SAD NEWS

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes. (If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads it.)

We all love praise and those who share kind words with us.  At the Wayland Baptist University's High Plains Leadership Summit on Friday, the speaker, Tracy Reynolds, shared these profound words; "encouragement is oxygen for the soul."  This is so very true.  When we share something to lift others up it is dual, it lifts them up and lifts us closer to our ultimate goal, to be like Jesus.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 the word says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."  It is our human nature to be critical of others and believe me, I am human!  I have to get a good supply of God's guidance to be an encourager.  I have found that being happy when someone else does good is really a good deal.  Saying something nice to someone that I may not care for only makes the situation better.  God uses us to share his love.  I think most humans have this "its all about me" syndrome.  When we are in a close relationship with God we gain the strength we need to take our eyes off of ourselves and place them on those that God places in our lives!  It is not by chance that people cross paths.  If you look at each person and ask God what you are to do, to say...WOW, you will be amazed!!!  Let's be encouragers this week.  Listen to the Holy Spirit's soft whisper...it is right there with you!!!

Let me tell you just a little bit about our LA trip.  Several ladies in our Theta Delphin study group decided to start this year taking a yearly trip.  We decided to head out to Hollywood this year.  Primarily we were going to visit Cody, Janice's son which she had not seen in the flesh for almost 9 months!!!  We had much more planned and the trip was so much fun!!!  We ate at The Ivy (saw Masi Oka from Heroes), had dessert at Sweet Mary Janes, ate at Spagos (saw Wolfgang Puck), at at Urth Caffe, ate at Ago with Nicholle Tom & her mom, Marie (saw Robert De Niro) and had great food at all places!  We took a 6 hour tour of LA and learned so much about the history.  We went to a taping of the Dr. Phil show (actually they taped parts of 2 shows) and the main topic was training the brain.  The book, The IQ Answer, by Dr. Frank Lawlis was the resource.  We all got free books!  The show shared how the brain works, what it needs, etc. to work...pretty good show.  We took a three hour tour trying to get to the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica.  Only thing is...we were lost and just kept driving in circles!  We laughed so hard that night!!!  We met the people Cody works with at Cusp (a Neiman Marcus store) and the "crew" from Baylor that are there pursuing their interests.  These young people are ALL precious!!!  They were such fun.  Fine Christians hanging together and trying to make a difference...following God's lead.  It was a super trip on not much sleep.  Look through the photo album to see it through our eyes.  A beautiful area.  Do I want to live there?  No, I love West Texas and specifically PLAINVIEW!!!  HOME!!!  Welcome back friends!

We had a great "gurlz" trip out to LA this week.  It was a fun, fun trip!  I will be posting a new photo album, hopefully tomorrow, showing all our great times!!!  I'm going to get some zzz's but come back to see what "starz" we saw!  Here is a shot from one of the restaurants where we ate!!!

Today I took a little bike ride to "investigate" our new Hike & Bike Tail.  It was to be over 10 miles long but it ended up being about 3. I think the state ran out of money.  Either way, it will be nice.  I'll take you along with me on my journey.

This is the playhouse that my friend Debby & I played in growing up.

This is the draw where we played growing up.

Remember the old Trio Rebel Drive-in?  It is Nena's now.

These culverts we played in from time to time.  Kind of scares me now :o)

Bended too much in the West Texas wind.

Working on the trail...

on and on.

Sculptures...and you thought we had no mountains!

Resting wheelbarrow...

My friend Debby's house that I nearly lived at growing up...my house where I grew up and the park, Thomas Blvd. Park, where we played!!!

The Plainview Country Club as it is today... and then a few blocks and I was home.  Hope you enjoyed my bike ride.  Be near to God today!!!

I missed the date of 9.22.06!  But, here I am writing it anyway. It is midnight and I am just getting to blog.  Tonight our Bulldogs lost their game.  Here is our Bulldog.  Holley Browning won Homecoming Queen and I can honestly say she is one of the sweetest girls.  I am very proud of her...mostly for being a good girl. Today I worked all day trying to get things wrapped up before I take off.  I can't say exactly what I'm going to be doing this next week but I'm just trying to have a clean slate.  Have a good weekend.  Go to KCBD.com and vote for the Plainview cheerleaders!!! 

Go to KCBD.com and vote for the Plainview cheerleaders in the contest...one vote per minute is allowed!!!  GO DOGS!!!

Tonight I drove over to see if they would get to light the Plainview High School bonfire.  We had wind gusts up to 60 mph today and so there was a big chance that the bonfire would have to wait.  I got over to the lot around 8:15 and got picture of the huge stack of pallets. 

Just about that time it got dark and the fire "ghosts" were lighting it!

It took just a few seconds to burn to the point that I could feel the heat in my car on the street.

It is always an awesome site!  This is Laiken, my cousin's daughter, a PHS JV cheerleader.  I have loved watching her grow up.  She is so cute!!! 

Anyway, seeing the bonfire started me thinking...this is what Hell might be like.  I know that I am not going there for I am saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.  I'm thankful for that.  I'm most thankful that He is alive in my soul, that I have the Holy Spirit and that He leads me! 

I'm not sure about you but I'm not one that likes fire too much.  I've shared my fire stories.  But my fire stories will not even come close to the fire (whatever it might be) in haides.  I have given a Greek concordance definition of burn & haides to share with you.  I pray you have asked Jesus into your heart and that you know where you will go when you die!  In our Revelations study I am learning so much that is so personal to me.  God is revealing his word to me.

puroo poo-ro'-o to kindle, i.e. (passively) to be ignited, glow (literally), be refined (by implication), or (figuratively) to be inflamed (with anger, grief, lust):--burn, fiery, be on fire, try.

This can be good (as in being on fire for God) or it might be bad...

haides hah'-dace properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:--grave, hell.

I don't sense anything good in this word?  Do you?

Well, have a great Friday & weekend.  May God show you all your blessings!!!

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!  Philippians 4:13  Find peace in this!!!

God has blessed me beyond measure.  From my earliest days God has allowed me to have faith in his great plan for my life.  I never knew my dad's parents but they molded him and he made me who I am.  I know that his parents were extremely hard workers because he was.  I know that they had a quite presence about them because he did.  I know they would do anything for me because he would.  I know that they had faith because he did.  This is a part of me.  The other part comes from my mom's family.  Her parents, Hugh & Lucy (I've discussed them here before) Etter were a part of my life for about 40 years.  They were a huge influence.  My grandfather never met a stranger...that is not me, but it is my mother.  My grandmother was more of a quite behind the scenes organizer.  That is more me.  I learned most of my mechanical skills from "Bo".  He would let me work the work bench with him.  Since he had no legs below the knee, I was oftened his quicker legs.  I learned to put others first through their giving.  Neither of my parents families had much money but they were happy and they gave to others as they could financially.  But what they did do all the time was lend a helping hand, it cost nothing.  I hope I have continued this legacy.  Of course, I am my mother, but with a twist.  We are alike but we are very different, too.  I hope I have all her good qualities and not her one bad one...  Just teasing!  I do hope that our children don't have my bad habits or the bad side of my personality!  I'm guessing they do have a little of all me.  For that I am sorry ;o)  As they have grown up.  I see so much of their dad in them.  That is a good thing except for any procrastination they might have picked off his tree ;o)  I think the thing that pleases me most is the respect they have for their dad.  That is not something that you can earn.  It just is!  Our kids are the greatest blessing God has allowed us to enjoy as we serve him.  God is good!!!