Gary's Thoughts

Davis Bunn Writes a Stunning New Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 10:00:00 +0000

Davis Bunn has done it again. He has plowed new ground in his latest novel, The Turning, an April 1, 2014, release by River North Fiction. Where others have written books of theology on the Lordship of Jesus – the scriptural basis, the aspects of, and rewards of it, Davis Bunn has demonstrated the operation of Lordship.

Five people from different locations in the US, with different family histories and different financial bases, have been directly moved upon by the Holy Spirit. With nothing in common other than their basic surrender to Jesus in salvation, these five people have heard from the Holy Spirit and now must choose the Lordship of Jesus over their own desires and understandings. Not knowing the reason or outcome of any action they are moved upon to make, they must choose to obey the Lord from a basis of faith alone. Through them, the Lord has begun a campaign to call America back to him. Unknown to them, at first, the devil has also mounted a powerful attempt for the hearts and souls of the younger generation.

The book is a novel – with a novel idea; and regardless of how the story plays out, it cannot help but pull on the hearts and consciences of true believers who take time to read it. Be prepared to question your own standing with the Lord in the matter of Lordship. Be prepared to hurt deeply with what you may see about yourself. And be prepared to renew your understanding about/and desire to be involved in true Lordship.

At the end of the book, you will find a rather interesting invitation that can greatly affect your future. Enjoy!

Here is a video trailer about the book: http://youtu.be/oIP6FhBjgOI

Here is the link to read the first 3 chapters for free: http://statictab.com/fvrrsxz (Like his Facebook page to start reading.

(I received a complimentary copy of The Turning from River North Fiction in exchange for my honest review.)

Onward to South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:59:00 +0000

We just keep plugging along toward South Africa. The one thing that has kept me sane in all of this is to remember that God called us to do this. And it is his responsibility to get us there, all we have to do is follow in His footsteps every day. "The steps of a good man/woman are ordered of the Lord..." The chorus to the song Footprints of Jesus says: "Footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow. We will follow the steps of Jesus where'ere they go." That is what we are doing.

God sends people along who want to "partner" with us in this venture - either through prayer, one-time gifts, or monthly support. We are always amazed at the who, when and what of the encounters.

I always have to match myself to His yoke, because he says "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." When my soul gets stirred because things don't seem to be happening right, or fast enough, or at all (stark impatience on my part), I have to remind myself that this is His quest first and foremost. When I relax, the yoke doesn't chafe anymore.

We have been able to attend a reunion with our first church after some 40 years, and see our grandchildren. And we are going to see Judy's dad, who turns 92 on Thursday. It is a busy time, a fun time, and we try to remember to laugh along the way.

If you don't know about our move to South Africa, please see my Victory Ground blog.

Until my next blog, remember to "look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." We love you.

Strait of Hormuz, Davis Bunn's Latest Thriller

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 20:01:00 +0000

Full of romance, thrills, dangers, intrigue, high speed, and dark alleys, Strait of Hormuz does not disappoint. Davis Bunn is a masterful writer. From the explosive first chapter to the unexpected ending, you are in for a hair-raising good time.

Strait of Hormuz finds Marc Royce in Geneva, Switzerland, for some unknown reason - unknown to Marc and to Ambassador Walton who sent him there. Marc struggles throughout the whole book to determine his reason for being in Geneva, and the struggles not only define his skills, but highlight the matter of US security.

In every situation in which he finds himself - and he finds himself in some unbelievable situations, he does not seem to know how or why he is where he is. But being the astute man that he is, Marc collects all of these happenstances as clues to some bigger puzzle. He does not so much stumble into situations as he marches purposefully into them. He believes that eventually he will know the purpose, and that it will lead him to the desired end, which he is sure he will recognize when he sees it. Now that is trust with a capital T.

His trust in God, his Ambassador boss, and his country, along with his positive, optimistic attitude of life, seem to keep him afloat and upright. It is tempting to reveal the plot in order to make the point, but you will just have to read the book. And just know that those who have already read the book are looking over your shoulder, eager for you to discover what they have discovered along the way.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany
House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Another Great Christian Fiction Book by Davis Bunn - Unlimited

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 19:57:00 +0000

I love to read, as I know many of you do. And I love letting others know of great Christian fiction books. So here is my review of another new book by my favorite author, Davis Bunn;

Davis Bunn does it again. Another great book, Unlimited, is now available in the bookstores of America. The title should warn you that there is far more to this book than meets the eye – or the mind, for that matter.

Unlimited is about a little-known power source not yet defined that will bring great relief to the people. But here is the conundrum. What unknown power source is the real focus of Davis Bunn’s book? Is it the one that has to do with electricity, or is it the one that has to do with the man who is working on the electricity? You’ll have to read to find out. But don’t think I have given anything away. Oh, no. There are other messes to find and straighten out. You might ask, “How many messes can one author put in one book, and work them all out simultaneously?” Be sure to count as you read.

Unlimited is an age-old story told in a modern day setting. Everything is in a mess, harder to untangle than a wad of yarn. The country is in a mess, the town is in a mess, the orphanage is in a mess, and the one person who seems to chosen to fix everything is a mess. The whole story is reminiscent of the fallen creation, or Israel enslaved in Egypt, or Israel under the judges, or most any Old Testament story. In Unlimited – like the Old Testament – the person God has chosen to bring order and victory out of chaos is in a mess. Simon doesn’t know what he wants in life, why he does what he does, or how and if he wants change and another chance.

We would try to fix Simon before Simon can fix the situation. But in God’s special way, he does both simultaneously. We would do step one, and then step two, etc. But then, we can’t begin to figure out how to untangle a wad of yarn, so we usually toss it and get more yarn. Not God. He just happens to think that Simon is not irretrievably lost – nor the orphanage, nor the town, nor the country. So, God sets about to untangle each situation at the same time!

Here is my standard warning about any of Davis’ books. He seems to get behind the reader and push him through the book. So don’t get too rushed. Take time to find the great little nuggets hidden along the way.

I received a complimentary copy of Unlimited from B&H Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.

Click here to read the first 3 chapters of Unlimited for free: http://on.fb.me/1c5lyCS

Click here to view the YouTube movie trailer of the movie Unlimited: http://youtu.be/ZLd5MCOR3rg

YOU CAN WIN YOU OWN COPY OF THE BOOK PLUS MORE. Click on this add, and enter as many times as you wish. You don't have to Pin to enter, and you could a win $50 Fandango gift card, as well.

IFTTT

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 17:10:00 +0000

Today, I want to give a shout out to a free internet service called IFTTT (ifttt.com). It stands for If This Then That.

I also use Evernote, a free web based service for collecting and remembering everything (evernote.com). It, for me, is essentially a cloud-based filing cabinet. So anywhere I am, I can access my Evernote account from PC or tablet/ipad or android/mac phone. It has helped me to go paperless in my office, and at home. Check it out, too; I highly recommend it.

Anyway, back to IFTTT. This free service allows me to collect things automatically from another web service I may be using, and deposit it into my Evernote account. Example: I have two blogs: one for Victory Ground Ministries, and one for my personal thoughts. Through IFTTT, anytime I write a blog, it automatically is deposited into the appropriate Notebook and Tag (File folder) in Evernote.

It is a way-cool service, and everyone ought to check it out: ifttt.com.

And don't forget to check out Evernote (evernote.com). Doctors, lawyers, landscapers, photographers, homemakers, etc. use it every day for keeping track of important things.

My Birth - 65 Years Ago

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Although I don't remember my birth on July 16, 1948 (I was born at an early age), at 3:50 a.m. on a Friday, I do have some interesting pictures and stories that go along with the event.
I was born in my mother's bedroom, in a two-room house on Division St, in Greenville, Texas. One room was the living room/kitchen, the other was the bedroom/bath. Here is the house (though in better shape and painted white when we lived there).

My Grandmother Gilmore was in attendance, as she was with most of her grandchildren. She was a mid-wife/office keeper for Dr. H M Bradford. She also kept a "Nursing Book", which I happen to have (a very treasured keepsake). Here is a page from that book detailing my birth, and the $5.00 she made for helping Dr. Bradford.

The interesting thing about my doctor is that he was 79 when he delivered me. AND, I remember being at his house in Dallas when he was about 90 and I was about 11. He still stood ramrod straight, wearing a suit and tie. I will never forget the visit. Here is a picture of him and his wife in later years.

I also have the two earliest pictures of myself; one as a baby, and one at about 1.5 years old. Here they are.

My mother said that July was very, very hot; and the day before my birth, a Thursday, my brother Weldon (14 months older) was determined to have a piece of a big Black Diamond watermelon. So mother picked it up and set it on the table to cut it -- and I was born early the next morning.

And that is the end of my story.

How I Met Judy, My Wife

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

In my sophomore year at college, I was visiting with a lady who worked in the Admin Bldg. She asked me, "Don't you ever date?" I replied, "Nope. Study is the big thing for me right now." She asked, "Are you going to ever get married?" I replied flippantly, "Sure! I'll meet her in my Junior year and marry her in my Senior year."

At the beginning of my Junior year, I said to my roommate, "Let's go over to one of the girls' dorms and watch the new crop come in." So we went to one of the dorms, sat down in the lobby, and began to watch. With every new girl who came in, I would teasingly say, "What's your name and where are you from (poor English)?" She would answer, and I would say, "I'll put you on the list and let you know in about 2 weeks."

This went on for quite a while. Then a girl with the most beautiful brown cow eyes came in. Wow! Those eyes you could swim in. I made my spiel, she answered shyly, "I'm Judy Vernon and I'm from Lebanon, MO.", and I threw the list away. I fell in love with her instantly and knew that I was going to marry her, which I did in my Senior year.

One humorous side note to the story. Judy and her family were returning from a vacation in Big Bend, TX. Her family dropped her off at the dorm on their way home to Lebanon, MO., intending to drop the luggage off and come back to see her into her dorm. The last thing her dad said to her was, "Judy, remember you're here to study, not meet boys." She walked through the dorm door, and I was the first person she met.

I have loved her for almost 43 years (March 28), and I have never looked at another person, nor ever wondered about my decision. Other that trusting in Jesus, it is the only decision I ever made that I am totally sure about.

My 6th Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:14:00 +0000

I was thinking this morning, as I awoke, of the Christmas when I was 6 years old. We lived in South Oak Cliff on Ewing St. in Dallas. It was a rental house (my parents did not own a house for some years to come). A man at our church had 3 bikes that were all mangled - at least one in a traffic accident. He gave them to my dad, and my dad worked in the basement of my grandmother's house (just two doors down the street) to make two complete bicycles out of three. He did it, too; and by Christmastime. I don't remember any other gift that Christmas, but I cannot forget the bike. I got one (blue) and Weldon got the other (red) - this was long before James was born.

Here's the thing about the bikes. They were both 26-inches. The only way I could get on was to stand on the porch with the bike beside it. I could barely reach the pedal with my toe when it was at the bottom of the cycle. Getting off was a wonder, too, if I wasn't near the porch. I don't ever remember falling, but then I tend to forget negative things anyway. We had those bikes for many years, until Junior High School when we got 10-speed bikes that were brand new. I have a picture of the old bike somewhere. When you look at it, you wonder how I ever managed to ride it.

But what I remember most about that bike and that Christmas is my dad. Probably in the poverty camp, not college-educated (not even a high school diploma), but he was very gifted with his hands, his head and his heart. He was an elder in his church until he passed away because he was so wise. He didn't ever say much, a word here or there. He was rough on the outside, but he loved his boys and his wife with immeasurable love.

To this day, I never face a problem of any kind or in any place, that I don't find myself thinking, "What would my dad do? What would he say? How would he react? What tool would he use?"

Excuse me, I'm going to go find that picture......

Great Help for Marketing Books

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 03:11:00 +0000

I finally finished writing my first book, Victory Ground. What a chore, but what a fabulous feeling also. I chose to self-publish through CreateSpace. My wife, the graphics artist, did all this step. What a great help she was, too. Now the big question: how to market my book? I am very new at all this, and the questions inside the big question are many, to say the least.

So Judy came across an ebook (I would say a treasure!) available through Kindle that has become my new Bible when it comes to marketing. It is Shelley Hitz's book, Marketing Your Book on Amazon. Every chapter is packed with helpful ideas, some I am not ready to use just yet, but some that are immediately invaluable.

For instance, the Amazon website for my book is very long (two lines of type, at least). It makes it difficult to tell people, or to show it on FaceBook, for instance. Well, Shelley has a number of suggestions how to shorten the URL to something quite manageable. That was a great help to me.

And again, Judy is preparing the book as an ebook for those who like to read online. The problem: some of my friends want an autographed copy, even on an ebook. Shelley to the rescue again. She has a chapter called Digitally Autographing Your Kindle eBooks. Talk about timely! It is the perfect chapter.

So all in all, if you are thinking about self-publishing (and that is so easy nowadays), then you must get Shelley's ebook to help with your marketing. Go ahead and get it, you'll thank me later.

Judy and her sisters sing!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:50:00 +0000

Judy and her sisters sing at her dad's 90th birthday celebration.

Christmas at the Gilmores

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Our Christmas lights (inside and outside) are all up at the Gilmore house this year. I wish I could tell you they were all working. Ugh! This year, I purchased a little gizmo that helps to fix lights that aren’t working. It is quite miraculous in its simplicity, but works about 90% of the time. Better than without it, though! Anyway, I have a third of a strand of icicle lights not working, one out of four pillars wrapped in lighted garland not working, a couple of strands on our pre-lit Christmas tree not working, and one topiary covered with lights not working. After trying very hard to fix them, I confess I have lost the burden. (No Christmas pictures this year of the outside of our house - I could sneak one in from last year, if you insist.)

I am so glad that the wise men of yore did not have that problem when following the Star. Imagine their bewilderment in trying to find the Christ child. And what of the heavenly choir of angels, if some lost their glow, and the shepherds didn’t take them seriously.

I am thankful that the Savior of the world, the Light of the world, doesn’t have the problems I have had with my Christmas lights. His light is sure, steady, and dependable through all the ages that have come and are yet to come. The deeper the darkness, the brighter His light shines. And more importantly, His light shines brightly in me, and I hope, through me to others. Let your light so shine…

Every time I see those lights that aren’t working, I am reminded of the Light of Christ that is. I am so thankful for His light – and the reminder through my lights. In the lyrics of Michael W. Smith: Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness, Opened my eyes let me see…

So…Here I am to worship!

Our Fall Yards

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 23:39:00 +0000

God has so blessed us with a marvelous house in Muskogee. And God and Judy have created such peaceful and beautiful scenes for our eyes. Here are a couple pictures of part of our back yard. These we see every day as we eat on the back patio, either breakfast or supper. You are seeing the morning sun play across our beautiful crepe myrtle bushes.

And here are pictures of our front yard and flower beds. Judy has a wonderful green thumb. It is normal to see cars driving by our house very slowly, then turning around and coming back.

The Beauty of God

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:47:00 +0000

We are blessed of God where we live. We are just 3 blocks from one of the most beautiful parks ever. It also serves as a workout place. This is a man-made waterfall. From the top of the falls to the lowest part of the park there are 185 irregular sandstone steps. By the time we walk the three blocks, then go down the steps and back up, we have had a great workout. Year before last I dropped 25 pounds!

Besides the workout, we have the most wonderful scenery to view. There are all kinds of flowers: crepe myrtles, cannas, dogwoods, azaleas, redbuds, irises, verbinum, lilacs, privet hedges, roses, hybiscus, etc. Throughout the spring and summer and fall, the park changes over and over with different flowers blooming. The park workers are so good and diligent, and kind.

Here are more pictures of our great Honor Heights Park. (Notice the waterfall in the middle of the 6th and 7th picture below.)

The Moms in My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:10:00 +0000

Sunday is Mother's Day, and I wanted to give a shout out to all the mothers in my life. I am blessed with many of them. Here we go.

On the left is my mother, Ophelia, also known as Torchy. What a great lady she was. She passed away last year (May 5) here with me. She was such a loving, guiding mother. She really prepared me for life, and always stood behind me in my ministry. Without her, I would not know about Jesus. She is sorely missed. She taught me to drive, taught my Sunday School class growing up, taught me to cook and clean and sew, etc. She had the funniest sayings (from Texas, of course), more than you could count. Right to the end she was sharp as a tack, and full of fun. She delighted in telling the people of my congregation about me as a little boy. Once or twice I had to stop her, some things are just private (or I think they should be).

Next to her is Dorothy. She is actually my sister-in-law's mother, but she is a surrogate mother to me. My children call her Grandmother. Dorothy lives with her daughter Donna in Dallas, but she and my mother were such great friends. At church, when you saw one, you saw the other. They were great pals. When my mother moved up to Muskogee to be with us, they spoke on the phone every day. Dorothy is a blessing in my life.

This is Mabel, my wife Judy's mother. Mabel was a glorious servant of the Lord; teaching, serving, guiding. She was the center of a home filled with love; love for her husband, and her 5 daughters. I loved talking about the Bible with Mabel. You would have thought she graduated from a Bible college. But she was just self-taught. She passed away a year after we married. In her last month on this earth, she was memorizing the book of James, even though she knew her time here was almost gone. And she had the greatest humor. She and I and got to where we tried to support everything we said with a Bible verse, even if we had to misquote it. What a great way to learn scriptures (you have to know them to misquote them) and have fun, too.

Who could possibly replace such a great mother-in-law as Mabel? Well, God can. Without any aspersions on Mabel, I can say that I have the greatest mother-in-law in the world. I don't know what I would do without her. She came to the family almost 2 years after Mabel passed away, and she fit in from day one. Imagine marrying 5 daughters and two sons-in-law (one of those was/is pretty cantankerous), bringing with her her own daughter, then eventually birthing one more (that's 7 girls if you are counting). After she married in August, she got right into the work of helping prepare her new daughter Beth's (daughter #4) wedding in December. And she hasn't stopped since. She is the most giving, supporting, and child/grandchild/great-grandchild enjoying lady you will ever know. She picked up the love mantel where Mabel left it, and has carried it so wonderfully for almost 40 years.

Although not my mother, Judy is the mother of the world's greatest girls -- mine! And she is the world's greatest wife. She is just always there when you need her. Wife, mother and grandmother (Mimi), she has made our family the great family it is. She always has a smile, and always has time for each person individually. Not only is she a great homemaker, she is also a great graphics artist. Her website is on the computer screen behind her. She has built a website for my ministry, her art work, and one to teach others the Bible (check out www.victoryground.com, www.biblelearninglab.com, the new one is not ready for viewing for another few days). Judy is a great Bible teacher, as well. And the most amazing thing: she has a thousand new ideas every day!! Where does she get them?! Judy has always supported me to the fullest in all that God has called me to do. What a helpmeet she is.

Just have to talk about my two daughters, mothers both. Kari is my older daughter. She has two beautiful girls, 5 and 6 years old. She is fun-loving, great to be around, and a mother to the nth degree. I am constantly amazed at her abilities. She has had a lot of hardships in life (3 preemie babies, each at about 6 months), but she just keeps going, keeps smiling and laughing, keeps making others feel so special. And she loves the Lord with all her heart. (A great cook, too!)

Last, and certainly not least, is my younger daughter Stephanie. She is the organizer in the family. She is married to a great man, has a beautiful daughter (5 years old) and a son (2 years old). She is the life of the party, also. She teaches first grade, and all her kiddos love her. Jeff takes such good care of her and the children, and gives her the things she needs to be a great mother. She is involved in church, teaching Sunday School when it is her time in rotation.

Can you tell I love all the "mothers" in my life? And for good reason, too!! Now give a shout out for the mothers in your life.

Ah! Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:52:00 +0000

I must say that I do love spring! The flowers, the green, the smells, etc. Judy's gardens are beginning to 'color-up'. (Yes, I made up that word. Good, huh?) I just had to share some of the pictures. The grass (my job) is about half-way in the greening process. Just turned the sprinkler system on last week, and this week we are getting rain. No better watering system than what drops from the sky. God is the best at watering and growing.

Here you can see the light green Lamb's Ear along the sidewalk. It really does feel soft and fuzzy, just like a lamb's ear. At the far right is white Candy tuft. At the corner is a pink dogwood. She planted the dogwoods when they were about 2 inches high, so after 3+ years, the first one of them bloomed (6 pink blooms). If you click on the picture (to make it bigger) you can see her cinnamon stick fern between the red azalea and oak tree. Of course the big red bushes are azaleas. The hydrangeas are not yet blooming, but you can see them just to the left of the oak tree. And there are hosta plants all along, as well.

Standing in the street, you can see yellow irises, some red flowers that edge the garden (we can't remember what they are called. Anybody know?), some small clumps of daffodils called Lauras, some pansies, and of the course, the youpon holly bush standing up in the center of the garden. It is beautiful in the winter with all its red berries. In a few weeks, this round garden will be edged with white alyssum. And soon, scattered around both gardens, the foxglove will bloom with whites and pinks and yellows. (Foxglove is what is used to make digitalis for the heart, but can be poisonous if eaten in this stage.)

Just a last shot, standing in the yard. All along the sidewalk edge, Judy has planted small impatiens which will grow to give a nice red edge to the garden. Watch the growth of her garden throughout the summer, right here. And maybe I will be able to include her backyard gardens and vegetable plots in days to come. Also, my apples, pears, blueberries and kiwi.

Springtime notes

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:11:00 +0000

Hallelujah! It is spring! My favorite time of the year. So much is happening to bring life again to the earth. Our yard is beginning to fill with flowers, the grass is turning green, etc. My blueberry plants are putting out. I am happy about this because I wondered about their survival through the winter, but all three made it. My apple trees are in full bloom (could be a bumper year). My pear tree is absolutely loaded!! The above picture is the Texas Red Quince in my backyard. It is one of our first flowering bushes to show out. Judy's 4 baby dogwoods are doing well, and one of them is actually blooming this year - a pink one, with 5 blooms! Our baby red bud is blooming for the first time. And after 5 years of waiting, our Kiwi vines are going to give out fruit. Wow! It is so exciting!

Here are some of my babies off to school. Olivia and Ava are with us at present. So they are enrolled in Muskogee schools. It is so much fun to get them ready and drop them off at school. They are so delightful, no real problems, always so cheery. They love to do everything for themselves, so they are no trouble at all. We enjoy Kari, their mother, having an extended stay with us, too.

Now who is this young group of men? Well, the skinny guy at the piano is yours truly. Hmmm.... Yep, after 40 years, the bass singer contacted me and sent me this picture along with about 5 of our songs that we recorded in our college days. When I learn how, I will post a few of our quartet songs. Really they are pretty good for kids (you can kinda hear the piano in the background). To name the guys, they are from left to right, Jim, CK, Dan, and Rick. Of course, in my mind they are all young still. My hair is thin and white, and I am not so thin anymore. Still have the serious face. And after 40 years, even I think my piano abilities have improved.

Spring is just around the corner!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:24:00 +0000

Well, as much as I enjoyed winter and all the snows, I am now ready for spring. Just a few warm days in succession can do that. We have had jonquils blooming since February (the only ones in our neighborhood). And yesterday, a friend brought me some red canna bulbs for planting. We have had yellow ones for many years, but I always thought it would look so nice to have red ones interspersed with the yellow. So Saturday, I will be planting cannas.

Judy has been cleaning up her gardens/flower beds for spring. And they look so nice and clean. It just does a body good to get out and do some spring maintenance. Our grass is greening, the fruit trees will soon explode with blossoms, the rose bushes are pushing out new leaves, the dogwoods are showing the beginnings of flower buds. It is just glorious all around.

Thank you, God, for spring!

A good time was had by all!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:17:00 +0000

Last Thursday I had the joy of taking my young friend Cody to ORU for participation in the Whole Life Scholarship contest. He spent the day in interviews and tests, and then visiting classes. I spent the day visiting old friends. It was a good day, everyone was in their office and had time for me.

I even ran into some people whom I thought I would not get to see. Happenstance is a glorious gift of God. So, I spent the whole day going all over the campus, and up and down myriad sets of stairs. It was good to see friends, AND to see the nice changes all around the campus. Buildings look so good, the Prayer Gardens are exquisite, and the refurbishing of the creek that runs through the property is coming along nicely.

The University also provided a sumptuous continental breakfast, and a lunch in the style of Olive Garden, for the contestants and those that brought them. I was so proud to show the campus and people off to Cody. And he reached max overload of good things by the time we needed to turn toward home.

Catch-up Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:25:00 +0000

For those of you who read my blog, I put in a picture a few weeks back showing my backyard from my office window. You will remember the pine tree limbs were hanging way down, almost parallel with the trunk of the tree. So here is a picture of them after the snow left. There were pine trees in the area that lost limbs due to the snow, with an undercoating of ice. We were blessed to have missed that ordeal.

I am happy to say that I have successfully pruned my apple and pear trees (only 3 in total), and have put the coating of dormant spray on them. After the blossoms have come and gone, I will need to spray them once more to protect the new fruit. I did prune the tops of the apple trees in order to strengthen the root system. I hope to be able to report an apple crop later on. One tree actually comes due the 1st of July.

Here is my grandson, Brent, enjoying a new figurine on our living room coffee table. He may be small but he has no difficulty reaching things. He simply climbs onto a table or shelf to get at what he wants. I probably should be concerned about that, but he is so cute and sincere with his activities, it is hard not to let him get away with things. And then, being one boy in the midst of three girls, I have to give him some leeway.

I want to remind all that I do have an inspirational blog as well. Click here to enjoy.

Fun Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:06:00 +0000

What a marvelous time we had last weekend. It was the ORU alumni homecoming. Since both my girls and my wife graduated from ORU, it was a nice time for all to get together. It had been a while since everyone was at home here. So we did some fun, and crazy things. One crazy thing is that we took a hike through Honor Heights Park. The wind was quite bad and cold, but we got out anyway. (click on any picture to make it bigger)

We parked at the water tower parking lot at the top of the hill. Here are the girls all ready for the hike. I took the picture, but where is Brent? (2 granddaughters from St. Louis, 1 from Dallas. Is it possible to all have the same coats?)

Next picture is at the top of a very tall water fall (see water to the left of Judy). It is over 100 rough hewn sandstone steps down. Ava and Brent led the pack, going down lickety-split. (Ah! There's Brent!)

We finally reached the bottom and took another picture with the water fall in the background. (Just think, we have to go back up the steps at the end of our hike. We did, too, with no trouble at all.)

In the park, we couldn't resist a picture on this big rock. With everyone on top, except for the two old folks, Mimi and Papa, we got this picture.

Getting ready to go back up, we stopped for this picture of Mimi and Papa with their precious grandkids (l to r: Olivia, Brent, Ava, Caitlyn).

After a trip to Incredible Pizza, we made it to the game. Boy! Everyone had such fun, and they really watched the game all the way through. We got some little basket balls (3) that were thrown into the crowd, some posters, and of course, popcorn. We won by one point with about 8 seconds left in the game. A really close and exciting game!

At one of the time outs, you could go out on the floor with your parents (Mimi in this case) and dance with Eli the Eagle to the tune of YMCA. Brent decided to have fun all by himself, instead of dancing. He would run and throw himself down and slide across the floor. He gathered quite an audience, too.

The Happy Camper

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:38:00 +0000

All my grandkids are just about here. 2 from Dallas, where they have had 12.5 inches of snow, and 2 from St. Louis where there is snow, as well. All weekend long! Now that is my kind of Valentine's celebration. May even have a birthday party for Ava, who will be 5 on Tuesday!

God is so good to me. One 2-year old Brent, 2 5-yr old Caitlyn and Ava, one 6-yr old Kari. Right here with me. Guess I will let Mimi love on them a little. (Pictures to come.)

The Snows of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:57:00 +0000

What great, and fun, snows we have had this winter. Our first snow was the night before Christmas, 2009. It was 6-inches of great fun, more of a dry snow. My brother had never had a white Christmas or shoveled snow. (That was remedied.) And we had Judy's parents with us also, which is always a delight.

In January we had another snow of 6-inches, this one a wet snow. But truly just as much fun as the other. Judy helped me shovel snow this time, although shoveling isn't all that hard when you learn how to use a snow shovel like a snow plow. Makes for warm, cozy days inside looking out and enjoying the snow with a warm cup of something in your hand.

The above picture is the scene I have outside my office window. Very relaxing, very motivating, to say the least. (The light in the upper right of the picture is a reflection of my office light.) God has blessed us with this house in so many ways, but one that stands out during the snows is the many windows we have. (Notice the limbs on the pine tree are greatly weighted down. As soon as the snow melted, they popped right back up.)

Here is a picture from our front porch. I am blessed to live where we can get the occasional, great snow! Seems a shame when the first foot-prints, or car tracks, are made. I call snow "the great equalizer". The ugly yards that are messy and unkempt are just as beautiful as the neat and well-kept yards.

Here is our front yard from the porch with the street light on. The light is hidden by the oak tree, but the color from its glow gives a wonderful awe dimension to the snow.

The picture below was taken today, February 8, during another, smaller snow. If the temp had been below freezing, we could have had about 3-inches. But it was gone immediately after the last flake fell. And it was leaving all during the snow.

Notice the man in the tree harness/swing. The electric company came today to clear out tree branches in the path of the power lines that run across our backyard. I have been working since early fall to get them to come out before a winter storm might take out our electricity. Finally, they made it out today. But it makes for a good picture, and our electricity is a little more safe-guarded. (Click on any picture to make it larger.)

Weather, Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:56:00 +0000

The weather has changed again - that's Oklahoma. We have been told we are under a severe weather situation. So last night, rain was changing to freezing rain (ugh!) which means a possible bad ice storm. Did that in January of 2007, more than enough, no need to repeat.

What would I find when I got up this morning? At 6am the temp at my house was 34-35 degrees. Not bad! There was ice on the trees, but not enough to break a limb, just make them hang down.

Today we should get 2-5 inches of snow. It is just now turning to snow outside my window (11am), so we will see. I really don't mind the snow, just not the ice. But...the streets are basically clear of ice, thanks to the above-freezing weather.

Sunday, we drive over to Tahlequah to preach (about 35 miles). They are forcast to get up to 10 inches. But surely tomorrow the roads will be worked on. Oh, well, we will just start early and be prepared for whatever comes.

It's winter, that's what you get!

Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:51:00 +0000

I have great friends! Everybody ought to have some. And my friends just have to know that I love giraffes, and collect them (because I tell them). Some of my great friends have given me giraffes.

Yesterday, I looked out the window to check the mail, and there was an oblong package on the porch. It was from a great friend of mine in North Carolina. When I picked it up, I knew what it was - a giraffe (see the picture above)! I have named this giraffe Sharon. Isn't that a nice name? It fits this giraffe, because the name and the giraffe show such elegance. It really made my day.

The natives of Africa have a belief that God made the giraffe with such a long neck so that he/she could look over the edge of the earth and see where the sun went. This giraffe is doing just that. And I believe that she is also announcing, "Here it comes again!" Sharon gives me hope for the new day.

My shelves are covered with giraffes of all shapes and sizes, from less than a inch to over a foot. Each one is very special, and many of them remind me of my friends who gave them to me. I have 23 giraffes that stand by themselves that are made of wood, brass, leather, ceramic or cloth. One is made from the root of a tree. I have two giraffe clocks, a giraffe candle, a giraffe picture frame, three giraffe pictures (one is a photo I took in South Africa and one is drawn by an artist friend), a giraffe magnet, a giraffe mouse pad, and many giraffe greeting cards. Below are some of my giraffes that share space with my books, and below that a single shelf on the wall that holds some of my friends. I am holding two (my latest one and a tall one made of leather) that stand on a chest of drawers in the corner of my office. I even have a VHS documentary on giraffes that a friend taped and gave to me. (My wife has a giraffe on one of her purses, but I am NOT going to carry that one.)

I hope you enjoy my giraffes, and if you visit me, I will gladly show you around. (Click on the pictures to make them larger, if you wish.)

A Special Christmas Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:05:00 +0000

Christmas has come and gone for another year, but I am still relishing every part of the Christmas of 2009. One of those memories is shown above. Jim and Kari, Olivia and Ava were in Tulsa, but couldn't get down to Muskogee until the day after due to 6.5 inches of snow here, and 8-10 inches in Tulsa. Because of the snow delay, they decided to stay over till Monday, thereby going to church with us!

Of course, our two Christmas packages (see their dresses above) sang us a song or two at church. The people loved it all, and we were beaming. I only wished we could have had our other two grandchildren with us, but scheduling was a mess with weather and other family commitments in Texas.

Also, in church with us that day was my "little" brother. Christmas this year was such a treasure. After about 35 years of the least possible contact because of James' lifestyle choices, we were re-united in '09, just before my mother's passing. James has turned back to the Lord and has changed and is changing his lifestyle. As a boy, he had the most precious personality. Everyone loved him, everyone wanted him around. He was just the best boy ever! Well, what made the 4 days of Christmas so special is that that personality was back. I was so blessed for the restoration. He is all the family I have left; father, mother and brother gone. (Let me say that I do have a sister-in-law who is a treasure, and far from an in-law.) I thank God for James and for the renewal we have experienced together. God is good!