6-1-09
OUT ON THE RANCH it is the first day of June, unbelievable. I was looking at the radar a couple minutes ago, and rain is on the way. God has been so good to us this spring in providing abundant moisture, after a very dry winter. We took our Lorene out for a sandwich tonight, or rather she treated us. What a blessing she is. I can’t imagine what the last 22 years of my life would have been like without her. She has been there time after time when I need someone to talk to. Tonight Elizabeth and I both needed a pep talk, and she was there for us. There surely is a great reward waiting for her in heaven. She is amazing in her consistency. Here we have an 88 year old blind woman giving two healthy, reasonable stable Christians a pep talk. Makes me feel like the spiritual weakling I am……..At least at times.

On our way home after being encouraged by Lorene we stopped by to welcome some new neighbors into our area, and offer them borrowing rights. They will soon be our closest accessible neighbor. Our neighbors across the river may actually be closer as the crow flies, but you can’t get there from here. Our newest residents will only be about one and a half miles away. We are turning into a regular metropolitan area. To give you some insight into our area, there are less than 20,000 people in our entire county. We rely rather heavily on the internet and Old Route 66 for traffic to the Red River Ranch Retreat. It is amazing how many tourists travel Old Route 66 in the summer.

This Scripture came to my mind about our evening.
2 Cor 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. NKJV
GOD COMFORTED US USING LORENE AS HIS VESSEL, AND WE WERE ABLE TO COMFORT OUR NEW NEIGHBORS AND WELCOME THEM TO THE AREA. I told Elizabeth that it sure would have been nice for some of our neighbors to welcome us when we moved here. When we first moved on the ranch we were not only not welcomed, but made to know that we were not wanted here. It brings joy to my heart to extend the hand of hospitality to our newbies, that they may feel welcome.

GOD BLESS
ALWAYS YOUR FRIEND
RIDGE