There can only be one first: Happy Birthday to our Granddaughter Tiffany Marrie!

Good morning and welcome to today's edition. It's Friday, April 5, 2019, and it's a significant day for us. Our very first grandchild was born on this day, thirty-one years ago. We wish our Tiffany Marrie a very happy birthday. She couldn't have known it all those years ago, but, she literally changed our lives. She was our first. She got to name us, MiMi and Poppy. She made her Poppy act in ways he never felt he was capable of. She is now a beautiful wife and mother to our very first great-granddaughter, Madelyn Joy. Sadly, they now live in San Antonio and we don't get to see them as much. We are looking forward to Resurrection Weekend when they will be in our area. Happy Birthday Sweetheart and know you are always in our thoughts and prayers. Our love, MiMi and Poppy.

Flashback from 11 years ago: ~ This past week has been one of those where I have had way too much on my plate and today it is showing. My granddad used to tell me not to let my eyes be bigger than my stomach when I was loading up my plate at the supper table. He meant I would be expected to eat it if I put it on my plate. Well, that's what I have been doing this week. Trying to eat the 'way too much' I put on my schedule plate for this week. The sad thing is how busy I have been all week, heads down, 15 to 18 hours a day, but still know of so many other really needful things I haven't been able to do. Now let's see if I can figure out a way to let myself get down and gloomy about all of this. Well, I have this diabetes problem, and the medications have their side effects, I am functioning on a busted knee and it hurts all the time, and there's the unending demands from work, family, ministry, and all of the above that keep me strung as tight as a tuned up Stradivarius. OR; I have diabetes but it is being controlled by breakthrough medications only dreamed about a few years ago, I am able to get up and go each day, make contributions to the company I work for, participate in ministries like the inner city Bible club, Wednesday evening Bible study, and give out advice and counsel to many who seek my help. Am I beat down or am I blessed? Hey, it's not even close. I am blessed and that's what makes this day, not a TGIF as if I'm ready to explode but a PGIF, (Praise God It's Friday!), because of His great goodness and provisions into my life. Sure, burning the candle at both ends and also in the middle can become wearisome. But God is faithful and He gives us the grace to carry on. Instead of the pity party that my flesh wants to have, how about a praise party that reflects upon the reality of God's presence and His working in my life? Don't get the idea that I never let stuff get to me because I do. At the same time I am thankful that often God reminds me through a variety of ways that He is still there, He is still God, and He is on my side, and will never leave me, never forsake me, and He will accomplish His purpose in my life as I yield myself to Him. My little sister who died from leukemia at age 27 took the Gaither song which says, because He lives I can face tomorrow, and changed it into a Kayla song which said this: because He lives I can face today! She was right! Amen.  ~

I would almost bet the fellow in the cartoon is drinking Community Coffee. His expression gives it away. Just kidding. Please don't send me any autographed copies of photos of Juan Valdez or pictures of you and your Folgers. (If you don't get the Juan Valdez reference, it does have to do with coffee. Look it up.) I did try to find a way to shorten the flashback segment but the more I read, it was the more that I thought I needed to take it all in, again, like it was the first time. Thanks for riding along this week on The View From Here express. I do hope you have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. I will, God providing, catch back up with you come next Monday. Enjoy. Thank God. Amen. ....More later.