Calling it a day...for now

Most of you are aware of the struggles that Merilyn has had with her health in the past month or so. She is still fighting the staph infection and is back in the hospital in Fayetteville. I have been traveling long distances every week either to be with her or to go to College Station to help Adam pack as he gets ready to enter his training for the Secret Service on June 7. With everything that is happening and other demands, I have decided to take a hiatus...that's what TV shows do when they have a break between seasons...and have a break from writing the blog. I'm grateful for those who have been readers and for the positive comments you have made. Please keep Merilyn in your prayers for a full and quick recovery. God bless you!

More Spring blessings

This past weekend was my time to go to Arkansas for my every other week visit. I have stopped at this rest area before. It is on I-40 going into Arkansas from Oklahoma just outside of Ft. Smith. If you are ever going that way, you should stop and check it out. It is one of the most attractive rest areas I have ever seen. It's built in kind of a log cabin style and the interior is especially beautiful with a huge stone fireplace at one end of the reception area. I took this picture mostly because of the gorgeous azaleas out front but the overall facility is pretty impressive, too.

It's amazing how much of a difference there was in the forest areas of northwest Arkansas from two weeks ago. Two weeks ago there were blooming trees like redbud, wild plum, and dogwood all over the place. Now the forests have filled out with leaves so much that most of the blooming trees are obscured or they have already lost their blooms. The hills are sure looking lush and green. I left Ennis at 5:45 a.m. on Thursday so I could get through Dallas before traffic got too congested and get home early enough to work on our lawn tractor. My farmer friend, Bob, in Ennis loaned me his impact driver which turned out to be just what I needed to get the frozen screw loose so I could replace the damaged part. The mower is fixed and I got nearly an acre of the yard mowed. Merilyn, Sarah, or Blake will now be able to finish it off this week sometime.

We had an excellent Bible study group meeting on Thursday evening. Our hosts had a cook-out for us with burgers, hot dogs, chicken and all the fixings. They even made chocolate cake and homemade ice cream for dessert. While all that was great, the best thing is that the lady of the house had returned from Philadelphia where she had fallen and received injuries that kept her away from home for nearly a month. She is still recuperating but at least she was able to come home. We followed up the feast of food with a spiritual feast of study from Luke 7. It was a wonderful evening.

The rest of my time at home was filled with doctor visits to my family doctor and chiropractor...all just routine stuff...and running various errands and tending to some other chores around the house. It's always a fast and furious time when I go home for a few days every two weeks to get caught up on everything, but I am surely grateful that I have the opportunity to do that. Even though the situations that you are facing in your life may not be exactly what you would like for them to be right now, you can make the best of it all and work toward better times with positive attitudes and faith in God.

We enjoyed an outstanding day at church yesterday. It was Friend's Day and our attendance was around 175, up over 40% of normal. We had ten families or couples visiting from the local area and several of them were former members. Most of them stayed for our fellowship meal and it was just a wonderful day. We will be following up with them through our new visitation ministry so perhaps God will bless our efforts and we will be able to add more members to the church family here.

I hope everyone has a great week. Enjoy God's beautiful Spring!

"Trust in the Lord and do good; so you will dwell in the land and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act." (Psalm 37:3-5)

Bluebonnets Are Here!

As you can see, the bluebonnets have arrived on the bluebonnet trail in Ennis, Texas. This past weekend was the Annual Bluebonnet Festival in Ennis and there were thousands of extra people in town. Unfortunately, the weather was not the best (the NASCAR races up in Ft. Worth were canceled on Saturday and Sunday), and folks tell me the bluebonnets are not as nice as in some years but they are still beautiful. I'm not sure what the orange flowers are. Their structure is almost like a bluebonnet. They may be what I've heard called "Indian paintbrush." Most of these pictures are from a place called Sugar Ridge just north of the small town of Bristol. Bristol is about 10 miles northeast of Ennis. The drive out there is an enjoyable ride through the Texas countryside even without the gorgeous wildflowers. By the way, you can click on any of these pictures to get a larger view of them, then you can return to the blog by using your "back" button. The four pictures at the bottom are just about a mile away from the church building on a street going to the local hospital and a couple of schools. That is an intermediate school (5th-6th grades) in the background.
When I was back in Arkansas for a visit last time, I noticed the wild plum trees and red buds were in full bloom, and that the dogwoods were starting to come out. These are all excellent reminders of how much God loves us and of His power in Creation. Enjoy these blessings every day!

Bluebonnets Are Coming!

Since I call this blog, "On The Bluebonnet Trail," I figured that I had better post some pictures since the season is upon us. These photos are just a few little patches of plants out behind the church building. There are huge fields of flowers in the area and I will get photos of them in the next week or so, but everyone tells me that the flowers are not at the peak yet so I'm going to wait a little longer. There will be more pictures coming soon.

I had a good trip to Arkansas over the weekend. We had an excellent Bible study group on Thursday evening. Our friend, Shirley, who was injured up in Philadelphia is supposed to be able to come back home this Thursday. I will be glad to see her next week. I'm sure she will be glad to be back home and I know for sure that her husband, Dick, is ready for her to return!

Merilyn, Sarah, and Blake are all doing well. Merilyn has had 2010-2011 student registration all last week and they have Benchmark testing all this week so it's been a pretty stressful time for her. It always is a tougher time of the year but after this week is over, it should be pretty smooth sailing for the rest of this school year. Sarah is looking into continuing her education with a Master's program in social work through the U of A. I hope everything will work out for her to do that. Blake has been in Kansas this weekend playing in a basketball tournament with some of his friends. He was a standout player in high school and even played some in college.

Adam is getting his ducks in a row as he prepares to enter his Secret Service training. He talked to his new boss in Oklahoma City and found out he can do his initial training in the Houston field office so he was really glad for that. If I understood him right, he will not report to Oklahoma City until about the first of February, 2011. Starting on June 7 (Sarah's birthday), he will be in training at several different locations until then.

I was able to get some yard and flower bed work done while at home this time. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the steering mechanism of the riding mower and I was not able to get it fixed before I left. Fortunately, one of our next door neighbors said he would help us keep the yard mowed until I can get back in two weeks to get it fixed. We have decided to list the house for sale with a new real estate agent. He comes highly recommended and we've been impressed in visiting with him. The problem is that the real estate market in northwest Arkansas is still in terrible shape and foreclosures continue to dump more and more properties on the market. But we're going to let him have a shot at it and just keep praying for God's guidance and blessing.

Enjoy the beautiful Spring season. Remember that God made it all. He is awesome!

Reason for delay this week

I usually try to write a new post on Monday morning each week but I did not do that this week because I was waiting for some news to share. Now I can go ahead and tell...our son, Adam, has been notified that he has been accepted into the U.S. Secret Service! Merilyn and I are extremely proud of him. He's worked hard to achieve this goal. I've never seen nor heard of such a process for screening applicants. It has taken 15 months and has included numerous face-to-face interviews, two grueling polygraph exams, writing pages and pages of answers to questions, an extensive background investigation, and a rigorous physical examination. Adam will report to the field office in Oklahoma City on June 7 for several days of orientation, then to Washington, D.C. headquarters for a few days, then to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA for several months, then to the Secret Service training facility in Maryland for several more months, and then back to Oklahoma City around the first of February, 2011 to begin work. He's excited and we are all overjoyed that the process is complete and he has achieved his goal!

This has kind of overshadowed everything else that has been going on in the past week or so, but we have received many excellent blessings from God in this time. Merilyn and Sarah came down from Arkansas and Adam came up from College Station this past weekend so we got to spend some time together and celebrate his news. We had an excellent worship service for Easter Sunday with nearly a 50% increase in our attendance.

Sarah and Blake are doing well. He is on day shift now with his police patrol and likes it better. He had his picture in the Springdale paper recently with his police car in a story about how Ford is going to quit making the Crown Victoria, which has been one of the more popular police cruisers of the past 40 years. I think Ford is going to start outfitting their Taurus for police work now. Sarah is enjoying her work at Decision Point and is looking into getting into a Master's degree program in social work through the University of Arkansas.

This is my week to go to Arkansas for a few days. I will leave tomorrow morning, have our Bible study group tomorrow night, and enjoy some time with Merilyn before returning to Ennis on Saturday afternoon. By the way, the bluebonnets are just starting to come out nicely so I will try to get out into the countryside and take some pictures to post next week. Have a great day! God bless!

The Month That Roars!

Which month is it that they say comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? I'm not sure but there was some lion-like weather over the past several days in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. I got to make a trip back to Springdale last Thursday for my every two week visit. The driving was fine from Dallas to the Texas-Oklahoma border at the Red River. Pretty soon after crossing the river there was a strong thunderstorm with heavy rains. It let up in intensity after 10-15 minutes but then it was rain all the rest of the way. Fortunately it moved out and the rest of the weekend was sunny. We had a good Bible study group meeting on Thursday evening but one of our ladies has had a tough time. Shirley Pate was visiting relatives in the Philadelphia area and took a fall down some stairs. She broke two ribs and fractured several vertebrae in her back. She's been hospitalized in severe pain and is now in a rehab facility in Philadelphia until she is well enough to return to Arkansas. Please remember her in your prayers.

It was a blessing to have such a beautiful day on Friday and again on Saturday morning. I was able to get the front part of the yard mowed, edges trimmed, and then sprayed for weeds. Sarah or Merilyn may have to come along this week and get the rest of the mowing done after the back part of the yard dries out better. I also got the knockout roses, crepe myrtles, and butterfly bush pruned for the new Spring growth.

I left Springdale to return to Ennis just after noon on Saturday. While it was a beautiful, sunny day, the winds were ferocious! From northwest Arkansas all the way to Ennis they never let up. On the weather report Saturday evening it said there were gusts as high as 46 mph throughout the area. Even though I am in a smaller car now since I traded, I was able to zoom-zoom right through the wind and traffic with no problems. "zoom-zoom"---Mazda---get it? Ha!

I've got to take a minute to brag about my son, Adam. He, along with several other military veterans, is on the cover of the Texas Aggie magazine which is published by the Texas A & M Association of Former Students. Also, there is a full-page picture of him inside the magazine as the lead-in to the story about Aggies who have served in the military and the long tradition and history of the connection between Texas A & M and the U.S. military. As you may imagine, Merilyn and I are very proud of him.

It is a gorgeous Monday morning in north Texas with sunshine and blue sky. It's a little nippy but it's going to warm into the upper 60's today. The coming of Spring just seems to invigorate and make everyone happier. The challenges and struggles of life will always be with us, but when we are in Christ we have good reason to rejoice in the Lord always as Paul writes in Philippians 4:4. I hope everyone has an excellent day today and a great week to come!

Spring is here?

While the calendar says Spring, it surely has not felt like it for the past few days! This has been quite the freak blast of winter, hasn't it? Last Thursday and Friday here in north Texas the temperatures were in the mid-60's with sunshine. Then that cold front came through on Friday night and into Saturday. We even had snow on the ground Sunday morning when I went to church. It was only 1/2" or so, but areas just to the north of Dallas got as much as 6-8". Of course, that's nothing compared to what northwest Arkansas got. Merilyn told me there was at least a foot of snow on the ground. Last night I went to eat at Whattaburger with some folks from church and saw a report on a TV they had tuned to the Weather Channel. Lo and behold, they had a weather reporter from Fayetteville! He said they had 13.5" on the ground so it must have been close to that in Springdale. The good thing is that it is supposed to warm up pretty quickly so there should not be huge problems with this snowfall.
I got to go to College Station this past weekend and spend a couple of nights with Adam. It's always good to be together. He was off work for a day or two since the students were out of school for Spring Break. He cooked us out some steaks one night and we spent a lot of time watching the March Madness NCAA basketball games. Boy, some of them were madness! Lots of top seeds went down, including the #1 ranked team in the country, Kansas. That loss was particularly hard for my son-in-law and daughter. They are both rabid KU fans. The losses of highly ranked teams has completely blown up my bracket picks, but I've got lots of company.
Merilyn is going to central Arkansas this week to spend some time with her Dad as he is going to be having hip replacement surgery soon. I think she may be going to spend a night with Mom in Russellville, too. This is my week to go to Springdale so she is planning to be back home by Thursday. She's going to be doing a lot of traveling for Spring Break.
Everyone's doing well, staying healthy, and plugging along. We've got lots of blessings for which to be thankful. Hope everyone has a good week. God bless!

In and around Dallas and Arkansas

Looking back over this past week, it seems as if it was about a month long. On Monday morning I got into the office early to get some needed work done because I was going to Springdale in the afternoon. Usually I go on Thursday and Friday but I had been talking to some car dealers about trading for a smaller, more economical car. The best deal finally came from a Mazda dealer in Bentonville so now I am driving a Mazda 3. It's more of a sporty looking car and it has a sporty feel in driving. You know the Mazda motto: Zoom-zoom! It fits. Yesterday I filled up the first tank of combined city and highway miles and it came out to 33 mpg. When it's broken in well, I expect to get 26-27 in town and 35-37 on the road. That will definitely be a positive impact on the wallet.
While in Arkansas, Merilyn and I were able to meet with the Bible study group on Tuesday evening instead of Thursday. It's always a blessing to be with these Christian friends. I was also able to get quite a few chores and "honey-dos" done while I was there; that's always good. I'm proud of my wife! After I got back to Ennis, she called one morning to say she was getting ready for work and felt wetness at her feet. She looked under her bathroom sink and saw a water leak. She didn't panic. She just turned off the water valves at the supply lines, cleaned up the mess, and called to tell me about it. What a woman! It should be a fairly easy fix for me the next time I'm home.
I got up early Wednesday to come back to Ennis and was back in the office around 1 p.m. The rest of the week was non-stop busy but it was all good. On Saturday I ran an errand up to Farmers Branch in north Dallas. To get there I drove north up I-45 then hit I-635 west. Coming back I went a few miles further west on I-635 and got on I-35 south which goes around the western side of Dallas and then down to Waxahachie. At Waxahachie I then take Hwy 287 12-14 miles back over to Ennis. One sight I noticed as I went down I-35 is the old home of the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Stadium. On April 11, it is going to be imploded and demolished now that the Cowboys have their new home out in JerryWorld. So, if you want to get a last look, you'd better hurry!
It seems that Spring has arrived in this part of the world. We've been enjoying temperatures in the 60's and 70's. Merilyn tells me it's not gotten to northwest Arkansas yet but it should be there soon so all you cold and wet Arkies just be patient.
Hope every one has a good week. God bless!

Spring is coming!

This past week saw some pretty wild swings in the weather in north Texas. At the first of the week it was more like late Winter and by the end of the week it was more like Spring. Friday was a beautiful day. I got to wear shorts and a t-shirt to go out for exercising for the first time in quite a while. There are already some buttercups blooming and a few of the early blooming shrubs are starting to show some blooms, too. According to the news reporters, this should be an outstanding year for the bluebonnets because of all the rain. When they come out, I'll take some pictures and post them here.
Everything is going well with the church here in Ennis. We lost one of our leading men to cancer last week. He put up a valiant fight but it finally got to the point that the doctors at M.D. Anderson in Houston said there was nothing more they could do. Two days later he passed away. It seems to me that if there is no hope for getting better, then it is a blessing to pass on quickly. On a brighter note, we have been in the process of selecting new deacons for the church and have identified four good men who have agreed to serve. They will be appointed on March 21.
It looks like I will be heading to Arkansas today instead of Thursday. I've been talking to a couple of car dealers about trading so I can get into a vehicle with lower payments and better gas mileage. We haven't come to a final agreement yet but it looks like I will be trading for a Mazda 3. Since I will be up there, we've been able to arrange our Bible study group for Tuesday evening instead of Thursday. I always look forward to being back with these friends and discussing the Scriptures together. If any of you want to join us, you would be welcome.
There's lots to do before I can get away this afternoon so that's all for now. God bless!

Monday morning

It's one of those Monday mornings for me today...I'm tired, didn't sleep that well last night, and the weather is cloudy, cold, and raining off and on. It's one of those mornings when you think it would be nice to turn off the alarm clock and stay in your warm bed. It's just hard to get your motor going and running on all cylinders. I've had my morning hot green tea, but I may have to get a cup of hot chocolate with a pinch of instant coffee to help me get going good.
It was a very good weekend. I enjoyed a trip back to Springdale and had a busy, productive time there. We had an excellent Bible study group meeting on Thursday evening. Afterward, Merilyn and I helped Blake and Sarah in their move to a new, nicer apartment. They had short notice and were really scrambling so we pitched in to help Thursday and Friday evenings as much as we could. It's going to be a much better situation for them. I spent the day Friday running errands and got to see several folks. In between, I was able to go to the chiropractor, do my laundry (with Merilyn's help), work on our income tax information for the accountant, go through the past two weeks worth of mail and bills, and work on the vacuum cleaner which I hope I got fixed so we won't have to go buy a new one.
The drive back to Ennis Saturday afternoon was pleasant with beautiful sunshine and blue skies. The sunset was especially pretty Saturday evening. We had a good day in worship and Bible study on Sunday. Our youth minister and teens were gone to Houston for a youth event, but we still had a good crowd on Sunday morning with several visitors. Although my cold has subsided considerably, when I was singing and then started preaching I guess the vibrations in my head got my sinus drainage working and my throat irritated so I started coughing about halfway through the sermon. One of the good brothers went out to get me a cup of water and that helped a bunch. We announced the selection of four new men to serve as deacons for the church. I believe everyone is encouraged with the quality of these men who have agreed to serve with the three men we currently have as deacons.
The 2010 Winter Olympics did not interest me too much as they got started, but I got more interested as the USA teams began to do so well. I especially enjoyed the speed skating, downhill skiing, bobsled and hockey competitions. I was glad to see the Canadian girl skater win a medal after her mother passed away. I was rooting for the US hockey team to win the gold, but I was also kind of pulling for the Canada team to win since hockey is such a big deal for their country.
I think I'm going to cook some water and make that cup of hot chocolate/coffee mix to see if I can kick-start the day a little better. I hope all of you have an excellent day today and the first week of March. Spring is coming! God bless!

Snow, colds, and travel

There was another blast of winter through the middle and southern parts of Texas on Tuesday. Here in Ennis the total was around 1 1/2-2" but there was even more further south. Adam told me that they got around 3" in College Station. It was beautiful while it fell. The best thing was that it did not cause any troubles on the roadways and by noon Wednesday it was all gone. The weather reporter last night was saying that this is the coldest winter in the Dallas area for at least the past ten years. He said there is another chance for a winter mix of precipitation next Monday. That global warming is a real problem, isn't it?
I'm glad to report that my cold seems to be running its course. It started last Thursday, the worst days were Saturday-Sunday-Monday, and it is just about gone. It was a booger! That's the worst cold I've had in a long time. Last year I started using a Neti pot and sinus rinse device for nasal irrigation. During this cold, I used the sinus rinse twice a day. I'm convinced it is what helped me avoid a sinus infection by helping me keep the sinuses cleared out and open to drain. I went through a couple of boxes of Kleenex, but that's a small price to pay. One nice thing about the cold is that the ladies of the church made me some great homemade soups. One made chicken & rice, one made chicken vegetable and one made beef stew with cornbread. I may have to consider getting sick more often!
Today is my day to go back to Springdale for a visit with Merilyn and to be with my Bible study group. It is amazing to me when I consider that here I sit nearly 400 miles away in the morning and by late this afternoon I will be able to be there. If I went out to D/FW airport and hopped a jet this morning, I could be just about anywhere over North or South America by this evening. Just 3 or 4 generations back, our ancestors would have had to travel for days or weeks to make such a trip. Not only that, I can use my cell phone to talk to anyone I want while I drive along. I can tune my radio to listen to dozens of different programs. We live in an incredible age of mankind. But always remember...no matter how far mankind seems to be advancing, we always need to stay humble and keep God as the top priority of our lives. God bless!

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be yours as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)

Caught by a cold!

I guess I haven't been running fast enough lately. A cold virus somehow caught up with me last week and I've been fighting a stuffy head, runny nose, cough and body aches for the past few days. Fortunately, it is easing up and I think it will run its course in the next few days. The worst thing about it is that I was feeling puny while Merilyn was here for a visit. But it did not slow us down too much. We still got to get out and about some. I was able to do all my preaching and teaching yesterday and we enjoyed a good time with the church folks. She stayed over until this morning and is on her way back to Springdale.
Since I'm still not feeling too spiffy, I'm going to have a short message for this entry. Hope all of you are well and can stay that way. It's no fun being sick! God bless!

All-Star Dallas

Did any of you watch the NBA All-Star game that was held in JerryWorld last Sunday night? JerryWorld is what the Dallas sports writers have been calling the new Cowboys Stadium since it opened last Fall. Jerry Jones has taken quite a bit of heat in the local media over the past six months or so for the money he and the city of Arlington spent to build the stadium and for the outrageous prices that are charged. For example, the cheapest seat for a Cowboys game was $85, a pizza was $60, a Coke or a beer was $10-12, and it cost $75 to park. Now it seems all is forgiven because of the huge success of the NBA All-Star event and the other special events that have come to the Stadium. According to the reports I've seen on the news and the articles in the paper, it was quite a spectacle. First of all, over 108,000 fans attended. They said that even the NBA players were awed by the size of the stadium and the size of the Jumbotron. One writer commented that it was kind of comical to see the basketball court on the floor dwarfed in size by the Jumbotron screen above it...a regulation basketball court is about 30 yards long and the Jumbotron is 60 yards long. There were all kinds of special events in the week leading up to the game and all kinds of celebrities were in town. The economic impact for the Dallas area was said to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. So now Jerry Jones is a hero in the Dallas area media. The press has even been complimentary of Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, for his part in putting it on. They usually love to criticize him. It was all interesting to watch as it all played out, and the basketball game itself was pretty good.
After all the hype of the glitz and glamour of the All-Star game, it was ironic to see a front page article on Tuesday in the Dallas Morning News about the problem of pot-holes in the streets of the city. I guess no matter how glitzy you get, you still have to deal with some of the gritty realities of life.
I am looking forward to the weekend. Merilyn is set to come down to spend a few days with me in Ennis. She has been dealing with some illness the past few days so I hope she can still come. They've had a virus going through the school.
It has surely been great to see sunshine again! It seems we went about a month with gray, cold, dreary weather. That reminds me of an excellent Bible passage: For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. God bless!

Topsy-turvy

This past weekend brought quite a switch in terms of the weather. This was my weekend to go back to Arkansas. The two previous times I had gone back, there was significant snow in Arkansas and Oklahoma. When I was preparing to go back last Thursday I was keeping a close eye on the weather because the forecast was for the possibility of snow in the Dallas area. One of the church members in Ennis was having lung cancer surgery at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas early Thursday morning so my plan was to go see his wife for a while and then drive up later. By 8 a.m. Thursday there was already 1-2" of snow on the ground and it was coming down hard. The freeway on the way to Baylor was very slushy but not frozen. I was with the family for a while and they urged me to go ahead to leave before it got too bad. When I left around 9:30-10:00, there was probably 4" on the ground in Dallas and there were HUGE snowflakes that were increasing the depth of the snow. I made it out of north Texas without too much trouble. The only real issues were people who were afraid of driving in the snow. The roads were just slushy but not slick yet. By the time I crossed the state line into Oklahoma, the accumulations tapered off and the roads were wet but clear. The forecasters really missed this one. While they were saying 2-3" of snow, Dallas got an all-time record of 12"! Up in northwest Arkansas, there was none. By the time I came back to Ennis on Saturday, most of the snow in the Dallas area was already gone.
It is always good to get to go back home, but this was an especially good visit. Merilyn and I got to be with our Bible study group on Thursday evening. A few folks were not able to make it so we missed them but it was good to be with all who were there. I got to spend some good time with Merilyn and Sarah. On Friday I got Merilyn some red roses for Valentine's Day and took them out to school for her. She seemed to like that pretty well. Merilyn and I had been thinking about looking for another automobile for her...one that was smaller and more economical. We went out just to look on Friday evening and ended up trading her GMC Acadia for a Chevrolet Equinox. Everything worked out well with it, particularly with a smaller payment and better fuel economy.
We enjoyed a good day at church yesterday. Attendance was up some even though we've got several folks out sick right now. We had several in-town visitors with us. That is always encouraging.
I'm needing to go up to Dallas to visit the gentleman in the hospital at Baylor so I'd better wrap this up for now. Have a good day!

Global Warming

How many of you believe Al Gore and the global warming extremists now? The folks here in Ennis tell me that this is the coldest winter that this area has had in some time. It is cold and rainy this morning with the forecast calling for the weather to be this way for most of the week. The highs are to be in the upper 30's and low 40's. I know that sounds fairly warm to some of you, but it's mighty cold for these Texans! Merilyn called this morning to say there is around 3" of snow on the ground in Springdale with 3-6" more predicted to accumulate in the next 24 hours. They are still in school for the time being but she did not know how much longer that would last. Since they have already used up their allotment of bad weather days, she is hoping that they won't have to be out too much more because they may have to add days onto the end of the year. I know for sure that this winter has brought colder temperatures and more snow than normal to northwest Arkansas. Whenever you hear the alarmists talk about the dangers of global warming, don't worry about it. While I agree that societies around the world need to diminish the amount of pollutants that we are dumping into the environment, the fact is that the earth has gone through periods of gradual warming and then gradual cooling over the centuries.

I had an interesting experience out exercising last Friday afternoon. I was at the Lion's Park and as I approached the far end of the lake, I noticed a few folks looking at something in the water. When I got up to them, I stopped to see what it was. There was a big brown critter swimming around just like it was putting on a show for us to see. The folks who were there said they thought it was a beaver and it looked like one to me, too. Another fellow who came along said it was probably a big nutria. The way you can tell, he said, is whether the animal has a big flat tail or a skinny round tail. After looking at it for a while, he said he saw a skinny round tail. At one point after everyone else went away, I was coming around the path again and the animal came right up on the bank about 15 feet away from me. I stopped and it just sat up and started grooming itself. It would wipe its face with its front paws kind of like a cat does and then rub its tummy and the sides of its head. It was fun to watch.

I reckon the "WHO DAT?" nation is still celebrating today. The Super Bowl was a good ball game right up to the interception thrown by Payton Manning toward the end of the fourth quarter. It was good to see the New Orleans Saints win since they have never won the Super Bowl before.

It seems as if lots of people are battling various ailments right now...sinus infections, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia. Stay warm. Drink lots of fluids. Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables. Take your vitamins. Eat an apple a day. Keep moving so you can stay a step ahead of the bugs!

To all my family and friends in Arkansas: Enjoy the beauty of the snow, but be careful!

A Turning Tide?

There was an interesting article in the Dallas Morning News yesterday about the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education in the public school system. Then this morning there was another in the news section of AOL. Here is an excerpt from the AOL article.


What if abstinence-only programs actually work?
That's the question facing educators this week after a groundbreaking study found that students who take classes emphasizing abstinence are less likely to have sex than those who take classes teaching safe sex.
Although the effectiveness and virtues of sex-ed versus abstinence-only curricula have long been the subject of fierce debate in American schools, the federal study, published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, is the first of its kind to suggest that programs encouraging students to abstain from having sex altogether are successful.
Just under half of the students in the study who received sex-education classes that included information about contraceptives went on to have sex in the next two years. But only one out of three students in the study who received abstinence-only education did.
Researchers say the long-term study, which followed 662 African-American public middle school students between 2001 and 2004, is significant. John Jemmott, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who headed the study, told The Washington Post, "I think we've written off abstinence-only education without looking closely at the nature of the evidence. Our study shows this could be one approach that could be used."


I remember when the push began for an abstinence-only alternative to the so-called sex education curriculum in public schools. The ones on the liberal left ridiculed it as an archaic approach that had no place in modern day America. Maybe the tide is starting to turn a little bit with this solid scientific research that shows the effectiveness of encouraging abstinence. It's not a matter of teaching young folks that this is God's way, but it's more of a common sense approach that educates them about the risks and consequences of sexual activity outside of marriage. It seems that when young folks are educated about such matters, most of them are smart enough to choose wisely.
Of course, I believe God's way is the best way in this as well as in all other matters of life. It is amazing how much trouble and heartache people could avoid--and how much better their lives could be!--if they would seek to follow God's instructions for their lives. Thanks for reading while I've been up on my soapbox a bit. Follow God's instructions and have a great day today, a great life, and a great eternity!

"Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24-27)

These pictures are not from Ennis, Texas! This past weekend was my time to go back to Arkansas. With the winter forecast, I decided to leave Wednesday evening after Bible study and got home around 1:45 a.m. on Thursday. The winter weather hit around 4-5 p.m. with ice that changed to heavy snow. The first picture is on Friday morning with just about 2" on the ground. Sarah came over with Chloe. The dogs play in the snow just like kids. Merilyn and Sarah take pictures of them just like they are kids (me, too, I have to admit). In the fourth picture Mollie is looking like, "Do I have to go inside now?" She played some more and came up with the snow face in the next picture. On Saturday morning the snow had piled up to around 6-7". I went out to clear the front porch and steps of snow and then also had to chip away 1/4" of ice. There is a picture of a clear spot that shows the depth of the snow. The next picture is a wider view of the yard (at the lower left, that's the same bush as in the previous picture) and part of the road in front of our house. The next picture shows the spectator I had while I was outside doing the work on the front steps. The last two pictures I made while driving in Oklahoma somewhere between Sallisaw and Checotah as I was on my way back to Ennis on Saturday afternoon. As I drove south from northwest Arkansas on I-540, the snowfall diminished toward Ft. Smith, but then over into Oklahoma in this one area it looked to be as heavy or maybe even heavier than what we had in Springdale. There was an area with lots of big cedar trees and the snow was especially beautiful. By the way, you can click on any of the pictures to get a larger view then navigate back to the blog with the back button of your browser.
As always, it was a great blessing to be able to have a visit with Merilyn and to see Sarah and Blake. Because of the weather, we did not get to have our Bible study group but we will get back to that in two weeks. All the folks at the church in Ennis were glad to see me back safely and we enjoyed a good day yesterday. Merilyn said that they are out of school again today (Monday) and this begins the count of days they will have to make up as the allotment of bad weather days has been used up now. For all of you in the areas of snow and ice, be careful, stay warm, and enjoy this glory of God's creation. Have a good day!

Old Man Winter Is Still Around!

The nice weather of the past few weeks just about had me convinced that winter had moved on for this year. Now it appears that the midsection of the nation is going to get blasted again. The last report I saw is predicting 4-8" of freezing rain, sleet and snow for northwest Arkansas starting Thursday afternoon and into Friday morning. Then the temperature is supposed to bottom out in the mid single digits! Brrrrr! This is my weekend to go home,too. With the unpredictable nature of winter precipitation, I am giving strong consideration to leaving after Bible study tonight and driving home rather than waiting for tomorrow. If I can get away around 8 p.m., I can be home by 2 a.m. and I think I would prefer to do that instead of getting caught in icy conditions through the hills of I-540 between Alma and Springdale on Thursday. The Dallas area is going to get a blast of cold this weekend as well, although not as frigid as northwest Arkansas. They are even calling for the possibility of snow or ice on Friday morning. The nice thing for both areas is that the bad cold is not going to last very long. A warm-up is supposed to begin on Saturday.
College basketball is getting more interesting. Two #1 teams in the nation have been beaten in the past two weeks: Texas last week and then Kentucky last night. I had not heard about the player named Downey on South Carolina's team which beat Kentucky last night. That youngster is amazing! He is 5'9" but he was dominating the court with his ball handling skills, point production and even rebounding. If you get a chance to watch a South Carolina game, watch him. It's good entertainment.
Everybody try to stay warm and have a good weekend! God bless!

Trip to Aggieland

Someday I am going to figure out how to load the pictures in the order I want them. They are exactly backward to what I wanted, but it'll do. The top picture is the George H.W. Bush presidential library which is on the Texas A & M campus.It is worth going to see if you are ever in the area. Next is the main entry to campus and the old admin building. Third is Kyle Field where the Aggies play football. Adam got me in to do my 4 mile run/jog/walk around the football field on Friday. The fourth picture is Adam beside a huge bronze sculpture of the Aggie ring. The Ags have only one ring style for their graduates. Below that is a picture of the rear of the building where Adam works. It houses the Association of Former Students. The front of the building is at the bottom of the list of pictures. Don't worry, you are not seeing double. The next picture is one I downloaded by mistake. By the way, you can click on any picture to get a larger version that is easier to view. The seventh picture is of Kyle Field from the rear of the Association building. Adam goes with a co-worker 5 days a week to work out over there at the same facility that the football players use. The next picture is a fountain just outside the front of the Association building. The last picture is of the front of the Association of Former Students building where Adam works. We enjoyed an excellent visit together. On Saturday we got to attend the Texas A & M vs. Colorado basketball game in Reed Arena. It was a tough battle but the Aggies were finally victorious. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Ennis to College Station but I really enjoy going down through the Texas country side and especially having another chance to visit with Adam. Your relationship with God is the most important aspect of your life, but right up there close has to be your relationship with your family. Make the most of the times you have together. Every once in a while (or more if you want!), tell the people who matter most to you the three words that everyone wants to hear..."I love you." Have a great day today!

Remarkable events of recent days

The news out of Haiti is just mind-boggling. The latest estimate I've heard is around 200,000 people dead and 250,000 seriously injured. The way they are having to dispose of many of the dead reminds me of what I've read about "death wagons" during the years of the bubonic plague in Europe where they would go through the streets and stack bodies on the wagons to take them out for mass burial. I've seen pictures of dump trucks doing the same thing in Haiti. So sad. There are lots of good relief agencies trying to help. If you would like to know of relief agencies who are affiliated with the church, go to www.christianchronicle.org and you can find some there.

The election of a new senator in Massachusetts is creating a lot of excitement--and consternation--among various groups in America right now. I'm not sure of all of the messages being sent with this election of a Republican in a historically Democratic stronghold, but there are certainly some strong sentiments being expressed. I hope those in the seats of authority are listening to the people.

On a lighter note, it was good to see the Arkansas Razorbacks get a win on the basketball floor against Alabama last Saturday. Also, the Texas A & M Aggies beat the Oklahoma Sooners last night. This made my son, Adam, happy. He was also glad to see the Kansas State team knock off the Texas Longhorns Monday night, especially since the Aggies just barely got beat by the Longhorns in overtime last Saturday. In the football realm, the Cowboy nation has been embarrassed by the smackdown in Minnesota on Sunday; but, there's always next year, right? The games to come should be good ones: NY Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings. I predict New Orleans vs. Indianapolis in the Super Bowl on February 7 with New Orleans coming away with the win.

I hope everyone has an excellent day today. Be grateful for your blessings. Pray for the people of Haiti. Pray for our nation and our elected officials. God is still in control and He will bless His people!

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way." (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

I enjoyed another good trip back to northwest Arkansas over the weekend. Merilyn and Sarah are feeling better, but still recovering from their sinus infection and bronchitis. I didn't get to see Blake but Sarah tells me he is doing well. Adam is doing OK, too, enjoying the warmth that has returned to the College Station area in southeast Texas. Boy, the Oklahoma state troopers were out in force over the weekend! I did not keep an accurate count but I guess I saw 10-12 doing radar patrols. In one place around Sallisaw there were 5 within one mile. It was not a big concern to me. As I always told our kids while they were growing up, the police are our friends...if you don't do anything wrong, then you have no reason to be afraid of them. It does get your attention, though, when you see that many.
Merilyn was feeling well enough to come to the Thursday evening Bible study group. We enjoyed being with our Christian friends and opening the Scriptures together. A few of our regular folks were not able to come but we had one newcomer so that was nice. We just finished a study of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and now we are going through the Gospel of Luke which will lead us into the book of Acts. It is always a great blessing to get together every two weeks.
We had good attendance in our morning worship yesterday with several new visitors again. Several of the members were absent because a nasty intestinal virus is starting to go through the population. Merilyn tells me it is getting around in northwest Arkansas, too. Be sure to use the hand sanitizer!
It is just incredible to see the devastation that has occurred from the earthquake in Haiti this past week. Evidently so much of their infrastructure was damaged that the groups who want to help are having great difficulty getting relief supplies to the ones who need it. It is hard to imagine the huge loss of life and the destruction they have experienced. Be sure to remember them in prayer.
I hope your Monday morning is getting your work week off to a good start. Enjoy the blessings God gives you. Walk in the light and stay cleansed!

This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7)

Picture Potpourri

You know what a potpourri is? If I understand right, it is just a mixture of stuff and that is what you are seeing with these pictures. As I was going to my apartment from work Monday evening, I noticed the gorgeous sunset across the water at a park along the way so I went back last night to get some pictures. Notice the big blue heron at the end of the jetty in the top picture. I spooked him, he growled at me with a noise I've never heard out of a bird before and took off. There were herons all over the place around the lake.
Adam came up to see me last weekend and brought his newly framed diploma from Texas A & M. This picture does not do it justice but I knew some family and friends would want to see it.
A friend told me not long ago that I needed to put some pictures of the dogs on the blog. That is nosy Mollie, Merilyn's puppy, trying to get into someone's stocking. Then that is Mollie in Merilyn's arms and Chloe in Sarah's arms at our Christmas dinner table...no, the dogs did not get to eat at the table with us.
Everything is going well here in Texas. The weather is warming up nicely. When I went out to exercise on Monday, it was around 58 degrees and it is supposed to be even a bit warmer today. This is my weekend to go to Arkansas to see Merilyn and to be with my Bible study group on Thursday evening so this will be my last entry until Monday. By the way, if any Springdale area folks want to join us, you would be welcome. Call my cell phone at 479-466-1263 and I'll give you the info.
Be sure to root for the Dallas Cowboys this weekend! Enjoy the blessings God gives you and remember to be grateful!

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying, but test everything; hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)

It's past cold...it's frigid!

This past week has been crazy cold! Record breaking cold temperatures have been set all over the country. The coldest I've heard in the Dallas area was 12-13 degrees on Friday and Saturday mornings. Merilyn told me that it was 1-2 degrees in Springdale with breezes that took it down to a wind chill of well below zero. That makes me shiver just thinking about it! Don't you just love global warming? Maybe that will be our big cold blast for this winter season and it will be better from now on.
It's been a busy, busy week this past week. That's my excuse for having so few posts lately, but it's really true. After being away for the excellent holiday season, I had some catching up to do. There have been some outstanding football games this past week. I kind of hated it about Colt McCoy getting knocked out of the Alabama-Texas championship game, but that's football. Just in case you didn't see it, the Cowboys won their first playoff game in 13 years! The sports writers in the Dallas Morning News are sure eating a good helping of crow after bad-mouthing the team during the past several weeks. Adam came up from College Station on Saturday for a visit so we got to watch the game together. He spent the night and went to church with me yesterday morning. It was great to have him here.
We had an exceptional day at church yesterday. Attendance was much higher than normal both for Bible class and worship. We had several families who used to be members here who came back for a visit. After worship we had a fellowship meal with the main course being BBQ smoked brisket done by one of our members who has a trailer mounted smoker/cooker. We probably had 125 or more who stayed for the meal.
My sermon yesterday morning was called "Stay In The Safe Zone" with the main theme of following God's way for life and using David as a prime example along with his words from Psalm 25:1-7, Psalm 37:1-11 and Psalm 56:1-4. The evening sermon was called "God Will Take Care Of You" with the teaching of Jesus from Matthew 6:25-34. The primary point of both messages is that we can put our trust in God and then be at peace knowing that He is in control. May that be true for each of us as we continue to move into 2010 and throughout our lives. I will leave you with one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Have a great day and a great week!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

Welcome to 2010!

Is it really 2010 already? Where did the first decade of the 2000's go? Time surely seems to be flying faster and faster these days. But there is a good way to see the passage of time: We are that much closer to being in Heaven!
I am back in Ennis after an excellent holiday time in Arkansas with the family. I am so grateful to my elders in Ennis for allowing me to have about 10 days off during the holidays so I could spend additional time with Merilyn. There were so many events over the time that I can't begin to relate them all, but here are the highlights: a white Christmas with 2-3" of snow (1st time in over 25 years for northwest Arkansas) and the kids--Adam, Sarah and Blake--at home; our heat/air conditioning heat pump system went out and had to be replaced; I got our Wagon Wheel Road property lane cleared from ice storm debris to be able to drive up it and got it relisted with another realtor to sell; we got to visit in Russellville with my Mom and Merilyn's Dad along with several other relatives; Adam got to come home for a week; we got to visit and enjoy meals with a number of our church friends from Robinson Avenue; I got to meet twice with my Bible study group and enjoy the spiritual nourishment together. It was a wonderful time.
God is always so good to us. There are always going to be difficult and negative things in our lives, but we do not have to let those things dominate our thoughts and bring us down. As we enter a new year, let's strive to have a new approach to life. Focus on all the good and positive blessings that we have from God. Let those thoughts dominate our lives. No matter what else may happen, when we are in the right relationship with God then the most important part of our lives are taken care of and we have ample reason to rejoice and be glad. Be grateful. Be faithful. Have a fantastic year in 2010!

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)