Mary Jane Dunn
I love the Olympics, my favorite sport being ice-skating. I watch them glide over the ice with such grace and power. Yet, behind each and every jump and move demands hours of practice, which requires dedication, determination, obedience, discipline and just plain hard work.
The people who participate in the Olympics have one goal, that gold medal. 
I decided I had been doing far too much murmuring and complaining lately, of course any at all is too much. Philippians 2:14 kept eating at my conscience. So, I decided I had better take a closer look.
I stepped out on the porch one morning to find that spring had sneaked in two weeks prior to its announced date on the calendar. The lower yard was full of red-breasted robins looking for those tasty worms and the daffodils and jonquils were showing off their bright yellow dresses.
I had to go to the grocery and the weather report was threatening so I was trying to get what I needed and get home. I needed tomato soup. I think Campbell’s makes every possible kind, I just could not find tomato. I love how God lets me get right to the point of frustration and then sends me help. Sometimes he lets me get frustrated to see if I’ve learned anything at all about patience. But this day he extended HIS HAND through a very kind lady who asked what I was looking for.
At one point in Robert’s many hospitalizations he looked up at me and said, “Mom, I don’t know what God is preparing me for, but it must be a doozy.” I tend to agree with him. When we had our all day meeting (but no dinner on the ground) Wednesday, we learned he has a blood clot in his right leg. Thank God for a doctor who is thorough. Just checking did not indicate a clot, but because of one symptom, he ordered an ultrasound.
From Genesis to Revelation the Word of God bids us come. Come for freedom from sin, from bondage to this world, from fear, anger, from addictions, come for rest, for peace, for instruction, wisdom, guidance, for provision, healing. The list is endless.
This morning in prayer, He showed me a gate leading to a garden and He bid me come. He pointed to the latch and reminded me, it was on my side of the gate so I have control of coming in.
One of the joys of my life is watching the variety of birds that come to feast at our bird feeders. Angie gave Art a new one for his birthday so he took down an old one that was duct taped together. I waited and waited to see how they would react to the new feeder. Even though the new feeder was full and the others empty, still they were reluctant to try. It took them three or four days to finally feast on what had been available all the time.
Once again I find myself writing from the U.K. Med Center. At least this time we’re not in intensive care. Right now Robert has been taken to the Gill Center to evaluate the status of a valve that is malfunctioning. One doctor came in that has known us since 2003. After he talked with Robert he said, “This man is an iron man! He is always so positive.” Robert’s kidneys have been toxic from some of the meds, so it gets tricky.
1 Peter, Chapter 3
I could camp in this chapter for a long time. Surely I covet “the unfading loveliness of a calm and gentle spirit.” V4. (A thing very precious in the eyes of God), since it says my beauty is dependent on “the inner personality,” how do I develop that in my everyday living?
Before Sally’s accident and Robert’s problem with his heart, I walked every morning. There was very little traffic on our holler (call it a hollow if you must, but it really is a holler you know). I always loved watching for the first flowers to bring a song to my heart, and there was one whole hillside of bloodroot. For three wonderful years I was treated to a regal looking back in the pulpit, then he was gone, perhaps sharing his sermon of beauty someplace else.
