Happy Birthday to our Rodney!

Happy Birthday to our baby boy, Rodney Darrell, born on this date, 49 years ago. It's Thursday, February 27, 2020, and we are excited about having Rod and his family in our home for a birthday dinner celebration this evening. The wife has his favorite meal planned. (Just so you know, it's pretty much the favorite meal of everyone in our family.) I am all for it. I have been pushing away from the table and it is working, albeit, slowly, but, I think I could use a break. Rodney is a hard worker and he has been blessed with a wonderful wife Mitzi, two beautiful daughters, Kyleigh, and Lexie, and, a teenaged boy who carries his middle name, Brady Darrell. We thank God for this man, our baby, and pray God's best for him and his family. Happy Birthday, Son! Lord willing, we will see you this evening. Yum Yum! Our love, mom, and dad.

Someone sent me a note one time and told me we sure have a lot of birthdays in our family. I actually think that's the way it works as the kids grow up, marry, have children, those children grow up and have children, and on and on it goes. We only have the three boys but believe it or not I used to be asked if Genesis 1:28 was the only verse I knew: ""Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" When folks were kidding me, they typically only meant the part about going forth and multiplying. I did see one of those who are radically against population expansion and they said that particular verse is perhaps the most disastrous one ever followed in its impact on the planet. Here's my take: It came from The Creator. The One who created the planet. He has the right to give the marching orders for His created human family. Period. However, just for the record, I do not believe we actually had that verse in mind when we were building our family. I hope that clarifies any misunderstanding. Thanks.

I am aware that most people like the bumper sticker that says, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it!" While I wouldn't get into a tussle over it, I can with certainty tell us all that us believing it or not doesn't change the certainty of thus says the word of the Lord. In the unique Psalm 119, you find 176 verses devoted to the Word of God. Here's what verse 89 says, "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven." That doesn't mean I always follow it like I should. I sometimes think I would have been better named, A Work in Progress because that's pretty much how I've weebled and wobbled around in life. In case you missed it, I could have been called WIP for a nickname. The one thing I do know is that He is still working on me. He whittles away at this that and the other, He reshapes things, and when He uses those pottery tools it doesn't feel very good at all. Dr. Charles Stanley likes to say God's desire is to shape us into an object of notable excellence that reflects honor and glory to Him. Like I say, if you see a lot of under construction signs following me around, don't be surprised because He is not finished with me yet. Amen. ....More later.