Verses For The Week

 Jeremiah 33:3 -- "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know."

II Timothy 1:7 -- "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind."

Weekend Sermon -- "A Message For The Upcoming Year"

      Thank you for reading the message this week. I had a good Christmas. I went out for dinner with my brother, and we had an enjoyable time. I got more for Christmas than I ever thought that I would. I am thankful to the Lord for His blessings.  I hope that you all had a great Christmas, too. 

     As we move away from the Christmas season, I want us to focus our attention on the year that is to come. We have done a lot here on the blog. I really enjoyed going through the book of Philippians, and I have some series already planned for the year that is to come. It was great to post again the book I wrote about my friend Toby.

     In this message, I want to look at what I would like to see for the year that is come. What do I hope 2026 brings?

     In 2026, I hope that I will be able to be more committed to fulfilling the Great Commission given to us all of the Lord Jesus. I, of course, will keep posting messages here on the blog telling people about the love and forgiveness of Jesus. I will keep calling people to turn to the Lord if they have never turned their lives over to Him. But, I want to do more than that. It is my hope in 2026 to find more opportunities to share the message of the love of Jesus with more people. I hope to do that through writing and through interactions with those who I know at work.

     That is a challenge I make to all of you for the year that is to come. See if you can find more ways to share the message of Jesus. Let us all commit ourselves to telling as many people as we can that Jesus is the one who has come to bring life, light and salvation to the world. 

     In 2026, I want to see more being done to help the least of those among us. I get so distressed when I hear about those who are hurting and don't have enough to get by. In 2026, I hope that all of us can do more than we ever have before to find ways help people. If all of us do just a little bit, it will make a world of difference to helping people who don't have enough. 

     As a new year rolls around, I would like to see people acting in a kinder way to one another. In addition to my work as a minister and a writer, I also work in retail. This year, and especially during this holiday season, I've noticed people are being very mean, cruel and rude. There is a great lack of kindness out there. 

     Let those of us who call Jesus Lord work this year to be kind one to another and be kind and good to all those with whom we come in contact. Let us speak words that heal and lift up and not words that hurt and tear down. 

     Finally, I want peace in the year to come. I am so tired of seeing so many lives ruined by war. Let us be peacemakers in our homes and in our communities. In this new year, let us pray more than ever that peace will come to those who are at war. 

     I know that the Lord is going to do great things in the year to come. I hope that you will keep reading the messages and that you will join with me in praying for the needs of this world. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying in regard to my health. Thank you. 

     Let us keep praying that those affected by natural disasters will get the aid and the help that they need. Those in Washington state have been hurt by the floods as have areas in Wales. We also need to pray for those in the Caribbean especially those in Jamaica.

     Continue to pray for peace. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza. Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Venezuela. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Uzbekistan and Egypt. Pray that many will come to know the Lord. 

     Next week, I will have a topical message. On Tuesday, I will post the verses. May God bless you all. 

Merry Christmas

     I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Thank you for reading the blog this year. I have really enjoyed being able to post the messages, the verses, and the other things on the the blog. I hope that everyone has a great new year. 

Some Christmas Memories

      I have been thinking a lot about some of the Christmas times that I had years ago. It brings to my mind what Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. 

     I think of it being better to give than to receive in the context of the joy that I had giving presents at Christmas to my friend Toby. I remember some of the things that I gave him for Christmas, and his various reactions to these things still fills my heart with joy. 

     I remember one Christmas I decided to give him a treat that he really enjoyed. Toby liked turkey bologna. He was not allowed to have too much since it wasn't the best thing for him to have with his colon issues. If I gave him some, it was only a very small portion. However, one Christmas I decided that I would let him have half a slice for Christmas. He was so happy to get that you would have thought he'd died and gone to Heaven. What's even better is that it didn't cause him a single problem. 

     Another Christmas I decided that Toby needed a good warm coat to help him withstand the cold, Kansas winters. I bought him a red plaid coat for Christmas. I am sorry to say that this was Toby's least favorite Christmas gift of all time. I put that coat on him and he stood still as a statue and would not move. He hated it. It was funny though watching him stand totally still and not moving at all while he was wearing it. After much coaxing, he finally would go outside with it on if and only if I did not tighten the loop that went under his belly. 

     I had many many good Christmas days with my old friend. I bought him toys, gave him treats. One year I bought him a fancy color to wear when we went on trips. Another year he got what I thought was a beautiful leash of many different colors woven together. 

    Toby always liked his Christmas presents, except for the coat, and we had fun opening packages and making a mess of wrapping paper on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. He always had to inspect what everybody received for Christmas. 

     We always looked forward to Mom's great Christmas dinner. We enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner too. My Dad's children with his first wife and their kids came over on Christmas Eve, and we had a little party. On Christmas day Mom always fixed us a turkey and many other delicious things. Of course, Toby always got some so he could enjoy Christmas too. 

     Christmas is a time of joy, fun, love and memories. I look forward to being with all of my family again one day. 

Verses For The Week

 Isaiah 7:14 -- "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

John 1:14 -- "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Christmas"

      I hope that everyone is having a happy holiday season so far. I finally am starting to feel like I am in the Christmas spirit. Thank you for taking the time to read this week's message.

     This is going to be the last Weekend Sermon before Christmas Day is upon us. With that in mind, I wanted to sum up our series of Advent messages with focusing on what the Incarnation of Jesus is really all about. Why did Jesus come? What does His coming mean to us and for us?

     First of all, Jesus came because God loved the world and He wanted to redeem us from our sins. Jesus made this abundantly clear in John 3:16 when He said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but shall have everlasting life." 

     Jesus came into this world in order to save us. He was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. He lived a holy and blameless life. He was tempted in every way as we are, yet He never committed a single sin. Because of this, Jesus was able to bear our sins on the cross. He took the punishment that we deserved in order that we might be redeemed by placing our faith and trust in His finished work on the cross of Calvary. 

     On the cross, Jesus took away our sins. Through His glorious resurrection, Jesus conquered over the consequences of sin. He defeated death, hell and the grave. 

     What else does Jesus' coming mean for us? Jesus name is Immanuel. God is with us. Jesus has come, and He told us that He would not leave us and He would not forsake us. As we go through life, we can have the assurance of the presence of Jesus in our hearts. Whenever we are facing a difficult moment, we can look to Jesus and feel that He is with us in a special way. 

     Jesus has come, and all things have been made new. The world can never be the same again because Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Jesus through His life and teachings has revolutionized the world. He has given us a message of love, peace and non-violence that can change the world we live in if people would put into practice what the Lord has taught us. He has show us a new and living way that those of us who call Him Lord are to take to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

     Because Jesus came to this earth, the light has come into the world, and the darkness has not and cannot overcome it. The power of good will overcome the power of evil. The way of the cross will overcome the way of the world. Jesus will come again, and all will be restored by the power of His great love. 

     At this Christmas season, you can know Jesus as your Savior and Lord. He invites you to receive the gift of love, forgiveness and salvation that He offers to all people everywhere. Whosoever will may come. And that includes you. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please continue to pray that my health will improve. Thank you. 

     Let us pray for peace during this holiday season. Please keep praying for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Sudan and Myanmar. Pray that there is not a war in Venezuela. 

     Please pray for those who are recovering from the attacks in Australia and Rhode Island. Pray that violence like this will come to an end. 

     Keep praying for those recovering from natural disasters. Pray for those in Alaska, Washington and in the Caribbean. Keep praying for those recovering from the floods in Wales.

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Kyrgyzstan and Bhutan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post a message for the new year. I will post the verses on Tuesday, and I will have a Christmas Eve post. May God bless you all. 

Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 16

 Chapter 16

     After I graduated from college, Toby and I began what for us would be an event filled eighteen months.  The summer after I graduated, Toby and I went out to Saint Louis for vacation.  It wasn't a very long trip, but we had a lot of fun.  We visited the Winston Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri on our way home. We got to walk around sections of the old Berlin Wall that are on display outside the museum. That summer was a time of just relaxing and enjoying the days.  Dad and I did quite a bit of fishing, and sometimes Toby came along with us.  Once when we were out together, we saw a huge flock of wild turkeys.
     That fall, I decided to go to graduate school and get my master's degree is history. It was over an hours drive to get to the college, and I didn't like the professors at all.  I was doing fine, and it was just about the end of the semester.  I knew that I wasn't going to go back after Christmas.  However, I had to quit before the end of the semester because I was injured in a car accident.  An almost 90 year old woman hit my car and another car.  She totaled the other driver's Mercedes Benz.  She was not hurt in the accident.
     I recovered pretty quickly.  While I was still going to graduate school, I'd been spending my free time working on writing.  I'd written a few poems and sent them in for publication.  I was quite surprised when a few of these initial efforts were actually published in some small journals.  I decided that I was going to give writing a try for at least a little while.
     Being at home and working on my writing during the day was just like being back in home school again.  It was great.  Toby never left my side when I was working on my writing.  When I was at my desk working on the computer, he would lay at the foot of the bed.  We had fun setting up that computer together.  As I was trying to get everything out of the box, Toby kept pushing boxes and bags around the room with his nose.
    In order to improve as a writer, I enrolled in an off campus writing program with the University of Wisconsin.  With writing, investing and studying I stayed very busy.  But I was never too busy for my old friend.  Toby was getting old.  That year when I started writing, he turned twelve.  Our walks became shorter.  I  really had to make sure that he stayed cool, because Toby never could stand much heat, and that became more pronounced as he got older.  We still played hide and seek.  Toby actually would chase the ball a little as he got older, but he never was much of a ball dog.
    Our favorite activity was sitting out on the patio and having dinner together.  I used to like to cook steaks out on the grill.  It was always nice having a family meal together.  We'd sit out on the patio just about every night until the mosquitoes started in.
    About two days after Toby's twelfth birthday, our time of joy came to an abrupt end.  Toby became extremely sick.  For the past year, he had been in what for Toby was good health.  But, one afternoon he just started vomiting uncontrollably.  I called our regular veterinarian, but he was out of town, and he didn't have anyone handling emergencies.  I called my back up vet, and he was out of town as well.  I decided to call the vet in a town north of us, and they had an appointment available right away.  She examined Toby, but she really didn't know what was wrong with him.  She gave him some medicine to see if he would improve.  Toby did improve a little, but he still wasn't right.
    I got Toby an appointment with our regular vet as soon as he was back.  He discovered Toby's problem right away.  Toby had a large tumor in his abdomen.
    My vet got Toby an appointment that same day with a cancer specialist.  I feared the worst.  The cancer specialist ran some scans, and he seemed optimistic.  He felt that Toby's tumor was operable, and we scheduled the surgery for the next morning.
    I really started to pray that night.  I was so nervous.  I was just about a basket case.  I don't think I slept a wink which just kept Toby up, and he needed his rest.  I took him into the surgeons that morning.  The way that Toby looked at me when I handed his leash to the surgeon is a look I will never forget.  His eyes looked at me like I was abandoning him and he couldn't understand why.  It was horrible.  I felt horrible.  I prayed all morning and into the afternoon.  Finally, I got a call from the surgeon.  The tumor was malignant, but he thought that he got it all out.
    Toby was supposed to stay at the hospital for three days after the surgery, but they called me the next afternoon and wanted me to take him home.  They said that he was sad and depressed and they didn't think that he could stand being without me anymore.  He was also trying to bite everyone who was trying to help him.  He wanted his friend and was tired of everyone else.
    When I came to pick him up Toby was so relieved.  He let out a great big sigh of happiness.
    The next day I received the bad news.  Toby's cancer was so malignant that it had metastasized.  They only gave Toby 6 weeks to live even with chemotherapy.
    I decided to pray and ask Jesus to help Toby.  I would not have any chemo for him.  What would be would be.
    Six weeks came, and Toby was acting like he was in the prime of life.  He was jumping around and acting like a young pup again.  I kept writing and getting things published.  Every day Toby and I would play and just try to enjoy being together because each day that we could be together was a gift from Jesus.
    Each month I took Toby into the vet's for a check, and he got a clean bill of health.  His stomach improved and he wasn't really having many health problems.  He just kept on going.
    We had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The two of us ate so much at Thanksgiving we had to lay down the rest of the day for fear that we might explode.  Christmas at the house was always a fun time.  Toby liked to push the branches over to me while I put the tree up.  His favorite part of Christmas was playing in the wrapping paper.
     We celebrated Toby's 13th birthday.  He was still going strong.  I was still giving the glory to God.  But nothing lasts forever.  Toward the beginning of June, Toby went down hill fast.  His lungs started filling up with fluid and all of his blood tests were terrible.  This time I knew it was the end.
     Toby died on June 5.  He lived 13 and a half months after his surgery.
     Toby was the best friend that I have ever had.  He came to me at one of the lowest points in my life, and he made me fell like someone loved me for who I was and not for what they wanted me to be.  Toby has been gone for several years and I still miss him every single day.  I know that he is in Heaven with my Mom and Dad.  I look forward to a family reunion some day. I am thankful to Jesus that I found Toby on that cold day in January all those years ago. I love you Toby.

Verses For The Week, Prayer Requests and Something I Want To Say

 Romans 12:15 -- "Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn."

Matthew 5:4 -- "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Prayer

     It has been a sad week. We have experienced the attack in Australia and at Brown in Rhode Island. Along with that Rob Reiner was killed. Please pray for those who are injured in the attacks that they will speedily recover. Pray for those who mourn in each of these situations. Let us also pray that the Brown Univ. attacker will be quickly apprehended. 

Something I want to say

     I am appalled at the response of the President of the United States to the death of Rob Reiner and his wife. I never in my lifetime thought that a President of my country would act in such a way. 

Weekend Sermon -- Advent -- "Jesus Brings Joy"

      Thank you for taking time to read the message this week. I hope that you are all well and having a good week. I am glad to have the opportunity to bring this message to you this week. 

      Well, we are in the heart of the Advent season. Christmas is just around the corner, and I have to admit that this year I am really behind. I usually have my cards sent out and some Christmas shopping done already. But, not this year. Hopefully, I can get in gear with the holiday spirit pretty soon. 

      For the past couple of weeks now, we've been looking at some of what Jesus has accomplished through His incarnation. By coming into this world, Jesus brought hope for today and for the future. He is the Prince of Peace who provides peace in our hearts, and ultimately, He will bring peace to this troubled world. 

     Today, I want us to focus on the fact that the coming of Jesus brings joy. Joy is something that the Christmas season is all about. I can remember some really joyous Christmas times with my family when we were all together. We always had a lot of fun at Christmas. We always had Christmas Eve with my Dad's children from his first marriage. On Christmas Day, my Mom, Dad and I-- Toby too -- would open our presents and have a really nice Christmas feast. I have a lot of joyful and wonderful memories of Christmas. 

     This joy that we have at the Christmas season is due to the fact that Jesus has come into the world. His birth was a joyous occasion as we know that the shepherds who heard of His birth were filled with joy and immediately went to find the baby that the angels had told them about. 

     One of the verses in the Bible that really speaks to joy is I Peter 1:8 that tells us, "Whom having not seen, ye love, in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." There is a song with that title, "Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory" that we used to sing in church when I was a boy. Jesus is the one who brings such great joy.

     Why is it that we can have so much joy in Jesus? Jesus has come and we no longer have to live in sin and be separated from God the Father. Jesus has redeemed us, and we can have forgiveness and newness of life in and through Him. That is something to feel joy about. 

     We can be filled with joy knowing that Jesus is always with us. He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. On top of that, we can be filled with joy knowing that Jesus has prepared a place for us in Heaven. When those who are in Christ pass from this world, they immediately go to be with Jesus, and they will be with Him forever and forever in a place with no heartache and no sorrow. That brings great joy to me, and I hope that it brings great joy to you. 

     Jesus has come. We can have joy in Him. Let the joy of knowing and loving Jesus fill your hearts this Advent season. Amen.

Prayer Requests 

     I went to the doctor this week. I hope that with some new medicine and treatments I will get to feeling better. Thank you for your prayers. Also, please pray that I can find a different job. The one I have now I believe is contributing to my overall lack of health.

     Please keep praying for peace in the world. Let us really focus on Ukraine this week. Also pray for peace in Sudan and keep praying for Israel and Gaza. I would also like us to pray that the situation in Venezuela does not end violently.

     Continue to pray for those recovering from natural disasters. I saw some pictures from Jamaica, and they really need our prayers right now.

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Maldives and Saudi Arabia. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday and the book chapter on Wednesday. I will have another Advent message next week. May God bless you all. 

Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 15

 Chapter 15

       Toby didn't really like anyone but me.  He wasn't unfriendly, and he wasn't mean.  My uncle always referred to Toby as a tranquil beast.  Toby just didn't care what anyone did as long as I was there, and he wanted to keep me safe.  That was his number one priority.  He never displayed any aggression toward anyone who didn't deserve it.  Except for one group of people.  He didn't like 99.9 percent of preachers.
     The first time that I noticed this was when the minister from our family's church came out for one of his regular visits.  The minute he came into the house, Toby never took his eyes off of him.  Toby actually growled at him, and Toby never did that when people came over even if he didn't like them.  Something was up.
     I didn't think too much about all of this until the pastor was over at the house a few weeks later.  Toby growled at him again.  All of the hair on his back was standing up, and he was getting angry.  I went with Toby outside so the old boy could cool off.
     Later, I figured out why Toby didn't like the man.  This man would in the next few weeks lie about me and get me fired from a job so that his wife could get the job.  Toby had this character figured out way ahead of time.
     My family stopped going to that church after many years, and began attending another of the very legalistic churches that my parents seemed drawn to.  This new minister came over, and Toby was once again extremely agitated.  What really set Toby off was when the new minister asked me if I could remember the exact time in my life that I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  I do not know why, but Toby started barking and barking and barking at this man after he said that.  I had to take him out in the kitchen.
     It wasn't too long before I realized that Toby had this man figured out too.  In a sermon, this minister said that he had a dog once that he didn't like so he shot and killed it.  Toby had the dog hater spotted.
     Finally, Toby met the pastor that he disliked most of all.  He disliked this man so much and became so mad that he almost had a stroke.  This happened when I was gone, so this is what my parents told me.  As I mentioned before, I was born with an inherited immune system problem.  Since my health was bad, I was still living at home.  This pastor had the nerve to tell my folks that they should kick me out of the house because I shouldn't be living there anymore.  He had no idea about my health, and my Dad proceeded to inform him about it, and that where I lived was none of his business.  My Mom said that when the pastor said this that Toby got so angry that my Dad told the pastor and the elder that was with him to leave.  This whole incident just made my Dad fed up.  He left that denomination my family had been in since I was born and he never went back again.
     This reminds me of what happened with my Grandpa and my uncle.  My uncle was a Methodist minister.  My Grandpa had had a heart attack and was in the hospital.  My Grandpa and Grandma went to the same kind of church that my parents did.  Their minister was visiting my Grandpa in the hospital when my uncle the minister came for a visit.  My Grandparents pastor laid into my uncle when he found out that my uncle was a Methodist pastor.  He said that Methodists where all liberals and were going to hell for preaching a social gospel.  This made my Grandpa very upset.  He told the pastor to leave his hospital room and never come back.  My Grandparents had been members of that church for years, and after that they never went back.
     About that time, I'd had enough of organized religion.  The folks started going to a little church up the road from our house.  I just stayed at home with Toby on Sundays and the two of us just had fun together.
     About one year later, my Dad had to have surgery on his foot and was laid up for about one month.  During that time, the pastor of the little church came to the house twice a week to visit my Dad and try to help him any way that he could.
     When this pastor first came over to the house, I thought that Toby wouldn't like him since all of the other pastors he couldn't stand.  But Toby liked this man.  Since this pastor was so nice, I decided to go back to church, and I really enjoyed it.  I began to learn about the real Jesus and about how much He loves me.
     I knew that Toby didn't really have anything against religion.  All this time, I was studying in Bible College and he certainly didn't hate me.  He picked up on the fact that either they didn't like me or that they didn't like dogs.  Its terrible when people who are Christians don't like animals.  How can you love the creator and despise His creation?

Verses For The Week

 Philippians 4:4 -- "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice."

Nehemiah 8:10 -- "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

The Weekend Sermon -- Advent -- "Jesus Brings Peace"

    Welcome again to another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that if you are one of my US readers that you had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I went to a buffet for dinner, and I had a really good meal and a wonderful time. I hope that all of the rest of you are doing very well. 

     Last week, we started our sermons for the Advent season by looking at the hope and help that Jesus brought to the world through his Incarnation. We also looked into the fact that just as people waited in anticipation for the first Advent, we as believers today are looking for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.

     Today, we will focus our attention on the fact that the coming of Jesus into this world has brought about peace. Now let me get something out in the open right away. There are a lot of people and nations in this world who have since the time of Jesus' coming claimed to follow Him. Many of them have been among the most warlike people and nations in the history of the world. These are so called followers of Jesus. In my opinion, these are like what James talked about. They have a profession of faith, but they do not have a true possession of faith. If they did, they would not have been so warlike and harmed so many often bringing the name of Jesus into the whole mess. All of this doesn't have anything to do with Jesus or what He taught. It is all on His followers not doing what they are supposed to be doing, or using religion for their own ends. 

     When the birth of Jesus was announced two thousand years ago, the angels announced the message of peace on earth to the shepherds who were abiding in the fields and keeping watch over their flocks by night. The Incarnation of Jesus into this world brought peace in two different ways. 

     First of all, Jesus coming into this world introduced to the one who Isaiah called the Prince of Peace. The teachings of Jesus if they were followed in the way that He intended would bring about peace on this earth. Jesus came to teach people that they needed to love their neighbor, and He went so far as to say that we are to love our enemies. Jesus taught that we are to treat others in the same way that we want to be treated. He taught us the way of nonviolent resistance to those who would exploit others. He also taught us that people and nations should concentrate their efforts on doing good to the least among us as if we were doing it unto Him. 

     Jesus coming into this world also brought about peace in a different way. His coming allowed us to have peace with God. By coming to this world and being the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. He dealt with sin. Through His resurrection, He dealt with the consequences of sin. When a person places his faith and trust in the finished and complete work of Jesus Christ, that person is made right with God. Their sins are taken away and they receive the imputed righteousness of Christ. When God looks at those who are in Christ, He does not see a sinner, He sees a person clothed in the righteousness of His dearly beloved Son. 

     Jesus and His forgiveness gives us life and gives us peace within our hearts that can only come from having a personal relationship with Him. Jesus left us His peace. We have peace knowing that He is always with us, and we have peace knowing that He has prepared a place for us so that we can be with Him forever. 

     Now, Jesus coming into this world also brings an ultimate and forever peace to the universe. This will come to a consummation when Jesus returns. When He comes again, He will rule and reign over all the earth. There will be no more war. Nation will no longer rise against nation. People will turn their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Each man will sit under his own vine as the Scripture says, and no one shall make him afraid. 

     Jesus brings peace. He can bring peace to your heart now and in the future. It all begins by trusting in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Let Jesus bring peace to your heart. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Next week, I have to go to the doctor to see why I am still having so much trouble. Please pray for me in this regard. Thank you. 

     Please keep praying for peace. Ukraine and Sudan are at the forefront of my mind. We need to keep praying for peace in Israel, Gaza and the entire Middle East. Pray that there is not a war in Venezuela.

     Remember to pray for those who are recovering from natural disasters. Pray for those in the Caribbean and those in Asia who are still suffering. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Gambia and Qatar. Pray that many will come to know Jesus and His peace. 

     Next week, we will continue with our Advent messages. I will post the verses on Tuesday, and I will post the next chapter of the book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

Toby -- The Story Of My Friend -- Chapter 14

 Chapter 14

     Just after I turned seven, my folks decided to move out of the city.  We moved about 20 miles south of the city where we lived to a small town of about 175 people.  Mom was getting into taking dogs to dog shows, and she wanted to live where she could have more than the three dogs that were allowed in the city.
     I've lived in rural areas ever since.  Except for one brief interlude that Toby and I could not stand.  It was not a pleasant experience.
     When my folks moved to the country, they kept their jobs in town.  My Mom worked for the same doctor from 1957 until she retired in 2000.  After she moved, she had to commute 32 miles each way.  Living out in the country made it hard to get to work sometimes because the county often didn't make it a  priority to clean off the rural roads.  She didn't have any trouble getting to work when it was just snowy, because she had an old International Scout four-wheel drive.  My Dad never did have any trouble driving in bad weather.
     One year, we had a series of terrible ice storms.  We even lost power for an extended period.  Mom was having a terrible time getting to work in the slick conditions.  So, she decided to move back to town.  I have to say that I don't understand what came over my Mother at this point.  She decided to sell all of her show dogs.  Everyone of them!! Including my Dad's rottweiler, Abraham.  She even wanted me to sell Toby so that she had better choices of apartments and condominiums to move in to.  I said no way.  I told her that if she tried to pull that, I was gone.  I was a senior in high school at this time.  I would have left too if she would have pressed me.
     She found an apartment in town to move into.  Toby and I just about died.  We absolutely could not stand that place.  It was a nice apartment as far as apartments go, but it was just terrible with all of the noise and confinement.  I could only take Toby out on the leash, and he hated it.  Mom was happy because she was close to work.
     Well, Toby and I decided to try and make the best of bad situation.  I told him that we could endure until  I was done with high school, and then we could escape.
     Then came a bad night.  I decided to take a walk with Toby down through the back part of the apartment complex that led in back of some businesses in the area.  We were a few blocks away when a car with three men in it pulled up.  They rolled down the window and started making vulgar statements at me.  I ignored them, and then one of the men told me to get in the car.  About two blocks down, another car pulled on to the road, and the men in the car drove off.
     Well, Toby and I headed for somewhere safe.  We took off fast.  Unfortunately, this was the time before cellphones, so I couldn't call the police.
     Before we got very far, these same guys came back round again.  They stopped, and one of them got out of the car.  This set Toby off.  He started growling, and every hair on his back was on end.  He ran to the end of the leash and started barking his head off.  The man who got out of the car started laughing, but he didn't laugh long when Toby got loose from me.  He took after them.  The man jumped back in his car and they took off.  Thank God, Toby came back when I called him, but he was mad. If I hadn't been with Toby, those guys would have jumped me.
    We made it back to the apartment quick.  The police never did catch the men.
    We lived in the apartment for about seven weeks.  My Dad finally put his foot down.  He usually did whatever my Mom wanted to do, but he wasn't liking the apartment.  We still had the house, and Dad wanted to move back.  And we did.  What a dreadful episode.
     One good thing happened.  The people who bought Abraham called us about one week after we moved back home.  They said that Abraham was too much for them to handle, and wanted to know if Dad would take him back.  He sure did.
     I like living away from people.  Unfortunately, my health may not let me live in the rural areas too long.  As I get older, it gets harder to take care of everything.  I don't know if I will be able to stand living in town.  One thing I know, Toby saved the day.  He was just a corgi, but he was fierce.  He sounded mean when he growled.
     Toby saved the day one other time.  My Dad had trouble with his heart, so he retired when I was a freshman in college.  On days when I got back early from class,(this is after I graduated from Bible college and was going to a different college and not going to school at home) Dad and I would sometimes go to the little town about seven miles to the south and have lunch at the buffet restaurant.  We got back home, and I could hear Toby going crazy barking and growling inside the house.
     I went inside, and Toby was barking and barking at my parents bedroom window.  I went outside, and I discovered the source.  While my Dad and I were away, someone had tried to break in.  The screen on the window was cut, probably with a knife.  I could see where the intruder had tried to force open the lock and get the window up.  The thief must have thought better of it when he heard Toby.  Toby sounded meaner than my Dad's rottweiler.  The thief probably thought that there was a monster in the house and split.  Once again, Toby kept me safe.

Verses For The Week

 Matthew 11:28 -- "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Hebrews 13:6 -- "So we can confidently say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man do to me?"

The Weekend Sermon -- "Help Is On The Way"

      Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon today. I hope that you are having a very good week. I know that I am very glad to be able to post the message for this week. 

     For the next few weeks, we will be focusing on the Advent season as we prepare for the birth of the Savior on Christmas day. It is a time of hope, peace, joy and love. 

     In today's message, I would like us to focus our attention on the situation that existed before Jesus' Advent into this world. And I would like us to focus on the hope that Jesus brough then, now and in the future. 

     There are a couple of hymns that reflect for us the way in which the world found itself before the coming of the Lord into this world. One hymn that we sing at Christmastime is O Come, O Come Emmanuel. This hymn tells us that the people needed Emmanuel to come and rescue the people. The world was in darkness, and they needed the light of the Messiah to bring what was right back into this world. Another hymn that I think of at this time says "the whole world was lost in the darkness of sin, the light of the world is Jesus."

     Before Jesus was born into this world, sin reigned within this world. Darkness was everywhere. God originally created this world perfect and there was no sin. But our forbears sinned, and death passed upon all people. Sin reigned, and darkness reigned. 

     However, in the midst of all of this sin, darkness and seeming hopelessness, all was not lost. The Father in Heaven was not content to let His creation abide in darkness and hopelessness. Clear back in Genesis 3:15, a promise was made that one born of woman would come and break the hold of the evil one on this earth. That is the first promise of the Messiah. The first promise of the Savior. 

     There are many other passages in the Old Testament that speak of the one that God would send to redeem His people and bring help and hope into this world. Isaiah chapter 11 and Isaiah 53 are passages that speak of the Messiah coming to this world to make a difference. He would come and bring forgiveness of sins and light into the darkness. 

     Jesus came into this world as the one who was promised by God. In Jesus, the light has come into the world and the darkness has not overcome it. Jesus is the one who was promised, and He has brought to us the love of God. Through His life, death and resurrection, sin is defeated. He has brought help and hope to the human race. 

     Jesus brought help to us in our sin then, and He offers His help and light to us now. But, the world is not all that it is supposed to be yet. However, there is coming a day when Jesus will return. When He does, all that is opposed to God and the things of God will be done away. All will be well. 

     Right now living in a hard world we can take heart in the fact that help in on the way. Jesus is coming. Just as He came in the First Advent, He is coming again. We can live in hope and live in the light of His ever present love. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please pray for me in regard to my health. I am having a hard time. 

     Remember to pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Sudan.

     Let us keep praying for those recovering from the storms in Alaska, the Caribbean, the Philippines and Vietnam. 

     For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for those in the nations of Iran and Sierra Leone. Pray that many will come to know the Lord. 

     Next week, we will have another Advent message. I will post the verses on Tuesday and the next chapter of the book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

I Remember Thanksgiving

      If you have read the blog for any amount of time, you know that my best friend(I call him my eternal best friend) was a corgi dog named Toby. I believe that Jesus gave him to be my friend at a time that I needed a friend to help me stay in this world. 

     The two of us had a great life together. I call the years that we were together the golden years. They are the best years of my life. 

     Thanksgiving was our favorite holiday. Mainly I think because it was a time for delicious food. We were both big eaters who loved any opportunity for a large meal. Thanksgiving was that time. This was especially true on the occasions when my grandma stayed with us. She made excellent pies in abundance. 

     My Mom was a great cook. Her turkeys were always made to perfection. We also always had stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, corn and dinner rolls. We also had cranberry sauce out of the can because that was something my Dad really liked. 

      I ate a lot on Thanksgiving. Toby had his fair share too. We always gave him some turkey because he loved it. It was OK for his stomach which had issues. He also had some of his favorite thing in the world which was green beans. He liked that better than anything. I've never known a dog who was such a fan of green beans. He also had one dinner roll. 

     After the meal, we would all watch the football game with the Detroit Lions. I was a big Lions fan because I first saw them play when I was in the hospital as a small boy. They brought me some joy on a bad day, and I've always been a fan. One day they will reach the Super Bowl. Maybe even during my lifetime. 

     As I said, Toby and myself needed a lot to eat, so we would also have supper. The folks said they didn't know how we could eat anymore, but we did. More turkey and whatever else was left. 

     On Thanksgiving night, I would go outside with Toby and we would enjoy the cool evenings. Sometimes it was really cold. We liked to look at the stars, and I liked to imagine that the two of us were on a distant planet living there with no one else around who would be mean to us. 

     Thank you Lord for those wonderful days. 

Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 13

 Chapter 13

     Allegri's Miserere is one of the finest examples of choral music known in the Western world.  When the composer Mozart first heard the piece performed in the Vatican, he was so impressed and moved by its brilliance that when he arrived back home, he wrote out the complete composition from memory.  If anyone listens to this piece, I believe that they will be impressed.  It is all well and good for people to appreciate the wonders of Allegri, but when Toby showed his appreciation for Allegri, I was intrigued.
     One July afternoon, when it seemed like I'd left no task undone, I sat down to relax and take in some good choral music from a recently purchased compact disc.  Toby appeared quite content to listen to the selections from Bach, Handel and Palestrina.  But when the selection from Allegri began to play, Toby raised his head and looked at the CD player with rapt attention.  He really enjoyed the vocal beauty of this timeless work.
     Immediately, when the singers began, Toby's ears pricked up and turned to capture a superior acoustical tone.  As the soprano voices raised on high, Toby's head cocked slightly as if in contemplation of the words.  Toby put his head back down, closed his eyes and went to sleep when the next selection from Mozart began.
     I am a great fan of classical music, but I enjoy other types of music as well.  I love jazz almost as much as classical music.  Whereas Toby shared my appreciation of classical music, he did not like most jazz.
    When most of the jazz I listened to came through the speakers, Toby would go into the other room, which is about the only time he wasn't where I was at.  The only type of jazz Toby seemed to like was smooth jazz.
    Another type of music that Toby expressed his displeasure with was contemporary Christian music.  He always stayed in the room while it was on, but I'd hear him moan once in while as if he thought it was horrible.  He liked hymns though.  He didn't moan when they were on.
    Well, no two creatures like all of the same things.  I was glad that Toby liked to listen to classical music with me.  You can't complain when a dog likes classical music.
     One thing Toby also liked was to listen while I played the tin whistle.  In addition to classical and jazz, I also enjoy Celtic music.  I taught myself how to play the tin whistle so that I could play some tunes.  Toby liked to sit and watch me while I played the whistle.  I think that the ancient Celtic blood of the Welsh was stirred in him when he listened to the tin whistle.
     The two of us had many good times listening to music.  On many afternoons, we would relax in the back room or out on the patio and listen to my favorites from Barber, Rachmaninoff, Ives, Copeland and Faure.  There aren't too many things better in this life than listening to great music with a grand friend.

Verses For The Week

 Colossians 4:2 -- "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

Psalm 107:21 -- "Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind."

Weekend Sermon -- "Blessed, Grateful, and Thankful"

      Thanks for stopping by to read the sermon this week. I am grateful for the continued opportunity to post these messages, and I hope that you are all doing well. 

     In the United States, the Thanksgiving holiday will be here next week. This week is the last chance that I will get to post a message on that theme before the holiday is upon us. 

     Thanksgiving was a really important holiday for me and my friend Toby. It was our favorite day of the year. My Mom always made a great Thanksgiving dinner, and both of us ate way, way too much. What strikes me here in the US is that Thanksgiving is getting by-passed now with a big emphasis on Halloween and then people go straight into Christmas. I think we are missing something that should be a lot more important. 

      This time of year here in the US, and other days if you live elsewhere, are important times to stop and reflect on all of the blessings of the Lord. James 1:17 tells us, "Every good and perfect gift is from above." We have all been very blessed in our lives. I know that I have. The Lord has given me good things to eat, a place to live, a job and I was certainly blessed with good parents and a great friend like my friend Toby. We have also been given great blessings spiritually by the Lord. He has given us His Son the Lord Jesus to be our Savior. We are redeemed, and the Lord has prepared a place for us with Him in Heaven so that those who are in Christ can look forward to always being with the Lord. 

     Because of the blessings of the Lord, I am thankful for what He has done for me. I believe that we need to make it a habit of expressing our thanks to the Lord for the good things that He has done. When the Lord hears and answers our prayers, we need to say thank you and not just let it go by. I think we need to continually give thanks to the Lord for taking away our sins and being ever present with us as we make our way through this life. 

     In addition to being blessed and thankful, I want to be grateful. To me, being grateful is a little bit different than being thankful. Gratefulness is like a lifestyle. You realize how blessed you are and you live in a sense of continuing thanksgiving for all that you have been blessed with. 

     I hope that during this coming week whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving or not that you will take time to really count your blessings. Thank the Lord for all that He has done for you and provided for you. Then live in gratefulness for what God has done and for what He has provided. Amen

Prayer Requests

     Please pray for me regarding my health. I am having really bad issues right now. Please pray that I can get well again. 

     Pray for those affected by the storms. Pray that those in Philippines, Vietnam, Alaska, and the Caribbean will get the aid and help that they need. I am glad that group here where I live has gone down to help in Jamaica

     Keep praying for peace. Sudan really needs our prayers. Pray that peace holds in Israel and Gaza. Please keep praying for peace in Ukraine.

     For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for those in the nations of Benin and Jordan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

    Next week, I will probably start posting messages for the Advent season. I will post the verses on Tuesday, and I will post the next chapter in the book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

Toby -- The Story Of My Friend -- Chapter 12

 Chapter 12

Although some might not think of this as an unusual behavior, Toby was a dog who liked a routine.  This was certainly true when it came to taking his medicine in the morning.  As I said early, Toby had to take medication every day of his life because of his ulcerative colitis and other ailments.  Each morning, we would put his pills in a cheese ball.  He loved cheese and would gobble his cheese and pills right down.  However, he wanted his cheese ball placed in a certain place.  Toby would not eat his cheese ball if you placed it in his food dish.  You had to put the cheese ball outside of the dish, or he wouldn't eat it.  He also wouldn't take the cheese ball out of your hand.  He wanted the cheese ball placed on the floor.  I don't know why.
    Another quirky behavior that Toby had was his reaction to the phrase, "It's coming".  One day we were watching a movie on television and someone on screen said, "It's coming."  Toby bolted awake and started barking his head off.  He did the same thing later in the movie.  I could set Toby off barking anytime by saying these two words.  I don't know what "it" was, but Toby didn't like it especially when it was coming.
    One of the other things I got a kick out of was Toby's funny noise that he would make.  Toby could make a noise in his throat that was like a yodel and bark and a tongue roll at the same time.  It was loud, too.  He'd only make this sound if you asked him a question.  It was like he could understand exactly what we were saying.  One time, Dad was talking to some people about the county commissioner candidates.  I said to Toby, "You don't think that guy would be any good do you?"  Toby looked at me and made his crazy noise and everybody cracked up.  Toby was right.  That candidate won, and he was a lousy commissioner.
    The two other behaviors I want to mention in this chapter involve food.  At least two Sundays a month, Mom would make her delicious chicken and noodles for dinner. She had a special pot she used just for making chicken and noodles and vegetable soup.  When she would get the pot out to make vegetable soup, Toby didn't even notice.  But on the days when Mom was making chicken and noodles he would race into the kitchen and stare up at the pot waiting for some of the chicken Mom always gave him.  How he knew it was time for noodles and not vegetable soup, I don't know.  My Mom would say to Toby, "Toby, there's no use waiting there, the chicken won't be ready for awhile so just go away."  Toby would go and do something else, but the minute that that chicken was ready, he was back waiting.  Toby loved chicken more than any other food in the world.
     Toby also knew each morning when breakfast was ready.  He would wake me up for breakfast just as Mom was done fixing everything.  I have to give my Mom credit.  Even though she worked every day, she always got up and made everyone a nice breakfast.  She was an outstanding cook and a wonderful person.  Well, Toby wouldn't let anyone in my room when I was asleep, so I was glad that he was looking out for me so that I got my breakfast in the morning.  This is the only time he got me up when I was asleep is when breakfast was ready.  If Toby had to go out to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he would go into my parents room and get one of them up to take him out.  My Mom told him to get me up to take him out many times, but he wouldn't do it.
 

Verses For The Week

 Hebrews 11:6 -- "But in fact, they longed for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

Philippians 3:20 -- "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Weekend Sermon -- "They Will Not Prevail"

      Thank you for reading the sermon for the week once again. As always, I am thankful to the Lord for giving me this opportunity. I hope that you are all doing well this week. 

     Today, I want us to focus our attention on a statement made by Jesus after Peter's confession that Jesus was the Messiah. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

     I want to focus on the end of that verse about the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. There are basically two ways that this verse in interpreted. I think that they are both valid, so let's look at both of them. 

     Some interpret this passage to mean that the church made up of believers in Jesus will on this earth be able to withstand the attacks of the evil one. The powers of hell will not be able to stamp out the church no matter how hard they try. Ultimately, those who are in Christ are the victors over death, hell and the grave, so the powers of hell have no way to be victorious ultimately over those who are members of the body of Christ. 

     This is absolutely true. All of us will have trials and trouble in this life. We who know Jesus will be tempted by the forces of evil to turn against the way of Jesus. However, we are overcomers through the power of the Spirit who dwells withing us. The powers of evil cannot snatch us out of the hand of the Father. When we die, we will go to be with Jesus in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him. 

     Also, the powers of darkness try to thwart the mission and ministry of the church. Persecution and trials are brought against the church to destroy it. However, the powers of darkness cannot and will not overcome the body of Christ. 

     Now, there is another equally valid way to look at this statement of Jesus. We as the people of God are on the offensive against the forces of evil. We are to be actively working to bring light and goodness into the world and stop the oppressive forces of darkness that seek to ruin people's lives. 

     When those who are believers in Jesus are working together to bring good and right and hope and peace into this world, the powers of the evil oppressors will not be able to withstand. The power of the people of God will prevail. 

      We as followers of Jesus have as our mission to bring about as much good as we can into this world. We are to bring hope and healing to this world. We are to bring the message of the life transforming love of Jesus to the world. 

     Ultimately, Jesus will return to this earth. He will cast down all that is wrong and evil. Death and Hell will be destroyed, and Jesus shall reign forever and ever. 

     Let us all work to overcome evil with good. Let us seek peace and pursue it. Let us love God and our neighbor. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

      Please pray for those recovering from the bad storms. There are people who need help in the Caribbean, the Philippines, Vietnam and Alaska. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     Keep praying for peace. Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Sudan all need our prayers. 

     Pray that people will get the food aid that they need here in the US. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week let us pray for those in the nations of North Korea and Lebanon. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post a topical message. We will start a new series in the New Year. I will post the verses on Tuesday and another chapter of the book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 11

 Chapter 11

     Of all of the dogs I've known, Toby possessed the most unusual behaviors I've seen.  He wasn't weird.  He was unique.  He was eccentric.
     One of the strangest aspects of his behavior I discovered completely by accident.  I used to love to watch boxing when I was younger.  I would never miss a match.  I enjoyed working out on the heavy bag and doing shadow boxing to try to stay in shape.  Sometimes to get a little exercise, I would shadow box in the kitchen for a few rounds.
     One evening, while I was pummeling my imaginary opponent, Toby ran quickly to his food dish, and he began devouring his food in haste.  When I stopped boxing, he stopped eating.  When I resumed, the munching recommenced.  I thought that this was strange.  It would come in handy.
     Toby was always sort of funny about eating.  Sometimes he wouldn't eat.  Maybe, something was just slightly out of kilter in his routine, and he would just go off of his food.
     During one of these spells, I remembered how Toby ran to his dinner bowl when I boxed.  I started shadow boxing, and Toby started eating Eukanuba.
     This little trick almost always worked if Toby wasn't off of his food because of his ulcerative colitis problem.  If I boxed and Toby wouldn't eat, I knew that something was wrong and that a trip to the veterinarian was in order in the near future.
     I've never understood what is was about boxing that caused this response.  Maybe, he was a big fan of boxing like me, and this was Toby's version of eating popcorn and watching the main event.
     Another one of Toby's strange behaviors was fish jealousy.  I enjoy tropical fish.  I've never taken the plunge into salt water aquariums, but I've had some pretty nice freshwater set ups.  After being away from the fish hobby, I decided to buy a new aquarium and purchase a couple of nice fish.
     I bought a twenty gallon aquarium, a heater, gravel, all of the needed equipment.  After I set it all up, I put the fish into their new environment.
     Toby didn't like this one little bit.  The first time I fed my new fish, he looked at me with a piercing gaze.  If looks could kill, I'd have been disintegrated.  Toby was jealous of my involvement with some other member of the animal kingdom.
     No matter what I did near the aquarium from cleaning to feeding the fish, Toby would give me a dirty look as if I were a traitor.  He would then snort and turn away in disgust.  After I'd finish with the fish, he would be back to his normal self.
     One afternoon I spotted Toby sitting under the fish tank looking up at his mortal enemies.  I could almost see the thoughts of hate forming in his mind.  It was as if he was sending mental death telepathy through the waters.
     Toby didn't have to be jealous of the fish for too long.  I decided to give my aquarium set and fish away.  I just kept one Betta that I placed where Toby couldn't see him.  When the aquarium went out the door, I thought that I detected a faint smile from a well pleased corgi.
     When I told about Toby and his boxing and eating behavior, I forgot to mention another of his unusual eating habits.   Sometimes when we were at my Grandma's house in Cheyenne, Toby would have one of his not eating spells.  I tried the boxing routine, but that didn't work on the road; it only worked at home.  In order to get Toby to eat at my Grandma's house I would have to feed him by hand.  Sort of.  I would take a few chunks of his food from his bowl and place them outside of his bowl.  Now this is strange.  He would eat these food chunks as long as I placed two pieces outside of the bowl.  Not three, not one; it had to be two pieces.  If I kept doing this, he would eat the entire bowl.  He would only do this at my Grandma's house.  I could never figure this out.

Verses For The Week

 James 1:19 -- "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry."

Luke 6:31 -- "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Shine Brighter"

      It is time for the sermon. I am glad to be posting it, and I am glad that you are reading it. 

     Today, I want to talk about something that has been on my mind for some time now. That is the subject of Christians making a difference in the world. The verses that brought this to my mind most clearly are found in Matthew 5:14-16 that read, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven."

     The Bible has a lot to say about light and darkness. The world is trapped in the darkness of sin and rebellion to God and His ways. There is a lot of evil and wickedness in this world. No one can deny that. The Bible says that Jesus is the light that has come into this world. He is the light and the darkness cannot overcome it. 

     In our passage today, Jesus tells us that we as His followers are the light of the world, and He tells us to let our light shine. To my way of thinking, these are two different things. By being in the world as followers of Jesus we are light. We are those who shine out the light of the grace and mercy of Jesus into the world so that the darkness of sin is driven back and people can see that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

     There is another thing that Jesus is saying here. When we do that which is good in the world and work for the good, we are actively shining our light. We are in a sense putting a spotlight on problems and making them disappear. Jesus said that when people see the good works that we are doing, they will glorify God. 

     We live in an age that has a lot of bad things going on right now. We as followers of Jesus need to shine brighter. We need to be actively engaged in shining our light for Jesus and driving out the darkness that is in our world. There are so many things that are problems right now. The world is facing many wars. We need to be the peacemakers that Jesus called us to be. Many in the world are dying from hunger and from treatable diseases. We need to shine the light into these situations and do what we can to overcome these problems and the oppressive systems that cause these things to happen in the first place. 

     What troubles me greatly right now is that we are seeing many engage in hateful conduct to others based on their race, ethnicity or immigration status. Let us shine brighter and remember that Jesus loves everyone. There is no distinction in Jesus. The Bible shows us in the book of Revelation that all people will bow and worship the Lamb on His throne. 

     What I am trying to say is that all of us who are believers in Jesus need to start shining brighter. We need to step up and try to combat the darkness of greed, selfishness and war. We need to be the ones who are making a difference in the lives of people who need help. 

     Each of us has been gifted to work in different ways. However the Lord is calling you to make the world a better place and to shine your light in the darkness, do it unto the Lord with all of your might. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am still having health issues. Please keep me in your prayers.

     Let us keep praying for those affected by storms. There are people in Alaska and the Caribbean who need help, so let us pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     This week, I want us to focus hard on praying for peace in Sudan. That is a horrible situation. Please pray.

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Djibouti and Japan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, I will have another topical message. I will post the verses on Tuesday and the next chapter of the book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

Toby -- The Story Of My Friend -- Chapter 10

Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 10

 I went with Toby on many trips, but I just want to focus on one more that was probably the best trip that we took together.  It was also a trip that almost ended in tragedy.
     On our annual trip out to my Grandma's house in Cheyenne, we decided to go down through Southern Kansas and then visit Colorado Springs.  One of the first places that we visited was Greensburg, Kansas.  This was before the terrible tornado hit the town.  I can't fathom the fact that everything I saw in that town was absolutely wiped out.  Thankfully, the town has rebuilt.
     No offense, but I can't say anything really positive about our trip through Kansas.  Through most of the journey, we passed cattle feed lot after cattle feed lot.  The smell was horrendous.  Even with the windows up and the air conditioner on you could smell that awful stink.
     The trip just about ended at breakfast the next morning.  The folks stopped for breakfast, and I waited outside with Toby.  They brought me something to eat and told me what a wonderful meal they had.  I took a piece of toast and gave some to Toby.  He wouldn't eat it.  He smelled the toast and turned his head away.  He wanted no part of it.  That should have tipped me off right there.
     I thought maybe Toby was having trouble with his stomach.  No, he knew that there was something wrong with the food.  I ate the toast.  About two hours later, I was so sick I thought I would die.  My folks didn't have any toast, and they were fine.  This is just one of many occasions when I should have listened to the dog.
     I recovered overnight, and was well enough to enjoy Colorado Springs.  This is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen.  The city is right next to the mountains that seem to be a reddish color.
     We found a motel that faced the mountains.  We had a great view of the Air Force Academy.  I went out on the balcony with Toby, and the two of us watched the gliders at the Air Force Academy for hours.  These training gliders were taken up by an airplane and then released.  They released the gliders, and then the gliders would circle in broad swoops with the mountains as their background.  Toby fixed on the gliders and watched them go around and around until they landed.
     Later that day, the two of us went for a long walk in the area behind the hotel.  We didn't know it, but we were actually on Air Force property.  There wasn't a fence so we just walked on.  I didn't notice until we got back that there was a sign that warned people that if they went on the land that they were subject to criminal prosecution.  I'm glad no one noticed a fat man and a corgi.
     The next morning, in spite of my Dad's protests, we went up into the mountains.  It was a great day of hiking and enjoying the sun and the mountains.  I was worried about Toby in the evening, however.  I think that we over did things because he wouldn't eat.  Finally, before we went to bed.  I fed him some of his food by hand, and he ate it and then ate the rest of his bowl of food.  We went out and watched the city for a long time.
     The next morning we had to be off.  We drove a short while and decided to travel up to Estes Park by the Big Thompson River.  Along the way, Toby and I got out and took a walk down the river.  When we were there it wasn't a raging torrent, but it was flowing along pretty well.  For quite a while, we watched the trout jumping up out of the river.  Every time one of the fish would jump out of the water and splash down, Toby would growl.  I though that this was funny until he got it into his head to go out after the fish.  Toby leaped into the river trying to get a trout.  I had his leash on, but the current was pulling him away from me fast.  He wasn't swimming too well either.  I went down into the water, and the current was more powerful than I thought.  I had a difficult time keeping my footing.  I grabbed hold of Toby, and I got us back to shore.  We were soaked and the water was ice cold.  I thought I'd lost him down the river for sure.  But, we would have gone together because I was going after him no matter what.
     Dad finally couldn't stand the mountains any longer, so we went Cheyenne.  Everyone went out to my uncle's ranch again except for Toby and me.  We didn't want to have anything to do with any more rattlesnakes.  The two of us walked down to the park and had a nice day and a nice meal.  We watched the ducks in the pond for a long time.  I'm glad Toby didn't decide to go after them.  He just watched them floating along.  We then went over and looked at the old steam locomotive.  On our way home, we looked at the abandoned church behind my uncle's house.  I would have loved to have bought that little church and have started a ministry there.  However, the dentist office had already purchased the church and were going to rip down the building and use the lot for parking.
     I always wished that the two of us could have taken more trips together.  By the time I graduated from college and really had the chance to do as I pleased, Toby was not in good enough health to travel much.  The last trip we took out to see my Grandma, Toby developed some trouble breathing.  The veterinarian said that it was altitude related, and that Toby shouldn't go out to the mountains anymore.  So, the two of us just took brief excursions not to far from home.  We went to Omaha on one trip. On another trip we went out to see the Winston Churchill Museum in Westminster, Missouri.  Whatever we did, it was fun because we were together.

Verses For The Week

 I Timothy 5:8 -- "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

Proverbs 21:13 -- "Whoever closes his ear to the cries of the poor will himself call out and not be answered."

Galatians 6:2 -- "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

The Weekend Sermon -- "More Than Words"

     Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon again this week. I hope that everyone is doing well. I want everyone to please continue to pray for those affected by the hurricane in the Caribbean. 

     This week, my message is entitled "More Than Words." Our text is found in I John 3:16-18 which reads, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need and has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

     These are powerful words written by the Apostle John. In many ways, they remind me of what James told us when he said faith without works is dead. 

     In this passage, John is telling us that love is the most important thing in the world. Love is what the Christian faith is all about. Jesus is the man of love. The Bible says that God is love. But, John wants us to know that true love is not just words. True love is more than words. True love is action. 

     The Bible is quite clear that God loved us. John 3:16 says that God loved the entire world. That is wonderful to know that God loves the world. The Lord did more than say that He loved us. He demonstrated His love for us. Jesus Christ came into this world to redeem us from our sins. He came to break the power of sin, death, hell and the grave. He just didn't say it. He showed His love by His actions. 

     We can say that we love God and our neighbor. That is great. But the Lord wants us to take it the next step and demonstrate that we are people who love God and love our neighbor by our actions. I believe that we demonstrate that we love the Lord by being willing to do what He told us to do. We demonstrate our love for the Lord by spending time with Him and by telling others how much Jesus means to us. 

     When it comes to loving others, we need to demonstrate that as well. We show that the love of God dwells within us when we are willing to help others and to do what is in our power to do in order to help people have a better life. 

     John says that if we see a brother or sister in need, and we have the resources to help, that is what we are supposed to do. If we don't, John says that we can't say that the love of God dwells within us. 

     It is important to say to people that we care about them and that we love them. It is very important. It is equally important to show it. If you say to someone that you love them, yet you are mean to them all the time, your actions betray your words. 

     Let each of us this week work to demonstrate our love of God and our love for our neighbor. Let us strive to live according to the Lord's will. Let us try to find some way to do good and help others in need. There are many in desperate need. Let's show our love by our actions. And, let us show our love by our actions in our relationships with our family and with our friends. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I want to thank the Lord that the storms in my area did not cause any problems. I would ask that you keep praying that my health will improve. Thank you. 

     We need to be in deep prayer in regard to the hurricane. Many have had their lives turned upside down in the Caribbean. Pray that the people will get the aid and the help that they need to recover. 

     Keep praying for peace. Pray for Ukraine and Sudan. Pray that peace will hold out in Israel and Gaza. As I write this, there are difficulties. Keep praying for peace. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post a topical message. I have a new series planned, but I am holding off until after Advent. I will post the verses on Tuesday, and I will post the next chapter in the book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 9

 Chapter 9

     I took many trips with Toby over the years that we were together.  Every summer, we would always go out and visit my Grandma and my uncle in Cheyenne.  Instead of just going straight out there, we often took different routes and tried to explore some new places where none of us had ever been before.
     One year, my Mom decided to take some extra vacation time, so we had an additional trip that year.  That particular year, Mom wanted to go up to Iowa and visit some of the places where she lived as a girl.  She also wanted to see the place that her Dad grew up, and we wanted to explore some family history.  So, we all decided to take a trip up to Iowa.
     The first day of the trip, we went to the towns my Mom knew as a young girl.  She was born in Vinton, Iowa, so we stopped there first.  We also visited the town of Van Horne where my Grandma was born and where she lived as a girl.  The town of Garrison is nearby.  That is where my Mom's grandparents lived.
     It was interesting to see where my Mom was born.  Visiting Garrison made Mom sad.  She said that it was so different from when she knew it.  Many of the businesses were closed.
     From there, we made our way to the towns of Traer and Dysart.  Dysart was my Mom's least favorite place.  She actually didn't want to visit there, but I wanted to see it since my Grandma said that she liked it. My Mom said that when she was a girl, everyone who was in her class was Scandinavian.  They all had light hair, and they made fun of her because she had black hair.  They called her a terrible name that I won't repeat.
     There really wasn't that much in this part of the trip for me and Toby to do.  It was mostly just a trip for my Mom.  I did have fun walking around Clear Lake with Toby.  My Mom spent most of her younger days in Mason City.  She would often go over to Clear Lake to the Surf Ballroom and listen to the big bands play.
     The second part of the trip was very interesting.  We decided to go and visit what was left of the religious colony where my Grandpa was born.
     I'll have to give a little history of how this religious colony came to be.  My Great Great Grandfather originally lived in Prussia.  He began reading the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg and became a member of the Swedenborgian Church.  Because my Great Great Grandfather wasn't a Lutheran like his neighbors, many of them began persecuting him for his religious beliefs.  He decided to leave Prussia and come to America where he could have religious freedom.
    He eventually settled in Saint Louis where he met up with some other Swedenborgians.  They decided to build a religious colony in Norway, Iowa.  They lived communally for two or three years.  After that, each family owned their own land.  They had their own church and school.
    This is where my Grandpa was born in 1901.  The church that these early Swedenborgian pioneers built is still there.  Toby and I had a great time visiting this old church.  I could just picture my Grandpa sitting in the pews listening to the sermons that were still given in German when he was a boy.
    My Grandpa loved dogs, and if he had been alive to know Toby, he would have loved him too.  When my Grandpa was a boy, he decided to get an old, retired racing greyhound.  My Grandpa went rabbit hunting with that dog almost every day.  My Grandpa's brother told me that they kept the whole family fed one winter with the rabbits they caught.  This was quite a task as my Grandpa had 12 brothers and sisters.
    My Grandpa's old farm was just across the street from the church, and I could imagine that if Toby would have been there the two of us could have had many great adventures in the rural Iowa countryside.
    My Grandpa didn't remain a member of the Swedenborgian Church.  He became convinced that they were wrong, and he joined an evangelical denomination.  Services are no longer held in the old church in Iowa.
    Toby and I walked around the countryside for many hours. We visited the cemetery where my Great Great Grandparents and Great Grandparents are buried.  Many of my Great Aunts and Uncles are buried there as well.  I remembered my Grandpa and all of the fun we had when I was a boy.  Every day I wish that he was still around to talk to.
    After we visited the religious colony, we stopped at the Amana Colonies and looked around.  I walked around there with Toby for a long time.  At one shop they were giving out free samples of red clover wine.  I decided to take a shot.  That was a mistake.  That stuff about knocked me over.  Toby began barking at me like I was stupid for even trying the stuff.  Once again like at Mount Rushmore, too many people wanted to pet the dog.  We went back to the car and ate lunch while Mom and Dad continued there excursions.
    We had a very enjoyable time in Iowa visiting all of the old family places.  I just enjoyed being with my family and my good friend Toby.  I always enjoy the scenery and the beauty of the earth.

Verses For The Week And Prayer Requests

 First of all, let us all pray for the safety of those in the path of the terrible hurricane in the Caribbean. Also, we are having a lot of rain where I live. Pray that all will be safe. 

Verses:

Deuteronomy 31:8 -- "And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."

Psalm 32:7 -- "You are my hiding place, you shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Don't Get Weary"

     It is time again for the sermon. Thank you for reading it. I hope that you have had a good week. I have been doing well. 

     Today, I want to post a message about a verse that has meant a lot to me over the last few weeks. This verse is Galatians 6:9 that says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

     Sometimes, I feel like everything that I am trying to do that good in this world is not amounting to a whole lot. I get discouraged as it seems like the forces of wrong and oppression seem to just keep growing. I at times get the feeling that I would just like to do my own thing, take care of myself and forget about what is going on in the world and in the lives of others. Of course, this isn't the right way to feel, but I'd be less than truthful if I didn't admit it. 

     There are also times when all of us I believe see those who don't care about God or the things of God in this world becoming more wealthy and more powerful while those who try to follow God have one problem after another. It makes me wonder what's up.

     Some of the people that Paul was writing his epistle to must have felt the same way. He encouraged them not to grow weary in doing good. Like them, we need to follow Paul's admonish and keep on going and striving to serve the Lord and do good and right in this world. 

     We all need to keep going and trying to live lives of holiness and righteousness in the world. Even if others reject us, we need to follow the principles and precepts of what makes for a life pleasing to God as taught by the Lord Jesus Christ. 

     All of us need to keep trying to make a positive difference in this world. There are many who are hurting in this world. They are poor and oppressed. We have to be the one to meet the needs of those who the world has forgotten. 

    As I've said before, the greatest good that any of us who follow Jesus can do is to spread the message of His love and forgiveness. If more people would come to Jesus and follow Him in His way, the world can't help but to be a better place. 

     We all sometimes feel weary, but we need to keep in mind the second part of our verse for today. We will reap a harvest if we don't give up. The Bible says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. When we do good for others, God will reward us in Heaven. We will receive a reward from the Lord for serving Him and striving to do what He would have us to do in this world. The greatest reward will be to see Jesus face to face in all of His glory. 

     Another harvest I believe we will see in Heaven if we keep going for the Lord are those who came to faith in Jesus as a result of our testimony. What greater joy than to see people in Heaven with Jesus who we told about Him. 

     Let each of us keep going for Jesus in spite of the hardship and the struggle. Don't give up. Let us all keep on doing good, and let us keep doing what is pleasing to the Lord. Amen. 

Prayer Request

     I have been feeling up and down. Please keep praying for my health. 

     Continue to pray for those in Alaska who lost all they had in the storm. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need to recover. 

     Let us pray for an end to the diseases occurring in the world. There are new cases of M Pox here in the US and measles is still a problem. Pray that this will all come to an end here and around the world. 

     Pray for peace. Ukraine needs our prayers as does Sudan. There is a terrible refugee crisis as a result of the war in Sudan. Keep praying of peace to hold between Israel and Gaza. Pray for Haiti. Pray that no more conflicts will begin. Also pray for refugees affected by war such as the Rohingya. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of India and Tanzania. Pray that many will come to know about the love of Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post the message on Friday. I will post the verses on Tuesday, and I will post the next chapter in the book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 8

 Chapter 8

 I begin this chapter by stating flat out that I haven't been to too many places.  I am not well traveled.  I remember students in school telling about where they went on summer vacation.  Some of them went overseas to exotic places.  My family stayed pretty much in our area.
     I have never traveled very far outside of the Midwest.  To the north, I have gone as far as South Dakota and Minnesota.  I've been as far south as Arkansas.  Westward, I've gone to the Rocky Mountains, and to the east I've been to Illinois.  There you have it.
     What's nice about these travels is that everywhere I went, Toby always came too.  After a short time in our home, it soon became apparent that Toby was the type of dog who really attached himself to the family.  He would have been totally heartbroken if I had left him in a kennel while I was off enjoying a good time.
     Besides Toby's attachment to me, I also took his special needs into consideration.  Toby needed special food in order to keep his digestive system working properly, and the little guy had pills that he needed to take on a daily basis.  If he wasn't along on the trip, no matter how good the boarding facility, I wouldn't have been able to have any fun for fear that Toby wasn't receiving the proper care.
     For these reasons, if was decided that at all times Toby would accompany me on all vacations and trips.  As you will see, having him along made the trips much more fun and memorable.
     The first trip came along when we took a trip to the Ozarks.  We went down there quite a bit and stayed in Springfield, Missouri.  There was a nice hotel there that offered a golf course, tennis and three swimming pools.
     I was very pleased with the way Toby behaved on this initial trip.  He didn't make any fuss in the car.  We just drove down there peacefully and in comfort. This place didn't care if Toby was with me on the golf course as long as he didn't get on the greens.  He followed me around while I played.  I embarrassed myself greatly as I always do on the golf course.  I think I caught Toby laughing at me on more than one occasion.  It's probably a good thing I can't play golf anymore.  The last time I played about ten years ago, I hooked the ball so bad it went over the safety netting by the course edge and landed in the practice putting area.  I just missed hitting a man in the head.
     At restaurants, I stayed with him out in the car and just ate out there.  On warm days, we would go sit under a shade tree and have a picnic.  I never left Toby alone in the car.  Even with the windows cracked, a car will heat up tremendously.  For a time, I also feared he would be stolen.  At one time, there was a high incidence of pet theft where I live.  Since that time, I've always been afraid to leave any animal unattended for too long.  By the way, a person has to be really sick to steal someone's pet.
     Most of my Mom's family lived in the state of Wyoming, so when my Grandmother was still living, we went out there almost every summer.  The first trip out west with Toby was fun.
     Instead of driving straight through the barren Kansas Plains to Cheyenne, we decided to take a circuitous route and visit the Black Hills and other sites in South Dakota.  Our first stop was in Sioux Falls.
     When we arrived, everyone was worn out from driving.  We didn't plan to do much in town, but I discovered the USS South Dakota monument listed in a travel brochure at the hotel.  All of us went out to see it.
     This monument consists of a concrete outline of the battleship which is built to the ship's exact dimensions.  An interesting museum and gift shop are located in the middle about where the ship's bridge would be.  Toby and I walked around there for a long time.
 We got up early the next morning and headed west.  We decided to make a quick stop in Mitchell to visit their number one attraction, the Corn Palace.  We didn't stay too long because we wanted to make it to Rapid City by the evening.
     The Corn Palace is a really interesting place.  It is definitely worth a visit.  The outside facade of the building is decorated in a different picture each year.  All of the decoration is made of corn and some other grains.  If I remember right, the building is mainly used as an auditorium.
     Our next stop was Chamberlain by the Missouri River.  I live near Kansas City, so I've seen the Missouri River many times.  However, the river at Chamberlain is extremely wide.  The water seemed to be much clearer than down by where I live.  The surrounding scenery is also much more eye pleasing.
     We came across a nice rest area.  It was situated on top of a hill that afforded a grand view of the river and the surrounding countryside.  This area had several picnic tables that were covered by steel poles in order to resemble a giant tee-pee.  Toby and I walked all around through the park and had an enjoyable lunch.  I was going to go farther, but Toby was getting too hot.  He never could stand very much heat.
     The next stop on our South Dakota excursion was the Badlands.  This is a spectacular sight.  One can drive through the area and see the devastating effects of erosion on the Great Plains.  The area looks like a section of mini-mountains carved out of the barren landscape that surrounds it.
     Toby and I got out to explore.  We walked quite a way down one of the trails taking in the sights.  I was worried about rattlesnakes, so I didn't want to go to far.  Toby was crazy when it came to going after things.  Once, there was a big black snake in the back yard by the garden.   Toby went after that snake barking.  Toby was in the fenced part of the yard, and the snake crawled just outside the fence.  However, it started turning back towards Toby.  I dispatched the snake.  Black snakes aren't poisonous, I didn't want to mess with a snake that was.
     When we arrived in Rapid City, we had a hard time finding a place to stay that accepted pets.  We finally found a place that on the outside appeared to be a dump, but the rooms were very nice.  The restaurant's buffet was great.  Toby and I ate our dinner, and then we went for a long walk.  We really enjoyed South Dakota.
     The next morning, we decided to explore around Rapid City.  We went to a place called Dinosaur Park.  At this park, there are several life-size dinosaurs made from concrete.  The park is up on a little hill.  My Dad is so scared of heights, that he wouldn't even get out of the care.  As we were coming down from the park, my Dad buried his head in his lap so he didn't have to look out the window.  Toby must have thought that my Dad looked ridiculous because Toby jumped up into the front seat and kept licking my Dad's head  and barking until my Dad sat back up in the seat.
     Traveling through the Black Hills was fun.  Toby and I stopped at one place and looked at the bison.  One of the bison at the farm was friendly and let me pet him.  He and Toby sniffed one another.  Knowing Toby, I thought that he might decide to try to go after the bison, so I got him out of there in short order.
     After more sight seeing in nature, we stopped at Mt. Rushmore.  This was the one part of the trip that I did not enjoy.  It was so crowded, you couldn't hardly move.  Toby came with me, they allowed dogs at that time.  We couldn't walk five feet without someone bothering Toby.  People would reach down and try to pet him without even asking.  One person poked him in the eye.  Toby growled.  Who can blame him?  The two of us got the heck out of there.  Another thing that I hated about the place is that at least twenty people must have asked me if that was the kind of dog Queen Elizabeth has.  I was about ready to put a sign on Toby saying, Queen Elizabeth has a corgi like this.   We went back to the car and escaped the madness.  Mom and Dad came back an hour or so later and said how great a time they had.  The best time that Toby and I had there was our nap time when we got back to the car.
     We left South Dakota and arrived for an uneventful stay at my Grandma's house.  We did go out to visit my uncle's ranch about 40 miles outside of Cheyenne.  We were supposed to have a picnic at his house.  All the time we were there, my uncle kept telling me about how many rattlesnakes were around the place.  Toby and I wished we had stayed in town.  We couldn't even enjoy our meal.  I kept watching for those darn snakes.  Needless to say, when everyone decided to walk around the ranch, we stayed at the house.   Neither one of us cared much for the outdoors.  I remember someone saying once that they were an avid indoorsman.  That would describe Toby and me.
     We returned from our trip through Nebraska which is about as exciting as Kansas.  Toby and I never went back to visit South Dakota.  I wish we would have.  It is a nice place.