"Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." New Testament Book of Jude, Verse 1

Good morning class. It's going to be a great day. Thanks for being on time here on this Thursday, July 31, 2014. We've been at this sojourn now for a good many years. Keeping up with old friends on Facebook has brought a true recollection to our daily walk. What really grabs me is how that little kiddos are now Church workers, leaders, camp sponsors, and some full-time ministers for the Lord. We watched them grow up. We saw them in their classes learning the basics. Many of them we saw coming forward to announce their having given their heart to Jesus. We then watched them following Him in Scriptural Baptism. Now they have children of their own but they have chosen to continue the Christian heritage that was handed down to them. Sometimes it is just hard to take in but when I do, there's a burst of thanksgiving to God because that's exactly how He planned it. Moms and dads influencing their children. Their children growing up and doing the same with theirs. The Apostle John writing in his 3rd Epistle/Letter had these words, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." (3rd John, Verse 4) He was talking about his children in the Lord but I get it. I get a sense of where he was coming from as I see those little tykes as they have become mature and faithful in their service to the Lord. Now that is a blessing folks. A blessing indeed!

This month marks my 7th year of dealing with Type 2 Diabetes. That was a wake-up-call-game-changer for me, but, all in all, I can only be thankful for having been able to control it at least to a reasonable level. I did so much want to defeat it. I wanted them to look one day and discover that it had somehow disappeared. They tell me that some have had that experience. Not me. But, it was not for lack of trying, especially in those early days. There's several folks who are being treated for diabetes in our local fellowship. In addition to our spiritual connection, we share in having to deal with this common foe. The numbers game. The finger pricks. The work that never quits in dealing with diet. We occasionally ask each other about the battle. At times it can be discouraging and I've been told more than once they would rather not talk about it. I know that feeling all too well. I told a fellow here at work recently that I was making progress towards my weight target but then my wife left me. He did a double take and wanted to know exactly what I had said. She had made several trips away from home and when she is gone I tend to eat on the run and not pay as close attention to things as I should. At least my doctor has a sweet older lady nurse. One day I jumped back at the number she read from the scale. She asked me what I wanted it to be. I told her I thought it should have been a number somewhat lower. She shrugged and said that would be fine and promptly changed the record. Is this a great country or what?

I had a paragraph prepared about the things that get posted on Facebook that annoy me. But I deleted it. I took it down because at the end of the day everyone is entitled to like what they want to like and to share what they want to share. (I've read that the use of 'at the end of the day' does annoy many people.) I removed my critical comments because I don't want to make someone feel bad about what they choose to share. I can tell you this. It was a good paragraph. It pressed buttons and rang bells. It's not easy to highlight that many words and I had to sit and think some before I hit the delete key to see them all on their way to the digital bit bucket in the sky. Please don't send me a note asking me to further explain the technical destination of keystrokes as to where they go to die. Today will be a busy day. I have my physical exam this morning and this afternoon I will, along with our eldest son, serve as pallbearers for a wonderful and dear lady as we go to celebrate her passing to her eternal home in the presence of God. Billye Moore was a long time friend and fellow member at our local fellowship. Her and her late husband Garwin were great servants of the Lord. Their two boys, Dee and Scott, practically grew up with our boys and we feel blessed to have known and served with this great family. I told Dee on the phone that my thought about his mom is this: She is one of the most decent and honorable ladies that I have ever known. She had this testimony because of her life and how it was lived. This will be a celebration of her life and her home going. Have a great day. Remember to be kind and to acknowledge God and His goodness in your life. Amen. .....More later.