This and That for Tuesday!

Here we are again and it's Tuesday, August 26, 2008. Okay, my wife should finally be pleased that I took the time to change the photo on my blog. To put it succinctly, she hated the other one. I figured once you change your appearance so dramatically, continuing the shock value would be more or less normal. I will admit it wasn't a great photo but it was one that I took myself holding the camera at arm's length, so what would you expect? She went to lunch last week with some ladies and it was only then she found out the extent of concern many had regarding my health. One of her very good friends told her she had received numerous calls about my well being because they thought maybe my wife may have confided in her. I continue to have to endure some running jokes where I’m called Yoda or one that said my picture reminded them of the fellow who led his entire group (Heaven’s Gate) into suicide as they waited on the comet to take them to their eternal bliss.

It really is good to know that people care and that they do pay attention. I did try the explanation of me being in a witness protection plan but that essentially went nowhere. The great news is how my little ones have shown that Poppy is Poppy and they don’t mind his appearance one bit. What kind of testimony do you want to leave behind? This past Sunday I had a young mother that we have known since she was very young tell me something that I will always treasure. She said as they came onto the Church grounds she saw me at the first entrance bending down to greet some little ones. She said she told her husband, “You see him doing that? He used to do that very same thing every Sunday when I was a little girl. We would all stand in line and he would kiss each of us on the forehead.” That's a remembrance I’ll take any day of the week!

School is back in session with some excited and others more or less resigned to their fate. We have another high school senior in our family this year and that is hard to fathom. Where did the time go? We have been blessed to have our kids always near us for their entire lives. This makes seeing them age and our grandchildren go through these transitions in life very real to us. What ever happened to that girl who loved figuring out any and every way possible to get to stay with MiMi and Poppy? I heard her talking yesterday, or was it bubbling? She has so many plans as she anticipates this last year of high school. May God bless her as she reaches for all He has planned for her life.

We had a missionary couple visiting our Church services this past Sunday. Their testimony of how God has worked in their lives is amazing. They are not young. About ten years ago God moved in their hearts to start a Christian literature translation ministry. In addition to preaching, he ran a large Christian publications business for over 20 years. His work provided curriculum for thousands of Churches. She was a schoolteacher. God moved and they moved out of their comfort zone to begin this new ministry by faith. Ten years later they have produced literally hundreds of thousands of pages of Christian materials in native languages for the Philippines, Thailand, Burma, Africa, and now in Romania. So many lives touched with truth! God is not finished with us yet! He still speaks and I thank God for those who respond. They encourage us all to keep on keeping on and to be thankful for the privilege of serving! May we be found always listening when He calls. Have a blessed day! Amen. ……More later.