So Much to Discuss

First of all, howdy to faithful readers! I need to post more consistently!

The Gregory and I have completed 33.3 years of wedded bliss--ONE-THIRD OF A CENTURY! If you know us, you'd know what a wonder the grace of God is. We could not be more opposite (besides being male and female). To think, I was the tender age of 19 when we married, and now I'm 53! Boy howdy. I'm crazy about my lover!

Our Jason called the other night. It was so good to talk to him and to know that he still loves us. What a dear man. God was good when He gave him to us! Love you, Jay!

The preaching today was OUTSTANDING--dare I say the best I've ever heard--this morning. Have a listen to "The Brightness of His Glory" from Hebrews 1:3 on http://sermonaudio.com/aashepard. You will be ready to go to heaven and be with the Lord when you finish listening. At least I was.... We are blessed! Plus, we had 11 visitors this morning. Plus we had the Lord's Supper tonight. What a glorious day. Plus we spent the afternoon enjoying some Shepard hospitality. Thank you, dear ones! (Nothing like a well-structured paragraph!)

Mom seems to be adjusting well to the new nursing home (I transferred her to one only a half hour away from us, in the town where our church is located). I sure get to see her more often, and for this I am grateful. She is 80 now, and such a love. One of the men at the High-Rise told me that she's prettier than I am. I must agree! And she gets to come to church with us--a HUGE plus.

I actually walked/ran two miles the other morning! (The running was minimal, believe me.) Then I tried to go EARLY Friday morning, but how creepy is this?!: It was dark, and I went to the track, which is lit, not with football lights, but with the next dimmer ones. Four lights, two on each long side of the track. And there's a white car parked by the bus barn next to the track. Don't know if those two are related, but, at the end of the first lap, TWO lights went out on one side! As I'm about in the middle of the second lap, ONE more light went out! I'm outta there! Creeped me out. I thought--next day's headlines: Dummy! She should have gone home! And the ultimate creepiness was, when I got in the car to drive home, the lights were on again. (Sound effects: door creaking slowly open!) GAK! I betcha Eric Liddel didn't have these problems.... Plus, he had nice music when he ran. I guess I'll go in the daytime from now on.

Helped out with the resident's January birthday party at the nursing home. Whee! You would be proud of me--I skipped entertaining the troops with the Macarena, though one unnamed visitor to our church WAS spotted doing The Twist. And I have a picture! And that's all I'm saying. Those folks are precious! Had a good time snapping pics, too. The pics were shot, as another unnamed one said once....

And I can't sleep! It's a minute until midnight. That's what all that good preaching does to me. Sarah and I are memorizing (along with many others at http://challies.com/; come join us!) Romans 12 currently. And it is a good one! I hate to share my memorizing strategies, in fear of getting criticized, but I will anyway, because it just might make good reading, but certainly not emulation. For example: "...whether Prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or Ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that Teacheth, on teaching; or he that Exhorteth, on exhortation; he that Giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that Ruleth, with diligence; he that Showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." Now, note the bold letters: PM TE G RS. "In the PM, I drink TEa, then Go to Rising Star." Seems rather barbaric, eh, but it works for me. Sarah just shakes her head. And I might just mention THe Justice of the Peace's LeG: That's for "...whatsoever things are True, ...Honest, ...Just, ...Pure, ...Lovely, and of Good report." (Are you bored to tears yet?)

Subject change! Because I can. More cold weather--Yay! Had the AC on in the car today. Sigh. Maybe Gregorio will get a "snow" day in the next couple of days. We're supposed to get freezing rain. I am so happy.

What's your favorite day of the week, and why? Let me know. What faithful readers you are. "Sorry" to those who kept reading, thinking the good part was coming at the end!

My favorite day is:
Sunday: Because we meet to worship, and I get to hear great preaching and I get to record it and upload it to Sermon Audio and write the synopsis.
Monday: Because I'm home and get to do my cleaning and scrubbing and straightening up and laundry and think about the messages.
Tuesday: Because sometimes I'm home and get to do more of the same. And it's almost Wednesday.
Wednesdsay: Prayer meeting! That says it all.
Thursday: Because sometimes I get to be home, and I love it!
Friday: Because I usually see Sarah and company, and my mom.
Saturday: Because Greg can sleep in (I can't do that), and I sometimes have him all day, and it's almost Sunday.

A good writer knows when to quit. (Think of it: I could have been a good writer about 10 paragraphs ago!) Good morning, at 12:17. I love you beautiful people out there!

My brother, JC Ryle

"They love me best who love me in their prayers." Well said. And to those who pray for me: I cannot thank you enough. When I first came to know the Lord, I would hear missionaries ask for money, and they would invariably say, But most of all, we want your prayers. And I used to laugh inwardly, thinking: Yeah, that's what I'd say, too, if I wanted more money. (Cynicism was one of my strong points.) Here's more good quoting from my brother:



"Brethren who pray, if I know anything of a Christian's heart, you are often sick of your own prayers. You never enter into the apostle's words, "When I would do good, evil is present with me." so thoroughly as you sometimes do upon your knees. You can understand David's words, "I hate vain thoughts." You can sympathize with that poor converted Hottentot who was overheard praying, "Lord, deliver me from all my enemies, and above all, from that bad man-myself." There are few children of God who do not often find the season of prayer a season of conflict. The devil has special wrath against us when he sees us on our knees. Yet, I believe that prayers which cost us no trouble, should be regarded with great suspicion. I believe we are very poor judges of the goodness of our prayers, and that the prayer which pleases us least, often pleases God most."

(I'm getting a theme to my posts lately. Hmmm.) What's God been teaching you about prayer? How I long for a comment or two....

From Alexander Cumming

Some thoughts on prayer, well worth the read:

"...and yet so prone is he to lose sight of his Creator, and to transfer to the creature or to secondary causes the honour to which his holy name should be invested, that unless prayer had been instituted, the crown would have been snatched from the head of God."

"When we persist in the exercise of prayer, notwithstanding all discouragement, we do honour to that loving kindness which will not frustrate the anticipations that are formed upon the basis of his written declarations; and the longer the perseverance is maintained, and the more unpromising the symptoms against which it is upheld, the greater is the lustre reflected upon his character."

"When the two disciples were traveling to Emmaus, our Saviour met them, and unfolded to them the full lustre of the Scripture promises that related to his sufferings, till an expansive glory of heavenly emotion was diffused over their souls; but he did not discover himself as their risen Redeemer till their ardor for communion with him was severely tasked. He made as though he would have gone farther; and when they urged him to take shelter during the night, in their abode, he seemed to repel their kindness, till it is said they constrained him to turn aside with them; then he made himself know in the breaking of bread; and this in exact harmony with the way in which the Saviour acts in every age; he heaps many blessings even on his feeblest saints, who soar not to the sublime height of holy confidence which prompts the Jacob-like wrestlings of others; he makes their hearts burn within them by gilding some cheering promises with a ray of celestial brightness; but it is to those who by their unconquerable ardor and inflexible perseverance, compel him to turn aside, that he gives the sweetest glimpses of his reconciled countenance.... If benefits of vast magnitude are to be bestowed, they must therefore be preceded by prayers of fervid pathos; and God often delays an answer to supplication, not that he despises the anxious voice of our humble entreaty, but because he waits till our desires gain an accession of strength, and are somewhat commensurate to the vastness of the mercy that is stored up for us; and for this purpose he sometimes encircles us with an array of troubles, that they may enhance the frequency and earnestness of our addresses to the throne of grace."

Pray for me as I strive to learn to pray like this!

Ladies' Retreat

Hello, dear ones! Holy New Year!

Our church, Grace Baptist of Coleman, TX, is planning a ladies' retreat April 17th-18th. If you'd like more information on it, email me or leave a comment, and I'll send you a copy of the invite. Please pray for the speaker (yours truly)!