The Battle Hymn of the Beloved

A fellow at church was lamenting the lyrics of The Battle Hymn of The Republic one Sunday and said there was no possible way to redeem the song. In essence it was a matter of doctrine and Julia Ward Howe must have not understood the grace of God, the rapture and the body of Christ. I knew he didn't exactly mean that the song couldn't ever be fixed, but I took it as a challenge and wrote new lyrics for all of the dispensationalists out there who enjoy the power of the song but wish for the right perspective as they sing it! Seeing as July is coming right up and people will be in the mood for a patriotic tune, why not sing for the King? For what a blessing it is to understand the full riches we have in Christ and to be accepted in the beloved and saints of God! So here's a song that as Ephesians 6:1 says, "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."

The Battle Hymn of the Beloved

Mine eyes look for the glory of the coming of the Lord;
when the trumpet call shall sound and we are caught up in the cloud
with the saints who in Christ Jesus have complete in Him been found...
Still Grace is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His Grace is marching on.

I have read a glorious Gospel writ through our apostle, Paul
The dispensation of the mystery of Grace is unto all!
We must tell the lost of Jesus for too soon the trump will call
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

Let us witness to the worldly in the morning, night and day
Let us urge them to salvation for it's Jesus Christ who saves
Standing boldly in the truth of God we've naught to be ashamed
His strength is marching on!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His strength is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
Humbled as a faithful servant Holy God in man was He
As He died to pay sin fully, He arose to set men free
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

God preserves His Word forever and inerrant it remains
Unto every generation, in perfection, still the same
The only Living Book it is a double edged blade
His Word is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His Word is marching on.

All the good things that I do it is no merit of my own
Not my works of righteousness, but by His faith alone
Setting affections up above and looking for that blessed hope
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

So Far This Summer

So, today is the first day of Summer! ...according to the calendar that is. It really doesn't feel like Summer is starting today. It feels like Summer started a month or so ago. The long rays of sunshine, mowing the law, smells in the evening air, flowers, birds, working hard in the warm heat of the day, .... so many things that, to me, say Summer has been in full swing for a while now.

The calendar may mark days by which we can calculate the seasons, but I think for some of us Summer does not begin on some given day of the year. Rather, it awakens with the feelings of joy and productivity we experience after the snow has melted away, and the Spring winds have died down. Summer begins with a walk down a country road on a muggy, sunny evening. Summer begins at the first bonfire of the year with friends gathered around. Summer begins when you chase seagulls on a beach and go running to meet the waves. Summer begins when you can wander through the woods and find the faces of little flowers opening for your delight.
Summer is so much more than a day on the calendar, so though today is technically the official first day of Summer, for me summer started a few months ago.

And so far this Summer...

Paddy caught a little bird that had a little wing problem... and he saved it from becoming the cat's next snack. He kept it in his bedroom until it was starting to fly around. We decided it was probably time for him to let it go when one morning I was woken up by a bird tweeting in my room! Quite an unusual wake-up call!

Dark chocolate. There is nothing to be compared. It's rich goodness can add instant happiness to any situation, making a good day better or a bad day good.  ...speaking of which, my supply has run out. It's time for another trip to the store. :)

I was able to go on a second road trip to Southern Wisconsin this month. I helped my brother, Isaac, move back home for a summer job doing concrete. I was able to spend a day with Isaac, Brittany, Courtney and Christopher while I was down there. We went to Lake Michigan, played Frisbee on the beach, tested out some hammocks and danced in the waves! Well... Isaac and Brittany decided to take off on a walk and we lost them for a few hours, so we went on an adventure in search for them. En route to a lighthouse (where we figured they may have gone) we came across an old pier. Christopher walked out to see what he could see... and not seeing anything but sea he dared me to come out there, just for kicks. I handed Courtney my phone and car keys.... just in case I were to fall, and ventured out to the edge. It really wasn't that dangerous, but it was fun all the same. Courtney decided to snap this picture with my phone. I had forgotten my camera and so this is the only picture of the whole trip that I have. Yay, for Summertime fun and randomness!!

I went to a wedding last Friday night for an old homeschool friend. It was a beautiful wedding with a great emphasis on Christ being the foundation and center for their relationship. After the ceremony I got to dance the night away with my friend Sandy. Being single I had to participate in the bouquet toss. Murphy, as always, had his share of fun in the event and the bouquet hit the ceiling and fell on the ground in front of the group of single girls. An awkward moment passed and then one of the younger gals just walked up and picked up the flowers! It was really, quite funny. In the process one, single, white rose had broken off and was left on the ground, neglected by the 'lucky' recipient of the bouquet.... so I took it home with me. :) Murphy would just give me a piece of luck, eh?! ;) I also got to dance with a stranger. A cowboy fella' from North Dakota, who stood out in the crowd with his black cowboy hat and western apparel. He was there with his girlfriend and they could sure swing dance (they were so good that everyone cleared the floor to watch them do aerials and awesome swing dance moves)! ...so it was quite a pleasure to get to dance with a pro. 

A side note to any single fella's who might be reading this: It's sad that there are so many guys out there where are too chicken to go for a spin on the dance floor. If you go to a wedding or some jazzy event, ask the single ladies for a dance! It'll be fun and it will likely make their day! It's the gentlemanly thing to do.

My sister-in-law Kendra and my sister Emily are both getting close to their due dates, and they are looking so good!!! You'd never guess they were almost full term. Kendra is due in July and Emily is ready to go any day!!! We know that Kendra and Jed are expecting a little girl (this will be their 3rd child).

Emily and Jacob are keeping it a surprise (this is their 1st!). We are all taking bets and making "educated" guesses. There are more of us that think it will be a little Jacob Jr. :) How exciting it will be to have two more little cherubs around!!!

Channing took me for a spin in his Ford truck the other day. It's a manual... and so he was trying to teach me to drive it. It actually didn't go too bad in my opinion but I don't know if Channing thought I was exactly a pro. He didn't like how quickly I'd let off the clutch or step on the gas.... sheesh! What a process. I definitely appreciate driving an automatic vehicle now. This was my second attempt at driving a stick-shift. On the bright side, at least there was no smoke this time.

Another crazy thing I've done so far is what my mom called, "Buckin' Bales". We're such spoiled farmers and we normally feed big square or round bales. My dad can use his skidsteer to move those around so we don't ever have to worry about dealing with small, square hay bales. Since hay is quite hard to come by this year we have to take what we can get and that happens to be the small, square bales. We borrowed some hay wagons from the neighbors and have been loading small hay bales into a wagon about every 3 or 4 days. You work up a pretty good sweat heaving bales around for three hours. Then the hay/straw sticks nicely to your sweaty skin and there is no layer of clothes that it cannot manage to get through. Scratchy, itchy, sticky work, buckin' bales is. But hey, I may have some pretty swell muscle tone by the time we've loaded the last of it up. Gotta love the farming life! Sure makes me appreciate those big square or round bales that my dad normally feeds the cows.

I am excited to see what adventures are waiting to happen as the Summer rolls on. Tonight is my dear cousin Julianne's graduation party and I'm sure that'll be a blast. ...and since there's only so much time in a day, I'd better scoot and get some things done before the fun begins.
Hope y'all are enjoying this day of "Summer Begins"! ;D

Whereby We Cry Abba

Fathers day. Sunshine, warm weather. You couldn't have asked for better weather conditions in my local area. Perfect for grilling, or fishing, or family fun, or whatever it is that people do to celebrate.

First of all, let me say that my dad is awesome. He's pretty much the coolest guy out there. A brilliant, genius sort who can fix anything, knows how to have a fun time and also works hard to create a good life for his family. This is of course why my mom married him. She's good at seeing a person's potential and my dad was so incredible that she took a bus from Idaho to Ohio just to make sure this fella' didn't get away.

I guess her plan worked. ;)

Considering the number of broken homes and disconnected families out there I wonder just how many people spend this day alone or dredging up bitter memories as they swallow down their Bud Light. I have the blessing and privilege of having both of my parents together who love and respect each other. Not having a father seems strange to me, but to think of all of the people out in the would who don't have two fathers is really an odd thought.
Yes, I have two fathers for I am blessed with an earthly father and an heavenly father.

A number of years ago I heard an excellent sermon by Joel Finck titled, "One God and Father". He talked about our condition of having no father before we were saved. We were without Christ in the world.
Ephesians 2:12
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

The literal translation for "without God" is atheist. We were fatherless, hopeless children of wrath and disobedience... atheists.
Ephesians 2:1-7
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Paul the Apostle used Roman adoption as an example of our relationship with Christ through adoption.
In Rome it was common to adopt an heir. To quote Wikipedia, "In the Roman Empire, adoption was the most common way of acceding to the throne without use of force. The second emperor, Tiberius, was the adopted son of Augustus, beginning a general tradition that the Emperor adopt his successor. During the Roman Empire's first 200 years, this tradition was common, with Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Lucius Verus all becoming Emperor through adoption."

Even so Jesus Christ is God's Son and we are made a part of Christ through the adoption of sons:

Romans 8:14-23
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

I don't think it get's much cooler then that!
Anyways, I am off to milk the cows for my daddy but I hope you all had an excellent Father's Day weekend and know that whether your biological father is near or far there is always the Creator of the universe who is patiently waiting to adopt you as His heir in His Son.

Galatians 4:1-7
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Brittany's Poetry

Hey y'all! I have a new site you might want to see!!
My dear brother's dear fiance created a blog of her really awesome poetry! I would definitely recommend you check it out:
Brittany's Poem Collection

AND.... for further reference, you can find a link to her blog under my "blogs you should visit" section on the right hand side of my blog page.

Reflections On Friendship

Ralph Waldo Emerson says that a good friend is like stinging nettle...

At a book sale a few years ago I spent 25 cents on a small, dark brown, hard-backed collection of essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson. At that point in time I'd read a few quotes by Emerson and had heard he was a great writer, but was not familiar with any of his works. I bought the book because it looked vintage and would add character to my bedroom bookshelf.
Recently, in search of some thought provoking literature, I picked up this little treasure and thumbed through the yellowed pages. For whatever reason I settled on reading the essay entitled, "Friendship".

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that a friendship consists of these two things:
truth and tenderness.
Truthfulness first, and hence the stinging nettle. Alright.... well, maybe he didn't spell it out quite as I have stated above. Much more eloquently, rather:

"Friendship requires that rare mean betwixt likeness and unlikeness, that piques each with the presence of power and of consent in the other party. Let me be alone to the end of the world, rather than that my friend should overstep, by a word or a look, his real sympathy. I am equally balked by antagonism and by compliance. Let him not cease an instant to be himself. The only joy I have in his being mine, is that the not mine is mine. I hate, where I looked for a manly furtherance, or at least a manly resistance, to find a mush of concession. Better be a nettle in the side of your friend than his echo. The condition which high friendship demands is ability to do without it. That high office requires great and sublime parts. There must be very two, before there can be very one. Let it be an alliance of two large, formidable natures, mutually beheld, mutually feared, before yet they recognize the deep identity which beneath these disparities unites them."

Maybe you have read my previous blog post about Mr. Glemp, and so naturally the idea of sincerity is of much interest to me. As a person who looks to find a way to keep the peace and yet clings to high ideals with a deep sense of morality, it is a little battle that rages in my being. Mr. Emerson wrote of this too, "He only is fit for this society who is magnanimous; who is sure that greatness and goodness are always economy; who is not swift to intermeddle with his fortunes." There is no battle of decisions in which a side does not come up victorious. Not making a decision is a decision. Teddy Roosevelt said along those lines, "The best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing, the worst thing you can do is nothing."   

That being said, it is one thing to be a glemper in society when there are numerous people involved and a pleasant disposition is required.  
When it comes right down to it though, I would rather that, with my friend, we forsake the abundant pleasures of formality and comfort in favor of five true words. I value sincerity greatly and with a true friend it is the knowing that we can be straightforward, honest and sincere with each other that I relish the most. 

It seems to me that politeness, formality and glemping is necessary with strangers for I do not think that stinging nettle or five true words from a stranger would be as well accepted. A stranger can not provoke the depth of a person's soul to come forth like a friend can. Emerson wrote of this too: 

"No two men but, being left alone with each other, enter into simpler relations. Yet it is affinity that determines which two shall converse. Unrelated men give little joy to each other; will never suspect the latent powers of each. We talk sometimes of a great talent for conversation, as if it were a permanent property in some individuals. Conversation is an evanescent relation, — no more. A man is reputed to have thought and eloquence; he cannot, for all that, say a word to his cousin or his uncle. They accuse his silence with as much reason as they would blame the insignificance of a dial in the shade. In the sun it will mark the hour. Among those who enjoy his thought, he will regain his tongue."

Nevertheless, it is possible for a stranger to be polite and sincere at the same time. With a much lighter tread than a friend, but still with the truth one possess their character. The insencerity of people in general is astounding sometimes. I came across this in my years spent on Facebook. Frivolousness, gossip and idle conversation do nothing to bring tenderness or truthfulness about in relations with people.
Mr. Emerson tells of one fellow who forsook the natural whimsy of socially acceptable behavior and was rewarded for his efforts:

"I knew a man, who, under a certain religious frenzy, cast off this drapery, and, omitting all compliment and commonplace, spoke to the conscience of every person he encountered, and that with great insight and beauty. At first he was resisted, and all men agreed he was mad. But persisting, as indeed he could not help doing, for some time in this course, he attained to the advantage of bringing every man of his acquaintance into true relations with him. No man would think of speaking falsely with him, or of putting him off with any chat of markets or reading-rooms. But every man was constrained by so much sincerity to the like plaindealing, and what love of nature, what poetry, what symbol of truth he had, he did certainly show him. But to most of us society shows not its face and eye, but its side and its back. To stand in true relations with men in a false age is worth a fit of insanity, is it not?"

Worth a fit of insanity, indeed.
If you would like to read the entirety of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay you can click here. I'd recommend it for there is so much that I have gained from reading it that I can not begin to relate it all. 
So, there you have it.
My latest endeavor is now to maintain a little bit of formic acid (the acid on the nettle hairs that cause the "sting") when dealing with my good friends. I wonder if Emerson knew that stinging nettle had therapeutic properties (it reduces swelling, comically enough). I am glad for my friends that are honest, tender and who keep me humble and happy. 

Really, what Emerson was discovering to us, with his essay on truth and tenderness, was the simple truths we find in Christ Jesus.  

Ephesians 4:15 says, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says," Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 

If this whole stinging nettle analogy doesn't work well for you then I recommend you try coffee. It also seems to work nicely to explain this difference in fast friends and real friends. Some like lots of sugar and cream and flavor added to their coffee. They drink it socially but wouldn't have it otherwise.
Others like their coffee strong, dark and black. It's bitter sometimes, but on the other hand a freshly ground bean can make a world of difference and the smooth rich darkness needs no flavor enhancers. A good cup of coffee goes a long way. 

O.K., I'll be honest. I do usually add a drop of milk to my coffee. I suppose that goes along with my propensity to glemp. But if a coffee is truly quality I hardly notice that it is black and can drink it readily. Not Folgers though.... I have to have cream and maybe even sugar with Folgers coffee. Oh, Folgers you are a stranger to me! ;)
Not everyone is fitted to be excellent friends, so I am thankful that there are people out there who I can call a genuine friend and who would call me their genuine friend.
 ....that being said, my dad just brewed a pot of coffee. I think I'd better go have a cup. With each sip I shall be reminded of my friends and family who make the world a better place with their unadulterated personalities. 

Until next time,
Cheerio!

Kids Are So Comical!

Kids say the funniest things. Really, they are way too smart for their own good.

As we were planting the garden today my niece, Meadow, told me that we were going to eat the green beans, and that we were going to eat ICE CREAM with the green beans!!! Quite a grand scheme, I think! Then she proceeded to tell me that ice cream was "ungood". I think she meant unhealthy, but I kind of like her word choice better. :)

My brother Patrick cracks me up on a regular basis. Two particular occasions come to mind at the moment:
The other night we were eating salmon, a rare treat in our household since hamburger is so abundant, and Paddy picks a bone from his fish and gets a serious look on his face, "hey, why is there fishing line in my fish?!"

Then the other day we were expecting a visit from my friend Courtney and her brother Chris (who I wrote about a few posts back). Paddy is quite fascinated by science and geography and all sorts of things like that so I thought I'd tell him Christopher was the guy to talk to about all of his ideas.
Me: If you have any questions about geography just ask Christoper.
Paddy: How to find gold.

Kids never cease to crack me up! Oh, to have the vantage point of a kid again! They have such honest perspective. :)
Anyways.... that's all for now. Hope y'all are having a great weekend!

June Hymn and Dark Chocolate

I had to run an errand for my parents this afternoon. It was a good day for a drive. Rain shimmering on the road, headlights, smokey clouds rising off the trees. I turned on my car stereo and added some tunes to the atmosphere. 

The Decemberists song, "June Hymn" came on and lyrics of yellow bonnets and jasmine reminded me of how unusual all of this cold weather and rain has been. About this time of year it feels like summer is in full swing, all of the irises are already past bloom, the garden is well on it's way and a pleasant stroll down a country road to view the long rays of the sunset is a regular occurance. Not this year. We keep indoors as the heaven pours forth all of the rain it kept from us last year. Wet, damp, ...accompanied by the green hues we've missed for so long. 

As I ambled about Eau Claire I was told to stop at a grocery store to pick up some goods for my folk. I breezed past isles of merchandise when suddenly, there stood the row of assorted chocolates. It didn't take me long to settle on a large bar of 85% dark chocolate. As I carried my bag of purchased items to my car I grinned like a little child..... and I hadn't even sampled the chocolate yet!!! Just buying it can bring about happiness!! I couldn't wait to get home before partaking of the savory, rich goodness though and I tasted it right there in my car! ...let me tell you, it was worth every penny. Health and happiness, wrapped in a golden foil? Sheesh... I felt like Charlie (from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) when he found his golden ticket.... only my prize was the chocolate.

Anyways.... I've said enough about dark, rich, delicious chocolate. Let's just say, it's not something to be taken lightly. ;)
O.K. that was horrible, I know. You'll forgive me. 
 I'm off now to milk the cows..... maybe it will go to Hersey's to make milk chocolate? ;)

"Whosoever findeth a wife..."

It is time for another wedding in the family, and Isaac is the lucky fellow of the day!!!

 
How did this all come about? It's really quite an adventurous story:
Isaac decided to get on a Christian dating site (just for kicks) and saw a girl that he liked, who seemed to fit the 'qualifications'. The trick was that the website would let you view people's profiles but required a $30 fee before they'd let you contact anyone. Because he didn't have a credit card he couldn't sign up to the website to contact Brittany.

....

It took him two weeks to find her on Facebook.

Isaac had a job and was living in Tennessee but dropped it all to move back to WI and meet Brittany. Isaac's never been the sort to mess around with life. He knows what he wants and sets out to get it. Not exactly the average fellow, as he would tell you himself, but clearly there are times when decisiveness pays off.

I can't tell you exactly how long it's been but I know they've been dating for something like 3 months. As of right now it sounds like the wedding will be in a year. Isaac would speed up the process if he could (I think two weeks is a more suitable time frame to him) but a little extra time would definitely make planning a wedding much less stressful. I would know since my three oldest siblings all got married in 2-3 months from the time of engagement! Talk about a whirlwind!

Parents do set the pace it seems and I doubt that any of my siblings will come close to Mom and Dad's three weeks of knowing each other, three months of letter writing, and two weeks of engagement. I don't think there was any dating in there. Talk about jumping the gun. ;) So, we have them to thank for all of these crazy siblings of mine and their ideas of short and sweet relationships/engagements!

Isaac and Brittany called last night to talk with Mom about some wedding ideas. It reminded me of Brad Pasley's song, "All You Really Need Is Love":

So you say you wanna tie the knot
And you're askin' me if I think that the two of you have got
What it takes to make it work
Well one thing's for sure
All you really need is love

Let me say I'm happy for you both
And here's a little something that the two of you should know
If you want to do it right
Just take my advice
All you really need is love

And a license and a blood test and a bunch of invitations
A minister, a white dress, and of course a congregation
And flowers and music and candles and cake
And a bunch of rice for folks to throw as you drive away

Now what's that expression on your face
You're lookin' kind of pale, is everything OK
Don't worry you'll be fine
If you just keep in mind
All you really need is love

And bridesmaids and groomsmen and a wedding coordinator
And food for the reception, you'll need someone to cater
Did I forget to mention it'll take a couple rings
And of course a P.A. system if you're wantin' me to sing

Now you look so happy you could cry
And that explains the tear drops I see wellin' in your eyes
Don't worry you'll be fine
If you just keep in mind
All you really need is love

I'm sure I'm tellin' you something you already knew
All you really need is love

There's a lot of work that goes into planning a wedding now-a-days. The average wedding costs somewhere around $25,000. Where exactly people come up with that much cash for a wedding is beyond me. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing what sort of plans Brittany has in mind and helping out if they should need my services.  I'm sure she will be such a lovely bride and Isaac a very handsome groom.

I'm very proud of my little brother for picking out a very lovely ring:

We are all excited to be able to welcome Brittany into our family and are looking forward to getting to know her better AND we're super glad that Isaac has found such a wonderful woman!

In summery we have the wise words of Kind Solomon:  "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." -Proverbs 18:22

....or as my brother Channing stated, "Another one bites the dust."