Cruisin'

Last summer Faith Baptist Church honored us for 25 years of service at the church. They gave us a bonus which we put away to be able to go on a cruise in the Caribbean. We leave soon for the cruise and everyone in our family is excited. Before we set sail Monday out of Miami, we will rent a car and drive to Punta Gorda, FL. to see Deb's aunt and uncle. Aunt Marge has reserved a tandem kayak for Kaitlin and I to paddle on Sunday afternoon. They say we are guaranteed to see manatees and alligators! The manatees are nice, but I am not so sure about the alligators! Our destinations on the cruise are Jamaica and Grand Cayman Islands. If you have ever cruised, you know the food is wonderful. We are so looking forward to cruising again. We will be praising God for His handiwork in the Caribbean. We trust God to keep you in His richest blessings.

The Cow and the Coyote

I was taking my daughter to her Prairie Home-shcool Co-op the other morning. I jokingly say that their mascot is the Prairie Dogs. Go Prairie Dogs! Of course, her school is about six or seven miles out in the country. Being a city boy, my daughter and I saw something we had never seen before. A coyote crossed the road and went into the pasture where a bunch of cows were grazing. As it got closer, one cow got up and started to chase the coyote away. The coyote, obviously afraid of the cow, ran away like a dog with its tail between its legs! As I drove back home and looked in that field, it became apparent why the cow chased the coyote away. I saw the cow's calves lying down in the lush grass. She was a mama cow protecting her calves! Are there any spiritual applications here? I think so. The coyote is a predator, not unlike our enemy Satan. Satan is a predator who has no love for you or your family. He would devour them in an instant. We should be like that cow, prepared to fight for our spiritual lives, and for our families. Like the words of the song Courageous, we should be spiritually courageous and "refuse to let them fall"!