Welcome to Les's Blog

  Good morning on this fine Sunday! What a blessed day to worship the Lord! Every day is a blessed day to worship the Lord. But Sunday is the day we have the privilege of doing it with all of God's children in our lives.  I pray that you go to church. God wants us there. I have heard people say that they can't go because they don't get anything out of it or they don't know anyone or people aren't friendly. Well, you don't go to get. You go to give your worship to God. If you don't get anything out of it then you have your mind on lunch or something else instead of Jesus. Sometimes in church we try to pick it apart instead of worship. And if people are not friendly then you are at the wrong church. Sometimes you have to try lots of churches to find the right Bible-teaching one. And you need to try them more than once. But when you do find the right one, you will know it.  Sometimes it is impossible to go to church because of work or illness, ...

Good morning to you! Hallelujah! Jesus is alive! You are holy, holy, holy, Lord! I was reading a devotional about Jesus being God's beloved. And how God tells us we are like Christ and so we are His beloved also. God's Word says: Matthew 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 3:1-2  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ...

Good morning! Starting walking this morning with my neighbor. I haven't done that outside or with anyone in a long time because I have a treadmill. But I haven' been walking inside either. I will do it one day and then get busy and not do it again for a week. It is about time I did. I used to exercise at least 3 days a week, most of the time more. But I got out of the habit and it is so hard to get back in that habit. Just maybe this will be my motivation to just do it! And walking with a friend just makes it all the better. Our bodies are God's temple. We are supposed to take care of them. Have you heard the saying that if you snooze you lose. Well, anything you do that is good that you quit doing you lose. I mean, that if your body is in shape and you quit doing what put you in shape, you will get out of shape real soon. If you are eating healthy and you quit, you might possibly get sick. We quit eating fast food years ago. I mean the greasy stuff. Felt bett...

Good morning! How are you this fine day? How is your relationship with your family? I hope that you have a great one. Life is too short to have grievances with them of any kind. I would want to know when I die that I have a family that loves and cares for me and hopefully do anything for me. I have just learned that a family member passed away about 5 months ago and no one knew it. And he didn't tell anyone that he had family. That is so sad. I can't imagine what that would be like. It makes you think that that person might have lived a miserable life.  Oh Lord, don't ever let that happen to me. Lord, bless this family who has lost a loved one. Give them peace and comfort in this hard and sad time of loss. Show them how to grieve in this unusual situation, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen! Matthew 5:4    “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4    “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus C...

Good morning on this fine and beautiful day! Yesterday was a pretty day and I look forward to another one. It has cooled down 10 degrees. A little more fall like. Praise the Lord! I am working on a lesson for our kid's time tonight. My husband and I feed the neighborhood kids with a lesson and food every Wed. night before service. Sometimes we have 2 kids and sometimes we have 12. But we love it and we will not give it up unless God tells us to quit or do something else. I am listing 3 acronyms which are not just for our kids tonight.  APE-Always Pray Everyday ASAP-Always Say A Prayer PUSH-Pray Until Something Happens These are not just for the kids. They should mean something for all of us as they are scriptural. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.… Philippians 4:6 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplicatio...

  Good morning! I want to share a story of a lady about servant hood. We have really lost this way of giving to God in our lives. We live in such a me, me, me society now days. We have lost that loving, caring, serving attitude that God wants us to have. This is the story, from Greg Ogden's Discipleship Essentials we are studying, that really touched my heart: "The servant has restless eyes always looking for needs to be met. This truth is captured well by the story that Mary Rutan tells of meeting one such servant. Her church in Alaska was hosting preaching missionaries in their homes. Before the missionary arrived who was to stay in their home, the Hong Kong flu totaled their household. Before they could make other housing arrangements, there was a knock on the door. Mary’s husband was the only one well enough to stagger to the front door clutching his robe against the wind. He explained the situation and that it would be best for the missionary to stay e...

Good Monday morning! Praying that all is well with you. Did you have a blessed weekend? We sure did. Had a bit of rain. On Saturday my husband worked and then came home and he cut up and we hauled the tree that fell in our yard, in the very early AM Friday, to the burn pile and stacked the firewood from it. What a mess! Now we just need to call a gutter guy to come out and fix the gutter on the house that the tree hit. So, today is going to be catch-up. There are so many things that I have neglected to do at home. Not everyday or weekly stuff, but just things that need to be done that I haven't done. There seems to be so much to do in a home not just inside but outside. And if you don't do it, eventually the house might fall down around you. Sometimes it is so overwhelming that you don't do anything. And that is a mistake. We must take care of whatever God has given us. I believe that starting with children we must teach them to take care of their toys. Eve...

Good morning! Blessings to you this Sunday! Just think, in another week and this month will be gone. It seems as though time just flies by. It never, ever stands still. Time makes us another day older and another day closer to the end of our lives or to when Jesus comes back to take us home. I am ready. How about you? John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. Matthew 24:44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 1 Corinthians 16:13  Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.  1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that whe...

  Good Saturday morning! Do you need a good laugh? Sometimes we do. Especially if we don't have an opportunity to laugh much. Our household is wonderful but we are pretty serious most of the time and we don't laugh that much. Let's see what God says about laughter! Here are just some of the verses! Proverbs 17:22  A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Psalm 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” Job 8:21  He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting. Ecclesiastes 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ...

  On the right (in the left picture next to my  garden after harvest season before turning  under, many years ago ) is my Rose of  Sharon Tree when it didn't look dead. In the right picture my Rose of Sharon  tree after the bad storm Wed. night! Good morning to you!  It's Friday. I have been up since a little before 5 am and awake since long before 4 am. Ugh! The last three nights I have not slept well at all. I go to sleep fine but then when I wake up in the middle of the night, I can't go back to sleep. I used to do that a lot but for a long time now I have been sleeping so sound, like a log until this week. Maybe I look the way my tree does! Oh Lord, please help me! Maybe these words will help: Psalm 139:23-24 23  Search me, God, and know my heart;      test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24  See if there is any offensive way in me,      and lead me in the...

I took this after the storm on Monday  around sunset. I stopped in the middle  of the road and click-click! Good morning to you! The storms were pretty bad here last night but they could have been worse. I am sure it was in someone else's neighborhood. There was a tornado warning here. We were 35 minutes away at church but so glad that God protected us and our home and community. Lots of leaves and small branches around but not too bad. In the afternoon the power kept clicking off about 10 times. I guess those might have been power surges. I don't like that because that is when you can burn up something: tv, computer, air conditioner, etc. The power went out about 4 am this morning and didn't come back on until around 8 am. When my husband left for work their was a tree fallen on a power line and pulled down on the road. Our neighbor was standing in the road with a flashlight and warned him of the downed lines. This was before 6 am. Do...

The beach is such a peaceful place  for me. We'll do it next year! Good morning to you! Are you down in the dumps? I kind of have been lately and I don't know why. I do know that I am staying at home too much. I am not doing anything at all with friends except my best friend, my husband. But he is really not a goer. He works almost an hour from home 5-6 days a week and is so exhausted when he gets home from work that he doesn't feel like doing anything. And of course I don't blame him. I need to get out more on my own. I need to work more. I need to try harder. And most importantly I need to seek God more. I thought I was but I guess not enough. " But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own ."   Matthew 6:33-34  These are the words of Jesus. And that is what He is ...

Good morning! My devotion this morning was so good. Well, they all are but this one touched me. So, I am going to share it with you. Divine Guidance Read Job 9:8-10 [God] is the maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. - Job 9:9 (NIV) Today's Devotional One of my favorite activities after a hectic day is to step outside after dinner, when all is quiet, and gaze at the evening sky. On a clear night many stars and constellations are visible, such as Pleiades, the Big Dipper, and Gemini. But my favorite has always been Orion — maybe because its outline and belt are so distinct in the sky. Recently, my Bible study group was studying the book of Job. When I read Job 9:9, it occurred to me that the constellations have been around since the beginning of Creation. The ancients looked upon them with the same awe and reverence that I look upon them today. In the same way, God has been there sinc...

Good morning! It is Monday morning. A rainy, dark, and dreary day! But it is a day that the Lord has made! And I choose to rejoice and praise Him and be glad in it. Hope and pray that you had a great weekend. As I have said so many times, God is good all the time. And He is better than good. He is great and awesome and wonderful and marvelous! Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders? ... Exodus 15:11 He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen ... Deuteronomy 10:21 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies ... 2 Samuel 22:4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods ... 1 Chronicles ... 16:25 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array ... 1 Chron...

Good morning on this Sabbath Day! I pray that you are having a great weekend. A great chance to renew and refresh. Or any time you have free, take it to just relax. A work schedule can be tiring and stressful. We must take the time to reflect and worship God and unwind and relax.  I know that there are other things to do at home and other things that have to be done. But we must regroup, so to speak, every once in a while. Otherwise, we will eventually burn out! Today is a good day to spend time with God and family and just destress your body and mind. Exodus 33:14 “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Leviticus 25:4 “But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.” Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 61:1 “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. F...