...a word from Kathy

A pril 18 th was my daddy’s birthday. He turned 90; however, he celebrated in heaven. He moved there on June 27, 2008. I think of him often. I remember his laugh, his white hair (that used to be black!), how soft his hands were, how he laughed and teased. I miss his phone calls and talk of his tomato plants. I miss hearing him call me “baby”. I miss him and I remember… I carry my daddy’s outward image, his dark hair and his brown eyes. I feel a bond to him as we shared outward characteristics. Those simple traits always made me feel special to my daddy. I felt he would look at me and see himself sometimes. I wonder if my heavenly Father looks at me and sees Himself sometimes...those traits of love and grace. Take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you . Ephesians 4:22-24 (MSG) Oh Lord, let my inner self reflect You. Change my inner image to carry only...

Y ears ago, our children would go away to camp for two weeks. The camp advertised this time as, “the best two weeks”. As a working mom I fully embraced this slogan as Ray and I had a two-week vacation from our darling children! One year upon his return, our son Nick, brought home a “friend” that spread through our entire household that summer. We were doing some serious, literal nitpicking. Have you had this problem in your household? Wash everyone’s sheets and towels every day. Comb through hair several times a day. Look through every strand of hair several times a day. Ughhhhhhh! Yes, definite nit picking. I was seeing the whole head of hair but looking for those tiny, tiny nits. So here I sit, years later reminded of this childhood malady and realizing anew I’m living the same nitpicking life. I see the whole Bible but only want the tiny parts that directly affect me. I hang onto these truths: God loves me God forgives me God gave His only son for me ...

D o you remember the day you became engaged to be married? Do you remember the day you got the big promotion? Do you remember the day your baby was born? The one thing that all these days have in common is that we were compelled to share the news. We looked for people to tell. Husbands handed out cigars to complete strangers as they were overjoyed with the birth of their children. The day Ray asked me to marry him was thrilling. Hours later, I remember stopping by the dry cleaners to pick up laundry but before the sweet old man could do his job, I had thrust my new ring into his face, exclaiming, “I just got engaged”. He was bewildered but seemed happy for me, of course, he also wanted my check for the laundry! These events in life are just too grand to keep bottled up inside ourselves. Of course, we know the Good News of Jesus is such news. We’re instructed to tell the world. The passion in our hearts demands we tell, doesn’t it? Are we overjoyed by this news of salvati...