"You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips."

Oliver Goldsmith
1730-1774, Writer and Poet

Celebrating Birthdays at our Seafood Feast at Sally & Sams...

Thanks to Bill Otis for all the Louisiana Seafood

 and thanks to

Sally & Sam for 'hosting' us again...

Cindy, Charlie, Jack & Sam...

This is what HAPPY looks like!!!

Oh, that is the very serious Bill in the back...

To Our Own Special Matthew....

Mattie C. we CELEBRATE YOU on this

your special day...

You are a wonderful Father and we pray

blessings, continuously, on you and

your precious family.....

Our Son, Missionary Chuck...Fishers of Men....And Fish

Acceptance

Today's Daily Word Devotional is awesome to me...

It speaks to my heart about relationships that I can contaminate with my own 'stupidity'!

My Prayer: "Lord, help me walk daily in full acceptance of others....as you accept them."

In Jesus Name...   Amen

 

Acceptance  

Freely and with love, I accept myself and others.

Great freedom comes from accepting people and circumstances as they are. Through acceptance, I release my need to control or change people or situations that are not mine to control. Peace comes from allowing things to unfold as they will. Through acceptance, I am free to embrace every situation and every person in a spirit of love.
The most important person for me to accept is me. I see myself as a child of God following a divinely inspired path to spiritual unfoldment. I let go of self-criticism and trust God. With a renewed sense of freedom and peace, I accept the people and circumstances in my life with love. I give thanks for the blessings they bring.

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

--John 13:35

 

The Healing of Joy and....Laughter!

Making life FUN.....has always been my personal therapy!
This is one way that God helps me not to be overwhelmed....by  giving me a healthy sense of humor.
Having fun releases us from the bondage of our circumstances and give us the capacity to laugh at our problems - - - and at ourselves.
Having fun doesn't automatically make the pressures go away, but it helps us view them with less tension.   Less tension....stress and strain.....helps us 'solve problems' better and with clarity!
......I thank God for laughter, for joy, for fun, for life:.....
Psalm 126:2...."Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."  Psalm 126:2

Cruising on Charlie's B'day

 Pat & Walker and Charlie & I did another cruise out of Tampa to the Cayman Islands and Cozumel.

It was fun and relaxing as well.  

Shopping Fun...

Beautiful Church in  Grand Cayman

Pat and I enjoy the Spiritual Serenity

Stained Glass was awesome...

The Mega-Ship, Royal Caribbean 'Oasis of the Seas', was in port at

Cozumel along with three other Carnival ships...

Thousands of people from 4 cruise ships were in Cozumel this day...


Enjoying the 'Good Life' Girls...

WE ARE BLESSED!!!!

To My Dear Prayer Partner, Nancy

Your Florida Family wishes you a wonderful, blessed

and FUN Birthday today...

We love you, Dear One...

Happy Birthday Pops....Family at La Teresita

Happy and Blessed Birthday Pops!

Joshua chosen to participate in the Battle of the Books Exhibit

Soccer brothers...Joshua & Dylan & Mommy

have to be on the field on Sat. morning at 8:00 a.m.

Their games are always interesting!!!! 

What is......Faith?

Faith is to believe what we do not see....
     and the REWARD OF FAITH
Is to SEE what we BELIEVE!!!

Family Mother's Day Celebration Was Blessed!

This Mother's Day was celebrated in our family home with 6 Mother's present.
Lynn, Britt, Terry, Carla, Ashley and myself.
It was as near  'perfect' as I've ever seen....for me...
All of my family gave me the gift that I asked for...that being ALL would go to my church with me and then return to our home where we barbequed Shish~K~Bobs and  delighted in the children's antics.
Having Chuck & Terry home from Africa, temporarily, helped complete our family togetherness.
Missing was 'Pipo' Chuck and Lil Turkey and Vinny. Airboats needed major re-hauling with cousin Chris and others help as well...
Seeing our dear prayer partners, Abby and Barbara, in church was like a family reunion.
Joshua, Dylan and Kason, (twins arrived later) were good in church until Uncle Chad started picking or thumping them on the head every now and then.
I whispered to Britt, "Heaven done come to Earth".
My Mother's heart rejoiced in this special moment in time to be so blessed with this Family of Faith and Love......AND CHILDREN!
..........Our Family Psalm 128, which we read every Christmas.....certainly was alive this day....
"Blessings on all who reverence and trust the Lord-on all who obey Him!
Their reward shall be prosperity and happiness.
Your wife shall be contented in your home.
And look at ALL those children!
There they sit around the dinner table as vigorous and healthy as young olives trees.
That is God's reward to those who reverence and trust Him.
May the Lord continually bless you with heaven's blessings as well as with human joys.
May you live to enjoy your grandchildren!  (and Great-Grands)
And may God bless Israel!"
                           Chuck and Matt with babies, Jude & Eli....

Carla tries to organize and put some 'order' into the food line as 'the boys' wait patiently...NOT!!!!

  We have so many 'baby hogs' in our family that it does no good to 'wait your turn'...

Finally Brian gets to hold one of the little ones.

 Dylan & Kason clowning around while Moms are busy being.....MOMS!

The 'mess' is cleaned up everywhere, order is restored, spots are cleaned from the carpet,

 the swing is silent.  The family came....and went....

I am at Peace....I am CONTENTED with life.....
the Gift of Life....All is Well!!!

A new kind of 'Mother's Day' Tribute

Ashley, we salute you  with a 'double' tribute on this your first 'Mother's Day'....

Lo and Behold, everyone who has been around this 'new Dad' Matthew, must also include him in a tribute to the skills that in traditional days, only applied to Mothers.

  Matt has 'stepped up to the plate' in an astonishing way! 

When Jude & Eli were only 'weeks' old, on his first day off from work, he loaded twins and their 'paraphernalia'  in his SUV alone, taking them to the Florida Aquarium~Tampa Bay and explaining things to them AS IF THEY UNDERSTOOD.  That was only the beginning.    

 

Jude & Eli, 4 months now, are a blessing to....

Mom & Dad, Grandparents, Great~Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and a

vast array of Cousins...

Can you beieve that these two boys, Jude & Eli,

are NOT identical twins???

'Tis true!

 

Happy and Blessed Mother's/Father's Day to

Ashley & Matthew...

Your example of  'married love' in a

faith filled family is a wonderful blessing

to all of us...

We salute you for all your hard work, sacrifice, and

commitment to your new role as Mom & Dad and partners

in this most challenging career role called

Parents!!!

"God Bless you continuously, dear ones,"

 this is our Family Prayer to our little 'Family of Love'.....