Satan has struck again

So, we are 4 days away from Nick's 13th birthday party. It is always an event. We have squirt guns, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, drinks, cake, ice cream, Slip-N-Slide, water balloons & a slime fight...for anyone who wants to be slimed. This year, we are doing that and going to add horse shoes, bad mitten/volleyball, 3 legged race, party horns, and spinning yourself dizzy with a bat....I don't know what you actually call it. Its when you hold the ball bat up right on the ground, bend over putting your head against the end and then walk around it several times until you are dizzy AND THEN racing your friends, that are also dizzy, past the finish line. I have seen it done before but this will be the first time for us. Then, on Sunday I get the privilege of teaching Children's Bible Time at our church to the 6-8 year olds. I really love doing that. I love the kids, the planning, the crafts, the songs, everything.....and I get to do it for the whole month. SATAN HAS STRUCK AGAIN......Eric is sick with a cold/flu something and has a fever that has gotten up to 102 degrees. He feels horrible. Nick and Abbie are both running low grade fevers but haven't gotten the full blown attack yet. Abbie is a little whiny but Nick actually missed football practice. There have been times I have thought that he would rather chew his own foot off than miss football....he must be getting it. I felt yucky earlier today but at the moment, feel fine. Thank you, Jesus. It comes in times of great plans of great fun, when Satan stands so proudly in our home. "Knowing is half the battle" to quote the old G.I. Joe cartoon of my childhood. He will try anything to make us doubt. But I don't doubt, he will lose and I will win because I am on God's side. My wonderful husband recently made me so proud to be his wife. I can not and will not go into details but the situation was a woman he knows very well told him that she was involved in a relationship with another woman. She is married to a nasty man and has every reason to leave him. When she told Eric this, he was amazed. He never thought that was who she was. He said that he thought about it for a little while and then took her into a private room and simply said, "Don't do this. Don't do this. When you are standing before God on Judgement Day, you know better than this. Don't do it." She started crying and finally told him the truth, that her husband had been abusing her for months and she would rather people think she was leaving him because of another relationship than that there was physical abuse. How sad?!?! In this pitiful world we live in, it is better to be a lesbian than a battered wife. I personally think it has to do with pride. Letting others know that someone has that kind of power over you and, in this case, that you haven't left and have put up with it for so long. Pray for her and her children.....that God gives her the strength to be who and what she is, exactly the way God made her. And on a less serious note: Eric is now a Brown Belt in Karate! He belt tested on Monday. Again, he makes me proud.....and safe to be in a dark alley ;-)

Doubts?

Doubts about your purpose? Doubts about your reason here on earth? Doubts about God?

Just watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4

When you look at science and the Bible agreeing on something....it blows your mind.

Thanks, Jennifer, for finding and sharing this.

Recently....

Recently, some people that I know have died. This is very sad and I am so sorry for their families. Grief and loss are horrible emotions to survive. Sometimes it destroys families forever, when arguments and hurt feelings are pushed in the wrong direction. A very confusing time, to say the least.

For these people, I don't believe that is the case. Kay, Annette & Rick loved the Lord. They lived their lives for Him and with Him. You didn't have to ask or listen to them speak to know, you could see it everyday, by the way they lived and loved. A greater testament cannot be.

Their families will never be the same. Family reunions and holidays are changed forever.

But, take comfort. They are in HEAVEN rejoicing and singing praises! I can just see Annette and my Grandpa reliving old times together. They grew up together their entire lives, same school, same area, same church. I'm sure they are happy to see each other and have lots to talk about.

God IS good ALL the time!

Rick Richmond, 37 Richard "Rick" Otis Richmond, 37, of South Webster, died Monday, July 21, 2008, at the Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth. He was born in Portsmouth on June 15, 1971, to Richard and Brenda Baker Richmond. Rick was a 1989 graduate of South Webster High School. He was an avid hunter and enjoyed the outdoors, where he liked riding motorcycles, ATVs, and horses. Rick also loved spending time with this family. He was a member of the New Boston Eagles Aerie 2271 and the Sunshine Church of Christ in Minford.

He is survived by his wife, Rushie Rakes Richmond, whom he married on May 22, 1993, in Scioto Furnace; his daughter, Rikki Lynn Richmond, at home; his parents, Richard and Brenda Baker Richmond of South Webster; grandparents, Howard and Garnet Hill of Wheelersburg; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Delmer and Thelma Rakes of Oak Hill; six uncles, Arnold Richmond, Tom Richmond, Larry Baker, Don Baker, Les Hill and Kirk Hill; eight aunts, Fern Duncan, Anna Holcomb, Rita Shumway, Barbara Dingus, Patty Chamberlin, Camie Holbrook, Beverly Stiles and Karen Miller; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Kay E. Peach Coriell, 61 Kay E. Peach Coriell, 61, of Portsmouth, died Sunday, July 20, 2008, at Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth. Born Nov. 3, 1946, in Portsmouth, a daughter of Stanley Peach of Portsmouth and the late Wanda Maddy Peach, she was a retired elementary school teacher from Minford Local Schools. She was a member of Sciotoville Christian Church and Shawnee Nature Club.

In addition to her father, she is survived by her husband, Steven Coriell, whom she married May 28, 1966; two sisters, Joan (Mike) Coriell and Polly (Bob) Warnock, both of Portsmouth; and many nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.

Mary Annette Coriell, 90

Mary Annette Coriell, 90, of Minford, died Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at her residence. Born May 16, 1918, in Scioto County, Ohio, a daughter of the late Walter S. and Virginia Mansfield Coriell, she was an occupational therapist and had worked for the Receiving Hospital in Portsmouth for 15 years and VA Hospitals in Huntington, W.Va., and Lexington, Ky. She had worked in Home Health Care in Lawrence and Scioto Counties and taught school in Minford and South Webster School Districts. She was a graduate of Minford High School in the Class of 1935 and attended the former Alfred Holbrook College in Manchester, Ohio, and graduated from The Ohio State University in the Class of 1946. She was a member of Sunshine Church of Christ near Minford.

The "Triplets": Annette, Abbie & Scott Gampp.....all born on May 16th, varying years, of course.

Dad's voice

So, today I spent some time with a friend of mine and her daughter and a little while with my Dad in the pool. It started clouding up and so she and her daughter went on home and Abbie and I went home. As we walked home, we heard some distant thunder. Nothing much to worry about, I thought.

I started some laundry and started thinking about supper. Then, the rain started......then, the wind kicked in. "Wow," I said looking out the front window, "I don't ever remember seeing the trees bend that far in the wind."

I was walking to the phone to call Dad and tell him about how we were getting the storm that the news guy on the radio said we wouldn't get. (just to torment him, duh, he could see the storm coming as well as I could) The phone rang. The Caller ID said it was my parents, which kind-of creeped me out a little. It was my Mom and she said, "Your Dad is worried and you guys need to come up here."

***My father and I have an interesting relationship when it comes to weather happenings. I do NOT like storms! He is not fond of them but will stand out on his porch and watch them. I watch the weather channel and when I see something coming, I am the first one to move next door to Dad's house until it passes. #1-its a house with a basement #2-I live in a house trailer that I don't feel like is much protection in a storm situation.

Dad or Mom usually calls and says something like 'the weather is a little if-ie and if you want to come up, you know that you are more than welcome.'***

The tone of my Mom's voice speaking my Dad's message was enough to move me. I simply said, "Okay," and then grabbed a few things and we were on our way to safety. (I understand that a storm can bring down any structure but to me, their house is going to stand up longer than mine in storming conditions) While getting in the car, Eric pointed out to me the fallen tree about 30 feet from our house. That is my guess, it was too close to me.

My Dad and I fight....I mean, REALLY FIGHT sometimes. Most of the time we are fine and get along great. Regardless of which it is, I listen to him, I hear what he has to say about things and what his opinions are. I might not follow what he says BUT I HEAR HIM.

When I hear my Heavenly Father's voice or nudge, I move. No questions, no fears, no hesitations.

Comedy?

I LOVE to laugh! Ask anyone that knows me...I LOVE to laugh and make others laugh. Few things in this life are better to me than laughing about something with friends and family so hard that you cry. And then, hours later, a single word even remotely related to the subject, will make you start laughing again. There are many comedians out there that have the same effect on us. Words and phrases get stuck in our heads and we laugh for days or weeks after. For politeness and legality's sake I will not mention the name of the well known comedian that recently past away. For five decades the Grammy award-winning comedian, actor, and author has been making audiences laugh and think with his salty, provocative style of stand-up comedy. He is best known for his loud, negative thoughts about God and religion. Here is a cleaner version of a direct quote from December 2005: *********************************************************** When it comes to ***, big-time, major league ***, you have to stand in awe of the all-time champion of false promises and exaggerated claims, religion. No contest. No contest. Religion. Religion easily has the greatest *** story ever told. Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time! But I want you to know something, this is sincere, I want you to know, when it comes to believing in God, I really tried. I really, really tried. I tried to believe that there is a God, who created each of us in His own image and likeness, loves us very much, and keeps a close eye on things. I really tried to believe that, but I gotta tell you, the longer you live, the more you look around, the more you realize, something is *** up. Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed. Results like these do not belong on the résumé of a Supreme Being. This is the kind of *** you'd expect from an office temp with a bad attitude. And just between you and me, in any decently-run universe, this guy would've been out on his all-powerful *** a long time ago. And by the way, I say "this guy", because I firmly believe, looking at these results, that if there is a God, it has to be a man. ************************************************************ I can't believe any person out there, even of the secular world, would ever be so bold.....and so wrong. He found a way to make a living, support his family, achieve all the fame and fortune anyone could ever want.....but at what cost? I read about things like this and it makes me sick, and then it makes me sad. He now knows how wrong he was. Philippians 2:9-11 (The Message) Because of that obedience, God lifted Him high and honored Him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that He is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. I believe God loved/loves this man. I believe God had great plans in store for him. I believe that the man, not God, made the choice to do something else with his life. Colossians 1:16 (NIV) For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. Now, I am not his judge and I do not know what happened between him and God in his final moments. I would be more than thrilled to see him in heaven but God calls us to act now. Love now. Spread the joy of His love now. To love God first, others second, and ourselves last. When someone you do or do not know is "googling" your name after you die, what will it say? What will you leave behind? Is your life a video worth bringing home from the movie rental? or something those people hide and hope know one they know sees them with it? Jesus left everything we need to know about Him, His life and how we are to live, in black and white. Faith and prayer combined with God's mercy and grace finish it off. It's a perfect package! The first step is you. What do you believe enough to tell other people about it? Romans 1: 18-20 (NIV) The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.