Proverbs 18:24

So which interpretation is right? Can all of them be right?

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A man who has friends must himself be friendly,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction;

But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

There are “friends” who destroy each other,
but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Day 8: THEY'RE Ah-LIVE!!!!

Okay...I know the tray

looks a lot like it did last

Sunday when I started it,

but let's examine it a little closer...

Below is a shot of my

first pepper plant sprout!

YEA!!!

The spouts below have yet

to unfold toward the sky, but

tomorrow there should be

about four little babies stretching

their arms upward and outward

just from this one six-pack!

The next photo is not a pepper sprout.

She's my baby feeling very at home

in her new surroundings.

(See, Maria, Daddy promised

we wouldn't make moving a habit...)

By the way, it's 77 degrees here

at 5:30 in the afternoon. Lovely!

Pamela and I pitched the softball

a little while this afternoon...

mostly to prove to myself that I

can still catch the ball 27 years

after Little League ended...

A Jesus Moment in a Bob World...

Ephesians 2:13-22
NIV (New International Version)

13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

New International Version
International Bible Society
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984

I find this passage so very encouraging, especially verses 15 and 22.

Christ has "abolished...the law with its commandments and regulations." How many Christians do you know you spend their days either in angst still trying to obey the Law themselves or by forcing their angst upon others as they guilt their fellow pilgrims into shameful obedience? Misery does love company...

But Christ's work on the cross frees us, and that freedom produces a life of gratitude. It is not self-debasement and other-loathing that gives us joy for life, but knowing our lives are freed from the Law through the blood of Christ.

I also find the present continuous form of the verb built extremely helpful. None of us have completely arrived at our destination of wholeness: we are all in the process of being built. Isn't that freeing!

Maria Helps Unfold the Laundry

I had just finished folding my last load

of socks and bathcloths when Maria

decided to make herself a nest of the laundry...

I think she just likes being close to her daddy...

And, yes, those are my white briefs under her butt...

And, yes, I do have pink bathcloths...

Thank you, Aunt Louise!

Peppers

Today I drove to Ace Hardware after church

for the third Sunday in a row.

Two weeks ago I needed nails to hang

the stuff in my apartment.

Last weekend I needed to return nails I didn't use.

While there last weekend, the saleslady and I

began discussing spring plantings.

I told her that Daddy had given me three

different types of ornamental peppers last year

and that I was eager to plant the seed this spring.

She asked for some seed if I had extra.

And, of course, I can always share!!!

So I took her some seed and purchased

myself an indoor seed starter kit today.

Here is a shot of Day 1.

One note:

If you play with pepper seed pods before church,

be sure to wash your hands thoroughly.

Otherwise, when you rub your eyes to stay

awake, the rest of the parishoners will think

you're having a Holy Ghost fit!!!

Last Saturday (03/10/07)

She's crazy!

But if you know Emily, that goes without saying...

We had a marvelous time last weekend.

She arrived about 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 10th,

and we were able to spend some QT over the next three days.

Below are a couple of shots she made

as we raced our way northward

toward Polaris on Interstate 71.

Can you believe she fussed at me

because I wasn't looking at the camera?!?

HEL-LO!!!

I must have hit a bump when the next shot snapped...

I love you, Em!!! And I already miss you...

My Place...Furnished and Decorated...

Morning Snow Shower

I awoke this morning about 6:00 a.m. After messing around the house a little while, I went to Fifth Third to make a deposit, Caskey's Cleaners to drop off some dry cleaning and have a pair of pants altered, and to Kroger to buy a few groceries for myself and for Em's visit next weekend.

(By the way, I wish you could see the Kroger next door to Brewers Yard. WOW! It's a new type of store that is closer to a Fresh Market than a Kroger. Beautiful! I spoke to the manager of the beverage department, and he said the next store of its kind is in Indianapolis. There are also some in California. When I asked if they were doing okay in that location, he offered that the management was told that they would remain in the red for five years; however, they went into the black within the first year!)

Anyway, as I was coming out of Kroger, I was surprised to see a pretty nice snow shower. The flakes were dime-sized. Once I got home I made this little video from my garage. The patio with the white chaise lounge chair is mine. I'll take you through the garage to my car...



After watching the video, I realized you really can't see my lounge chair. On the right of the first frame, do you see the 12 windows, four per floor? My bedroom windows are the first two on the bottom left. (It's actually on the second floor.) To the left of those windows is my patio and lounge chair...

Boom!

Well, I paid my first full month's rent this morning. Good feeling...

The service guys from Lowe's came last night to install my washer and dryer. Of course, as I had tried to tell the salesman, the dryer vent tubing was too short. (The exhaust goes out the ceiling!) One of the guys is returning today to finish installation.

Maria and I were startled this morning as I was getting ready for work by lightning strikes and claps of thunder. Bye-bye, snow...