[dansangel]

Welcome to another of JH2's spot-on
reports of current events here on the Finest!
Don't miss it!

[dansangel]

~ God Bless Our Military ~

We ask Lord, that you guide the leaders of our great country in all of their decisions. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decision.

Protect and guide our military Oh Lord; strengthen them in their trials; give them courage to fact the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Mama_Bear; Dutchess; Aquamarine; dansangel, and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, all military personnel and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Diver Dave.......niece, nephew ConspiracyGuy........2 nephews Pippin..........niece, loved one Pippin...nephew & his fiancee weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw jamaly.................brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon.............grandson WaterDragon...........son-in-law BeforeISleep...................son kimmie7......................brother Armymarinemom............3 sons american_ranger.............son LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.......................nephew Dubya............................nephew StarCMC......................brother ValerieUSA..................2 sons Lakeside......................2 sons Spruce.....................daughter Philman_36..............2 nephews Rose inRoseBear...cousin's hubby Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LongCut..................active duty cjk............................active duty Trish.......................active duty ODC-GIRL.................active duty AF_Blue..................active duty Notwithstanding.....active duty thumperusn.............active duty Q6-God.....................active duty Q6-God...................twin brother Veloxherc.................active duty Don Simmons...............active duty wingnutx......................active duty bjcintennessee............son, niece LakeLady...............nephew Ladysmith......nephew, friend's son

Maigrey................cousin WVNan..............friend's son ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear.........2 nephews gator girl............husband severa.......husband, brother Hostel..................cousin MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son katykelly.................son cookcounty..............son SpookBrat...nephew, cousin Doug from Upland...son-in-law Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Tiffee4Bob.......boyfriend deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews TexKat..............son, step-son Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel.....................niece Donaeus...................nephew dixie sass...............nephew BeAllYouCanBe............son Repubmommy...............brother AgThorn...................2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles......................son Redhead....step-granddaughter Redhead..step-grdaughter fiance Atomic Conspiracy..half-brother Atomic Conspiracy...nephew Atomic Conspiracy...niece Sunflowergal.........grandson visualops.................cousin Alouette.......................son mrstank.......................husband MrsMike31..................husband eaglesiniowa.................son auboy.........................cousin spotbust1....................husband Leofl................................son chena................................son campfollower..................fiance LuvW.......................son painter....................nephew

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Angel.

[.45MAN]

Great post John...

Theres those damn pink birds again!!! Everytime I turn around I hear! " we need to look into pink flamingo's" ...............geeze.....................

[The Mayor]

December 2, 2004

Returning God's Love

Read: Malachi 3:16-18

"I have loved you," says the Lord. —Malachi 1:2

Bible In One Year: Ezekiel 42-44; 1 John 1

---

The book of Malachi begins with this wholehearted word from the Lord to His halfhearted worshipers: "I have loved you" (1:2). Though Israel had long been the object of God's love, they no longer returned His love.

God listed the ways His people had offended His love through their disobedience. Israel's response was to question God. When He implored them, "Return to Me, and I will return to you," they questioned Him in their blindness, "In what way shall we return?" (3:7). With divine "tough love," the Lord exposed their many blind spots. He did this so that they might repent and accept His love, and return it with wholehearted obedience.

We too are often halfhearted in our faith, appearing to love and serve God but really loving and serving ourselves. Today, as in Malachi's time, God looks for people who reverence Him by maintaining two spiritual practices: speaking to each other about Him, and meditating on His wonderful attributes (v.16). The first is fellowship with God's people; the second is fellowship with God Himself. Not only are we to receive and share God's love, we are also to return it through glad obedience.

Such worshipers are God's "jewels" (v.17). Are you one of them? —Joanie Yoder

"We love You, Lord Jesus," we often will say,
But are we as ready His will to obey?
Let's heed what God's Spirit would have us to do—
That's how we show Him a love that is true. —D. De Haan

To love God is to obey God.

[Diver Dave]

Mornin' to the Finest at FR's Finest.

A month has passed, the gloating continues.

Great essay, JH2.

Thanks John and dansy.

[Billie]

Gosh, I love this thread! :) And I love you, too!

You did it again, John. And, Dansy girl, the illustrations are fantastic! What a great team John has in you and Aqua and Dutchess!

[Aquamarine]

Read John's essay yesterday in my FReepmail and knew it was another great one but your presentation made it even better Dansy.
Congrats to both of you on a job well done!

These Flamingo's are just too cute. :)

[deadhead]

Kerry supporters are delusional. Sad indeed, very sad...

Great work JH2 and dansangel!

[LadyX]

My Dear John,

" It was an artful maneuver. Wouldn't want to let the cat out of the bag -- not yet. "

All right, already -- we hear ya --

"Standin' by, waitin' for your word."

======================

Have them all lined up for you to release -- just say the word, JH.

In the meantime, I looked around the Finest Family Room
and saw a few other 'cats' with sumpin' to say,
still basking in the glow of post election euphoria.....

First in view was Pippin:
"This is my face when I'm in my cubicle
and my co-workers can't see me!"

In the corner, MEG33 quietly said:
"I'm so happy all I can do is lie here and purr..:))"

Here's Aeronaut, who flies and guards our Northern Border.
He sez:
"Way up north, lovin' our "W Win!"

Miss Kitty Mittens was next:
"See? I'm still jumpin' for joy!!"

The Thin Man was heard to say:
"I'm plumb tickled!"
(but do these stripes make me look fat?(

Last, but never least, is The Mayor:
"Sure makes me happy, knowin' how relieved
our troops are to have GWB still C-in-C!"

===============================

The only unhappy cat I could find was this one -- !!!

Lemme know when to let the cats outta their bags, JH --

~ LadyX

[Kitty Mittens]

Great Thread and Essay, Dansy and John Huang! Thank You!