Let us continue with more of this wonderful season.  Saturday is the first day of Autumn and I can hardly wait.  The baby is crawling everywhere.  He is such a little squirt.  Santino is being his cool self.  Finally he is riding a bike.  Loves to play war with Hunter.  Charlie put a set of plastic pipe fittings together for Hunter when he was little and they still play with this set.  Forming guns, etc. Actual machine guns sometimes.  Hunter is getting so grown up.  I can't believe he will be 9 years old on October 16th.  What a wonderful kid.  Charley is the one.  She is such a sweet, caring young woman.  She sat with us in the family room last evening watching "Dancing With the Stars".  She started dancing on her way to bed.  Michael is really depressed over Jay being at Ohio State.  He really, really misses him.  Jay won't be home until Thanksgiving and I am sure Mike can hardly wait.  Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.  Bonita, Mike and Lib's cat for the past 10 years had to be put down.  They are really taking it hard.  Bonita was ready herself.  She just was not acting right and she know that this was the thing that had to be done.  She will be remembered by all of us.  Bonita was a very good house cat and loved being with the family; but her age was finally catching up to her and she was ready to be let go.

Dear Lord,  Please guide me each day to do Your will.  Please Dear Lord, give me patience, do not make me bitter or nasty, let me think before I say or do something that will upset You and the ones that I love so very dearly.  Amen.

Today's reading:  Let it grow, for when endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.  There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.  These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure.  It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is fair more precious to God than mere gold.  So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.  We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they helpus learn to endure.  And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strenghtens our confidence expectation of salvation.  It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.  When all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy.  You knew you had better things waiting for you in eternity.  Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens.  Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will.  Then you will receive all that He has promised you.  Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth.  Thank God for promising to be with you in rough times.  Ask Him to help you solve your problems or to give you the strength to endure them.  Then be patient.  God will stay close and help you grow.                                                                  LAB note for James 1:2-4.