Saturday, July 1
It's a new month, and true to form, July rolled in with blistering heat. Barbara spent most of the day paying bills and checking to make sure that our finances are all in order at this mid-year point.
We did take a break from our financial musings to drive over to Aunt TJ's house for a visit and some photos.
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Sunday, July 2
This morning found us joining in with the usual activities at Yantis First Baptist Church, including presenting the children's sermon.
July 2, 2017: I Corinthians 5,
Romans 3:23, Genesis 3.3 – “The Truth About Sin”
JIM: Good morning! The pastor will be teaching
from 1st Corinthians, Chapter 5 this morning about sin among the people in the
church who called themselves Christians. For our lesson, though, we are going
all the way back to Genesis and the story of the first sin. Do you know what it
was? God told Adam and Eve, “You must not eat the fruit from the tree that
grows in the middle of the garden.” But, Adam and Eve each took a little bite
which caused sin to enter our lives.
Since
that time, we have all sinned by doing things God, our heavenly father, told us
not to do, or not doing things he tells us to do. There are no such things as
Big Sins, or Little Sins. Sin is Sin, and we all sin in one way or another, and
even what we think is a “little” sin can change something good to something not
so good.
For example…your parents
tell you to not watch a certain movie because it has bad words in it. You might
think your parents are silly, because there are only a few bad words, and after
all, what difference is that going to make.
BARBARA: Mr. Little, that’s an interesting question.
How can a few bad words make a difference in a good movie.
I know, let’s pretend that
this brownie mix that has an egg, a little bit of water, a little bit of oil
and a little bit of chocolate chips …all which makes the brownies good is like
the movie… The brownies are all ready to put in the oven; but I think I’ll add
just one more little thing to make them better…a little bit of this cat food.
JIM: What?!! Did you just say what I thought you
said?!!!!!
BARBARA: Yes, this mix is like the movie…and this cat
food is like the bad words in the movie. There are only a few bad words in the
movies, so what’s the problem? And, if that’s true, then adding just a tiny bit
of cat food to the brownie mix, that would make them better, wouldn’t it? After
all, if a few bad words make the movie better and are okay, then a little bit
of cat food shouldn’t hurt the recipe.
Our lesson here is the
inconvenient truth about sin. A little bit of cat food can ruin the whole batch
of brownies, and a little bit of sin, like the bad words in the movie, will be
bad for you and others. To remind you of this lesson, we are giving you these
brownies (they don’t have cat food in them), a few peanuts that represent the
cat food, and the label that tells the truth about sin….A little bit of sin can
ruin the whole batch!
JIM: Let us pray – “Dear God, we thank you for
forgiving us of all our sins when we ask you. Help us to remember that all sins
are equal in your sight. We ask this in the name Jesus, Amen.
John and Carol have been on a vacation the last week or so and let us know that they would be passing through Sulphur Springs around noon on their way home, so we drove up there to meet them and enjoy some Bodacious Barbecue before they hit the last leg of their journey to San Antonio.
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Monday, July 3
Barbara began her new Physical Therapy regimen this morning. Fortunately, she is able to use the local ETMC Rehab facility which is just three blocks from the house, which makes things a little more convenient for us.
The rest of the day was spent inside, trying to avoid the July heat.
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Tuesday, July 4
Happy Independence Day to the USA!!!
Most of today was all about preparing for the annual Mineola family Fourth of July get-together. This year we also had our friends Jerry and Diane Nickerson joining us for the festivities. Along with burgers and all the trimmings, Barbara prepared her world famous Big Red ice cream.
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Wednesday, July 5
Yesterday and last night were a lot of fun, but the real price was paid today as we cleaned up the mess and cleaned and put away the grills.
Our church is searching for a new music minister/youth pastor, and as the chair of the search committee, I met with Sunday School teachers and church leaders this evening at Yantis to talk with a couple who are interested in the position. Following the meeting, Chad Ferrell, the candidate for the job, worked with the Praise Band in preparation for the Sunday service.
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Thursday, July 6
I was supposed to have a dermatologist appointment in Lindale today, but it was cancelled. So, our primary activity for the day was Barbara's PT session at the rehab center, and then trying to stay cool in the house.
As sometimes happens around here, the confluence of super heat and high humidity produced an afternoon thunderstorm and some much-needed rain.
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Friday, July 7
This morning was "important errands" time, with trips to Wally World, the pharmacy, Brookshire's, and Dollar Tree. We celebrated the successful completion of our errands by enjoying burgers at What-A-Burger, our favorite local eating place.
Fridays are "crunch time" days for preparing our children's sermons, and today was no exception. We didn't get much done with our sermon earlier in the week, so today was spent finalizing the script and preparing the handouts for the kids.
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Saturday, July 8
This was a great day for me to go out to Our Little Lot at Holiday Villages of Lake Fork to do some mowing, trimming, and trash burning.
While I spent the morning out there, Barbara was busy building an ice cream cake and preparing for a little get-together at the house this afternoon.
Around 3:00, we picked up TJ and took her to Autumn Wind assisted living facility to check it out as a possible place to live, since it has become increasingly apparent to her family and friends that she needs more attention and assistance than she can receive at home.
After the visit, family and friends gathered at our house to discuss what we had seen, and enjoy ice cream cake and Big Red ice cream...yeah, we all ended up on a sugar high!😄
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Sunday, July 9
After getting ready for church, we took a couple of minutes to take a selfie of us with real clothes...
Then, it was out to Yantis for a full morning of activities, such as Praise Band and youth recognition...
Our presentation of the children's sermon...
Sunday, July 9, 2017: I Corinthians 6 and Mark 12:29-31 –
Love Your Neighbor
Jim: Pastor Craig is going to talk this morning about how people,
both Christian and non-Christians, watch how we treat them or someone else.
Mrs. Little and I thought this would be a good time for us to talk to you about
two simple ways to show all people that you are a Christian and that you love
Jesus and them. By following these two easy rules, your love and kindness will
shine through in the way you treat people.
What are they? I’ll tell you the
using the Bible story from Mark 12:29-31 …
One day, Jesus was in the temple
teaching the people who were gathered there. A group of religious leaders began
asking him tricky questions to try to embarrass him so that the people would
not listen to his teaching. One of the men asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is
the greatest commandment?" Which one do you think Jesus said was the most
important?
(Hold up the heart
that says, "Love God.") Jesus
answered him, "The most important is this, 'Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,' this is the
greatest commandment.
How do you think we might show our
love to God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? Here are some ways that we thought we might show our love for God: Worship, prayer, Bible study, singing praises, bringing our offerings, and giving
thanks for all his blessings.
Barbara: Do you know what Jesus said next? (Hold
up the heart that says, "Love Your Neighbor.") He said,
"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Well,
how do you think we could love our neighbor? Good ideas! Here are some things
you might not have thought of. We could treat them like we want to be treated,
be kind to them, forgive them when they hurt our feelings, be helpful in times
of trouble, be their friends. And remember
that someone will almost always be watching to see how you treat others. Just
as you watch your parents and those of us here in our church!
Today
we have a “Love Your Neighbor” treat bag for you; but listen carefully, we also
want you to take an extra bag to give to one of your neighbors to show them
that you love Christ and them.
This
bag says...Barbara: Love Your Neighbor:
Jim: Spicy Gum Drops remind us
that our neighbors come in many colors.
Barbara: Raisins remind us that some neighbors are older, with
wrinkly skin.
Jim: Pretzel sticks reminds us that some neighbors are tall, and
Barbara: Kix reminds us that some neighbors can be short.
Both: Love your neighbors, love them all!
These
are the commandments that Jesus thought were the most important. It isn't easy
to keep those commandments, is it? We need God's help each day. Let's pray and
ask him to help us to love as he has commanded us.
Dear
Father, help us to love you with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as
we love ourselves. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
And all of it was topped off with a great sermon from Pastor Craig and the addition of a new family to our church membership!
After returning home for lunch and our Sunday nap, we left in the rain to return to Yantis for the evening service.
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Monday, July 10 - Friday, July 14
This was probably one of the most hectic weeks we have had in years. It took all week to get it done, but family and friends finally convinced TJ that it was in her best interests to leave her house and take up residence in an apartment at Autumn Wind. Once the decision was made, Rob (one of TJ's sons, Ladd, Angela, Logan, Barbara, and I all pitched in to pack all the basics for the first couple of weeks at Autumn Wind, select, load, and move furniture, and take care of all the other kinds of business that go along with a move. Emotions for all of us ran the full range, but working together, we got it all done and by Friday, TJ's new home was ready for her as soon as she completes all the paperwork on Monday.
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Saturday, July 16
Finally, life is getting back to normal!!! A trip to Wally World brought a chance encounter with Linda Fox, one of our neighbors from Holiday Villages of Lake Fork.
And tonight we joined a group of church friends for a light meal at our house and then the monthly gospel sing at Cross County Line.
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Sunday, July 16
Sundays are all about joining our church family at Yantis First Baptist Church. In addition to enjoying all the other activities, we are truly blessed to be able to present the children's sermon (to God's children of all ages).
July
16, 2017: I Corinthians 6:19 – You Are Not Your Own; You Are Bought With A
Price.
JIM: Good
Morning! When we read First Corinthians,
we see that the people are twisting God’s words to fit what they wanted to do,
instead of following His words to do what they were supposed to do. They thought that because they were
Christians, their selfish, bad actions were covered by the blood of Christ.
They didn’t understand that Grace is not an excuse to do wrong…it is a reason
to do right.
Let me
tell you a little story. Johnny wanted
to be a great pianist, just like Miss Melaina, who we enjoy listening to every
Sunday. God gave Johnny the talent to
play the piano, and Johnny spent years practicing and playing the piano until
he was good enough to get a college scholarship and eventually make a lot of
money as a professional pianist. But,
one Fourth of July, Johnny was out having fun with some friends and decided to
get into a firecracker fight with them.
The firecrackers weren’t against the law, and Johnny could do what he
wanted with them if he didn’t break any laws, but he forgot about using the common-sense
God gave him, and held a firecracker too long.
It exploded in his hand and destroyed two of his fingers. He was never able to play the piano again.
All
Christians, new and old, need to remember that God bought them with a great
price…the blood of His own son, Jesus Christ.
God wants us to use our bodies and our gifts and talents to honor
him. He tells us in his Word not to do
some things, but he expects us to understand his Word well enough and use His
wisdom to not want to do some things that may be legal, but aren’t good for us.
Barbara: That’s
right, Mr. Little. A quote I really like that goes along with that is, “Teach
your child how to think, not what to think.” My parents tried while I was quite
young to teach me how to think for myself...not just to do things because I
could. In fact, when I was in 2nd grade, two of the prettiest most
popular girls told chubby me that if I’d go kiss Ricky Stone, my preacher’s
son, while Miss Starling was out of the room that they would play with me at
recess. Since I didn’t do my own thinking, that’s exactly what I did...I jumped
up, ran over to Ricky’s desk and kissed him on the cheek! Yep! I was so excited
that Peggy and Patsy were going to play with me at recess. But...you know what
happened? As soon as Miss Starling returned, Peggy and Patsy told on me! So,
guess what? As punishment, I didn’t even get to go to recess. My lack of
thinking and doing something just because I could cost me a high price for a 2nd
grader....no recess!
So...
today these kisses are to remind you of my experience that just because you can
doesn’t mean you should.
Jim: Dear Father, we belong
to you because you paid a great price for us.
Please give us the strength and wisdom to follow you in all we say and
do, and to not do things that distract others from you, just because we
can. We pray this in the name of Jesus,
Amen.
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Monday, July 17
We spent the entire morning finishing up all the paperwork for TJ's admission to Autumn Wind, and moving more personal autumns to her apartment. We finished the job around noon and then joined Angela and Ladd for lunch at What-A-Burger.
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Tuesday, July 18
I got up early this morning to drive to Yantis for the Tuesday prayer meeting. When I returned to town, I joined Barbara and Angela for a day of cleaning TJ's house and putting it back in order after the move.
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Wednesday, July 19
Leah and Kaiden came in today for a short visit. We took them out to Our Little Lot to show them how it was looking, and to take some pictures of Addie's Crape Myrtle plants that we transplanted a couple of years ago...
Then we returned to Mineola to visit, see TJ in her new apartment, and have some fun family time.
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Thursday, July 20
Another morning of rehab for Barbara, and some yard work time for me...not a lot of excitement, but we expended a lot of energy😀
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Friday, July 21 - Saturday, July 22
After the busy weeks we've had, we decided to spend some serious kitchen time and restock the freezers with home-prepared meals. Since our kitchen is relatively small and we sometimes don't play well together in it, Barbara did the cooking on Friday, and I took over on Saturday. And, would you believe it, neither of us remembered to grab a camera to record all the action!
Barbara: July 22nd is always a time to remember my children's father, Henry H. Colwell, Jr. who died at the early age of 48. And, since my Jimmy Clint is buried along with his Dad, it's another form of remembrance.
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Sunday, July 23
What a very special day for Yantis First Baptist Church. First up was our children's sermon...
July
23, 2017 - Luke 11: 9-10: Prayer---Just
Do It
JIM: Good Morning! This morning Mr.
Chad is going to deliver the message, as well as lead the music. Mrs. Little
and I thought that this would be a good time to talk about the importance of
prayer. If you haven’t already met Mr.
Chad and Mrs. Melaina, you will soon find that prayer is very important to them
and their work. They pray about
everything in their lives. When Mrs.
Little asked Mr. Chad about how he chooses the music for us each Sunday, he said
that he prays about the words and music he should pick, and how it will all
work together so we can feel God at work in our lives.
Since our church started the children’s sermons, we’ve had
several talks about prayer and how important it should be to each of us. Some of you may remember that prayer is just
talking to God as if He is our best friend, because that is exactly what He is!
Before we talk about prayer this morning, we want you to
look at this symbol (hold up Nike Swoosh).
Do you know what it is? Yes, it’s
the symbol for Nike, one of the world leaders in sports equipment and clothing. The Nike slogan is, “Just do it!” That means that when it comes to running, or,
basketball, or any other sport, don’t just think about it or talk about it…get
out and do it!
One day, Jesus was with his disciples and they asked him to
teach them how to pray. Jesus didn’t
say, “Well, first you get down on your knees, and then you fold your hands
together like this, and then you close your eyes really tight, and then you
start to pray, using a bunch of fancy words.
No, after Jesus gave them a sample prayer, He said, “Ask and it will be
given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to
you; for everyone who asks receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” In other words, Jesus was telling his
disciples, and us, that the most important rule of prayer is, Just Do it!
BARBARA: Mr. Little said “Just Do it”;
so let’s get started! First, I want you
to put your hands together in front of you as if you are praying. Keep your eyes open so you can see your
hands. You will notice that the closest
finger to you is your thumb. Since it is
the closest, it reminds you to pray for those closest to you. Pray daily for your parents, brothers,
sisters, and other family members.
The next finger is your index finger. It is used for pointing. Let this finger remind you to pray for those
that point you in the right direction.
Pray for teachers at school, your Sunday School teacher, and our church
leaders.
The next finger is the tallest finger. This finger reminds
us to pray for our leaders. Pray for the
president, and other leaders in government, including in our state and town.
The fourth finger is called the ring finger. Anyone who plays the piano can tell you it’s the
weakest of all your fingers. Let this finger remind you to pray for those who
are sick.
The next finger is the smallest finger. The Bible says, “Do not think more highly of yourself
than you ought.” Let the little finger
remind you to pray for yourself.
This morning we’re going to give you 5 fingers
(butterfingers and Vienna fingers) to help you remember can pray this way. So,
the next time when you are talking to God and you can’t think of what to say,
let the “Five Finger Prayer” help you. Just do it!
JIM: Dear God…We thank you for
being the kind of father that wants us to talk to you. Grant us the wisdom to call upon you each day
to pray for our family and friends, our church and its leaders, for those who
are sick and hurting, for our government leaders, and for ourselves, that we
all might recognize your power and feel your presence in our lives. And we ask this in the name of Jesus…Amen.
Following the children's sermon, Chad Ferrell led the music and preached a sermon in view of a call to become our new music minister and youth pastor.
Chad was such a hit with the congregation that it took only a very short business meeting to vote unanimously to call he and Melaina to join our church family.
Immediately after the business meeting, the congregation gathered in the Activities Center to celebrate with a wonderful lunch.
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Monday, July 24
The first order of business today (after taking our sweet time waking up and getting around), was to get Barbara to her rehab session.
After that, we voted to take advantage of the beautiful weather to fire up Taz and work in some wind therapy.
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Tuesday, July 25
I was up early this morning to go to Yantis for the weekly prayer meeting. After returning home, we did some work around the house and then went back to Yantis so Barbara could join the church ladies for a luncheon and fun and games while I went to Our Little Lot do some trimming.
It looks as if the ladies had a good time...
When I returned to pick Barbara up at church, I discovered that one of the guests today was Jo (Hegwer) Morgan, a childhood friend from Artesia. The Hegwers and Littles were very close friends for as long as I can remember. Jo now lives in the Emory area, not far from Yantis.
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Wednesday, July 26
This was a slow day around our place...just some housekeeping, a little cooking, and our afternoon nap (very important).
Tonight I drove to Yantis for Praise Band rehearsal, and when I returned home, we went out on a Coke date (except it was to Dairy Queen for a couple of malts).
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Thursday, July 27
Outside of Barbara's rehab session this morning, there wasn't a thing of interest that happened with us today until we fired up Taz and rode to Tyler and the Purple Pig to join Patriot Guard Riders for the monthly group dinner. It was a beautiful evening for a ride, and we had a lot of fun.
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Friday, July 28
This must be the week for eating out. We drove to Emory around noon to see Jerry and Diane Nickerson, and then we all went to Terrell to enjoy a lunch at Freddy's.
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Saturday, July 29
Wow...a day without going out to eat. Not that we didn't eat, though...we just had to fend for ourselves at home while we put the finishing touches on tomorrow's children's sermon.
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Sunday, July 30
Another busy "Little" Sunday...Praise Band rehearsal at 9:15...Sunday school at 9:45. church with children's sermon at 11:00...
After church, we met up with our Kansas/Texas friends Gene and Michelle Young for lunch in Alba.
Tonight we went back to Yantis for a wonderful sermon./Bible study with Brother Craig...a great way to begin winding down the month.
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Monday, July 31
We wrapped up the month with both of us having activities at the ETMC rehab center here in Mineola. Barbara had her regular rehab session, and I purchased a membership that allows me to use the exercise machines whenever I want...looking forward to maybe getting out of the shape I'm in and back to one I like better.
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From Mineola, Wood County, Texas,
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsie
