Been

here several times during the past week.

It's where I go to get away.

Pray.

Have solitude, peace, quiet.

Watch the river flow on by.

Jeremiah 17: 7-8?

Was given to us on a little piece of paper during my Emmaus walk.

I put it on my billboard.

Hit me like a ton of bricks when I recieved it.

I still have it.

A few years after that?

I stumbled onto this spot.

I just laughed.

I thought well ain't that just something?

I've been looking at that tree for over five years or so now.

I always think:

Does it ever give up?

Does it ever just quit?

Does it ever just give in?

Battered by fierce storms, did it ever matter?

Did it ever even care?

High winds come.

Has it blown over?

Every year the floods come and wash away 

more of the side of the bank and the soil underneath.

Did it ever care?

It's still there.

Healthy.

It's roots are grown deep in the soil underneath it and in the bank behind it.

Just like mine are dug deep in my faith.

I look at it and I hear that speech by Jim Valvano.

"Don't give up, don't give up, don't ever give up."

So many times I've sat here and had tears rolling down my cheeks.

Praying for others.

Praying for us.

Thinking bout you/us.

Just sitting here in amazement at his wonder before me.

Tonight?

First verse in Bible study?

After having been here several times in the last week?

Jeremiah 17: 7-9.

I went ahead and threw in verse 10 for good measure :-).

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water

    that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

    its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

    and never fails to bear fruit.”

The heart is deceitful above all things

    and beyond cure.

    Who can understand it?

“I the Lord search the heart

    and examine the mind,

to reward each person according to their conduct,

    according to what their deeds deserve.”

I told brother Brian.

I showed him the picture, and told him about going there.

"Boy Wed evenings are sure matching up with you."

"I know, too many coincidences isn't a coincidence."

"Thats the truth."

He's putting my mind at ease about the blessings I/we're about to receive.

Not brother Brian lol.

He knows I'm a little overwhelmed by it all sometimes.

He's easing my mind.

We went on to read:

Psalm 24:3-5

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?

    Who may stand in his holy place?

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,

    who does not trust in an idol

    or swear by a false god.

They will receive blessing from the Lord

    and vindication from God their Savior.

We didn't cover it tonight but I'll go ahead and throw in my favorite anyway:

Proverbs 10:22 

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

None.

Not a little.

None.

Period.

How anybody else could ever think otherwise is just absolute craziness to me Lucy.

I love ya Dollbaby.