Happy 13th Birthday to our TWINS!

Alesha                                            Amanda

Good Friday morning. It is August 5, 2011, and we are anticipating another big event in our family. No. My wife and I do not have a surprise like Abraham and Sarah had, but we are blessed to have our twins, Alesha and Amanda becoming teenagers tomorrow. Yes, it is happy birthday to these remarkable granddaughters. They don't look very twin-ish to you? Nope. They are fraternal and they not only look different, they are very different. It has been our joy to watch these girls grow into the young ladies they are becoming. It seems like only yesterday it was Blues Clues and all the rest of the cartoons their Poppy could understand. Now it's something entirely different which typically begins with Poppy saying, "Are you sure you should be watching this?" They do have some common interests. Family. They do love their animals. And, they both have professed Christ as the Lord of their life. That's the best blessing of all. Watching them Facebook forth and back with their friends on their smart phones reminds me that when I was 13 I don't think I would have been allowed to use the phone, and come to think about it, I had no one to call, but they reflect this brave new 21st century technologically astute generation. That's all well and good but they still need to be reminded there comes a time when you put that phone down and come over and sit in your Poppy's lap. Happy 13th to our lovely twins and know that we love you very much. MiMi and Poppy

Okay. I think I have covered the bases this week. I've pretty well settled most of our nation's political challenges without even leaving my keyboard. I've labored with all of the aches and pains of aging, all for a laugh or two, and some of it actually is somewhat funny. I've attempted to include God and His impact on my life, a life by the way, that is still very much in progress, especially as it relates to Him still working on me. I've filled paragraph after paragraph with whatever it is that has percolated to the which ever lobe of the brain that handles all that stuff. Don't you love it when I get technical regarding things like the brain? Okay then. I never said I had the biology stuff all figured out. But, it has been a week of getting up every day, putting my feet on the floor, and dealing with whatever that particular day brings to me. We never know exactly what to expect because this life is very unpredictable. I heard a young woman on the news telling her story about being desperate to find a job. She was in tears. Her unemployment checks were ending soon and she had no idea how she was going to pay her rent or buy food. She said that she had always believed that if you live a good life, get an education, and you are a good person, then things will work out. Many of us who wear the gray can attest to the fact that it does not always work out that way. I also read about a young lady who has her engineering degree but finally had to take a cashier's job until she can find work in her field. No. Life is not always what we would like it to be. And, that's exactly why we need the Lord because He will never change in His love for us, whether we have a job or not, whether we get good news or bad, and whether we do exactly like we should or not. I don't know about you but that is a truth I need every single minute of every single day, as I continue my sojourn here. Amen.

Bottom line: "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24) We are planning a big family get together Saturday evening to celebrate our birthday girls. We are so looking forward to seeing everyone. For those who sent warning notices to my prospective new doctor, come on, let this fellow find out for himself. Joking only, but just for the record you might want to keep him and his staff in your prayers. They must be really concerned because I was told that they prefer me to fast before I arrive. They didn't quote any verses but typically in the Bible that fasting deal was usually connected to something serious going on. Surely they haven't already talked to my previous medical team. And I was hoping for a clean start, you know, a blank page, and all of that. For those who think I'm serious, do what my grandfather used to say I needed to do: "You need to go right back to bed son and get up on the other side, and start over." Today we just talk about children needing an attitude adjustment. I do pray that you will have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday, and until we meet again, may God bless each one. Amen.          .....More later.