Cold and Rainy

8:53 AM We have just posted two new sermons on the website:

Who Do Men Say That I Am?
Singing Your Way to Victory

8:48 AM This weekend another team from Pontiac (IL) Bible Church is heading to Biloxi to help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. I'm planning on driving from Tupelo to Batesville on Saturday to deliver a few hundred copies of Why Did This Happen to Me? If all goes well, Howard and I will meet Pastor Brian Bill and the group from Pontiac as they travel south on I-55. The team from PBC gave out all the copies we provided on their earlier trips.

8:43 AM This is a big week for us because Josh and Leah and a group from the college class at Calvary are coming down this weekend. Howard and Linda Duncan are coming down also. Nick will be here, and my sister-in-law Betty and her daughters Megan and Kathleen are coming over on Saturday. One nice thing about living on the grounds of a former church camp is that we've got plenty of space. There is the cabin where we live, a guesthouse (very nice, but not used very often), and there is a 15,000 square foot conference center with a basketball court (where they used to have preaching services), a kitchen, a dining room, and upstairs there are seven bedrooms. Years ago we had a family reunion here, and on a few other occasions our family stayed in those bedrooms. However, no one has used the conference center for a few years so it's a bit dusty and in a need of a good clean-up. Alan had the water turned on last week, and Marlene washed the linens on Saturday and Sunday. Alan hauled away several loads of stuff over the weekend, and a crew is there today doing more cleaning. Everything should be in tiptop shape by the time the group arrives from Chicago on Friday night.

8:37 AM Good morning, everyone. It's cold and rainy here in northeast Mississippi. At the moment, I'm looking out a picture window as the wind and the rain whip up waves on the lake. Although the weather isn't wonderful, this is the first day of spring and everywhere you can see signs of new life. About a week ago the white buds starting appearing on the Bradford pear trees all around Tupelo. I can see some red buds beginning to appear on a tree by the lake. The grass is turning green and the jonquils next to the fence have started to bloom. By the way, last night we had a delightful surprise when we pulled up to the gravel road about 8:30 PM. Just inside the gate there were four white-tailed deer, standing  peacefully in the darkness. Hunting season is long past so it's safe for them to be out and about. They scampered into the woods as soon as they saw the headlights.

You can reach the author at  ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.