Christ died He left a will in which He gave His soul to His Father, His body to Joseph of Arimathea, His clothes to the soldiers, and His mother to John. But to His disciples, who had left all to follow Him, He left not silver or gold, but something far better - His PEACE! Matthew Henry Biography

April 6, 2012 Does God really love us? I say look to the crucified Jesus. Look to the old rugged cross. By every thorn that punctured His brow. By every mark of the back lacerating scourge. By every hair of his beard plucked from his cheeks by cruel fingers. By every bruise which heavy fists made upon His head. God said, "I love you!" By all the spit that landed on His face. By every drop of sinless blood that fell to the ground. By every breath of pain which Jesus drew upon the cross. By every beat of His loving heart. God said, I love you. By Billy Lobbs Today is Good Friday. It is a good day for us as the children of Jesus, who died so that our sins would be forgiven. What an incredible sacrifice. Jesus was not only killed, he was beaten, called horrible names, mocked, forced to wear a crown of thorns, had nails pierce His hands and feet, and had a sword thrust into His side. Today, the people who killed Jesus would go to trial for murder. Back then, they were considered heros for killing Him. Yet, His death saved the very same people who killed Him. He asked His father to “forgive them for they know not what they do.” Incredible. I am very grateful that the Lord was a part of my life and sickness, especially at this time of year. Both my mother and brother died in the same week (6 years apart). Mom dies April 20, 1987. Tom died April 18, 1993. This use to be a sad time of year for me because of their deaths. However, I understand now, that the Lord called them to rest right after we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. He had a special plan for them, calling them home to serve the Lord. I miss them both but rejoice in their going home to rest in peace and serve Him when needed. I am feeling better each day. My back is sore because of the incision but other than that, I am fine. My energy level is slowing increasing. I am encouraged that I will be able to resume some of my activities (walking, yard work, etc.) soon. I have a whole new outlook on life. For once in a long time, I am actually happy. This has been a great Easter Season. Spring has never seemed so beautiful. The roses in my front yard are blooming ten fold from last year. I have dark red, light red, and pink roses. My Oleander are dark red and in full bloom. Texas Bluebonnets (state flower) that I planted last year are blooming in the flower bed by the front door. My peaches tree that survived the drought last summer also has blooms. Peaches were produced from this tree the first year it was planted four years ago. The weather today is beautiful; cool temperature, blues sky, and white fluffy clouds. I felt well enough to run two errands. One to the grocery store and one to the hardware store for some replacement boards for the back fence. A friend emailed me to tell me that a local school district was hiring 15 reading specialists for next year and wanted to know if I was interested. I emailed back that I was not. I have made up my mind not to return to education. I know now that my path is set. I am on the journey of a life time, following the Lord, serving the Lord, living in His word. I want to share this rebirth with as many people as I possible can. I have been profoundly affected by the Lord, not by the trial of cancer He sent to me, but by His forgiveness of my sins, His love for me, His guidance, and by letting me know that I would not die alone. He taught me how to reach out to others for prayers, how to reconnect with family, and how to turn my life around and make the most of the time He has given me. I have learned to forgive and forget, judge no one, try to love everyone, act our of understanding and patience, not anger, and never stop praying. In my darkest hour, He was the light that led me through the storm. He will lead you through the storm, also.