For those who did not get my last report on Carol; the doctor postponed her surgery yesterday afternoon. It will be rescheduled in November. Her pain lever will be high durning the wait so please remeber her stuggle with it.  While this was unavoidable, we know that all of your thought and prayers are in safe keeping, in His great hands.

Patience is a necessary for Faith to do its’ work, it is not always an understood commodity.

As to patience, most of us have it in rather short supply, or more likely, stuffed way back in the “hard to reach” portion of our lives.

We are right occasionally but God is right eternally.

“Man plans his way but God orders His steps.” KJV

“If God be for you, who can be against you?” KJV

Just a note to my Smoky Mountain Hi friends; I will be busy for the next few days, weeks, and even months, as my wife Carol, will be having major back surgery, around 8 hours, Wednesday morning (7:30 AM) October 31 (Halloween morning) so my posts will be sporadic. They will be fusing several levels and putting new rods, cages and screws in her back after taking out the old ones. We would appreciate your prayer for her recovery and for her surgeon, who is trained to work on God’s creation, but we know it is the Father who does the healing.

Expecting the unlikely is the berthing of Faith.

Yesterday is a burden that no one can bear, tomorrow carries its own weight that cannot be lifted until then; it is today that, the Everlasting Arms of the Father of everything, will bear your burdens with you.

Pray for what you want but be thankful when God gives you what you need.

As a Christian, the pain of a loved one should never be born alone.

May the Father of light brighten your way, in the darkness you are destine to travel through, before, during, and after your life's journey.

Faith is the tree, growing in the garden of Hope that bears the fruit of expected blessings.

What I already know, about right and wrong, troubles me more than what I have yet to learn.

The pains of a wounded loved one, exceeds whatever pains I must bear.

Love never considers the cost only the possibilities.

One must allow themselves to be complete loved, for it to happen.

Pain is not gracious in any way.

Faith is what you have when hope is failing you.

The best of what I can do, often is less than needed, but the least of what God can do is more than sufficient every time.

Wisdom is the gift of explaining understanding and then applying it.

Christians are destined to be plagued with happiness.

Hope brings into sight your splendid expectations.

Missionaries are folks, whose hearts are bigger than their wallets, and yet, their inheritance is priceless.
Without evangelism every church dies before it is dead.
A Christ-center church is a the one out on a fishing expedition everyday.
A comfortable church tries to clean the fish before they are caught.
Amazing Grace begins when you realize God know all about you, loves you anyway, and forgave you because you ask!
A church without some undesirable people is useless to the furthering kingdom of God.

What I meant to say, what I thought I said, what I actuality said, and what others thought I said, are often completely different.
To catch a fish I need to go where they are; if I am to be a fisher of men I need to go where they are.
It is easier for you to go and find the lost than for them to find you.
A follower of Jesus is the bait but the lost are the prize.
Grace is the power to do what God wants; rather than doing what your are.
Jesus turned the lost into followers and the followers into fishermen!

Genuine compassion requires action.
Clean your mind before you “clean house“.
Too many churches become “comfortable churches” by making those unwelcome, who make them uncomfortable.
Prayer is one of the best “conflict resolution” tools.
Love resolves far more conflicts that revenge.
Lack of evangelism, darkens many of the churches, church splits puts out the lights, in the rest.

Most folks go to church for themselves rather than to be “salt and light” in that church.
Jesus paid a high prices to give His treasures to you.
Don’t let your habit become your habitat…it is only a hobby.
Forgive liberally, love liberally, and then you can live freely.
Our perceptions, in this world, are intertwined with our history, our needs, our vanities, and our prejudices; therefore Christians need to add: God’s Grace, God’s, Wisdom, and God’s Love, to balance their lives.
Don’t surrender to temptations; instead, surrender your weaknesses to God.
Your greatest thought can never enlighten God.

Conservatives try to earn their salvation, while liberals just assume God owes them a place in Heaven.
Conservatives tend to be more judgmental, while liberals seem to more accepting…is that backwards?
The problem is the any behavior become acceptable to liberals and only an extremely narrow definition behavior is acceptable, to conservatives.
Jesus was a moderate radical who said, pay your taxes and spread the gospel….“I am the only way“, but seek the lost, help the hurting, and love your enemies.
Conservatives tend to worship their lifestyle more than their Savior; while liberals tend to think, there lifestyle is none of the Savior’s business; because they are becoming their own savior.
The issue for liberals is when any behavior becomes acceptable, then God becomes, unimportant, unnecessary, and therefore, unreal.
Conservatives make rules, that keep most folks at odds with God, instead of showing the love of Christ, like the Good Samaritan.

The Bible is God’s Word, and His Word should be your word.
A “comfortable church” is more self-centered than Christ-centered.
“Comfortable churches” make sinners feel uncomfortable because of who they are... rather than who Jesus is!
Comfortable churches, become convenient churches and then become dying churches.
Comfortable churches first try to protect what they have, instead of spreading the Gospel, they have been given.
Conservative, comfortable, churches tend to worship their salvation more than their Savior!
Birthdays a celebrated to show that you are growing up, then because you made it to 40, next is because you made it to retirement, and finally you celebrate just because you are still here!

A “bitter believer” has even a more bitter testimony.
People feel sorry for those that grieve, but scorn those who have chosen to become bitter.
Happiness is a choice; so is bitterness.
In regards to their “”Bitterness” if they don’t repent and accept the Love of Christ, their eternity will be filled and overflowing with the bitterness of their own making.
“Bitter people” have fallen in love with their hatred.
Forgiveness is the only cure for bitterness.
In order to become a “bitter person” they first, must forfeited their happiness, and often the happiness of those around them, so they can embrace their own bitterness.
It is impossible the happy and bitter at the same time!
A bitter person, slowly but surely, loses their ability and their willingness to love.
 

Being genuinely concerned, means that you are meaningfully involved in pursuing a solution.
How many traffic lights have you placed between you and your prayer time?
Success does not mean that you do not experience failure and hardships, but is does men we will not allow those, to hinder your determination or your our focus.
Men who think, the argument last night with their wife, will be over when they wake up….find that in the morning their wife is madder than when they went to be.
If you are bitter you know who you are, if not others around you do!

Trying to be “good” without Grace is like expecting to drive your car up the mountain without fuel.

“Grace” is the power to become what God wants you to be, instead of remaining what you are!

A Christian, who is actively following Jesus, is God’s best bait to attract lost souls!

Salvation starts, with a prayer of repentance, but becomes a way of life.

Jesus went out to “find the fish” He did not wait for the “fish” to come to Him… As “fisher’s of men“…shouldn’t you be doing the same?

Prayer brings that “impossible comfort” to your soul.

Joy leaks out of a “Broken Vessel” but stagnates in a “hardened heart“!

God is not confessed with your confusion, He sees everything clearly, knows everything thoroughly, and loves you completely…rejoice “Oh Christian” rejoice.

Heaven is waiting with open arms “Oh Christian: that should warm your heart and thrill your soul, while you travel your way on this land of clay.

There is no need to love anyone less while learning to love God more!

Your love for God is your source, to love everyone more.

When you accept Jesus, a seed of Hope begins and then blossoms in your soul, over and over again, on your way to Heaven.

Doubt is Satan’s way of hijacking your happiness.
You can live without Joy, but if you are a Christian, it is completely unnecessary.
Happiness is not a conquest but it is a gift to yourself, from God.
Never allow another to determine your happiness.
Happiness is considerable more, about who you are, than what you have!
Even a Christian can be unhappy if they choose to be! They just have to work harder at it.

How difficult is it to know you should have and could have done better?
Never quit counting the number of blessing you did not deserve!
I find that doing better is not always easier.
There is nothing like a “personal miracle“…every answered prayer is one!
God is better at forgiving than you are at sinning.
It is easier to ask, God, for forgiveness that to bear the consequences of not asking!

In order to know, what I have learned, I must put it into practice.
The loss of a friendship is a wound that never heals.
When I grasp a flower to ”own” it I break it and it looses it's life. To have a flower, I must free it and let it live where it must…So is our love for our children much the same.
Love is where I can give more, receive less, and will still be way ahead on my investment.
The worth of love is not the cost or the value but in being privileged to love in the first place.
The boundaries of love are continually being reassigned for the betterment of the one loved.

The fruit or loneliness is isolation; the fruit of solitude is contentment.
Doubt brings anxiety, to your fears, allowing discomfort to flourish.
A Christian is never, ever, alone again…Never...EVER!
Fear encourages discouragement.
May your love, warm the hearts of those, whose love for God has grown cold!
Truth is the artery and service the vein.

Usually, non-fiction is truth according to opinion.
Women are unpredictable enough with being mysterious.
Men are predictable only when they have few choices or at work.
The more you know someone, the more you realize, you can only know so much about them.
Principles are the highways into someone character.
Believing flatter will, ultimately, smother your possibilities.

In order to understand where I have been, I need to know where I am going.
Have you ever gone to an “empty” friend when you need a fill up? Jesus is always has all you need!
Love is a condition that fills itself even as it empties itself
Books contain the confessions of men, camouflaged as words.
In order to truly be thankful, you have to understand who you are, as well as, who God is!
I have been baptized three times, as a testimony to my Lord Jesus, but never immersed but today I will be.

Wondering or wandering… your life will testify to one or the other.
Being a man takes more than hormones.
Humility is knowing that God knows all about you and still chooses to love you.
Tomorrow is where we store tomorrow's troubles.
Great expectations provide a better landing area than sparse hopes!
It seems that every time I gain some knowledge, I increase my awareness of my ignorance.

Being less than perfect doesn’t make you less than human…being perfect makes you non-human!
Perfection is something God does with your imperfections.
For love to be splendid, it must be received as such!
“Walking in the light of God” is always a safe journey.
It seems that we are forever learning what we already know!
Giving provides a sure return.

Integrity is when a person will consistently strive until he finds the right thing to do for himself and others.
Reliability is when a person will do what he said he would do, even if it costs him more than he thought it would.
Fairness is when a person could take advantage of someone but chooses not too.
Character is the way you manage the priorities and possibilities in your life.
Love is “putting your best foot forward” in someone else’s life.
Admiration is a gift from those who have seen or benefited from: your reliability, fairness, love, and integrity at work in your life.
None of the above can be purchased with money or gifts, only by their evidence of them, in your daily living.

Anytime someone's “character is for sale” it is not worth the price.
Character is what I would do, if I could do, and God would not notice.
Marriage character is when two characters are bound together and one’s progress shows up in the other’s life.
Without character you are, indeed, without.
Character is where promises to yourself, are kept.