This is NOT Splenda

Yesterday was Kimmy's BD and Friday was Teresa's. Kind of a crazy weekend, but good crazy.For Kimmy's BD we, as a family, went to Wally's memorial service.

What a God honoring service it was. The Good News of Jesus Christ was shared numerous times and remembering Wally's life was very sweet.

The reason I titled this post, "Not Splenda", is because Wally was not artificially sweet, but he was the real thing. He was pure sugar, and that was evident by those who got up and talked. Wally truly loved people and enjoyed the process that God had him in.

When he found out he had cancer, he called his pastor and told him the news and said something to the effect of, If this is what God has for me, then I'm ok with that, I'd like to be healed, but God is making the calls and I'm good with that. What a testament to ETPing.

I will miss Wally. He mixed his business and the rest of his life well. He was generous, but a good steward as well. He accomplished much in his business, yet accomplished much in his relationships. He was both serious and relaxed. He was smart, yet never let you know that he thought he was.

Pray for Sheri and the family, as today will be very hard. The rest of our lives go on, almost business as usual, but there is a "Jesus shaped" hole left in the Carruthers house, and it will be very noticeable for them in all the little things that don't get said and done.

Something I don't do very well is treasure every moment, and so my encouragement to you, and me, is to treasure the little things we have right in front of us, right now.

God is Good
In Everything
God is Good

Mercies New

Lam. 3 ...Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD....

Mercies New, N. Nordeman

Is it fair to say I was lured away?
By endless distractions and lovelier attractions then
Or fairer still, my own free will
Is the better one to blame
For this familiar mess I've made again

So I would understand, if you were out of patience
And I would understand, if I was out of chances

(Chorus)
Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it's true, You make all Your mercies new

The distance left between East and West
Is how far You would go to forget the debt I owe
And thrown into the sea, the wicked ways in me
Will never have a chance to wash back on the sand

So I would understand, if you would make me pay
I would understand, lying in the bed I made again

(Chorus)

Up comes the sun on every one of us
Gone, gone, gone the guilt and shame that knew your name

I had to let one of my staff go this week; I didn't say "You're Fired", like D. Trump does, but it was still a good reminder to me of chances running out and also of debt I owe and it it sweet to know that God doesn't "fire" us or let us go; He is so patient with me.

The reason I put the Lam. passage in like it I did id the entire 3rd chapter is so good.

R U Really Living?

There's more to this life than living and dying, and with Wally's home going I am once again reminded of that fact. These is a Steven Curtis Chapman song about this, but As you know I'm wearing out the Nicole Nordeman artistry right now.

Live,

Did you come that we might just survive?
Did you come so we could just get by?
Did you walk among us
So we might merely limp along beside?

I was bound, I have been set free
But I have settled for apathy
Did you come to make me new
And know I'd crawl right back into the skin you found me in?

It's where I am, not where I've been

You make me want to live
You make me want to live
You came to shake us
And to wake us up to something more
Than we'd always settled for
And you make me want to live

We've all been up on the mountain top
A golden glow that's bound to soon wear off
Then it's back to the mundane telling tales of glory days
When we were hopeful that this change was here to stay

So why would a young man
Live in a waste land
When the castle of his dreams is standing by?
Why would a princess
Put on an old dress
To dance with her beloved and a chance to catch his eye?

OH for the constant vision of what is really important, w/o loosing the joy of living in the here and now. I fall into the trap so quickly of "trappings".

God is Good to remind us and bless us when we stay focused.