Beth From Bynum

(source unknown) For all of us who are seniors... For all of you who know seniors... For all of you who will be seniors... It pays to be able to laugh about it when you are! And, Speaking of Senior Moments: "WHERE Is My SUNDAY Paper?" The irate customer calling the newspaper office loudly demanded, wanting to know where her Sunday edition was. "Ma'am," said the newspaper employee, "today is Saturday. The Sunday paper is not delivered until tomorrow, on Sunday." There was quite a long pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a ray of recognition as the caller was heard to mutter, "Well, poop ... So that's why no one was at church today."

"Each of us has a string of pearls in our hearts. These "pearls" are the beautiful moments we've experienced in our lives, moments that become memories and will uplift, enliven, gladden, soften, inspire, and guide us. There are plenty of baubles, bangles, and beads in life, but only a few gems. Close your eyes and see your string of pearls. Name the gems by name, by place, by experiences, by gifts of the spirit. Whether or not you wear jewelry, always wear your spiritual string of pearls!" -by Cathy Feste

Last Wednesday a 65-year-old woman from my parent’s community was buried. Today, five days later, her 9-year-old grandson followed her to the grave. The sad thing is that both deaths were completely senseless and could have been avoided. The 28th of December of 2007 marked the beginning of the grandmother’s long end. She was traveling down a curve-fill road, going at a high rate of speed when she failed to make a curve. She remained in a coma from December 28, 2007, until November 18, 2008, almost an entire year. This was one of those avoidable things which we are all guilty of from time to time. Being in a hurry kills more people each year than we’d like to admit. The crazy thing is that we usually don’t save any time by speeding or rushing around like crazy people. The grandson, according to police, was playing with a shotgun along with his is 13-year-old brother. I’m sure the Lord only knows what transpired, but the news media has reported that the brothers were “playing” wi...

Notable children's book author, Judith Viorst, has written a delightful book entitled, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible,No Good, Very Bad Day in which Alexander, the main character, has a day that starts off with a big disappointment and it only gets worse. He loses a toy, doesn't get dessert for lunch, finds out he has a cavity, has to endure "kissing" on TV, and ends up having to wear his least favorite pajamas. Alexander decides that he wants to move to Australia. It's been one of those days around the Shurbutt house. I had to take Sonny to the vet because of strange discharge coming from his eyes. I tried to find out some information on the Internet to see if it was something that called for me driving to Oxford and paying a vet to tell me it was just dirt or if it were something that really needed the attention of a professional. When I mentioned the fact that I'd tried to find a "diagnosis" on the Internet, the vet went into orbit. ...

I read this obituary online this morning: Lettie Marie Holt Freeman, age 84, of Robeline, La., passed away Monday, November 17, 2008, at Heritage Manor in Natchitoches, La. Arrangements are being handled by Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, La., where the family will receive friends from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM Wednesday, November 19, 2008. A short visitation will be held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM Thursday, November 20, 2008 at the Friendship Nazarene Church in the Friendship Community. The funeral service will be at the church at 11:00 AM Thursday, November 20, 2008, with Rev. Steve Hunt, Rev. Winston Lowe, and Rev. Gerald Freeman officiating. Interment will be at Lambertown Cemetery in Robeline, La. Mrs. Lettie was a very loving, caring, and outgoing person. She reached out to many friends and relatives and showed them the goodness of God. She lived a life of service to the Lord and worked in many different capacities in the church. She was a loving and devoted wife. She l...

As I was parking my van in the Winn Dixie Parking lot this afternoon, I notice a sheriff's car parked on the outer perimeter of the lot. The deputy was talking to several grown-ups, one of which was holding a young child. I'm not sure what was transpiring but it couldn't have been too good with the arm waving that was taking place. (I guess they could have been Cajuns telling a joke!) I'm a peace maker and lover. Being raised by two Godly, loving parents, I grew up in a peaceful environment. I never heard my parents fuss or yell at each other. If they raised their voice to us, it got our attention immediately, because we knew we were in major trouble or in danger. I cannot stand discord and want to run and hide if there is any around. I felt the same discomfort as I got our of my van. As I was walking toward the store, a bumper sticker caught my attention. It was graphically simple with the words, "Jesus is the Answer" printed in blue. I paused as I read the s...

Recently, a dear saintly lady in my Sunday School classed bless me with this piece of artwork that she'd grown tired of. My first reaction was to turn it down but you know how we Larpenters tend to be. We never turn down something that is free. If we can't use it, there is someone out there who can. It may might take several years or more to find someone to bequeath it to, but we're certain we'll find them. My nearly acquired painting is sitting on the floor at the bottom of the staircase to my piano studio. I walk by it many times a day, but never knew the history behind it until tonight. The original was not a painting but a photo taken by a man named Eric Endstrom in 1918 in Bovey, Minnesota. The story behind the painting is wonderful, and you can read it by going to: http://www.gracebyenstrom.com/index.html I love learning something new!!! Today has been a success.

I've struggled with this blog. I've started it several times, only to end up frustrated with the way my words were coming out. Mike Huckaby, former Governor of Arkansas and presidential candidate, says exactly what I wanted to say. I'll just let you hear his words: http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3182352&referralPlaylistId=playlist&maven_referrer=facebook

For the second year in a row, our church has hosted a Trunk-or Treat as an alternative to Halloween and have used it as an outreach to our community. This year it was a little more difficult in that we didn’t have as many to help work due to the fact that three families have moved away. Last week I put a lot of time into preparation, and by Friday I was exhausted when we started setting up. I kept reminding myself of the reason we were doing it and that God would reward our efforts. My job was running the “cake” walk which really was not a cake walk but a “treat” walk. I’d placed all the treats in lunch sacks and stapled them closed. Our pastor’s wife donated two cakes and for some reason I could not put them out with the other treats. Instead, I hid them under the treat table and thought that they would be used later as a back-up prize, if needed. Our cake walk was fun but the freezing temperature made it a little uncomfortable. By the end of the trunk-of-treat, there were 4 l...

Sunday our pastor preached from John 5, the story of the invalid who had sat at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years. Pastor Bill went one direction with the text, and my mind took the other. (That's what happens when you have ADD!) My attention was caught by the response the invalid gave when Jesus asked, "Do you want to get well?" The question, "Do you want to get well?" should evoke a "yes" or "no" response one would think. There is nothing tricky or deceptive about it, and you'd thought the man would yelled out his response. Instead, the invalid gives a couple excuses. His first excuse is that he has no one to help him to the pool. That really caused me some confusion. How did he get to the pool each day? Surely he did not stay there 24 hours a day 365 days a year and survive 38 years. Someone must have brought him there each day. Why couldn't they just walk a few more steps and throw him in the pool? The second excuse he used was th...

I'm not Catholic but agree with this video. I applaud the Catholic Church for getting this message out to America. It is time for us to wake up, stand up, and give voice to our convictions! Beth

Internet Archive: Movie Collection Here is a movie archive site that is free and open for everyone to use in order 'to encourage widespread use of moving images in new contexts by people who might not have used them before.' The collections consist of movies from the 'Prelinger Archives' including 'ephemeral' films made from 1927 through the present, 'Computer Chronicles,' the PBS award-winning series about technology, 'Net Cafe,' interviews with the Internet's most influential players, 'Animation and Cartoons' should your interest trend toward classic cartoons from a bygone era, 'Arts & Music' and 'Youth Media' by and for teens and young adults, to name a few of the categories that make your browsing easy. There are ratings on the site so that you can select the most viewed clips. (Do check out "Duck and Cover" if you're old enough to remember the atomic attack drills of the '50's; here...

September 11, 2001 was a day that I will never forget. The emotions of the horror of seeing, live, a jet fly into the second tower are still present in my spirit. May this day always be a reminder to us that Freedom comes at a cost! May God have mercy on us and our country!

The Lord answered prayers!!! Hurricane Gustav lost much of its strength before hitting the coast of Louisiana. There was a lot of rain, power outages, and wind, but it could have been so much worse. My relatives in South Louisiana are still without power but are managing. Thank you for praying. We need to continue to pray for the other hurricanes that are approaching our shores!

We were just celebrating my parent's 57th anniversary, and now a hurricane is knocking on their door! Pray for their safety. They live where the red star is on this map.

Happy 57th Wedding Anniversary Jerry and Mary Jane (Matthews) Larpenter! Today is my Mom and Dad's 57th Wedding Anniversary, and I'm thanking God for another year to celebrate! I must say, and most people who know them will agree, that I have two of the most wonderful parents in the world. They have taught me so many important things and mostly by example. God is always first. We learned that early in life and it meant that we had a stable home where peace and love were in abundance. We always felt loved and accepted by them, no matter if we failed or succeeded. We learned the importance of being committed to God and the church. We never heard Mom or Dad say anything bad about a preacher. Mom and Dad were faithful to their church, and we never questioned whether or not would be going to church. It was what we did. Church "hopping" was unheard of. Not only do Mom and Dad love God, the church, and us, they love their neighbor. They are living examples of the...

Over a year ago, Alabama Power informed some of Jacksonville, Alabama’s residents that they planned to remove some of the trees that were on the right-of-way, which were threatening power lines. Two residents, one with a history of being an activist, decided that they did not want the trees in front of their houses cut by the power company and proceeded to fight. Their first course of action was to give interviews to the local media, including television and newspapers. That continued until the power company set a date for the "execution" of the beloved trees. Those were fighting words for the owners. When the power company arrived, not only did they find the controversial trees, but they found the owners of the trees chained to the trunk! I wasn't there but I can almost imagine holding hands and singing "We shall, we shall, we shall not be moved . . ." A stay of execution was given to the trees, and the lawyers were called in. After a court hearing, the judge ...

Sunday afternoon as we were leaving church, Eddie yelled at me to look up in the sky. As I lifted my eyes, I saw approximately 20 large geese, flying in their characteristic "V" formation, heading south. I couldn't help but smile because it was the first sign I'd seen this year that winter was getting closer. That makes me happy. The heat of the summer has nearly drained all my energy. I always prefer winter over summer. Now I have a sign. I remember how excited I was a the sign of my first contraction when I was pregnant with my daughters. Did the pain bring me that much joy? I think now! It was a sign that the process of birth was beginning, and soon I would be holding a precious miracle from God. The sign itself was not enjoyable, but it was a reminder that something better was coming. Since the fall of Adam, this world and all living creatures have been groaning as the writer of Romans states, "as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time....

(My dad, Jerry Larpenter, and my youngest daughter, Rachel Anne - photo taken 1996) My dad was diagnosed with Leukemia almost two years ago. There are three type of treatment for his type of cancer, and he'd already tried two types with not results. The third and last treatment is an answer to prayer!! Since being on it, dad's blood has risen each week instead of dropping. Today he went to have it checked and it was 12.6, the highest is has been in over two years! We are praising the Lord for this miracle. Dad turned 78 years old August 13, and we're thanking the Lord for giving us another year with dad.

The truth emerged today about the "fake" singer used during the opening ceremony of the Olympics. The voice heard singing was that of Yang Peiyi (above on the left) and the mouth moving, as if singing, belonged to Lin Miaoke (above on right), a child television star in China. The other day I was thinking about how much emphasis is placed on the outward appearance in our culture. Now I know that that Americans don't have the market on such prejudice. You are judged, so many times, by your weight, the color of your skin, the condition of your teeth, the way you speak, and what you wear. The sad thing is that the real gift is inside the box, not the wrappings. By unwrapping the present and getting into the box, you really see what's there. No matter what the wrappings are that cover us, we are all unique and special to God. Don't be too quick to pass judgment! You may miss out on a blessing!

Several years ago Eddie and I bought a new mattress and lived to regret it! The mattress looked great, and you could not beat the price. The problem was the valleys that appeared where our bodies rested, forming a mountain between us. At the same time, Rachel was sleeping on the mattress I owned when Eddie and I got married. It was terrible and had begun to cause some back pains. The time had come to go mattress shopping. Mattress shopping is almost as big a deal as car shopping. You spend at least 1/3 of your life on a mattress and depend on it to get a good night's rest. Mattress salesmen are akin to car salesmen, I learned quickly! I also learned some important things about mattresses: 1. You usually get what you pay for! 2. The more coils there are in a mattress, the better the mattress. 3. The warranty usually isn't good unless you buy the foundation to go along with the mattress. 4. Never shop at a store that takes back mattresses. (They can re-sell them!) 5. Good mattre...

God is so good!! He has blessed me in so many ways that I sometimes feel a little guilty. *The Gift of Salvation - God's grace that extends to me and anyone who will accept it is the greatest blessing of all. It is all I need in this life. It sustains and strengthens me. It helps me love others and gives me compassion for those who seem so lost. He is the best friend I have. He's my constant companion and my redeemer. PRAISE HIS NAME! *The Gift of Godly Parents - I've greatly benefitted by having parents who love God more than anything else. The heritage they've left me is priceless and I give God all the glory. *The Gift of a Godly Husband Who Loves Me! - Now that is amazing. My husband is my best earthly friend. He knows me and still loves me! WOW! I knew that God had someone for me and He did! He puts up with all my unique characteristics and spoils me rotten. I am blessed! *The Gift of Two Beautiful Daughters! - I'm not sure why God was so gener...

I'm not sure if you're aware of it or not, but the Summer Olympics are underway! Tonight we were watching Olympic Gold Medal Winner, Michael Phelps, swim to another win and world record. The television camera focused in on Phelp's mother in the stands. She was on her feet, hands pressed around her mouth, yelling, "Go! Go! GO!" Her voice was filled with the emotion that only a mother can cry, and tears were streaming down her face. As I stood, thousands of miles away, I soon felt a stream of tears finding their way down my face. It then hit me! This is what the saints in heaven are doing, RIGHT NOW!! They are standing in the grand stands that look over the sea of time, and they're cheering us on. They're shouting, "YES! YOU CAN MAKE IT! DON'T GIVE UP! THE PRIZE IS WORTH IT!" The wonderful thing about the race we as Christians are in is you don't have to be first to win! The prize goes to the one who fights the good fight, en...

(Thanks Sarah for sharing this YouTube with me! It's what I needed to hear!) From time to time, the evil one will throw a curve ball at me that I just can't seem to handle. It seems that I spend most of my time on others and every now and then, there is someone who just doesn't appreciate it! (grin) It's at those times that I ask, "WHY!?!?!" "Why am I wasting my time on people who could care less, or at least seem to care less. This YouTube defines why I do and will continue to do what I do. It's not about me . . . It's about Him!

Fourteen years ago, today, I gave birth to my second and last child, Rachel Anne Shurbutt. She has brought so much joy into our family and is a special blessing from the Lord. The sad thing is that I don't know where the last fourteen years have gone. I blinked too quickly and Rachel is a beautiful young woman, not a little helpless baby. I'm afraid to blink again lest I be opening the front door to an adult with a family of her own. I'm not ready for this chapter to be closed. Rachel is a lot like me in her personality, poor thing. Mom always said that I, being a musician, was sensitive. She was being nice in putting it that way, I know! (grin) Rachel is also very tender hearted and compassionate, traits that make her beautiful. She always takes up for the underdog and will not tolerate anyone making fun of or putting someone else down. She loves animals, especially her cat Sonny and dog, Alaska. I know that God has a special plan and purpose for Rachel's life. I than...

Well, July has come and gone, and I didn't get much blogging done. With school starting, I'm not sure if I'll do much better in August but will make an attempt. Here is a brief update on our lives: *Anna left July 26 for NESA (National Emergency Services Academy) in Indiana. She will be returning this Saturday for which I'm grateful. She passed her class last week and is not a certified First Responder. *We finished another VBS in July. We had our VBS meetings on each Wednesday night and had a great time. Sunday closed it out with a bag: dinner on the ground and a water slide!! *I had a reaction to antibiotics and had to go on prednisone. After reading all the side affects, I was scared to death! I took the last pill today so maybe Eddie will be able to rest in peace! It did warn of moodiness! (grin) *Today Eddie and I celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary. It has a great adventure and I know the next 19 will even be better. *I found out this morning that a dear saint ...

I was watching Discovery Channel last night when this story caught my attention. The title of the episode was "Half Man, Half Tree". That will grab your attention. The more I watched, the more my heart was broken for this dear man whose hands and feet were covered with wart-like growths. They were not life treatening, it seemed, but were hindering him from making a living and providing for his family. The only cure for this man's condition was to surgically remove the wart-covered skin from his hands, a time consuming procedure. The next step was to remove the skin from his upper thigh and graft it to the hands. I turned to my husband, after seeing this program, and told him that we had NO ROOM to complain about anything. It's so easy to become consumed by our own problems and concerns that we neglect to see the hurting around us. I don't want to be guilty of that. As you are praying, I ask that you remember my friend Kathryn Martin and her adopted mother, Mrs. S...

Dad's blood count was up to 10.8 today!!! PRAISE THE LORD! It's been over 10 weeks since he's had to get any blood transfusions. Thanks so much for your prayers!! God is so good!!! Beth

I've not titled this posting because I can't think of an appropriate one to give it. As you read on, you may understand why. As many of you know, my family has the job of cleaning our church on a weekly basis. Rachel and I headed to the church on Thursday of last week to get it cleaned before the busy weekend. We usually refrain from answering the phone because of the types of calls the church receives. For some unknown reason, I answered the phone Thursday and lived to regret it. I picked up the phone and instead of answering "Church of the Nazarene, how may I help you", and simply said "Hello". The male voice on the other end asked if he'd reached the church, and I replied that he had. He proceeded to tell me that he just didn't want to live any more because of a terrible deed he'd done. I am not a trained counselor and knew that the caller should be talking with the pastor and not me! I told him as much and gave him our pastor's number. H...

Well, my summer is going by too fast and this week has flown by due to my being too busy. Thank the Lord He gives me strength to keep going. I'm sure I'll survive, but my knee is another story. It's been letting me know that I'm not as young as I once was and that losing 300 pounds would make a difference! Tuesday found the Shurbutt girls at the fellowship hall helping with VBS decorations. We had to move all the yard sale "stuff" to the front porch for the Center of Hope people to pick up, and there was a lot of it. Our VBS Theme this year is Custom Garage, and one of our church members loaned us the front end of an old Camero. We got the fellowship hall looking rather cool. Wednesday found us getting ready for VBS. Rachel and I are doing the story hour and had to wrap up a few loose ends. We headed to the church early and set up. We had a good group of children and adults and a great time was had by all!! On the way home we stopped at the grocery store, and...

Whew, it's Sunday night and I'm getting ready to head for "B-E-D", as a dear, departed friend of mine would say. It has been one of those weekends I'm glad is behind me! I organized a Yard Sale to raise money for our church youth group. If you know me at all, you know that it was a SACRAFICE on my part due to the fact that I HATE YARD SALES!! They are more work than they usually are worth, and people usually want you to give things to them. I was pleasantly surprised that we raised over $300.00 with this one. It's due to some wonderful people who were of such great help and support!!! I couldn't have done it without them. (By the way, this WILL be my last one!) After having spent 5.5 hours at the church on Friday and 5 hours on Saturday, I had to turn around and head back to church on Saturday night for a concert. For those of you who know me, the concert was a SACRAFICE on my part due to the fact that I HATE CONCERTS! If I could sit or lay on th...

June 24 - Rev. Jerry Randall and Brenda (Read) Larpenteur Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary!

June 25 - Cleta Tankersley Henderson Happy Birthday, Cleta

June 27 - Justin Ryan Larpenteur Happy 15th Birthday, Ryan!

June 27 - Danette Lee Simmons Happy 22nd Birthday, Lee!

June 29 - Robert and Danette Lee Simmons Happy 6th Wedding Anniversary

June 30 - Erin Criner Sweet 16 Birthday Happy Birthday, Erin!

Painting Project: Well, this is what has been keeping me busy for the past two weeks! I've been painting pink. Anna is a fan of the color pink, and I painted her room while she was gone to Encampment. It's amazing how what seems to be an easy task always turns into something larger! That's what painting is for me. When I paint, I must do it right or not at all. There is a lot that goes into painting. Preparation is one the most important parts. If you paint over dirty wall, the paint will eventually peel. Holes must but caulked or they will continue to be visible. You must remove as much stuff from the room as possible. To make a long story short, I've almost finished the job. I still lack the back of the door and a little trim. We're going to install new closet doors and they will have to be painted. It really looks good and most importantly, Anna loves it! Update on Mom and Dad: Mom had her Gall Bladder surgery a week ago today and is doing great! ...

Anna Rachel is the third from the right. Anna and Rachel are home from their week of Civil Air Patrol's Summer Encampment in Gulf Port, Mississippi. Cadets, in Civil Air Patrol, must complete a week of encampment in order to promote. This was Rachel's year to participate. Anna completed the training a couple years ago and went as staff. Encampment is a week of intense training and is equivalent to boot camp. The cadets are told what to do, when, where, and how. They begin the day with an hour of physical training followed by marching, drilling, training, and learning. After we had been home an hour or so last night, I found Rachel sitting on the steps leading upstairs. She had a blank stare on her face, and I asked her what was wrong. She replied, "I don't know what to do." She'd had someone telling her what to do every minute of the day for a week and was completely lost! I quickly took advantage of the moment and gave her some chores to do! It's so ...

It's Saturday, the day before Father's Day, and our little ones have flown the coop! Eddie and I have two wonderful daughters, ages 17 and 13. They left this weekend to attend Civil Air Patrol's Summer Encampment in Biloxi, Mississippi, and will be gone until next Saturday. I'm not a happy mom! Since homeschooling our daughters from day one, I've spent a great deal of time with them and have enjoyed it. I can't understand parents who can't wait for their children to go back to school. I love being around my girls. I realize that as parents, it's our job to prepare them to stand on their own two feet and eventually leave the nest. It would be a disservice to tie them to my apron strings for my own benefit, but I do not look forward to the day when they will be gone. Most of the time, I don't think about it, but having them both gone at the same time throws it in my face. I guess we'll have to postpone our Father's Day celebration with Eddie un...

Our Sunday School lessons have be focusing on the life and calling of Abraham, and the lessons have been so encouraging. Yesterday's lesson was no exception. Abraham has just given Lot the choice of land, and as you know, Lot chooses what seems to be the best choice. It ends up being a tragic choice, and Lot ends up losing his wife. Abraham, because he was a man of God and loved Lot, allowed Lot to choose first. After Lot leaves, Abraham, the Lord speaks to him and gives him a command, "Lift up your eyes from where you are!" Undoubtly, Abraham's eyes had been a little downcast. God reminds him of His promise of land and offspring. God gives us the same command. We cannot see the big picture of what God is doing and is going to do in our lives if we are constantly looking down. We enjoy carrying our own burdens and singing the "woe is me" song. When we are loaded down by the cares of this life, we can only look down. It's when we unload our b...

I picked up a book a couple weeks ago by Florence Littauer entitled "Silver Boxes." It is not a new book, being published in 1989, but it's message is one that was taught in the New Testament and still applies in 2008. The book is based on the scripture verse, Ephesians 4:29. I found several versions and will list several. King James Version - "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." New International Version - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." The Message Version - "Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift." Florence talks about giving a children's sermon based on this scripture and lists the children's interpretation of t...

I’m Bored . . . I hear the phrase “I’m Bored!” more and more from adults and it makes me wonder. My “wondering” has led to this blog! (grin) When I was a child, our family opted out of owning a television for several reasons I won’t go into at this moment. Because of that choice, my sister, brothers, and I became avid readers, actors, artists, and craftsmen. I was known by name at the local library, and by the time I was a teenager, I knew more about the location of books than the librarians knew. I spent a lot of time at that beautiful edifice, overlooking Cane River, devouring books. Because of the amount of books I read, I taught myself to speed read, which came in handy in college. Our shelves at home were always lined with books, and each night my dad would take down the Bible and a story book to ready before family prayer. Uncle Remus was my all-time favorite, and I can still see Brer Fox and the Tar Baby in conversation. We would always beg, “Just one more, ...

As many of you know, my dad was diagnosed with leukemia almost 2 years ago. His type of leukemia is very rare and there are only 3 known treatments for it. He’s already gone through two treatments with no success and is on the third treatment. We are praising the Lord for answer to prayers. He has not had to have blood for 6 weeks and when he had his blood level checked this morning, it had gone from 8.7 to 9.0!!! This is the first time it has gone up!! God is so good and we’re giving him all the glory for this turn around in dad’s health. Mom and Dad will been traveling next week to Olympia, Washington. They will spend some time with my sister Carole and brother-in-law Randy, and Mom will have her Gall Bladder removed while she is there. Please keep her in your prayers also. I want to thank each one of you for your prayers and words of support during this difficult time. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family members.

Pierre Larouche passed away Monday, May 2, 2008. Pierre is the man standing behind the French flag to the far right. As many of you know, our family, along with 16 other American Larpenteurs, traveled to France the first part of May to meet with family members who still live in France. A wonderful reception was given for us, and we were received with open arms by our newly discovered family! One of the organizers of the reception was a cousin named Pierre Larouche. He passed away Monday from a massive heart attack, and we are saddened by his passing. We pray that God will bring healing to his family as they go through this difficult time. I'm thankful that I got to meet Pierre and am thankful for what he did to bring our family together.

Today we had an interesting thing happen at church. I believe I made lunch for Jesus. I can hear your eyes rolling, so I'd better explain my previous statement. Because of the distance most of our church members have to drive to get to church and the cost of fuel, we've started a new schedule of services on Sunday. Those who would like bring their lunches, and we have lunch together in the fellowship hall. At 1:30 p.m. we gather back in the sanctuary for our "evening" praise and worship service. I'd just sat down to my wonderful turkey and tomato sandwich when in the door walked a young black man in a tank top and shorts. He looked around the room, and when asked if he was hungry, he said that he was. Pastor Bill asked if anyone had any extra "fixings", and I asked the young man if he liked turkey. I got out the bread, lettuce, mayonnaise, mustard, meat and chips. I asked him to make his own sandwich since I didn't know what he liked on it, a...

I believe that it was 1974 when Randy Buckner and Carole (my sister) were married. Happy Anniversary!!