Stephen and Stephanie

Weddings are beautiful! It is wonderful to see two people that love each other make that public commitment of their love. It was a privilege to be asked by Stephen and Stephanie to officiate at their wedding.

The wedding was yesterday, and the day was lovely. The morning was cool and foggy, but as the sun burnt off the fog the day became absolutely perfect. I was a bit nervous as the ceremony started, because I didn't want to do anything to detract from the beauty of the day. Stephanie walked down the aisle with a big smile on her face, and I don't think it left for the whole ceremony.



After a lovely ceremony and a very nice reception, Stephen and Stephanie left the church with bubbles filling the air.



My Daddy had his 1940 Buick there to whisk them away.







I know that it was Stephen and Stephanie's day, but one of the things that made it so special was Cynda and her family coming for the wedding and getting to be with them all weekend. They had to leave right after the wedding and drive back home to Baton Rouge.

Here I am with Rebekah.



Here is Gina with Autumn and Rebekah



Since I am usually behind the camera, Gina and I have very few pictures of us together. We asked Andy, the wedding photographer, If he would take a picture of us together. Thanks Andy!

Sludge

I was reading from the Max Lucado book, "The Applause Of Heaven", and the following passage really captured my attention.

Grudge is one of those words that defines itself. Its very sound betrays its meaning.

Say it slowly: “Grr-uuuud-ge.”

It starts with a growl. “Grr …” Like a bear with bad breath coming out of hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone in an alley. “Grrr …”

Remove a GR from the word grudge and replace it with SL and you have the junk that grudge bearers trudge through. Sludge. Black, thick, ankle-deep resentment that steals the bounce from the step. No joyful skips through the meadows. No healthy hikes up the mountain. Just day after day of walking into the storm, shoulders bent against the wind, and feet dragging through all the muck life has delivered.

Is this the way you are coping with your hurts? Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates? If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? Has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy?

Let’s say you get even. Let’s say you get him back. Let’s say she gets what she deserves. Let’s say your fantasy of fury runs its ferocious course and you return all your pain with interest. Imagine yourself standing over the corpse of the one you have hated. Will you now be free?

Max's words made me think of the time that I was going Geocaching in Tyler, Texas. If you are not familiar with Geocaching, It is a modern day treasure hunt powered by a GPS. I had found the geocache that I was searching for, and was finding my way back to my car when I got a bit lost. I had forgotten to put the coordinates of my cars location in the GPS, so I was just trying to remember my way back through the woods. I came into a brushy clearing and was trying to decide which way to go. There was an area that looked a bit wet and muddy, so I stepped carefully across it to avoid getting my shoes dirty. Imagine my surprise when the "solid" ground gave way, and I sank up to my armpits in stinky mucky quicksand. At first I was just angry that I was filthy, but then I started trying to get out and realized that I was in a serious predicament. Fortunately I was able to reach a small shrub than was strong enough for me to pull myself out.

I was now on the opposite side of the quicksand from where I needed to be and was trying to decide how to proceed. I layed out spread eagle and "swam" to the other side. It wasn't until i thought back on the experience as I was driving back to the condo that it dawned on me how much trouble I had actually been in. I was by myself, and my wife had no idea where I was. I never saw another person while I was out in the woods. As I was driving back I gave a special prayer of thanks to God for keeping me safe.


This is what I looked like after I got out.

Holding a grudge is a lot like being in quicksand. When we hold a grudge, we just can't seem to get out of it's grasp. The more we think about it and struggle with it the more we sink, and the deeper we go. I really think that the only way we can get ourselves of the quicksand of holding a grudge is through the power of God. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:26,27 "don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.

Don't give the Devil a mighty foothold by holding a grudge.

Wait

I can hardly wait to see my granddaughters. Well, Cynda and Dave too. They are going to get here sometime late into the night. Anticipation is a great thing. Sometimes the anticipation for something is more exciting than the actual event. How many times have you waited for something, anticipated it, and yet the actual event was anti-climactic.

I am sure that seeing my grandkids will not be anti-climactic. How can I be so sure? Because it never has been before. I always have a wonderful time with them.

Another event I am waiting for is the return of Jesus. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:20,21 "Our homeland is in heaven, and we are eagerly waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. By his power to rule all things, he will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body".



I know that the return of Jesus will not be anti-climactic. I eagerly anticipate his return. Just think of all the troubles and sorrows that will no longer be a part of your life if you are ready for his return. In Revelation 21:3,4 the Bible tells us that "God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever".

I can hardly wait!

Skittles

Sometimes you see something that just makes you ask "what is that about". We were going into a Chili's in Texarkana when i spotted this car in the parking lot. I just happened to have my camera in my pocket so I snapped a couple of pictures



Skittles are rather like little bits of Starburst covered in a candy shell.
They aren't my favorite. If I am going to eat candy, I want it to be chocolate. Skittles were first introduced in 1974 in England and parts of Europe. They spread to the US as an import for a while and then in 1981 Mars began making them in the States.


Skittles Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 pack
Amount per Serving

* Calories 240 Calories from Fat 25

% Daily Value *

* Total Fat 2.5g 4%
* Saturated Fat 0g 0%
* Cholesterol 0mg 0%
* Sodium 10mg 0%
* Total Carbohydrate 54g 18%
* Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
* Sugars 45g
* Protein 0g 0%

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 9.4% Carbs 90.0%
Protein 0.0%

Shouldn't there have to be some nutrition before you could have nutrition facts?

Relay For Life Leadership Summit

Last Night, Gina and I registered for the Relay For Life Leadership Summit to be held at Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee the 7th and 8th of November. We are looking forward to attending.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Relays are an overnight event.



Teams of people from all walks of life have fun while raising much-needed funds to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer prevention and treatment.



The event in Mena was great. It was held in beautiful Janssen Park and was very successful. There was great entertainment and it was very well attended.







The purpose of Relay For Life is to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight. Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing. Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday is a fun project. The Letter for today is I

I seems to be a hard letter, but here is a picture of an Iguana



Iguanas are easy to spot in the wild in Belize, but this one was in a cage at Reef Village, a condo and time share resort on Ambergris Caye

No, It's Not Fall Yet

I got a very chilly reception this morning. It wasn't that the cat and the dog weren't happy to see me and get fed. It's just that when I put them outside, I was met by a cold blast of air. It was 48 degrees and windy and my blood is thin from the warm Arkansas summer. I wore a long sleeved shirt to work for the first time in a long time.

I have mixed emotions about fall. I love the cooler weather and the beautiful fall colors that we have here, but I don't like winter and cold weather. Fall means that Winter is right around the corner.

The sun is out and it is warming up. Looks like it's going to be a great day!