LIFE IS A MIRACLE

Wednesday afternoon I left one of my precious members in hospice who is close to going to heaven. I looked long into his eyes and the 90 plus years he has lived knowing that soon he will be in eternity. Life is precious, short here on earth, but eternal when there is trust in God.

Later that same afternoon I returned home for a while before Wednesday night church and checked on the new birdies that had just hatched in the geranium on our back deck. The mother wren and papa wren go back and forth caring for their little ones. There are five or so of them squirming around with wide open becks needing mother and papa birds care. 

I took a few shot of them hoping that I wouldn't upset them or make the papa or mamma birds angry or fly down on my head. They all seemed to take me being nosey ok and I took these few shots and a video.

Isn't life a miracle? Nature itself reveals the glory of God's handiwork. 

Wanda and I had watched the nest being made and the wrens going back and forth and the little eggs being laid. Each morning we eat breakfast and share devotions and prayer at the table on the back porch overlooking the deck where the geranium sits.  

It takes 13 days from the point of nesting for the eggs to hatch. I don't know how long for the birdies to grow feathers and fly away, but I will be watching and taking a few video's along the way. 

Life is a miracle. God, you are good. You give life.

TOO CUTE!

Now tell me. 

Aren't those two of the cutest kiddies ever? 

Jennifer sent this picture to me from Sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico, taken at the pool at their house. Claudia and Lorenzo could be child models. That's a proud papa saying that!

I don't normally post on Thursdays, but this picture was too cute not to share.

FUN WITH SOME MONKEYS

Did you know that gorillas cannot swim? They can't swim very well, if at all, and drown if they fall into  water and can't get out. One drowned a few years ago at the Jacksonville Zoo as he fell into a large, deep moat and could not get out. 

The gorilla, named Ben, was one of four male gorillas known as “the bachelors.”  Ben was born on August 12, 1985, at the Oklahoma City Zoo.  He came to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in 1998.  In a freak accident, the death occurred when another gorilla, named Quito, was chasing Ben. Ben slipped on the sloop of the moat in the exhibit, fell in and drowned. 

I saw the report on the evening news about the drowning, and had met the big guy. Well, you know that we hadn't met, but I had been by his cage many times in my trips to the Jacksonville Zoo with my grands.  He fell in and just couldn't get out and drowned. That was sad.

Nic and Alex were here over the weekend with their mother, Julie,  and we went to the zoo on Monday. They love for Papa to take them so I have annual zoo passes and we make a day of it whenever they are here.

They love the animals, play areas, and zoo activities. It is an relatively inexpensive thing to do and we make lots of memories. One memory we made in a previous  visit was backtracking all over the zoo to find a tennis shoe Nic took off while I was pushing him in a stroller. I wanted to skin the little guy because he was always taking those shoes off. It took forever to find his lost shoe. What is it with little kiddies taking shoes off in the car over and over only to have to be laced and re-tied? Why do kiddies take their shoes off over and over?

Nic and Alex are growing up and it won't be too many years before I can only hope they will show me some attention. I call Alex my best Pal and Nic is my best buddy. Now I have Cole, and Page, and Alex to go with Claudia and Lorenzo. They make up a large bunch of little monkeys to take to the zoo.

We went to the zoo, zoo, zoo. How about you, you, you?

The last picture is one with all the grands. Aren't they really grand!

MEET WILLIE AND WILLIE

Friday I had a breakfast appointment in San Marco to counsel with a young minister. The appointment went well as he shared what God was doing in his life and his desires and plans for the future. It thrilled me to see his heart and passion to follow the Lord and use his gifts and talents for the Kingdom. He was very appreciative of our time together, and I am praying with him for God's guidance.

After our meeting, he left and as I was walking out the restaurant, I felt drawn to speak to a couple of men sitting to the right of the door as I opened it. I hesitated for a moment, but felt compelled.

"Hi," I said. "Are you two believers?"

"Yes," they responded together.

One of them spoke up and said, "I am Willie and this is my friend Willie."

"I'm Milton Dykes. I am the pastor of Southside Assembly here in San Marco. I felt drawn to speak to you."

"Praise the Lord," they both responded. One asked for my business card.

After a moment of small talk, one of them spoke up and shared, "My wife just died and I am hurting so bad."

"I'm so sorry," I empathized.

"It is unbearable," he continued. "I don't know what I am going to do."

"I know how you feel," I said. 

He looked strong at me.

"My wife of 37 years died last year. I know the hurt you are going through."

He looked with amazement and said, "I can't believe you stopped to talk. I had been looking to find someone who could help me and knew how I felt. I have a friend who lost his wife, but we haven't been able to get together."

"The pain is so bad. Part of me is gone. I don't know what I am going to do," he said.

For a few moments I shared my story and described what I went through and how God helped me and how God would help him. I told him that he would make it and that it was ok to cry. I said there is more room on the outside than inside and that he just needed to tell Jesus what he felt. I told him that Jesus was loving enough and big enough and compassionate enough to hear anything he had so say.

We talked more and then I asked if I could pray with him and we did.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. You knew what I needed. You know how I feel. God sent you here for me. I needed your words so bad. You have helped me. Thank you," Willie said.

His friend, the other Willie, said, "You are an angel sent of the Lord."

It was a God moment. It was a moment when God's loving care reached out through me and touched another hurting brother. God sent a wounded "preacher angel" to pour in some oil.

I left Willie and Willie and felt grateful that I had obeyed the Lord's voice to just say hello.

God did the rest. God does unusual things to show us his love. I left wondering if the earlier appointment there wasn't just a God set up for me to be there to tell Willie  that he would make it.

RACCOONS OR BIRDS?

Our backyard is being swarmed by birds and robbed by raccoons. We have had several days of wind and rain and the double bird feeder blew over during the night. That exposed the bird seed to new critters who are now having fun robbing seed that just doesn't belong to them.

I love watching the redbirds, wrens, woodpeckers, doves, and other birds fly to and from our bird feeder early in the morning and later in the evening when I am home. Wanda and I eat more often than not on the back porch or deck enjoying the sights and sounds of birds.

Now the bird feeders are pulled over and down by the varmints stealing the bird seed. I have a few pictures and a video of their antics. The first time I caught one of them the raccoon fled over the backyard fence just at my voice.

The next time he did too. Then next time I clapped my hands and he ran. The next time I yelled and he just starred. Finally the little critter wouldn't leave unless I ran down from the deck to literally make him leave. Yelling and clapping hands didn't work anymore.

Anybody got any ideas about how to get rid of a raccoon herd in my back yard? Some may love raccoon over birds, but they eat all the seed in one or two sittings and leave nothing for the birds. Now that isn't very nice. Besides the birds are so colorful and I enjoy their music.

I thought about a BB gun. Now ladies don't write any nasty notes. I am not going to do that, but I may borrow a trapping cage to catch them and relocate them to another part of Duvall County. Maybe there is so kind of spray to get rid of them. 

All I want is to enjoy the back yard and not be bothered by the little rascals! 

Birds or raccoons? What is your choice?

PORTRAITS TO REMEMBER

I am very excited about the renovations in our church facilities at Southside Assembly where I served as senior pastor. We have spent last year working on the roof, air conditioning, moving interior walls, painting exterior and interior walls, totally re-carpeting, improving sanctuary sound and lighting, foyer redecoration, and on the list of improvements could go.

The facilities look great and the improvements continue. One of our families suggested portraits of Christ to be hung in our new church foyer and 

made a donation of the first two portraits. They encouraged others to join in and now there are 15 portraits donated.

Each portrait gives a beautiful reminder of the love and grace of Christ as He came into the world, lived, ministered, died on the Cross for our sins, rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and now sits at  the right hand of His Father to make intercession for us. 

His awesome love is beyond comprehension. He loves and reaches out today to show His amazing kindness and grace. These portraits are a reminder of His faithfulness to us.

All the the portraits were donated in the memory of beloved family members who have preceded us in heaven. Wanda and I gave a portrait of Christ with the children in honor of our first spouses, Kristy and Jim. They will be remembered, but more importantly Christ's love will shine into the hearts of those who see these beautiful portraits of our Savior. 

Christ's love reigns. 

He is Lord!

YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE....

Wanda and I have laughed our heads off watching a video series by Mark Gungor entitled "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" this past week.

It is hilarious! But it is also life impacting. 

We both had great first marriages and learned a lot of do's and don'ts to hopefully make our marriage even better. One thing that helps make marriages better is to make an effort to work at it every day. 

We do just that.

We begin each day with prayer together, and we go through the day doing our best to bless each other. As newlyweds, we are still learning each other so adjustments are not even in view yet. We are on a grand honeymoon and not worrying about a whole lot. We are "in love."

Marriage is God's intended way to bring the fullest of blessing in life, and we are blessed twice over with new love and God's blessings and favor.

We still haven't had an argument or disagreement, but I know it is inevitable. Every couple is bound to have disagreements and even some very major ones. Paul made it clear that those who marry will have trouble....

I Cor. 7:22   ".... But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this."

Marriage has trouble? 

Yes, you can be happy one day and married the next!

Yes, marriage is full of trouble so it is best to learn how to navigate through the rough waters. The fun part is learning how to paddle together.

Mark Gungor hits the mark defining the differences of thinking processes between men and women. He also gives some incredible insight on how to face "trouble" in marriage and make it work. I found the following YouTube video clip by Mark. It is insightful.

Click on Mark Gungor and learn and enjoy!