Sunday School

This is the copy of God's word that I have by my computer at all times so I can reach for it and get a nugget of gold any time I want/need to!!!

It went great Sunday morning, although we only had 7 of us there we were there for one reason and that was to get into God's word.

I was ready to teach most of the 7 (actually one of those was me) but...I had a couple of new people in our Sunday School class that I wasn't planning. See, we have a new associate/youth pastor and he and his wife showed up and ask if they could sit in on our class...I was totally honored!!! Knees shaking and hands sweating we went ahead with what was planned.

God is so good in all areas of our lives. I took a couple of out lines from the book of Tim LaHay and used that as our structure for the study. We got into the life of Mosses and some on the plagues. More about Mosses I think. I love the questions Tim sets out for one to use as they go into the chapters of the character's lives. It makes you think...STUDY what you are reading. The time frame was great. I was down to the last question when the bell rang and we were able to wrap things up for the service on time!!!

I am not a teacher by any stretch of the imagination but I do love to study God's word with anyone that wants to study with me.`

I just opened my bible and a promise that I had highlighted jumped off the page at me. It is in Revelations 2:11 He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. PTL We can ALL be overcomers!!! I, like all of us I am sure, have had to over come many things in my life and teaching ADULT Sunday school when ask has been one of those things. Another promise that ran through my mind all week was...Matthew 25:21, 23 Well done good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. I want to be faithful over what God puts in front of me to do and I want him to be able to call me a good and faithful servant.

GOD's word is powerful

Today I had an appointment in Adrian and as I was waiting for my turn I was reading God's word. I am teaching SS this Sunday at church and so I was reading in Exodus the 9th chapter. That is where we have been studding and I enjoy it more than you could believe. It is a challenge for me to study what God did for the people of Israel and relate it to what God wants to do in our lives today.

One book that I find extremely helpful to me in studying the bible is How to Study the Bible for Yourself By

Tim LaHaye

. In this book it has outline and study guides so you don't just read a chapter but you have to pull something out each time you read...chapter or book.

I was using the chapter analysis as a guide for myself tonight. One of the question was what is the central lesson? I read the chapter once and then I was going through it again and verse 16 jumped off the page at me...

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Wow, very powerful. God has been speaking to my heart about a couple of things but I will wait on him to see just what direction he will take me. I know my GOD is faithful and ALL powerful!!! I am slowly learning to step out as the Lord leads.

I have to thank someone that is so dear to my heart. She will know who she is when she reads this. She has been walking with me through thick and thin the past several years and has been a source of strength and encouragement. I couldn't have made it through some very dark times when Satin wanted to steal and destroy my life with out her. God has used her in so many unique and beautiful way. I love you and pray God will continue to use you in other lives as he has used you in my life.

FathersDay

This Fathers Day was one to go down in the memory books. We went to Heith and Jessica's for a cook out and then spent time with the kids in the pool in the back yard.

As we celebrated Father Day we also remembered the Fathers that are no longer with us. My dad passed last year just before Father Day, and Jessica ( my dear daughter in law) lost her step-father about 5 years ago in a motor cycle accident but she just lost her father a week ago. He was in the hospital with blood clots they were trying to disolve and one broke loose and went to his heart and took his life. This Friday we will be going to Kalamazoo for his memorial.

As I watched the kids play in the pool I couldn't help but think of how we are in our lives. Our lives are like the water, throwing us here and there and having fun in the rolls of life. When the waters gets to ruff we reach for something to give us rest and safety, which was the air mattress the kids would climb on. They were rested and safe there until the water got stirred up or someone or something knocked the raft out from under then again. Then they would thrash around again until they could get a tube or a noodle.

As I watched the little ones I thought if they only grabbed onto something solid they would get the rest they needed and would not have to worry about getting knocked off and thrown into the waves again. Of course I was thinking about the Heavenly Father that gave us the rock of our salvation to stand on so we will have that rest and assurance that we don't have to worry about drowning in the waves that will roll over us in this life.

On this Father's Day we have the greatest FATHER of ALL if we have the relationship with the ONE and ONLY GOD. He promises to be the father to the fatherless. Know matter how old we get we need a father...I am so glad I have that father I can call on 24/7!!

My grandfather and WWII

These are pictures of my grandfather, Donald Levi Clark. He lived most of his life in Toledo OH. I can remember visiting when we were kids but he was a very hard working and quiet man.We didn't get much time with him. When we did go to his house he was usually sleeping so he could get up and go to work.

One time I remember going to work with him (with my aunt and uncle which were only2 and4 years older than me). He was working at a commercial laundry but that was a second job of his. We were able to go across the street and get a meal at a fast food restaurant...don't know why I happen to remember that, just do. One other thing is that he was talking to me and one of my brothers at the kitchen table. Don't remember what it was about just that was one of the very rare times I got to talk to my "grandpa" and I was about 9 years old. I do remember my grandpa was a very handsome man...sure wish I would have gotten some of his looks...I look more like the Frey's then the Clarks. Oh well, you learn to deal with the hand you are given!!!

In the first pictures the shorter man is grandpa and in the picture under it he is the first man in the back. I would know him in any picture with that jaw of his. Grandpa only lived until I was about 22 years old.

I have these pictures and I was sharing with Bubba that he had a great-grandpa that was in the Army because mother and I was doing a couple of scrapbook pages in honor of grandpa. They turned out awesome and some day with my grandchildren pull out the books and look at them they will have a face to look at when they talk about their great-great-grandfather. I even have a picture of grandpa Clark's parents, errrr maybe mother said they were his grandparents.( I will have to check with my mother again but I will have to do a page of them too. I love history in pictures!!!

Not So Frinedly Critters

Spring time is here for sure and here is a coupld of visitors that prove it. Robert was in the front yard and saw these two little kittens playing in the ditch beside the road. They look like they are about 12 weeks to the size of baby kittens.

We also have 4 baby puppies and 2 kittens of which one has already found a new home. I will keep the second kitten (they are outside cats). We have 2 inside birds too. The older I get the more and more I do not like the pets inside. I only have the birds to see if they will make me a new house bird because I do miss my Ginger. I have told my husband once these two house dogs are gone we are done...he agrees.

These two remind me so much of my dad. Dad would go coon hunting and get us money for our Christmas...there was many, many Christmas we wouldn't of had if he had not gone coon hunting and sold the hids. It has been a little over a year now since dad has been gone.

Great Time with Old Friends

What a great weekend we have had. Thursday Brandon took me to Detroit to welcome Joyce-my friend for over 30 years and her daughter-Heather, to our home for a few days. I love Joyce and am so thrilled and excited when I get to see her. Heather has become a beautiful young lady and truly a great young friend too.

We took the time to go to Sauders Village on Friday. Today we hung around the house in the morning and as it neared lunch I took them to a great little restaurant over by Hudson. On the way back we detoured through Hillsdale Co and around to look at farms and we found some Amish people helping some neighbors fix their roof. On the way home we stopped at a Amish bake stand down the road from our house to purchase some delicious delectables. The home made cinnamon rolls were melt in your mouth good.

When Robert got home we decided eating out was a good thing to do so off to Adrian and to Applebee's, then a movie was decided on....UP in 3D. Good animated movie but not a kids movie as we thought it was going to be.

Great times with Old Friends and so much to store in the memmory bank!!

Trip to PA

Here are some pictures of the great weekend we just spent with the kids and grandkids. We all had great fun. We got to see Terrilynn and Mark's new house, Ben turned "3" and Lizzie graduated from kindergarten.

To celebrate Lizzie's graduation we went to Red Lobster (Lizzie has rich taste already--like her mama). We saw her class do a skit and then the graduation ceramony.

For Ben's birthday we had cake and ice cream and then we went to the amusement park. We also took a trip to Dick's sporting goods and picked out fishing poles and tackle for a trip to the lake. Ben was the first one to catch a fish...with the expert help of Papa.

My most unfavorite part of the weekend was the "BAT" walk. We went back to the state park (where we had been for the fishing trip) and took a walk to a little church. When I say I saw bats coming out of the church I am not refering to any old ladies or anything close to that. I mean flying bats and this church really has bats in the belfry---attic really!!! The bats use this old church, that was purchased and shut up just for the bats, as a nursery. The female bats go there in the spring and have their pups. They said they were up to about 4 thousand but one spring was very cold and wet and really hurt the population and it hasn't recoverd. A bat will only have 1pup every 2 years and the pup is 1/3 the size of the mother. This from someone who HATES the little critters. We saw a couple thousand fly out of the church for the evening to go hunt for the night and then we returned to the park and home where I felt more comfortable!!!

One evening after we had returned from the fun for the day we sat on the back deck and just enjoyed the antics of the 2 kids. Oh, the energy they have. As I was sitting there soaking up just being with them I thought of how God must feel when we go to him and just talk or listen to what he has to say to us. Just to be in the presence of the Lord and to worship him and let him know we "I" love him. It has to be like the love of a grandparent.

In the presence of Johaviah!!! There is nothing else like it.