Several years ago I had thought about two periods in the history of man as being very unique times when today’s story would have been not so unusual. Those two periods of time are the days just after the fall and the Millenium. Be forwarned this is not serious.

So suppose you lived in either of these times and you met a lady that you liked. You could court her for say 100 years before deciding if she were truly the one. I think that long courtships may reduce the divorce rate but I am being somewhat facetious here. Anyway.

Karen and I could not be at the mission conference last night. One of Karen’s charges was in crisis and we had to personally intervene. situation is not resolved at this time, please pray for Ron Hansen.

God Bless you richly and frequently.

II Corinthians 9:8-Dewey

I used to do a lot of hiking in the mountains. I was younger and the mountains were shorter than they now seem to be. After several years of climbing around the small mountains around where I grew up it occured to me that the farther away from the mountain valley I got the sparser the vegetation was. In the valleys the plant growth was lush but up high it thinned out as I approached the summit.

This is like my life as a Christian. When I am going through one of those wonderful mountain top experiences I don’t grow very much. I haven’t really figured out why this is, maybe I am just having too much enjoyment in these moments to really reflect on where I am spiritually. Perhaps pride at having arrived at this particular mountain top interferes. It is when I am down on valley floor struggling through the brush and the brambles that I really grow. When the thorns are ripping at my flesh and the going is tough I grow a lot. The rivers are in the valley bottoms and I can think of nothing that promotes growth more than the word of God and test of our faith that HE blesses us with. Dewey