bsmiles and sunny days

I used to love animals, when I was a kid. We had a houseful of kids and a revolving door of animals, revolving from this life to the next. We also lived in a huge house and lost a lots of animals- hamsters, gerbils, garter snakes, most of which we found; so when we lost the first hamster in our household of late, I hunted until they were found. Somehow three hamsters survived the move from Missouri to Nebraska, which I wasn't counting on, and the saga continued. We were all devastated Christmas Eve after a Sutton family tradition of loading up in our pajamas and went out to look at Christmas lights, to find the oldest and sweetest of the three hours from his death. The poor thing- it was terrible. We sent the kids up to bed and in five minutes the girls were hysterically screaming. Micah delivered the news to me and all we could do was sit and stare and pray as the kids cried and the hamster died. It was terrible. A week later on New Years Eve, with no warning, we found th...

it's not how hard you can hit it's how hard you can get hit and keep gettin' up

Spoken universe out of the empty deep creation pleading to be told to breathe sea and sky night and day every star with a name This was good. Creatures of the land and sea and every living breathing thing flying birds taught to sing and so it was and so became perfect beauty perfect way and this was good. This was good, this was God, and this was good. Dust and mud the image of God wrapped up in us, him and her and likeness touched by hands of glory, hands of love and this was good. Rain to fall and wind to blow fish to swim and beasts to roam and the voice of God and it was so its not good for man to be alone This was good, this was God... and this was good. Writer of the wings of wind Your design and our sin still has You in longing All my head and voice became a world of disappointment You're the One who is the same the One who is still believing that this was good, this was very good. Living things both large and small remember He who made you Heaven and earth and all that is r...

We have anticipated this past weekend for months, knowing it was a long shot and that it may be the only visit we get to have with our close friends; our soul ties, for another year. So when it worked out for them to spend three days with us, and all the kids, we were elated. Dale asked Marty to teach Sunday morning and there was something he said that keeps coming back to me. He said that when there is a battle in progress, one of the greatest strategies is to *divide the enemy* because if you can split them up *they will be conquered.* I can't get it out of my head... Martin Luther was grieved because his work, the labors of his life and mission, birthed severe division in the church as never it had seen. He honestly believed that if he went with a right heart to the leaders, they would repent and rebuild. This is dear to my heart especially now because when we talk about our church, the first thing people ask is, "What kind of church is it?" I want to say, "...