THANK GOD ITS ANYDAY!

WOKE UP TO LIGHT SHOWERS AND ABOUT 35 DEGREES TODAY. NOT PRETTY. AND I AM WAY LONELY FOR HOME. IT IS A FEELING THAT STARTS DOWN IN THE BOTTOM OF MY STOMACH AND GOES TO TOP OF MY HEAD. I CAN FOLLOW IT AS IT GROWS. WRITING EMAILS AND BLOGS HELPS. (AND READING STUFF FROM HOME REALLY HELPS). JUST WRITING ABOUT IT HELPS. SOOOO... I'M THROUGH THAT FOR NOW.

I THINK THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE GOD AND LONG TO WORSHIP HIM, THOSE KIND OF MOMENTS IN LIFE HAPPEN. WHY? BECAUSE WE LOVE PEOPLE TOO. AND MISSING THEM IS PART OF LIFE.

LG. LP.

DEMA AND I ARE LIVING IN A LITTLE HOTEL IN MAYKOP NOW. MUCH BETTER THAN TRYING TO STAY ALL TOGETHER AT LEONIDS, THOUGH HE DIDN'T ASK US TO LEAVE. IT IS A RUSSIAN HOTEL (THOSE WHO HAVE STAYED IN ONE NOW UNDERSTAND) ( A LOT LIKE THE PATRIOT HOTEL IN SMOLENSK). IT HAS A LITTLE INTERNET CAFE. THAT IS WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW. NO WI FI, SO I HAVE TO COME DOWN HERE. (REMEMBER WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE CELL PHONES?) IT IS COMFORTABLE ENOUGH.

YESTERDAY WAS GOOD. WE WENT OUT TO SHEVCHINKO AND SPENT THE DAY WITH SERGEI AND HIS LITTLE FAMILY. I REMAIN IMPRESSED WITH HIM. JUST SWEET AND DOWN TO EARTH PEOPLE, TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING AND TRYING TO SERVE GOD AS BEST THEY CAN. NEVER BEEN TO COLLEGE OR SEMINARY. JUST LEARNING AS HE GOES AND TRYING TO WIN PEOPLE TO JESUS AND BUILD HIS KINGDOM INA REALLY DIFFICULT AREA. SERGEI IS VERY GLAD TO HAVE USE OF THE CAR AND I BELIEVE IT WILL BE A GREAT USE TO HIM IN THE WORK. HE IS REJOICING TO HAVE USE OF IT. BOTH HE AND LEONID WILL USE IT TOGETHER AS THE NEEDS ARISE. ANGELA WAS WITH US YESTERDAY AND SEEMED VERY HAPPY THAT THE CAR WOULD BE CONTINUE TO BE USED IN THE LORD'S WORK.

TODAY WE HEAD OUT TO THE ADYGEAN VILLAGES TO VISIT IN THE HOMES OF THE PEOPLE THAT ANGELA HAS CONTACTS WITH. I AM SEEING THAT THOUGH ANGELA WILL NOT BE WORKING FULL TIME IN THE WORK ANY LONGER, SHE STILL HAS THE DESIRE FOR OTHERS TO COME TO GOD. I AM PRAYING THAT SHE WILL LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND GOD'S WORD AND HEED WHAT HE IS SAYING TO HER OVER THESE NEXT DAYS.

HOW ARE YA'LL??

HERE'S MY PICKS FOR THIS WEEKEND:

COLTS OVER THE JETS (I'M A MANNING FAN)

VIKINGS OVER THE SAINTS (JUST PULLING FOR THE OLD GUY)

IN THE LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY CATEGORY:

I SAW THIS CLIP ON ONE OF THE BLOGS I FOLLOW AND JUST LOVED IT. I AM NOT A GOOD COUNSELOR. BOB NEWHART (ONE OF THE FUNNIEST GUYS EVER) CAPTURES MY COUNSELING STYLE EXACTLY. IT'S MAY NOT BE A GOOD STYLE, BUT THERE IS SOME MERIT TO IT. A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST NEED TO "STOP IT". IF YOU HAVE 6 MINUTES, I THINK IT WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH...AND THAT IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS A GOOD THING.

AS LUDLOW WOULD SAY, NO MATTER WHAT ELSE YOU DO TODAY...FIND SOMEBODY TO BE NICE TO.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.