Pa Kettle: [filling in for the preacher] I don't know how to preach a sermon, I can't quote Scriptures, although I know all the words, I wouldn't know how to put them together, but I can speak from my heart. I can say how thankful I am that I have Ma and the kids, I'm thankful for the food we get nd the clothes we wear. A lot of folks are always asking God for something instead of being thankful for what they got. I figure if He wants you to have it, it'll come to you because you deserve it. He gave us the mountains, the trees, the water and the fertile land. Gave men the ability to make things and grow things. He put gold and silver, coal and oil under the ground, all man has to do is dig them up. Why I figure that He kind of wants you to help yourself a little, He don't want to do it all. If I found out right now there was oil under my land, would I be lazy? No sir, right away I'd get Geoduck and Crowbar to start digging an oil well. The whole world could be a better place to live in if everybody would do like I do. Every morning when I wake up I say "I thank you God, for letting me live to see another day" and at night when I go to lseep I say "Dear God, please let me live to see another tomorrow so I can prove to You that I can be a better man than I have been today." Amen.

The following was read at a family member's funeral recently. It is a quote from an Englishman, Dr. Alan Redpath, who was once an instructor for a distance cousin of mine at the Capenwray Bible School of England.

I had requested this quote from my cousin and she sent it today. I needed it today! God is good in so many ways:).

There is nothing—absolutely no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him, and I accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, and I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is. That is the rest of victory.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Eph. 3 "working within us"

May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. "by the power of the Holy Spirit"

You will keep in perfect peace those who trust in You and who fix their thought on You. "trust and fix"

Scriptures come alive through a word or two, then the expanded meaning of the verse takes root giving strength or patience or shelter or whatever else is needed. How do people do it without the Holy Bible - God's only True Word?

I'm going to praise Him throughout this day - He knows my requests and I might repeat them - but today I want to love on Him and remember the character of who He is.

Empty...I can't figure out how this gauge works. Seems like I'm getting on down the road of life okay when suddenly, the tank is empty again. I've collected quite a few gas cans these last weeks with God's Truth in them (thank you, friends). Tonight though, tonight the gauge is stuck on empty.

Had a friend at church a couple of months ago come over to me to offer to pray with me as she sensed I might be angry at God. I wasn't. In fact, at the time I might have been frustrated with His timing but could see Him at work in many areas of our lives.

Tonight though, tonight I'm angry at God. I wouldn't allow myself that anger last night when Ralph told me my kitten was dead. I looked at the cat whose neck had been broken by our dog and could only think "seriously, God, are you kidding me?" This silly little creature was a comfort from my childhood. It was becoming more and more of a companion who recognized my voice and followed me around the house. And now Mo is no more. Seriously, God, it was such a small thing to let me have in the midst of the rest of life.

Don't mean to discount the support of friends and family and their prayers. But tonight, I'm not okay. I've waited and prayed for years that my son would be free from his rebellion toward authority, his anger, his resentment aimed at his parents for anything. His choosing others over his family. And now he has chosen to be a part of the LDS cult. And now he wants to be kind and loving toward me. And I don't know how to receive it because it is driven by a false teaching and deceptive spirit. I can't rejoice in the very thing I have wanted for these last years. I love him so much and am afraid for him. God, I don't understand how you want me to walk through this. I don't want to fail anymore and indeed I feel like a huge failure. I don't want to give the enemy a foothold into the rest of our lives. I don't want to drive our son further away from the truth. But mostly, tonight, I don't want to do this at all. I am tired of the deceiver coming after my children. It was hard enough the first time. Seriously, God, again?

I wanted a kitty. I don't want another one. I can't keep losing because my tank is empty and I don't even want to refill it tonight.

sorry for a pity post...realize there are many hurting in our circle of family and friends and I am being self-centered...my thought are not on God's truth but are angry at God...should be praising Him for all the goodness there is regardless of the depth of darkness...thank you, God for my husband and children...thank you for my killer dog...thank you my brother got to go home from the hospital...thank you for giving me a good's night sleep tonight (trying to be positive)

He is Yours, Almighty Lord. Take him to the place You need him to be. Mold him into the vessel You have designed him to be. The shape you form will be specially made for the gifts and blessings You plan to pour into him. I choose to have complete, relentless trust in the masterplan of the Master. I choose to sing hallelujah for whatever is ahead, knowing Your love is unfailing, You are holy and You are faithful to Your promises. I love you, Father God. I am waiting and praying and believing.