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Morning Devotional...




And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Recommended Reading
Jonah 4


When God calls, our first instinct is to run in the opposite direction. Instead of seeing His invitations and commands as opportunities, we trust our own judgment and allow our fear of what will happen to dictate our actions instead of our trust in God. We forget God's goodness.

Jonah is the perfect example: Instead of obediently traveling to Nineveh, he fled in the opposite direction. When Jonah was swallowed by a fish, he deserved to die for his disobedience. Instead, God heard his cry for deliverance and gave him a second chance. Instead of celebrating God's compassion and forgiveness, Jonah clung to his judgment of the Ninevites. He ignored the truth that no one deserves God's forgiveness. It is a gift.

Instead of preaching with joy, Jonah was unwilling to let go of his resentment. His lack of forgiveness revealed a heart untouched by the forgiveness he was given. When we cling to grudges, resentment, and bitterness, there is no room for God's forgiveness to flourish in our lives and to flow out from us into the world. God's Word is clear: we are to forgive as we have been forgiven. Is there anything you need to release and trust God with today?



God gives where He finds empty hands.
Augustine

I've appreciated reading the messages today, and now this great devotional from Jeanne.

May our Lord bless each of us today.

Ruth Ann

Hi everyone on a beautiful Labor Day Monday.  Yesterday was so enjoyable as it didn't get very hot.  Other than going to Sunday School and Church and getting some lunch to bring home I really didn't do anything else yesterday.  Today I plan on returning and replacing the new pillows at COSTCO if they are not closed for the holiday.  I can do that on my way to my Monday meeting at noon.  I shouldn't have to do much cooking today as we have leftovers from the rotisserie chicken and other items from our meal Saturday evening. 

Jeanne, thanks for that fine devotional for this week.  Resentment is such a poison for the person holding the resentment and forgiveness is so freeing.  The Bible gives us the pattern to follow.

Good morning everyone on this beautiful day.  The temperature is just perfect to enjoy working outside with whatever you may happen to need to do. 

Great devotional, Jeanne. 

Instead of preaching with joy, Jonah was unwilling to let go of his resentment. His lack of forgiveness revealed a heart untouched by the forgiveness he was given. When we cling to grudges, resentment, and bitterness, there is no room for God's forgiveness to flourish in our lives and to flow out from us into the world. God's Word is clear: we are to forgive as we have been forgiven. Is there anything you need to release and trust God with today?

This paragraph sure is true.

Good morning from the California coast!  I have to admit that waking up to temperatures in the mid-50's feels really nice after spending that last several days down on the Mexican border where it cooled off to 85 and warmed up to 108 everyday!  I will visit with some family here in CA today, then plan to head for Nevada at nightfall so that I can avoid tomorrow's workday traffic here.  If God wills, I should be home late Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

Jeanne, the devotional you posted is spot-on for my life.  On the surface it is so easy to read the account of Jonah and just shake my head saying, "how could he be so ignorant/stupid/irreverent/disobedient?"  But it doesn't take much time dwelling on the topic until I start seeing the Jonah in me.  Everything is peachy when God's will for me and my own will are in alignment, but when they diverge, particularly in regards to dealing with people I'd prefer to avoid, well, then my inner-Jonah comes alive.  Great reminder of one more area in my life where I need Christ's help to overcome.

May you all have a blessed week!

Hi, friends,

It's a good Labor Day here in Tennessee.

I've been very quiet today, so don't have much to report. It's good to see Larry, Pat, and BigSkyKen. Y'all have made today's reading very enjoyable.

Have a good day.

Ruth Ann

A quiet day here on the coast, as well.  I would like to share with you the tribute a good friend posted to Joy
It sums up just a portion of her life.

Tribute to Joy.
You are now with Jesus.  Dancing before Him with your sister Jean and Suzy and many others I am sure.  I have this beautiful picture of you there immersed in the love of our Lord, free from pain and all the cares in this world.  I have wonderful memories of you and your joyful spirit.  How you became a masseuse with healing hands which I have benefitted from. How you would write great stories or examples of life lessons you learned to be shared with us.  Your time in Mexico.  You immersed yourself in the culture and spoke Spanish better than any gringo I ever knew.  You showed your love for Christ to the small villages that were away from Puerto Vallarta.  Going there and giving out toys, stuffed animals, and food when you could.  You were an encourager to your husband, son and anyone who needed it.  Joy we are richer for having you in our life.  Thank you for being a friend.  Psalm 148:4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people, He adorns the humble with salvation.

Hi everyone.  I want to post this evening as have a very busy day tomorrow.  Pat has an early appointment, then I have a meeting at the church regarding our Senior luncheon group and finally have to be at the hospital for some more lab work and then a doctor's appointment.  By the time I get home I will need to rest and then think about our evening meal.  We had a very quiet day today.  I couldn't stop at COSTCO as they were closed for the holiday but I did attend my Monday meeting. 

Jane, that is a beautiful tribute from someone who was obviously a good friend of Joy's.  Joy was obviously a wonderful person and will be greatly missed by her family and her friends.

Jane, what a beautiful tribute.  You must dearly cherish it, knowing how Joy was loved by others.   Thanks for sharing it with us.

Yes, Joy was an outstanding person ... and a joyful spirit.  The one who wrote this tribute is an older lady and a mutual friend.  Joy was a friend to many many people.  This tribute only touched on a part of her life.  She managed to pack it full with ministry and love.  When she lived in Mexico, she and John drove out to the remote villages where no missionaries or charity groups go.  They stopped beside the road to eat a sandwich and the people thronged their car.  John had brought some of Joy's stuffed animals when he'd arrived and they were still in the car, so Joy started handing them out to the children.  She wrote back to us and told of that experience and gave us the opportunity to send more stuffed animals.  I gathered up a large amount from our Women's Group at church  and when she came to the states she took them back with her.  I put them in a vacuum bag so she could meet the weight requirement for baggage.  That's only one of her outreach adventures.  You could say of her "she went about doing good."  Yes, she will definitely be sorely missed.

Hi, friends,

Thank you, Jane, for sharing more of Joy's story with us. I certainly see how much she will be missed, but as the years go forward, you'll have these precious memories to review when you're lonely.

I had been inside for several days, so purposely went out. I only drove to the gas station to buy much-needed gasoline, but the sunshine was so pretty and the temps warm with a light breeze that it was wonderful to be out.

Y'all have a good rest of the day.

Ruth Ann

This week's devotional struck home for me.  I have recently realized that for the last several months I have been recalling various incidents in the past  - some of them waaaay past - and resenting things that happened that didn't really bother me at the time.  So I really, really need to study this devotional 

Hi everyone on another partly cloudy morning.  We are expecting to get to 96 degrees this afternoon.  In a little bit I will take Pat to the hospital lab for some blood tests in preparation for her GP appointment on Friday.  Since she has to fast before the tests we plan on eating breakfast out, which will be a treat for us.  Then this afternoon she has another Chiropractic treatment.  At 5:30 are Wednesday dinners at church finally begin again and Scott and I will attend.  Pat does not plan to attend them this year, at least not now, as the food doesn't fit the eating plan she is following.  We then look forward to Scott spending some time with us this evening.

Yesterday was an exhausting day and I slept for about 9 hours last night but still am very tired this morning.  I have put out hamburger for Pat's dinner tonight and will fix some Balsamic mushrooms for her that she really likes.  The rest of today I plan on taking it easy.  I did get good results from the doctor yesterday.  The Ultrasound of my liver was fine and the blood work he had done was OK.  The blood was drawn in his office and tested with a machine right in their office and was done in a matter of a couple of minutes. 

We are leaving for the airport in a few minutest.  I barely slept last night - we are only taking one overhead suitcase each and staying in Seattle for one week.  Packing is down to the inches. 

Stay well.   Pat:  so good to see your post. 

Loved the story on Joy - thanks for sharing.

I must have done something right in raising my kids.  #1 son arrived Monday afternoon for a short visit.  Monday night we were watching my steadily failing TV (I don't remember what was on).  The first thing yesterday morning (well, he did have breakfast first) I found him measuring the TV and the TV stand, following which he took off to go shopping - in spite of the fact I tried to discourage it.  He returned after an hour or so with a brand new 32" flat screen and proceeded to install it.   

His excuse was that he liked to watch TV with me but couldn't stand it on the old set - claiming the new one was for his benefit.  Has the Lord blessed me with my children, or not!   

Hi, friends,

I'm glad your test were encouraging, Larry, and hope that your exhaustion will ease. It's so nice that Scott goes with you to the dinners on Wednesday nights. I'm sorry Pat doesn't feel well, but that may change with time.

How nice, Jeanne, that you have that new television set. My daughter and her husband have made similar choices for me, and I'm very thankful.

Carol, best wishes for a good trip. And best wishes for Janet and her husband on their trip. Traveling is nice in September before the long winter sets in.

Jane, I'm praying for y'all.

Marilyn, looking forward to hear from you soon.

Love to all,
Ruth Ann

Hi everyone on a 73 degree morning with partly cloudy skies here in South Carolina.  This will be my typical Thursday morning with picking up my friend for coffee and taking him home and then back to the church for the Wisdom group.  Then this afternoon Pat will have her third chiropractic treatment for this week.  Initially she had scheduled it for tomorrow morning then realized she has a long standing appointment with her GP tomorrow morning.  I discovered when I went to take my morning medicine that the boxes were empty.  It seems like I just filled them for two weeks last week but I realize that time flies by.  So I have to put the medicine boxes together before leaving this morning. 

Yesterday was another very busy day.  Scott and I did enjoy the dinner at church last night.  We had wings with different sauces, mac and cheese, a great green salad, dinner rolls and a piece of pound cake with fresh peaches on it with a little whipped cream.  He then came out and spent several hours with us. 

Jeanne, how nice of your son to get you a new TV.  He obviously got great joy out of doing this for his mother.  He knows you don't get out much anymore and that you will enjoy the improved picture and the flat screens are so nice because they are lightweight. 

Ruth Ann, I know that this exhaustion will pass.  Starting next week the calendar isn't full like it has been this week.  I have no more medical appointments scheduled until mid-November. 

Well I took my new car in  for routine maintenance and lo and behold it is time for the timing belt to be replaced, This is the bad part, thy have alto to  replace the radiator and water pump. to the tune of 1200$. Thhey also found a vacuum leak and they have to run  a text to find out where that is. Well all in all the bill will be about 1500$. Today they hanged the oil and did the inspection and  ran the test to check it out, that is how they found tout there si a vacuum leak,  leaky radiator edtc. they emailed me the test results and photos of  what they found. Wow hows that for  being details Photos no less. Keith has known the owner since he was just a little kid, his father owned the shop before him and lived right next door to here. The daughter lives there now. Oh and I need tires, one is very bad and the front brakes have 3000 to 5000 miles left. That will  come much later.

Larry, I am glad your schedule will get easier soon.  You've certainly had a lot to do lately, and I am sure Pat appreciates the blessing you've been in helping get through all the busy-ness and details.  And it is nice that you and Scott were able to enjoy supper at church.  It is amazing how time seems to fly by so fast when we are busy!

And Jeanne Lee, what a great thing for your son to store "his" television at your place.  Make sure to test it out regularly and keep it working

So sorry about your car issues, Marilyn.  Anymore, I don't think there are any cheap repairs, and the newer the vehicle, the higher the bills seem to be   If you haven't already committed to the work with that shop, you just might seek another opinion on the radiator.  Most can be repaired for less money than replacing them, so having someone at a radiator shop take a look at it could save you some cash. Mac's Automotive & Radiator Repair at 1330 NE 1st Street in Bend has had some good customer reviews.

Carol, I hope you enjoy your time in Seattle.  For several years my job had me traveling through there pretty often, but I don't get out there much anymore.  I do miss seeing the coast and volcano landscape of that part of God's creation!

Glad you got out on a nice day for a bit, Ruth Ann.  I've only been to your part of the world a few times, and each was in the summer   Pretty sure I'd be indoor-bound and chained to the air conditioner if I lived out there. 

Jane, my prayers continue for you and your family.  While traveling over the past couple weeks, a Mercy Me song about our real home in Heaven kept catching my ear.  Just thought I'd share some of those lyrics with you, as I picture Joy when she first arrived:

Finally Home

When I finally make it home. When I finally make it home.

Then I'll gaze upon the throne of the King, frozen in my steps. And all the questions that I
Swore I would ask, words just won't come yet. So amazed at what I've seen! So much more than this
Old mind can hold.

When I finally make it home. When I finally make it home.

And the sweetest sound these ears have yet to hear the voices of the angels.

When I finally make it home. When I finally make it home.

Speaking of home, seeing this sign yesterday morning was the best thing I saw over the previous 11 days on the road...
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May you all be showered with His grace and mercy!

Hi everyone on a beautiful sunny morning here in South Carolina.  It was hot here yesterday and will be again today.  Yesterday was busy as left the house about 9:40 and didn't get home until around 2 pm.  I rested for a couple of hours and then took Pat for the last chiropractic treatment this week.  She suggested we eat an early dinner out.  Needless to say I didn't raise any objection.  We went to Pizza Hut and had a good meal.  Pat was able to have a nice salad and then they had a pizza special where you got two medium size pizzas for $12.99.  We each got one and hers had a lot of meat on it, which she ate with the cheese and just left the crust.  We then had a quiet evening watching television.  Today's schedule has only the mid-morning doctor's appointment for Pat, which is about a 30 minute drive from where we live.  She did seem to be a bit better yesterday with both her back and eyes so am hopeful that each day will see a little improvement. 

Marilyn, one always shudders when we take our cars in for any work.  Even though repairs are expensive they are less than taking on car payments for a different car.  However, your repair list is pretty long, all of those things are important. 

Ken, what a beautiful photo of the welcome sign to Montana.  You live in a beautiful State.  I have only driven across it once but enjoyed the beauty of nature on display.  I am not familiar with the Mercy Me hymn. 

Carol We are not even near Bend Oregon that is at least a 5 hour drive from where I live on the southern coast. We are right next door to Coos bay in North bend. So named because it is on the North bend of the Bay.

Larry I called the garage this morning and put off  doing the timing belt. I have less that 100,000 miles on the car and it is to be replaces at 105,000 mile to the rest is going to cost 900$. Whew what a big difference, IO doubt we would be driving the car 5000 miles in  the next 4 years.

Sorry Marilyn, I didn't know about the other North Bend!  Fewer options in Coos Bay, but Northwest Radiator might be a good shop to visit at 595 N Bayshore Dr Coos Bay, OR 97420.

Hi everyone on a beautiful day here in South Carolina.  I have watered my flowers, emptied the dish washer, pulled up my tomato plants and got things ready to fix my frozen fruit after Pat gets up.  I am hoping my energy level will hold up for awhile this morning so I can accomplish a number of other small tasks that have accumulated.  I do need to fold the sheets I laundered last night and do another big load of washing.  Pat's eyes seemed better yesterday as she was tolerating the light better and she was walking somewhat better. 

Marilyn, it sounds like you use your car like I used my PT Cruiser.  I drive it every couple of weeks to be sure it is running OK but since Pat isn't driving now I prefer to use the Hyundai with the automatic transmission.  Fortunately the timing belt was replaced on both of the cars just a few thousand miles ago and we aren't driving much anymore so it will be a long time before they will need to be changed again. 

Larry I drive every day and do all the driving now since we got this car. Keith doesn't want to drive much and has never driven my car.

Ken I take my car to Tom's Bulldog Auto for all the repairs. We know them personally away from the shop.

Keith has gone crabing with friends this morning and I hope this isn't the only time he does. He needs to get out and about more often.

Hi, friends,

I got out again yesterday, and accomplished a lot. In the process, I managed to leave my cell phone behind at the post office. Fortunately, they found it and as I entered the lobby, I heard a distinctive beep and knew the phone was there. Oh, how I rejoiced that it was found and kept for me.

I agree that car repairs are really expensive. I'm very thankful I can still take myself around where I need to go.

Ken, I agree, in these parts of the U.S., we definitely need air conditioners. Both for the heat and also to remove humidity from the air.

Y'all have a good day.

Ruth Ann

Time to lock the door on yet another week.

Here's a link to get you there quickly.