gotten to hear some great sermons so far and will go back today and tonight. We heard about the great love God has for his sheep last night, by Don Fortner and were amazed yet again. Our God's love for his children is so absolutely amazing. He loves us because of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and only because of him. What a wonderful, wonderful thing! Praise the name of the Lord.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Oh. My. Goodness!






Yosemite National Park is so so beautiful. Majestic, Awesome, Incredible, Georgeous.

These pictures don't do justice. Bo & I had such a great time there yesterday.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Silly Lilly

Lilly carried this plastic Pepsi bottle in her mouth around the house for quite a while. It is almost as big as she is. She's a goofy little dog.



Then she and Bo found a turtle in the back yard.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Where's the Beef?

My man sure can bring home the bacon, er....... the beef!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CORBIN!

My favorite grandson in the whole world.

Grana loves you so!

Albuquerque Pictures

From the top of Sandia Peak. (I rode a cable car up to the top)


At the bottom of Sandia Peak




Out our hotel window on the 8th floor


Monday, June 15, 2009

Last weekend we went to Albuquerque and had a great time. Bo attended meetings all day one day and played golf another day & I just piddled around town. Our lovely hotel supplied internet, ....but for a price, which I didn't want to pay, so I went to a little cafe, drank coffee and surfed for a little while on Saturday. While I was there, this very odd looking contraction came riding up to the front window. A little old man got off it and came in to eat breakfast. I went out and got my camera to take a picture.



Have you ever seen such? That thing has four birds and a little dog on it. The birds and the dog (a very dirty little yorkie) just waited outside while the man was inside.

I thought it was pretty funny.

Sunday, June 07, 2009

A Quick Trip

Bo & I made a quick trip to Wichita Falls this weekend. We went down on Friday and came back on Saturday. We went to meet with some fellow believers there and we just had a great time. A pastor that we listen to in Kentucky told us about this group and Bo had stopped in to meet them several months ago as he was traveling thru. I just met them this weekend. They were such gracious and friendly folks. They meet each week in one of the family's homes. There was a visiting pastor there this weekend from Arkansas. We heard a wonderful message about the sovereignty of God, had two great meals, and lots of fellowship.

We don't go to a "church," so it is nice to get to fellowship with other believers when we can.



We went by the falls and took a picture:



Then, on the way home we picked up a couple of hitchhikers



---Not really hitchhikers. It's Ashlee & Taelor, Bo's great-nieces. We gave them a ride up to the Panhandle. They are staying with their Aunt Carla for a couple of weeks.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Various & Sundry Blogging

I wanted to sit down and write a post this morning, but I really can't think of anything to write about. My mind is just blank, when it comes to blogging. Mmmmm.

Well, here's somethings:

I bought a bookcase from the unfinished furniture store last week. I was going to stain it, but I really didn't like the way it looked, so instead of brushing the stain on, then wiping it off like you're supposed to do when staining something, I just put on two coats of stain and didn't wipe off. Here's the finished product



I like it pretty good. It's a little dark, but it'll do.

On another note, the neighbor dog Daisy, got into our backyard yesterday, and she and Lilly played some for a while. Daisy is very old and gentle, and Lilly is wild and crazy. Daisy finally got bored with the little tart and headed home.



This morning we listened to a good sermon in our family study time. Mason came and we enjoyed having him. It was just like old times ....a month ago when he still lived at home.

And last, but not least, here's a man and his dog out on the back porch just taking it easy.



That's it for me. Adios!