Finally Done

We have finally finished enclosing our screened-in back porch. I now have a new office space. And we now have another bedroom available should we need one. (That used to be the office).I'm posting some before and after pics. Sorry, I have better before pics, but couldn't find them! This one is from a church activity we had at our home (a care group meeting I think???)

Finding Fault

Why is it so easy to see the fault in others and so hard to admit our own faults?

Letters 1971 - 1998

You asked me how I gave my heart to Christ,
I do not know;
There came a yearning for Him in my soul
S0 long ago;
I found earth's flowers would fade and die,
I wept for something that would satisfy
And then, and then, somehow I seemed to dare,
To lift my broken heart to God in prayer;
I do not know, I cannot tell you how;
I only know He is my Saviour now

Author Unknown

When I was helping mom pack some of her things to get ready for her move I found a box of letters. These letters were written by me to her and dad from the time I was 15 years of age, until I was 43 years of age. It was like finding a diary of my life. Many things I'd forgotten about. In other instances it brought back vividly many precious memories: When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, Those first years after my son was born, and then my daughter. How I felt when I went through a miscarriage at 5 months of my pregnancy...so many things.

It was such a surprise to find those letters, and such a gift! The above poem I found within that stack of letters that I had written and sent to them.

Classic Movie

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Mom Has Moved To Texas

My mom is 82 years old. She has changed a lot, especially in the last year. My oldest brother lives in Texas. He comes down to visit with us and his 2 daughters several times a year. He has been trying to get mom to move in with him and his wife for a couple of years. Everytime he has come down during this last year especially, he has seen a big change in mom. I've noticed it as well, but it hasn't been as obvious to me since I see her often. He wouldn't see her for 3 or 4 months, and so would really notice the subtle changes that I didn't see. He was concerned that she wasn't taking her medicine the way she should. Or that she wasn't eating right (which was my concern as well).

She finally agreed to move, which surprised me a little. She's always been so adamant that she was going to stay in her own little apartment. I guess she knew that she really needed to be with someone. Danny isn't working, so he can be with her during the day and make sure she's taken care of. Once it was decided, Danny didn't waste any time! They left yesterday, and I already miss her! The weekend was a busy one - moving the furniture she decided to keep onto the truck, finishing up with packing all her things. Everybody worked hard, but we got it all done.We considered her wishes through it all.

I would have loved to have her move in with John and Jared and me, but we're gone so much of the time with work and school and church activities! And, in all liklihood, we will be moving next summer. Jared will be going off to college (Freed-Hardeman in Tennessee). We will be moving somewhere, depending on where John finds a job. He's been here 15 years and is ready for a change.

My brother Gary stopped by with his grandaughter Autumn. I was fortunate enough to get a picture of mom and her 3 remaining children. Dad is gone, and my sister Merlea. This may be the last time we'll all be together for a while.

What Happened To July?

Being a person who has never suffered any kind of serious illness, I can now say I am MUCH more understanding to those who do and have. This last month has been an experience I will never forget, though I would love to! Basically, this is what happened:

July 5th - I worked, but just didn't feel very well. By the end of the day, my whole body ached, my stomach was upset and I had a fever of 101.

July 6th-9th - I called in sick on Thursday (6th). I knew I had the next 3 days off, so thought that'd be plenty of time to "get over it" whatever "it" was.

July 10th - Monday morning. Still sick. Still running a fever of 101 and 102. Can't eat or drink. So I decided to go to the Urgent Care Clinic. They examined me and sent me on to the Emergency Room. Told me not to eat or drink anything because they would probably be doing some abdominal scans to figure out what was going on. Waited for either 4 or 5 hours before they got around to seeing me. Had a temperature of 102. Was MISDIAGNOSED! They told me I was dehydrated so they started an IV to rehydrate me. They gave me some phenergan for my nausea, which basically put me to sleep. They told me I had viral gastroenteritis and to go home and "get over it".

July 17th - Monday morning. Experienced a week of misery. Continued fever off and on during that week, abdominal pain, nausea, and other things I won't mention. But I figured I HAD to get back to work, even though I still didn't feel very well. So, I went back to work. Worked my 9 hours.

July 18th - Tuesday morning. Woke up with a low grade fever of 100.6. Didn't feel well. But...went on in to work (I know, I really shouldn't have!) As the day progressed, I felt worse and worse. I was on a Continuous Care case, so when the RN stopped by to check on the patient, I told her I was going to have to leave because I was not feeling well at all. My husband got on the phone to my doctor and told her I REALLY NEEDED to see a doctor. The soonest she could see me was the 20th (Thursday).

July 20th - Thursday morning. Saw my doctor, who sets up an ultrasound to be done Saturday morning at the hospital(the 22nd).

July 22nd - Saturday morning. Ultrasound done of my abdomen. Ahhh...it appears my gallbladder has been acting up. So about 2-3 hours later, they did emergency surgery to get that gallbladder out!

I can't even begin to tell you how frustrating my experience with the health community has been...especially that ER visit. What people have to go through to get seen in the emergency room is a joke! But the killer is, you wait for hours to get back through the doors and on one of those beds (which in itself is a blessing because all you want to do is just lay down on their cold, dirty floor after waiting so many hours!) I understand they're busy. But they don't seem to take the time to really listen to what you are saying. If they had done that ultrasound on the 10th I wouldn't have had to suffer and go through all that I did.

Having said that, I have now been able to vent my frustration, and now I am so thankful they were able to figure out what was wrong and do what needed to be done. I feel so much better and will soon be back 100 percent!

Happy Birthday John

Today is John's (53rd) birthday. He says everybody celebrates his birthday every year! My brother is down from Texas to visit with my nieces and with mom. They came by and had some birthday cake with us. John also has to have watermelon every year on his birthday. I couldn't let him down. The gift...he picked out for himself one of those MP3 players. He can download books off the library internet and listen to them on his new toy!

Have A Happy 4TH

Evangelism University

If you want to hear some beautiful Christian accupella music, click here and then click on audio. It'll make your day!

Backwoods Christian Camp

This morning some of our youth group left for Backwoods Christian Camp. There were about 25 leaving, including one of our elders and 3 other adults. We have a church bus that we use to drive them there. Because we had more people than would fit in the church bus that wanted to go, we also drove a mini-van. What a GREAT problem, right????

We've had several of our young people come back from their week at camp who had been baptized. Everyone comes back tired, but rejuvenated. It's a week of singing, and fun, and learning. Fellowship and meeting new people. They love it!

You can check out Backwoods here.

Regarding Open Minded

I am a person that has strong religious beliefs. Yet I base those beliefs, not on what others have told me I should believe, but on the conclusions to which I have come because of my own study of God's Word, the Bible. Yet I know that there is so much more for me to learn. I am always open to knowing and learning to be the way God wants me to be.

I have used that same Bible to form my opinions about other issues, such as homosexuality or abortion to name a couple. Because God says it is wrong, I feel it is wrong as well. The society in which we live in today would not say such things. Just because it's legal to have an abortion, is it the right thing to do? Just because many in our society say homosexuality is okay, that does not mean it is right. We have to look to the Bible as our standard to determine what is right and wrong. That's not a very popular position to take sometimes.

Now that's no excuse to treat someone who is a homosexual in an unloving way. Nor should you look down on a person who felt she had to have an abortion because of the circumstances of her life at the time. We just need to show love to everyone, because we were all made in the image of God. And we try to build a relationship of genuine caring with all people. Then we try to show them what God says about what is right and wrong, by directing them to the Bible.

We are all human. We all make mistakes. We are all guilty of sin. We all need a savior. That Savior is Jesus Christ. He has already provided the way of forgiveness for our sins through his precious blood. If we would only listen and obey.

How Open Minded Are You?

You Are 36% Open Minded

You aren't exactly open minded, but you have been known to occasionally change your mind. You're tolerant enough to get along with others who are very different... But you may be quietly judgmental of things or people you think are wrong. You take your own values pretty seriously, and it would take a lot to change them.

How Open Minded Are You?

The Dentist

Well, looks like I've finally put it off long enough. I went to the dentist Friday. I'm probably going to have to have a root canal done on one of my teeth! Just the smell that greets me when I walk into the dentist's office is enough to make me turn around and walk right back out! Then when I hear that drill sound you always hear when you're sitting there in the waiting room brings a cold sweat out on me. I'm such a big baby when it comes to going to the dentist. But I guess the very REAL pain of having a bad tooth is a little bit worse than the PSYCHOLOGICAL pain of going!

I get to go back next Friday! Pray for me!

A.C.T.S.

Tonight we had a get together with some of the folks at church. I always seem to come away from those little meetings feeling kind of bad about things. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the fellowship. We got together and went out to eat. Then we went back to the church building for a bit of brain storming. ACTS is an acronym for Active Christians in Today's Society. I hope the number that showed up tonight isn't a true count of how many active Christians we have in our congregation. We only had 15 show up. And isn't it always the same handful of people that are willing to show up for something outside of their normal Sunday morning and Wednesday night?

We are great about coming up with some good ideas. I've heard all kinds of great and wonderful ideas in my years attending here. But our problem is the follow up; following through with all those great ideas. And as great as they are, I'm not sure any of them will actually cause the numbers to increase. One problem I see with a small congregation (we're about 130 members) is that we just don't have all the activities that so many people are looking for when they start looking for a church. Especially when they have children. But how do you build up your class sizes and your youth group when they won't stay? We have a pretty decent teenage group because all our children are growing up!

So, how do you get a congregation to grow? How do you get the members you already have to get involved? It seems to me that's the key to growth...having members who care and who are willing to be involved. Because it's not about the numbers. It's about each one of us sharing our hope in Christ with others. It's not the preacher's job, or the elder's job; it's something we should all be doing.

Choices

My cousin owns about 175 acres in Arkansas. She and her family have been raising birds for years now that eventually get to our local pet stores, such as Petco. They also raise guinea pigs, rabbits, a snake or two.

They work really hard too, because they do it right. They make sure their animals are healthy, and clean and well cared for, and they expect anyone that buys their animals to treat them the same way! They have a beautiful home, and their children live close by and also work with the animals. The Lord has blessed them.

It was so nice and peaceful out there. If you sit out on the patio, early in the morning and again in the evening you can watch the deer as they walk across the yard. And when it gets dark you can actually see hundreds of stars because you don't have all the lights around that dull the brightness of the starlight. I loved it!

That's what I want for myself. To be able to slow life down a little bit. I think it's still possible to get a little land somewhere (maybe...say 5 acres, I won't be greedy!) and have a little house, a garden. Sit out on my porch and enjoy God's creation. We just don't take the time to do that anymore. I know I don't.

We brought home a cockateil. They hand feed their birds, so he's pretty tame and used to being handled. I'm hoping to be able to teach him to talk. I had a cockateil once before who had so much personality and was really sweet. Supposedly the males are easier to teach. Guess we'll see. I don't know what to name him though!

Family Reunion

We just returned today from a family reunion in Arkansas. I'm not sure how many more of these we'll be able to have. Mom and all her siblings are getting older and their health is declining. Marvin is 84, Mom is 82, Faye will be 80 next month, Bonnie is 76, and Mattie is 72. They have always been a very close family, though they live in different states (Florida, Arkansas, Texas and North Carolina.)

Mom and Dad

Pics of Mom and Dad. Dad died in 1990 at 80 years of age.

Me

Pics of me. I'm the youngest of the four.

My Brother Gary

My brother Gary. He's almost 2 years older than me.

My brother Danny. He's 10 years older than I am. Picture of him and our mom.

My Sister Merlea

These pictures are of my sister Merlea. She was 12 years older than me. She died in 2000 at 56 years of lung cancer.

Da Vinci Code

The last two Sunday mornings John has preached about the controversy of the "Da Vinci Code" that everybody's talking about. I thought I'd pass on a couple of points that came from these sermons.

First of all, The DaVinci Code is fiction. It's a suspense novel, howbeit a sacrilegious novel. It's not true. The only problem is, Dan Brown claims he believes it is based on fact.

Brown claims that Jesus and Mary Magnalene were married and had children. The truth is, the Bible mentions Mary Magdalene only a few times: (1) Jesus cast seven demons out of her(Mark 16:9). (2) She was present while Jesus was dying on the cross(Matthew 27: 55-56). (3) She was present when Jesus was buried (Matthew 27: 60-61). (4) She went to the tomb early on the first day of the week (Matthew28:1). (5) She told Peter and John about the empty tomb (John 20:1-2). (6) Jesus appeared to her after His resurrection (Mark 16:9) and told her that He had not yet ascended to the Father (John 20:17). Mary reported to the disciples what Jesus had said to her (John 20:18). The Bible never hints of any kind of romantic relationship between Jesus and Mary. It doesn't teach that they married and had children. The scriptures present Mary as a devoted follower of Jesus.

Brown claims that Christians worshiped on the Sabbath until emperor Constantine changed it to Sunday. "Christianity honored the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday, but Constantine shifted it to coincide with the pagan's veneration day of the sun. To this day, most churchgoers attend services on Sunday morning with no idea that they are there on account of the pagan sun god's weekly tribute - Sunday." (pp232-233) The truth is, the New Testament church met on the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:2; Acts 20:7) If the churches in Corinth and Troas were meeting on Sunday (the first day of the week) back in the middle of the first century, the time of worship could not have been changed by Constantine in the early years of the fourth century as he claims.

Brown claims that the Bible is a product of man...not God. "The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven... The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times and it has evolved through countless translations, additions and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book" (p 231) The truth is, the Bible gives a different explanation for its origin. 2 Peter 1:21 says "For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Timothy 3:16 says "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." If Brown's view is correct, the Bible ought to be a mishmash of confusing and contradictory stories. Instead it is a single, unfolding story of sin and redemption.

Even knowing this book is a work of fiction, I still find it upsetting and an attack on the beliefs I find so very important to me. Christians will recognize this for what it is; a book full of lies about Christ and the Bible. In order to minimize the potential damage to people's faith in Christ and in the Bible, look for opportunities to share the TRUTH about Christ and God's word.

Mothers Day 2006

Mom and I on MothersDay, May 14, 2006.

Groaner of the day

Did you hear what the mother hen, who was recently widowed, said to her rebellious chick? "If only your father could see you now. He'd turn over in his gravy!"

groan groan

A Florida Biker and His Babe

This is for anyone who dares to think we don't know how to "live it up" here in the good ole south!

A Taste of Heaven

Wow, what a great sermon we had today! John preached about Heaven. I guess because I work with people who are very ill, I was sitting there listening to him and thinking how encouraging it would be for some of them to hear what he was saying. I also have worked with a lot of elderly people, and I know what a comfort his words would be to them as well. He read from Revelation 21, where John wrote the following; "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." I have especially found comfort in the words of Jesus from John 14 which states; "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Jesus died for every one of us. One day, this journey we call life will come to an end. The end of our journey will lead us to either heaven or to hell. Those who reject Christ will not be saved. Apart from His cross, there is no other possible way of salvation.

In each of our lives there will be sorrow and there will also be much joy. When we lose a loved one in death, it is a time of sorrow and sadness. But if that loved one was a faithful Christian, there is also joy to know that they have finished the race and are now in the presence of the Savior. It is such a bitter sweet time.

Heaven should not only be our destination, but our motivation in this life.

We sang one of my favorite songs today:
Why Did My Savior Come to Earth?

Why did my Savior come to earth, And to the humble go?
Why did He choose a lowly birth? Because He loved me so!

Why did He drink the bitter cup, Of sorrow, pain and woe?
Why on the cross be lifted up? Because he loved me so!

Til Jesus comes I'll sing His praise, And then to glory go,
And reign with Him thro' endless days, Because he loved me so!

He loved me so. He loved me so.
He gave His precious life for me, for me. Because He loved me so!

Just Beautiful!!!!!!!!

Baptist Dog

This is Mike - We adopted him from the animal shelter.

Thought this was too funny. Just sharing a couple of correspondences from an e-mail my husband shared with me. I know it's a joke, but it does show a little about how people are watching when we profess to be Christians!

Ever mindful of the congregation, the Baptist preacher and his wife decided to get a new dog, and knew that the dog also had to be a Baptist. They visited kennel after kennel and explained their needs.
Finally, they found a kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they wanted.
The owner brought the dog to meet the pastor and his wife.
"Fetch the Bible," he commanded.
The dog bounded to the bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and brought it to the owner.

"Now find Psalm 23," he commanded.
The dog dropped the Bible to the floor, and showing marvelous dexterity with his paws, leafed through and finding the correct passage, pointed to it with his paw.

The pastor and his wife were very impressed and purchased the dog.
That evening, a group of church members came to visit.
The pastor and his wife began to show off the dog, having him locate several Bible verses.
The visitors were very impressed.

One man asked, "Can he do regular dog tricks, too?"

"I haven't tried yet," the pastor replied. He pointed his finger at the dog. "HEEL!" the pastor commanded. The dog immediately jumped on a chair, placed one paw on the pastor's forehead and began to howl.

The pastor looked at his wife in shock and said, "Oh no! He's Pentecostal!"

Your post makes me feel that I've been really amiss in that when my wife and I adopted a dog from the pound a couple of years ago, we didn't even give a thought to his religious affiliation. After discussing it, though, we have decided that we lucked out . . . he is definitely a "church of Christ dog." Not only does he not heel (er, heal), but while he occasionally sings (barks), he has never yet been known to play an instrument to accompany his singing.


I heard someone mention on one occassion that they had a dog that had gotten into some mischief of some sort. She then described how one gracious member took her aside to explain to her, a preacher's wife, that the dog of a minister of church of Christ ought not to act that way. Can you imagine? It would be hard not to facetiously encourage the sister to start a new dog convert's class!
So, not only are preachers, preacher's wives, and PKs, held under the microscope, but also preacher's pets!

Krispy Kreme Donuts

I grew up just a couple of blocks from where Krispy Kreme donuts were made. I knew even before the "hot donuts now" sign started flashing, that there were some fresh donuts just coming out of the oven. The smell was wonderful! They've always been my favorite (I like the glazed vanilla cream filled ones the best!) One of the neat things about our trip was that we got to see how the donuts were made! (It doesn't take a lot to get me excited!) Anyway, Thought I'd share a few of the pictures to show you how they make them.

Me In Tallahassee

This picture was taken inside the state capitol in Tallahassee, April 15, 2006.

Our Trip

Well, we had a pretty nice time on our "mini" trip/anniversary. We drove along the coast, then up to Tallahassee. It was a georgous day! The beaches were absolutely beautiful, and not too crowded. We stopped at Panama City for a walk on the beach. It was kind of hot though. Not too crowded. I wouldn't have wanted to be there during spring break though!

This picture is of John on the beach in Panama City, April 14, 2006.

Judge Not

Who's in Heaven ?

I was shocked, confused bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
By the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves,the liars,the sinners,
The alcoholics,the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

She,who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus,
"What's the deal?
I would love to hear your take.
How'd all these sinners get uphere?
God must've made a mistake.

And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber?
Give me a clue."
"Hush child," said He.
"They're all in shock.
No one thought they'd see you!"

Just something I got in an email I wanted to share. Now we know that thieves, liars and sinners will not be in heaven. But isn't it great to know that there is forgiveness for our sins through the cross? I don't know about you, but I haven't met a perfect person yet!

He Is Risen

We had a lot of visitors at church this morning. Not surprising, we expected it. It seems that people will go to church on Christmas and Easter, even if they won't go any other time of the year. John preached a good sermon about the teacher Jesus. He traveled around Palestine for about 3 1/2 years - working miracles, teaching the truth of His purpose, His fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and preparing them to continue teaching others these great truths.

He did mention about the risen Christ. But he emphasized that Christ's ressurrection should be preached any time of the year, not just on some special day of the year. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Jesus wasn't the first person to be raised from the dead (Lazarus and others were), but He was the first to never die again! Because of His great sacrifice, we have that same promise. Not that we'll never die (we will, unless the Lord returns before then), but He has assured us that on that day we will also experience the resurrection of our bodies and we will have eternal life.

Happy Easter to you all!

2005

My daughter Angie at 25 years of age.

1996

My daughter Angie at 16 years of age.

After

Before

Our house is shaped like a U so there's an area just off to the right of the walkway as you walk up to the front door. Well, as you can see, this area was in really bad shape! And it's one of the first things you see as you come inside. So...we decided to get this area cleaned up yesterday. We worked a long time getting it done!

We're still not finished, but it looks 100 percent better! We put in a wisteria vine in hopes that we can get it to grow and close in the area a little more. Also a butterfly plant, some heather,hibiscus, oleander, and a jasmine plant. We also fertilized and trimmed up the roses. So hopefully in a month or so it will be full of blooms!

And the best part is, we're not even sore from doing all that work yesterday!

Thought This Was Too Cute!

One More Regarding The Winkler Family

Greta Van Susteren is the Fox News Channel equivalent to Nancy Grace . . . in that she is a lawyer who hosts a legal issues show on a cable news network. In a column dated Tuesday, April 4, Ms. Van Susteren wrote,

---

On to another topic, I received e-mails from some viewers with very hostile things to say about Matthew and Mary Winkler's church and religion. The critical e-mails are the malcontents, not the many who are happy and gain much by being members of this church. Let me remind everyone, the First Amendment our Constitution provides for Freedom of Religion. It is reasonable to be critical of anyone accused of shooting someone, but we should respect the religion of the many who belong to this church of denomination. We need to be careful not to step on others' rights. The church and the religion are not on trial. A wife will be on trial for the shooting.

---

There appears to be a little difference in outlook from that shown by Nancy Grace.

It's Spring, Ya'll!

It's spring here in Florida, my FAVORITE time of year! Just had to share some of the beauty and color that's springing up everywhere!

Let's Talk

I had a sweet lady at church today who waved me over to her. She wanted to tell me something. She told me that if I ever needed someone to talk to about anything, she was a great listener! And she said she was good at keeping things to herself as well. I thought that was so sweet of her. In light of all that has happened with the Winkler family, all the speculation about what happened between Mary and Matthew. Could it have been avoided? This lady just wanted me to know she was there for me if I needed anyone. There are some really good, caring people. Some people you just want to hug and not let go!

The Winkler Family

There has been so much negative publicity regarding this tragedy. I thought I'd post a couple of articles I've seen whose objective doesn't seem to be to blame the church for this unfortunate tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers remain with this family.

Published in USA Today on 3/27/06.

Even after her first court appearance Monday, the public knows little about what motive Mary Winkler allegedly gave police for shooting her husband, a popular and well-liked minister at Fourth Street Church of Christ in the small town of Selmer, Tenn., 80 miles east of Memphis.
Sheriff's deputies lead Mary Winkler into the Baldwin County Satellite Courthouse in Foley, Ala. Sheriff's deputies lead Mary Winkler into the Baldwin County Satellite Courthouse in Foley, Ala.
Winkler, 32, said nothing beyond "no, sir" when asked if she had any questions during her arraignment Monday at the McNairy County Criminal Justice Center, where she has been held since she was extradited Saturday to Tennessee.

Her attorneys entered no plea, and the judge granted the defense's request to postpone a bail hearing until her preliminary hearing Thursday morning. The funeral for her husband, Fourth Street Church of Christ minister Matthew Winkler, will be today in Selmer.

Two students at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn., who knew the Winklers, were among 200 to 300 people who attended a visitation for the family Monday night in Selmer, Tenn.

Shane Fisher, 19, sophomore Bible major from McMinnville, had worked with Mary Winkler at the Super D drugstore there about two years ago. He was a clerk and she worked in the mail room.

He would often tell her jokes "to crack her up," Fisher said. He described her as "very compassionate, so friendly all the time."

"I don't ever remember her having a bad day," Fisher said. "She was a good Christian lady; she really was."

Fisher attended a youth seminar with FHU sophomore marketing major Tyler Boyd, 19, during spring break last week in McMinnville. Many youths were there who knew Matthew Winkler, whom they often called by the nickname "Wink," Boyd said.

Boyd said the minister encouraged young people to search the Bible, find the truth and serve God with everything they had.

His death has motivated many, Boyd said, adding that he also doesn't think Matthew Winkler would have any trouble forgiving his wife.

"I think Wink would be the first one to forgive her after this," Boyd said. "I don't think he'd have to think about it."

Mary Winkler's lead defense attorney, Steve Farese, said he had not seen the statement she gave police during questioning in Alabama after she was apprehended there Thursday night with her three daughters, and he cannot talk about any conversations he has had with his client.

He described her current state as "quiet, very reserved and still in semi-shock."

"She's sad about Matthew's death and sad about being away from the children," Farese said. "It's hard for everyone to understand what she's looking at right now."

Investigators said Winkler confessed and gave a reason why she shot her husband, but no motive has been publicly discussed.

Winkler was charged Friday with the killing after a nationally publicized search led to her capture in Alabama. Members of the church community have expressed shock at the shooting and have described the Winklers as a seemingly ideal family.

Family friend Pam Killingsworth visited her in jail Sunday and said Winkler expressed remorse. She wishes she could walk down the aisle of her church and repent her sins, Killingsworth said.

Wearing a jail-issued orange suit with her legs shackled, Winkler was led by hand Monday into the packed courtroom by her attorneys. She didn't look up at the more than 70 church members, spectators and media representatives seated in the small room and remained facing the judge once she was seated.

Winkler sniffled and seemed to be crying as her attorneys conferred at the bench and photographers behind her snapped photos.

At least a dozen women from her church attended the arraignment. Several sat in the front row so Winkler could see them.

"We just came to show moral support, but she didn't look up so I don't know if she saw us," said Fourth Street Church of Christ member Judy Turner.

"I believe she felt us," friend Susie Wolfe said.

Flyers were still posted on the courthouse bulletin board announcing the Amber Alert authorities had issued last week for Winkler and daughters Breanna, 1, Mary Alice, 6, and Patricia, 8, after church members found Matthew Winkler shot dead at the parsonage. A patrol officer in Orange Beach, Ala. caught Winkler Thursday night driving in her minivan with the three children. Matthew Winkler's parents, Dan and Diane Winkler, have custody of the couple's three children.

Defense attorney Leslie Ballin said he also hasn't seen Mary Winkler's statement, but he's not convinced it will amount to a legitimate confession.

"We will be looking at what condition she was held in, if she was without sleep or food, or any pressures that may have been lent upon her," Ballin said.

In a news conference, District Attorney Elizabeth Rice offered thoughts and prayers to the family of Matthew Winkler, 31.

Rice declined to comment on Winkler's alleged motive.

"All evidence will be presented at the appropriate time," Rice said.

Published today in the Jackson Sun Newspaper

SELMER - Though they don't understand what reason Mary Winkler would have had for killing their son, her in-laws have "assured her of their forgiveness," a longtime family friend said Monday.

Winkler, 32, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband, Fourth Street Church of Christ minister Matthew Winkler, 31. His body was found Wednesday at the couple's Selmer home. She fled after the shooting with their three young girls to Orange Beach, Ala., where she was arrested Thursday, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Police have said Mary Winkler confessed to shooting her husband in the back, though they haven't discussed a motive. She has since apologized to his parents, Dan and Diane Winkler, and their sons, Daniel and Jacob, according to Billy R. Smith, dean of the School of Biblical Studies at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson.
Smith has known the Winkler family for 25 years and said he and Dan Winkler have been friends for that long. Smith has talked to Dan Winkler several times since the tragedy and planned to attend visitation for Matthew Winkler on Monday night in Selmer, he said.

"They were able to visit with her in Alabama, and she expressed her great sorrow for what she'd done, and they assured her of their forgiveness," Smith said. Dan and Diane Winkler "have loved her as a daughter, not as a daughter-in-law, and if they could take her home with them right now, they would," he added.

"They're a great example of what it means to forgive," Smith said of Matthew Winkler's parents. "... That's because of their faith, their character and their love."

Mary Winkler was arraigned Monday afternoon on the murder charge.

Meanwhile, black bows hung on the doors of Selmer's Fourth Street Church of Christ, where Matthew Winkler had been the minister for just over a year. Some members worked around the church to prepare it for the funeral today.

A 5 p.m. visitation drew 200 to 300 people to Selmer's Shackelford Funeral Directors to pay their respects.

Mary Winkler's father, Clark Freeman, attended Monday's arraignment. Smith said he spoke with Freeman on Sunday.

"He's so sorry and just distraught for what has happened," Smith said. "But the relationship between the Winklers and him is very good."

Dan Winkler is a minister at the Huntingdon Church of Christ and teaches at FHU. His father, the late Wendell Winkler, was a well-known Church of Christ preacher, Smith said.

Smith last saw Matthew and Mary Winkler during FHU's Bible Lectureship in February. They visited his office to show him their new baby, 1-year-old daughter Brianna. Matthew Winkler also informed Smith that he'd be participating in an annual FHU youth leadership training program in July, as he'd done in recent years.

"They were both just as happy as they could be and on top of the world," Smith said of the visit.

Smith taught Matthew Winkler at FHU, and his son, Scotty Smith, and Matthew Winkler were best friends, he added.

"I never saw Matthew when he was not happy and excited about his life, but especially about his wife and family," Smith said. "Matthew was being very effective in his work (at Fourth Street) and had made a lot of new friends."

Smith described Mary Winkler as "a wonderful young lady, just like we've known and loved from the day they married." The two had been married 10 years.

"This is a mystery to both sides of the family and their friends," Smith said of the shooting.

Other than family and friends, those attending Monday's visitation included people Matthew had known and touched throughout his brief life.

There was a line of about 100 to 150 people waiting outside to get in before 6:30 p.m. Monday. The line continued inside and could be seen through a large glass window in the funeral home.

Police blocked an entrance to keep out media, which included many local and national print and television outlets.

Two Freed-Hardeman University students from McMinnville, who knew the Winklers, were among those coming to offer their condolences and say goodbye to Matthew Winkler.

Tyler Boyd, 19, a marketing major, believed Matthew Winkler would also be forgiving of Mary Winkler.

"I think Wink would be the first one to forgive her after this," Boyd said referring to Matthew Winkler by a nickname many young people used for him. "I don't think he'd have to think about it."

Boyd said Matthew Winkler encouraged youth to search the Bible, find the truth and serve God with everything they had.

Matthew Winkler taught at a Christian school in McMinnville and was a youth minister at a church there. His wife worked in the mail room at Super D Drugs in McMinnville.

FHU sophomore Shane Fisher, 19, worked with Mary Winkler at the drug store. He was a clerk.

He would often tell her jokes "to crack her up," Fisher said. He described her as "very compassionate; so friendly all the time."

"I don't ever remember her having a bad day," Fisher said. "She was a good Christian lady; she really was."

Both Boyd and Fisher attended a youth seminar last week during FHU's spring break in McMinnville with other youth who knew Matthew Winkler. His death has motivated many to serve God, Boyd added.

The seminar's theme was "The Power of Faith."

"It kind of uplifted us," Fisher said. "I think if Matthew Winkler was here right now, he would tell us, 'Keep going, never give up' and put our faith in God because everything's going to work out all right in the end."

The Cartoon Me

I used the editing program on my computer to turn myself into a cartoon. ( I'm STILL not happy with the way I look!) Oh well...

Can't we all just get along?

Went to church Sunday. We were attending at a different congregation for the Worship service because John and Kenny switched places. Anyway, as we were entering the church building someone actually voiced something I've thought for a very long time. Why, oh why, can't all the little, dinky congregations just get together under one roof and worship God? Why, oh why, does it have to be the way it is? This dear lady voiced my thoughts, read my mind, but she was brave enough to actually come out and say it. Everybody is not going to agree on every little thing scriptually. But why can't we love the Lord enough, have the desire enough to be Christians, to be able to set aside these petty little differences and be a united community, Able to worship God, to edify one another, to support each other and the church, in order to make a bigger and better impact on the community? Not to mention combining our resources and assets financially in order to be used to further the gospel instead of paying for all the expensive upkeep of all these different buildings in the area?

Sometimes it seems man can be his own worst enemy!