Post 116

Tom and Rosie Martindale. Tom is so proud of their new daughter. He showed me all the pretty pictures he's taken of her. Showed me what she can do (which is basically nothing 'cause she's only 1), but Tom is just so excited about it, which is the way it should be.


I saw this raccoon in our yard one morning, so I snuck up on him and took a picture.


It's not quite creditable to take a picture of a picture, but that's what this is. It was so nice I took a picture of it. It's my friends from Traverse City, Abraham Canfield, and Gina Rines. I'm happy for them, they're engaged. I admire them both, especially Abraham. I've spoken with him quite a bit, and he's always been encouraging.


It was a rain free electrical storm. My brother and I were fixing an air conditioner up on a sub shops roof one hot night. And had a beautiful lightening show.


And here's some kids who's AC we were fixing. They were very friendly to us. God bless them, I gave them CDs.


Here we're replacing a rooftop air conditioner.


Isn't that sweet. Doesn't she look so nice.


These are from the church a couple weeks back. That was a good day. We had a good time talking, I felt it was important and didn't get to put it down in words yet. The subject was, God's calling on our lives. Mr. Nanney brought it up. In his life, he had been urgently seeking God for the last couple months or so. Asking Him "What do you want me to do?" And God would keep replying "seek me". After a while of this as you can imagine he started to think... " I am seeking you, but what do you want me to do?" But the reply kept coming back "seek me". Then one day something different came when he asked God what to do. God said "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel". Wow, now how about that! A calling! So he went and told his wife what God had told him, and his wife said to him "God told me the same thing for you this morning!" Mr. Nanney saw that he had actually been called to do this many years ago, but instead of following his calling he tried to make a living selling inventions. He thought "when my inventions take off I will have lots of money and I can go and preach the gospel." But that was his own idea, not God's. So Mr. Nanney sees that he had neglected his calling, and has repented. He does not see that he is to be a "pastor" and get on a payroll somewhere. He doesn't know how it will be carried out exactly. Just that he is called to "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel".

Mr. Heyworth spoke of the same thing, neglecting God calling on his life. He saw this around a couple of years ago. When he was saved about 25 years ago, he was quite an evangelist. He used to tell everybody about Jesus, and people were getting saved. He was saved by those in a Baptist church, so he got involved there in anything evangelistic, mainly a bus ministry. He saw that he was called to be an evangelist, that is to lead people to believing in Jesus for their salvation and he was doing just that. But then he took some bad advice. He was told that he needed to go to Bible school, and be a pastor. He was told that he needed to disciple those that got saved. He was told that he needed to bring them to church. There may be a place for some of those things, but not for Mr. Heyworth. That's someone else's calling, "are you neglecting your calling?" He was called to evangelize. He was neglecting God's call to do those things. He told of how he had wept for his fathers salvation for 2 1/2 years after his own salvation. And when he did get saved he was sooo excited. He told all the preacher boys at his Bible collage and was heartbroken that none of them had the same excitement. What brought him to see that he had neglected his calling was a couple years ago when Mr. and Mrs. Thomas first met them and were visiting around their dinner table. Mrs. Thomas who's husband is also an evangelist asked Mr. Heyworth "You're called to be an evangelist aren't you?" He was surprised that she would notice, after neglecting his calling for so long. He repented for neglecting his calling right there. Nowadays he goes to the jail ministry and says he is fulfilling his calling there. He knows he is doing what he's supposed to be doing, evangelizing. He also sees his calling being passed on to his daughters (he has 7 of them). They will be out with him somewhere and just blurt out to people "are you ready to believe Jesus for salvation" and there have been several accounts of people coming to Jesus through them. Those girls get so excited and everyone else rejoices with them!

I had a nice time out enjoying the woods earlier that morning, and praying. I had told God. "I so want to help people... May the words of my mouth be like medicine to their hearts." That was a calling for me. Not my only calling, but part of it. I relayed this to the church that morning and asked for their prayers to be that. I ask all of you Christians reading this to pray for me when you think of it. I do really want to help people. I want to know that they are worth something to God, and to experience victory. I want to help them know what sin is, and know that it is bad, and know that there is deliverance in Jesus. Like the great old hymn says "Would you be free from you burden of sin? There's power in the blood! POWER IN THE BLOOD!" There is power in the blood of Jesus. There is a real problem out there in people, (in you and me), it's not just "inappropriate behavior", or "wrong choices", it it SIN. He didn't shed His blood to free us from wrong choices and inappropriate behavior... He shed His blood to free us SINNERS from SIN! We are freed from the rule of sin and death! (Romans 8:2) Read the 10 commandments, that's what sin is. Ezekiel 20... Lying, stealing, loving things other than God more than Him, lust or sexual acts outside of marriage, dishonoring parents, not resting in God, coveting, taking God's name in vain, and of course the one everyone knows...killing. How many have you broken, or are you breaking? Or what other sins have you commited? Tell Him you were sinning, ask Him for forgiveness. He wants to give it, but you must accept it. Come into God's holiness, know Him!

Wow, that was some heavy duty preaching, wasn't it? Listen up! Repent sinners! God can't stand sin, but he sure loves you...
Aren't you glad!



Uplifting friends, just love 'em. Had some over Saturday.




Bike ride





The girls went fishing.


Laura caught the first. Then everyone got on the band wagon, ended up catching about 15.





Doingy boy


And of course we fired up the ol' barbeque, keeping the Bendixen family tradition.


I've always enjoyed this cross when we drive by. Thought I would take a picture so you can too. Such a symbol of freedom!


This is our neighbor Cathy. It was so nice to see her, with her little girl Hailey. She has moved away, and we haven't seen her in a while. God be with you Cathy, I pray for you. Enjoy Hailey!


Hailey. Doesn't she look nice holding my CD!


Nice campfire out back, I really like those. All the bonding.





Elisabeth


Went to visit the Dale Cooper family and friends crew Sunday. Wow, that was a blessing. It's good to get out and see what the Lord is doing in some other parts of His big happy family. The children there were so nice. They all liked me, kept saying Brother Bear this, and Brother Bear that. We played hide-and-seek, and tag, and read a story. That was really fun. Also had a really good talk with some of the men. Be filled with the Spirit, then you will be thankful for all things. That's true, it works. I needed that. Thank you Lord!


They all looked so nice.


Corey, on my Jumbo God's Guild.


A little fellow we came across. Makes me squirm.

Here's a few more pictures I found of various happenings within about the last month.