Cold Sunrise . . .

It was a beautiful Sunrise this morning!

Hosanna lost last night against Bethany – all of the Hosanna teams lost. I didn’t make the game due to being ‘sick’. That nasal throat stuff that has been going around – I got my share. I went through an
entire roll of toilet paper in one day blowing my nose – then your nose gets raw, etc. Today seems to be better so far. It lasted 4 days, and that is with medication.


Check out who's hiding behind moma's cotton tail? He was out of the nestbox early - he was even eating some of the big bunny food. The pellets are so big compared to him that it looks like he is smoking a cigar. They are all really getting curious and venturing in and out of the box.


Here's some Word.
Forgiveness is something that can be given or received. Unfortunately, it can also not be given - and to those it is extended too, it can be ignored. Forgiveness is one of the qualities of God Himself. God offers forgiveness to the repentant soul. Jesus was asked about forgiveness by Peter.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Him and said,
"Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me,
and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you,
up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Wow. That is a lot of forgiveness.

When you forgive someone you release them, it’s almost as if you possess the keys to their freedom from whatever they did and by doing so you open yourself up to God’s forgiveness. Remember what Jesus said when teaching the disciples to pray,
“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Forgiveness is what “oils the gears” of families and friends, because nobody knows you like your immediate family. Have you ever noticed how it is easier to forgive a total stranger on the street or in the market for a simple mistake and then not offer the same grace to a member of your own family. I guess some of the petty things are easy to forgive and chalk up to accidents or mistakes. Then there is a deeper level of forgiveness that is required when someone intentionally harms you or someone you love. Just watch the news and you will see some of the most horrible crimes committed – that is truly when ones ability to forgive is tested. Hopefully, one day, forgiveness will not be necessary because people will learn how to act and how to treat each other properly.

Have a great Wednesday. George.

Frozen . . .

Jack frost came by my house last night.

Frozen water bowls and iced windshields. How do those Yankees handle this everyday in the Winter? I suppose you just get used to it.

Job 38:28-30

28"Does the rain have a father?

Who fathers the drops of dew?

29 From whose womb comes the ice?

Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens

30 when the waters become hard as stone,

when the surface of the deep is frozen?"

No body says it like Job.

George.

Supposed to be cold . . .

Church was really good, as usual. The worship was deep and refreshing. Hosanna has definitely been blessed with good worship as well as a Pastor and leadership who love and care about this congregation. I wish everyone could have that (Jesus and his people) in their lives. It gives life so much more meaning and helps to keep one sharp.

I got a pretty heavy headache about mid way through the service which pounded me till around 9 pm. I took 800 mg of Ibuprofen at lunch which barely touched it, so I finally hit it with a 7.5 Lortab. That seems to have knocked it out thank God, cause I have had headaches in the pat last 3 days. My nose is draining like a faucet, too. But other than that, things are going well. God is on the throne. Saturday morning I woke up sounding lower than Johnny Cash – closer to a bullfrog I guess –upper respiratory. And quite a painful cough, too. If I could have kept that bass, I bet I could have gotten a job singing in Memphis. I called my doc and he prescribed a sulfa drug for 5 to 7 days. So far so good.

Movie critique: “Invincible” with Mark Wahlberg playing the real life regular guy turned football phenom, Vince Papale. It was very inspirational with few if any objectionable content. It is rated PG and I would give it a B+.

A funny bunny story. I went out to feed the rabbits this evening and as I opened the cover to the cages, I notice the bunny the kids have named ‘Cookies & Crème’ (the black and white spotted one) was on the cage floor walking after his moma trying to get under her and find a ninny. Well, he latched on and she kept walking around in the cage – holding on for dear life he was drug around for a few laps. I put him back in his nest box with his siblings. He is now marked as the most adventuresome of the bunny babies since he left the nest box first. I even took him out for a walk wrapped in a towel earlier today and showed him off to the family.

It is cold tonight! All the animals are in and warm as are we. I think the weatherman said it was supposed to get down to the 20’s.
We continue to pray for my mom and dad’s health as well as my brother’s arm. He sees the doctor this week to make sure he is healing well. Also, if you will, remember Dr. Hackler in his fight with cancer and Robin’s cousin Barbara with the small bowel transplant.
This is going to be a super week. Be a blessing wherever you go and in whatever you do.
"Let your confidence be in the Lord God and your courage come from Him".
George.

CT Results...

The CT results are in and appear to be pretty good considering that I have not been on Chemo since October, according to Dr. Patten. There has been some slight progression of the larger of the liver tumors and one of the lymph nodes was slightly smaller. More details were given, but that is the gist of it. He said whatever I was doing, to keep doing it. Three cheers for eating right and taking the right supplements. As far as the pain I am experiencing, he relates it to the chemo I had been taking in the recent past. He has known some patients who have had to deal with such pain for years after chemo. Hopefully, this too will pass. So, Robin and I were pleased – it could have been better, but it also could have been much worse. Either way, praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
We are considering a procedure involving radioactive spheres which are released into the hepatic (liver) artery – kind of like a heart cath – with the desired result being the irradiation of the liver tumors. There are some good cells which are sacrificed/killed in the process as in most forms of cancer treatments, but it is acceptable amounts. The liver heals and hopefully all cancer cells are gone. Please pray with us concerning this decision.

Hosanna girls won tonight against Runnels – 31 to 23.
Tomorrow is more basketball.

2 Samuel 6:10-12 10 He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. 12 Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.

How could an item like the Ark of the Covenant "bless" someone? The Ark was where the presence of God resided on earth. So it was not the Ark itself, rather the presence of God that was doing the blessing. With the New Covenant through Christ, the presence of God can and does abide in the heart of the believer. If you claim Christ as Savior and Lord, and as a result the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart, you can also enjoy the Presence of God, just like Obed-Edom. You can be blessed just like he was blessed. And the neat thing is, when God is the one doing the blessing, you know you have been blessed.

May God confirm his blessings to you this day. George

3 more....

A quick mid-day update to make you smile.

Sling and a stone . . .

Here’s another bunny pic. This one is 16 days old - from the first litter. They are coming along fine. I didn’t get a picture of it, but there was a Great Blue Heron (Thanks Andrea) strolling around the pond looking for breakfast. He is a huge, beautiful bird who visits us frequently.

Paul S. came by today for a visit and we ate at the Casa Maria on Flannery at Choctaw. The food was good and I am soooo glad I did not eat all of it – I only took care of half of it and that was plenty. I have learned through much trial and error to eat less. We also went by the sweet potato man’s house and bought a box of sweet potatoes for my mom and dad. (Hey Dan Quale, is that how you spell it?). He has chickens and goats and is a very interesting fellow. If you are in the market for sweet potatoes, pass by Joor Rd at Geurney. He has a sign out for $12 per box.

Friday is the Dr. meeting. I am looking forward to getting this one over with. My shoulder, elbows, kidney and abdominal pain are all about the same (sounds like a shopping list at the local butcher shop), so maybe he will have some answers. It’s difficult to do much without hurting and belly aching, so I am just hanging in there and trusting God and popping a big boy pill as needed.

Bryan’s basketball team won tonight. Tomorrow night is Lauren’s game. They are both doing so well academically and in sports. I am so proud of them. They make me and Robin look good.

You've got to read this story every once and a while to remind us how big our God really is. . .

1 Samuel 17:47
47 All those gathered here will know that it
is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves;
for the battle is the LORD's,
and he will give all of you into our hands."

This comment was made by King David (before he became King) to Goliath the giant in the Valley of Ellah. David proceeded to strike down the giant with a sling and stone. Can you imagine a teenage kid taking on someone taller than any NBA player known – he was over 9 feet tall – with just a sling and stone? Goliath also had a coat of armor weighing 125 lbs. and his spear shaft was like a weaver's rod with a 15 lb. iron point on the tip of it. He had a helmet of bronze, leg guards and a bronze javelin on his back. Not to mention someone else was carrying Goliath’s shield. David faced this big problem with an even bigger faith in an even bigger God. Whatever challenges we face, from the daily grind to office politics or major afflictions, we must face them with the same faith David had. David realized early on that the battle was and is the Lord’s. So whenever the devil rears his ugly head and defies you and your God, just remember that little teenager in the Valley of Ellah with only a sling and stone – and a heart full of faith in God’s abilities, not his own...

Have a great Friday and enjoy your friends and family this weekend.
George.

Some people....

Some people are more afraid of living than they are of dying. For the Christian, death is the beginning of eternal life with Christ. Sure, dying is not something they look forward to, but living is even a worse fear. "I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I can do it. What if I fail? What if I succeed?" What if, if, if. Both offer us the idea of the unknown, but to some, dying appears to be easier in their minds.
Some people are more comfortable with their affliction than with the idea of actually being healed. I remember a friend in College who was deaf. We were both attending a meeting which was being led by a man from South America who had a track record of being used by God in healing people who were deaf. This was not the only reason he came to speak to us, but it was a nice extra to know that God had used him in this gifting in the past. We communicated this fact to my friend and asked her if she wanted to go up for a healing. Believe it or not, she refused to be prayed for. What? I was so confused. But I could tell by the look on her face that I needed to back off and try to be understanding. Another friend shared with me later that our friend had been deaf her whole life – all of her friends, her family relationships, etc. were based around her deafness - that is all she knew – and for that aspect of her life to change was scary to her. So that is why she did not want to be prayed for. I learned something new that day.

We are supposed to get some sun today – hopefully! I feel like I have been living in England – or Seattle.

Spoke with my mom yesterday. She is still dealing with extreme fatigue, but no pain. She has only four treatments remaining. What I have heard from other women is that Taxotere is not as hard on your body as the first drug. Hopefully this will be true with mom. Dad had to have his first toe, toe nail removed on both feet due to ingrown nail problems. At first he said it was nothing to it – then the nerves “woke up” around day 4 or 5 post-op. Now it is giving him fits. He's going to make it. Aunt Eva is steady taking care of both of them, bless her heart.

I am going to post another bunny pic later on today after the sun comes up. Until then, here’s a good one to remember.

1 John 5:11-14
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God
so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

George.

Time to get up . . .

"Is it time to get up already?" I can just hear what he is thinking. This is another shot from the nest box of litter #1 which is 13 days old in this pic. If ya'll get tired of cute bunny pics, let me know and Ill show ya'll some other pics from around the farm.

I am going into "S.O."this morning (scriptural overload). There are so many great verses, that I cannot decide what to put on the blog. That is a good thing, as Martha S. would say.

The Saints lost, as you probably already know. I was bumming out a little, but I am thankful for such a great season this year, the best we have ever had since the team was formed. There is always next year . . .

Here is one of Carole's many favorite quotes "..all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" Gandalf LOTR. (that stands for 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Left over Turkey remnants'?).

Here are some good words to think on at the beginning of the day:
Psalm 25:4-5
Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 37:3-5
3Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

We, the team that is, needs to be prayed up tonight. We have a Starky vs. Hosanna basketball game. They are our main rival, so to speak. It should be good.

Have a great Tuesday.
George.

I am all ears. . .

I need all of you to leave one of (or maybe two of) what you consider to be the greatest qoutes by who(m)ever. It does not have to be scripture, but that is okay, too. I will combine them and make a list to be posted later. You can even put it on later posts.

I'm all ears - how about them bunny ears? Their eyes are open - the 1st litter anyway.

More later.
George.

I do and don't do . . .

Cancer. Cells doing both, what they are programmed to do and at the same time what they were not programmed to do. Divide yes, divide uncontrollably no. Sounds familiar? “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). The Apostle Paul wrote these words in an Epistle to the Romans. Cancer is the body turning on itself, just as sinful (or self destructive) behavior is the soul turning on itself. Doesn’t the cancer cell know that if it continues on its uncontrolled path that it will inevitably kill itself and the rest of the body in the process? Doesn’t the soul (personality) know that traveling down the wrong path will lead to eventual destruction of the entire being?
Where did we go wrong? From the first act of disobedience, humanity has pushed the envelope with God, wanting to do things their own way. We, as the human race, have mutated (spiritually) just like a cancer cell (physically). Cancer cells go through stages where they have genetic mutations on top of genetic mutations and eventually look less and less like they were supposed to look. The human race has entire cultures that are so removed from God’s original intent that their actions and ways are almost unrecognizable. This or that little act of disobedience is repeated and magnified down through the ages, spawning horrific monsters which have almost no resemblance to the original transgression. Man, this idea is a can of worms that only a series of books could cover – maybe – I better move on . . . .
The only answer I see if for the death of the ‘self’ so that God can live in the heart, once the self has been dethroned. There has to be a ‘spiritual coup’ in which the resident dictator is kicked out and the new benevolent king takes His long lost, but rightful place, on the throne of the human heart. And even on the best day of the most holy person’s life, there will be those minor skirmishes where some of the members of the old kingdom attempt to retake the throne. This classic tale is acted out billions of times each day in the lives of believers all over the world. Jesus gives us a major key to success in this area. Mark 14:38 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Watch and pray. Lord, remind us daily to watch and pray.

The CT on Friday went very well. Not to sound overly spiritual about it, but I felt a very unusual, almost overwhelming sense of peace about half way through the test which lasted for several minutes. I even commented to the tech about it. I don’t know what it was, but it was good.
Bryan’s basketball team won this morning. It was their first game, but I missed it since I had to be in N.O. for a test. While there, I visited with my parents, Aunt Eva and my brother and his wife and ate some lunch (thankyou aunt Eva) with them all. Mom is anemic due to the chemo. The Dr. is giving her the Procrit shots which help boost the body’s production of red blood cells. She is very tired, but looked beautiful in her pink house robe and pink little cap. She looked so cute sitting there reclined and resting. I know I am partial to my own, but I have the most beautiful women in my life. My mother, her sisters, my sister in laws, mother in law and no doubt - wife and daughter. They are all like flowers in God’s garden that I have been blessed to be around and enjoy. I could go on, but even this night owl is running low. It is 2:22 am and time to hit the sack.

Have a wonderful Sunday and God be with you. Remeber, watch and pray.

George. P.S. I have some more cute bunny pics coming tomorrow.

CT today . . .

Of course I had to include an update on the

bunnies. They are doing well - getting more fur and also some of their eyes are peaking open. The eyes are supposed to open around day 10. It is interesting to see the spotted one in this picture, scroll down to the previous pics and see how much it has grown - he is in the 3 previous pics.

Boy, was I having some revelations last night. I went to bed around 10 pm which is early for me, and then woke up at 12:30 - wide awake and aching like I was 102 instead of 42. So I took a big boy pill which helped me eventually go back to sleep. Then I woke up on and off the remainder of the early morning. Well, I tell you all of this to say write it down. I had all kinds of things to say and forgot every last one of them. It could have been the drugs - or not.

I have a CT today and a meeting with the doctor next week to go over the results. As always, I am trusting God with the results.

I need to get ready. More later . . . God bless.

George.

One more pic . . .

Isn't that the cutest little face?

No, that is not a mouse, it is a little bunny. And I am not sqweezing it too hard, I had to hold it firmly so he would not jump out of my hand. They are strong little kits. Plus, he was a little camera shy, as you can see he is hiding his face in the other picture.

Here is something that was sent to me that has a lot of wisdom.

* Take a risk. Climb out on a limb where the fruit is. Most everything is a risk. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure. The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing!

* Check your attitude. Forget what is behind and reach forward to what lies ahead. There is no way to be shielded from some of the negative experiences during our lifetime. The secret is how we respond to them!

* Remember to live one day at a time. It is when we add the burden of regret of yesterday and fear of tomorrow that we miss out on today. Live in this moment!

* Put your hope in God. It is because He lives that we can face tomorrow! Faith in God is the foundation of a solid life.

Consider the inheritance you are passing on, even today, to those in your life. These things that Mom put into my life began years ago. You are making an impact today. You are an influence today. You are passing on an inheritance long before your hair is gray.

"We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done??? (Psalm 78:4).

Hosanna First Assembly has their Missions Conference this Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 20&21st). For more info, call the Church at 926-4800.

George

Howling winds . . .

It is going to be cold and wet. We’ve got all the four legged critters (and two legged) locked in and warm and the bunnies are all covered with 300 watts of warming lights under their cages to raise the temp a little. The kits can handle – believe it or not – temperatures as low as ZERO degrees F, as long as they are covered with the mother’s hair and grouped together (3 or more)in their nest box. The mother does not actually ‘sit’ in the nest like a chicken, only when checking on and feeding the babies.
I spoke with my mom today (Sunday) and she is feeling a little better. She has one more treatment of the heavy chemo regimen and then will start the next regimen which involves 4 treatments total. I told her we are going to celebrate once this is over.

I have had two guitar lessons so far. I was not feeling too hot today, but decided to stay the course and take a nap when I got home. Music is such an interesting art. It is really math that you can hear - sound - when you think about it. I have played the guitar since 1985, but have never had formal lessons. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have taken them along time ago. If you have something like that which you have been putting off, don’t waste anymore time. Go for it!

I’ve been taking some of the 'big boy pills' due to some joint and abdominal pain this week. They do help, but what stinks about taking it is that then you start feeling weird symptoms from the pills. Man, if it isn't one thing, it is something else. Thank God Jesus is my peace.

The wind is really howling outside, so I am going to hit the hay. Thank goodness for a warm and dry house.

1 Peter 3:8-13
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
God Bless and be a blessing. George.

More bunny pics . . .

<<<< This is the first litter. They are seven days old.

Here is a picture of the 2nd litter, which is a blend of 5 original and 3 foster. The white ones are the foster kits, they are 4 days older than the pink ones which is why they have more hair.

They are all jumping and grunting and appear to be healthy. I have been videoing them also on a tape which is all bunny stuff. One of them has spots like a Dalmation. We cleaned out around the cage to make room for some more cages which will be used to house the litter once they get to big to be with moma.

Psalm 1:1-3 NKJ

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

More later.

George.

Awesome time . . .

Before all the bunny stuff happened, I had an awesome time in prayer with the Father. It was unusual since I didn't get to sleep until 2 am due to ball games being late, etc. I had a whopper of a headache, too. I woke up around 6 am and felt great. I fed the dog, cats and of course the bunnies. Came back in and started into prayer - it was a really unusual time - to where as I would pray, He would give me things to do, so I wrote them down as they came to me and did them. I am sure God wants me to obey Him just as much as I want my children to obey me. I think any parent would agree with me on this point. It is also very fulfilling to do what you believe God wants you to do. We serve a Great God.

Romans 8:1-2
There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Please continue to pray for Barbara and Don - she is in the hospital. Her small bowel transplant has been giving her trouble.

P.S. The Saints beat the Eagles - look out Superbowl!

Update . . .

Quick update - We now have 5 more bunnies. Doe #2 was bred 3 days following #1. We actually watched her give birth and clean up the babies as they were born. Normally they give birth at night, so we lucked out on this one. Fascinating stuff.
Saints are coming on in a little while. This is a big one. Have we ever gotten this far since this team was started? .... more after the game.

George.

Funeral . . .

Jill's funeral was absolutely awesome! I know she would have been very pleased with the service. The worship was wonderful. The Pastor delivered a sermon like I have never heard at a funeral service. Life is a fragile gift from God - those words resonated with me. God was glorified in it all, and that would have been her wish. The brief graveside prayer and talk was surreal - almost like I was watching a dream. The Church fed all of the family & friends after this. I got to meet some more family. I got in my car and left, and life continues as it has for thousands of years. We remember, though, and are thankful for the life lived.
I got home to only to find out that 3 of the baby bunnies had somehow gotten out of the nest and were on the cage floor (not the ground). One of the three was in the cage next door? How he did that remains a mystery, but we surmised that the mother was nursing, jumped out of the nest box and three of the kits were still latched onto their respective ninnies. As a result, they were drug out of the box. Luckily, the cousins noticed this and put them back in the nest box.
Tonight the Hosanna Varsity girls and boys defeated Starky. Both games were 'nail biters', but we won. Needless to say, it was very loud.
This has been a very long and exhausting day. I plan on getting some sleep folks. Hope you have a great weekend. God bless. George.

Kit pics....

Here are the "lucky" eleven. Why 'lucky' you say?
They all made it out alive is one reason, and the second reason is their mother knows what she is doing. They are jumping around in the nest so much that it was hard to get a clear pic. That is a good sign though. I am interested to see if the black kit's hair will be white, since the mother is brown and the father pure white. And what of the speckled ones? I plan on keeping up with their growth on the blog.
Today is Friday - thank goodness. Tonight is Starky vs. Hosanna at Hosanna. It ought to be good.
Jill's wake is today from 8 to 11 am with the funeral service at 11 am at 1st Baptist in Gonzales off of Burnside (Hwy 44). I believe these times are correct. It is really weird writing these things down, but as Job said, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord". She died in faith, the only way to go.
I have yet to get the CT/PET scan lined up, but maybe they will call today. I did wake up feeling like I am trying to get a sore throat. Don't need it and don't want it. Still having some back/kidney pain and stomach discomfort. Trusting God through it all.
Have a great day. George.

Ten, no, eleven...

The count is in - there are eleven 'kits' in the nest box and they all appear to be healthy and active. The kids are excited.

Russell shared a great message last night at Church. The analogy of Father God sitting at the table with His children - some out in the yard, some in the house but not at the table, others at the table but not seated with Him and then those who are seated at the table with the Father - was an eye opener. Distractions of all kinds, even so called good things like jobs, hobbies even ministry stuff - keeps us from the table. I hope we can all 'come to the table and sit down beside Him' as Michael Card's song says.

The Sunrise was beautiful this morning as was the moon through its cycle.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-24
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly,
comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone,
but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies.
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely;
and may your whole spirit, soul, and body
be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Good Word. Have a great day. George.

New arrivals . . .

We have a nest box full of new arrivals this evening. We had a basketball game in Houma, LA. That was quite a ride! We got back home around 10 pm. I then went to check on the bunnies since it will get down into the low 30's tonight and there they were - well I couldn't see them since they were buried in hair, but I could see movement. Moma appears to be doing well. I fed her some more hay, as well as all of the other adult bunnies (they don't smoke cigars, so I had to give them something). Rabbits will pull hair from their abdomen and dewlap and use it as nesting material. She did this all between 2 pm and 10 pm - and had a bunch of babies. Tomorrow I will count and investigate the health of the babies and hopefully get some good pictures for the blog.

The Hosanna girls won 50 something to 14 (i think) - they won good. Winning isn't everything, but it sure feels good to win.


Romans 5:1-9 (NKJ)
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Our hope in Christ. Amen!
George.

Passing of a friend . . .

My friend from work, Jill Hymel, who was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks after I was, went on to be with the Lord yesterday. I just found out. I don't know all of the details but her service is this Friday morning. Please lift up the Hymel family during this time.
She is no longer in pain, and has finally seen the lover of her soul.

Also, Robin's cousin, Barbara, is having problems with her small bowel transplant. She and her husband Don had to return to Nebraska to get help. Please include these two in your prayer time. Thanks so much.

God sees what you do in secret, and He will reward you openly. Continue to be faithful to Him and be blessed.
George.

Letters . . .

Since I was diagnosed just over one year ago, my mother’s two sisters home Church (Highland Ave. Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama) began sending me letters concerning illness and such topics as covered in scripture from their prayer meetings. At the end of each brief letter of encouragement were numerous signatures of those who attended the prayer meeting and who had been praying for me by name. When I received the first letter and saw all of those signatures, it really took me back a bit – that so many who do not even know me had taken the time to pray for me and send a letter to encourage me in my time of need. They are still sending me these letters faithfully – and at the end of each one are those signatures.

What follows is one of the letters I recently received. I hope you are as blessed by it as I was.

Sickness can rob us of our physical strength, but it cannot rob us of our strength that comes from the Lord. That is, if we keep the faith! Many times we become confused about the Lord’s strength. Many people interpret it only as acts that are pronounced through physical evidence, like a miraculous healing experience. Without that physical manifestation, they believe the Lord has withheld His strength. But that thought pattern is far from the teaching of the scripture. For example, the Apostle Paul was arrested, beaten, stoned (with rocks) and finally killed. Yet, he wrote that God had strengthened him. The Lord’s strength was not that Paul could do the feats of Superman, but rather that he could live a life with spirit and purpose in the midst of great adversity. He wrote in Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The strength of the Lord is available for you. Act upon your faith in the overcoming power of Christ and no event can hinder the Lord’s power from working in and through your life, not even your sickness.

Most recent movie: “Emmanuel’s Gift” – it is more of a documentary than movie. It is about a young man from Ghana who is disabled. He is not deterred by his disability but rather motivated to change his nation’s perception of he and others like him. If you want to be encouraged that yes, “all things are possible if you only believe”, then you need to rent this one.

The Florida Gators defeated Ohio State Univ. tonight – 41 to 14 - that is the exact same score that LSU and Notre Dame had in the sugar Bowl. That is weird.

The word says that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Romans 8:35-39
“35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." {36 Psalm 44:22} 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, {38 Or nor heavenly rulers} neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And may I add that not even uncertainty can.
Be blessed and be a blessing. George.

Sorry for being incommunicado, but we have been a busy over the past few days. Basketball games Thursday and Friday, the Rehmeyers are in from South Africa (Swaziland) and some of the boys got together with Nathan Friday at the Smith’s house so they could play. The Rehmeyers are missionaries through Children’s Cup. If you would be interested in checking out that part of the world, here is Daran’s (Nathan’s dad) web site: daran@childrenscup.org .
I have also been reading a lot more and “trying” to write more, too. I also have a movie idea running through my head. I talked with Ronnie Smith who, along with C.J., wrote a book called the "13 Witnesses from Hell" (I think i have the title right). He was giving me some insight into some of the things to watch out for. If any of you reading this have written or have thought about it, making movie's etc, drop me an e-mail and let's talk.
Yesterday, Bryan woke up with his ear still bothering him from the night before. So we headed to Church anyway and about half way there we were stopped at a read light and he had to let the window down and @#&%@# out the window. I’m sure the lady in the car next to us had something to talk about when she got home. So, we dropped the girls off at Church and went back home. He improved quickly, but we are still going to the doctor today.
We went to N.O. after Church to visit with my brother and his family. Last time we tried to get together for Christmas, their son was sick. So, we figured Bryan was not contagious and took off. We stopped by my parent’s house, but mom was not feeling to good, so she stayed in the bed. Like when I was on chemo, there are days when the bed is your only destination. Dad showed the kids his Honda “Gyro”, which is an interesting 3 wheel type scooter that he got at a garage sale and fixed up. The kids rode it down the street. Lauren was not a problem, but Bryan didn’t quite have the ability to let off of the gas while braking – he wound up running off the rode into several of the neighbor’s yards as a result. He did manage to miss the trees and the cars parked on the side of the street, however. I must admit I was cringing while he was on that crazy thing. But, we as parents have to sometimes do that – cringe (and pray) as our children grow up and experience life. Mistakes are going to be made and hopefully they will learn from them just like as we had to do. As always, it was good to see them all.
Oh yeah, and I forgot to tell you that the first thing Sunday morning I found outside - - - was a loose bunny running around the yard! One of the female Checkered Giants had somehow manipulated her door and jump 4 ft to the ground. One of our cats, Tippy, was following her around – I guess trying to figure out what this new creature was and what to do with it. Luckly for the rabbit, her curiosity as to what I was doing got her close enough for me to get my hands on her. She screamed like a pig! I have never heard a rabbit scream before, so I learned something new – and I made sure to secure her door.
Google was voted the best place to work. They have massage therapists, medical doctors, all kinds of sports/physical activities, gourmet food – you name it – and it is all free to the employee. They receive 1 million applications for work each year. I wonder why?
That is an interesting contrast to those who work in some areas of ministry, especially missions. There is a lack of appreciation, the local food may or may not be to your liking, you may be in danger more times than you would care to be and the pay is nothing to write home about - but the rewards are eternal. If you have always thought about supporting someone you know who is in missions, go for it. Make this the year that you do it. It doesn't have to be thousands of dollars, just pray and ask the Lord what He would have you do. You will be glad you did.
Have a great Monday - this is going to be a great week.

You know it . . .

In case you have not heard, LSU won the Sugar Bowl last night!!! Just thought I would let you know. And, there was no question that we won it, not that the other team lost it. 41 to 14. Yeah.

But better than that, Jesus won the victory at the Cross over 2,000 years ago. Now that is some shouting ground.

More later . . .

Frozen . . .

Icy conditions at my house, how about yours? The deck was slippery with a layer of ice for the second day. We had to pour hot water on the windshield (front and back) of the van due to the thick layer of ice.
My son and I saw the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" yesterday and then we went to Barnes and Noble and looked at some books for a while... and a little while longer. I could spend hours looking at all of the various books. The movie gets a "B" from me for content, but there are a few choice words in it which I feel are handled correctly by the father who is trying to help his son understand the difference. It's based on a true story which gives it more value to me personally. I am glad we got to spend the time together.
I have been reading a book by Penelope J. Stokes, Ph.D. about writing Christian fiction. There are so many quotable quotes. One that caught my eye was that Jesus told stories, "...Intriguing stories. Disturbing stories. Stories that comforted the afflicted - and afflicted the comfortable". Whoa! are you stepping on my toes yet? This one quote stuck with me 50 pages into the book. We all need to be shaken out of our comfort zones sometimes. It keeps us fresh and real.
I am lining up another Dr. visit and hopefully a CT/PET scan. For about the last two weeks I have been having some persistent abdominal, back, shoulder, elbow/joint and what I call 'kidney' pain. It kind of 'moves around' throughout the day - yeah, I know that sounds funny. I am still standing in faith believing for a 100% healing - regardless of what I feel. Symptoms can lie to you. But I am going to do all I can do and trust God with the rest. I have noticed when Jesus healed people, he did not tell them to 'eat their greens' 3 times per day or drink more water - he touched them and they were made whole. Period. But I also do not want to be foolish and neglect eating right which is something I can do for myself. So, the beat goes on. You've got to live by faith regardless of what is on your plate.

LSU plays Notre Dame tonight - I think at 7 pm. Go Tigers.

God Bless, George.

Here is a 'band of brothers' for sure. Jerry is the ugly one. You try and pick him out. (Just joking Jerry).

Some famous people have passed on recently. President Gerald Ford, James Brown and the infamous former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, have all met with the inevitable of all inevitabilities. Death. They now know things that we wish to know, without having to actually pay the price for that knowledge. Kind of the equivalent of the lazy man’s wish to have a degree without having to go to class. We will all have our chance one day. Live so that you don’t wish you ‘would have done it’. Go out and do it.

The New Year is in motion. What are you going to do with it? Anyone start on their resolutions yet? Some have told me that ‘tomorrow’ is when they are going to start. Like the song says, “tomorrow is just a day away”. I am working on mine. It is like eating the proverbial Elephant – one bite at a time. I believe the key is to be consistent. Whether it is diet, exercise, reading or praying, just be consistent. The Tortoise and the Hare is the perfect example of this principle.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all”.
And if you fall down, have no fear - there is a scripture for that too.
Proverbs 24:16, “for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again . . .”
Rise again. Re-focus and carry on. There is no deeper pit than a pitty pit. You can do the Will of God for your life. If God is for you, who can be against you?

My mom and dad and Aunt Eva are doing well. Mom had some tough days, but she was doing better yesterday and today. Thanks for praying.

The Tostito Bowl was one of the most unusual football games I have seen in a while. I am glad it was not an LSU game, I would have been freaking out. The Sooners and Boise State fought it out tooth and nail. Boise won in OT.
LSU plays Notre Dame this Wednesday evening. Go LSU!

Have a blessed week. George.

H a p p y

N e w

Y e a r ! ! !

"Behold, I make all things new" - Jesus, as quoted in the movie "The Passion".


Luke 22:19-20 19
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
"This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying,
"This cup is the NEW covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
- Jesus, as quoted in the New Testament at the last supper with his disciples.

"Let us do all things as unto the Lord, not as unto man, knowing that from the Lord you shall receive your reward". Let this year be the year that you do what you have been called to do.
Have a blessed day and year. George.