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!

Diet Update - Two Weeks Later

While I am starting to lose my extra 20 pounds, I've found it to be slow and tedius. It's strange how easy it is to gain weight, but it's not easy to lose it! But I have lost 5 pounds in two weeks, so I am happy with that! A good start anyway!

Help Please!!!

As an addition to my last post, I was wondering if anyone out there would be willing to share a favorite recipe (low calorie, low fat, low cholesterol)...just anything that will give me some different ideas of what to eat!

Thanks a bunch!

A Time To Lose

Well, it's come down to it. I HAVE to go on a diet! I've been steadily gaining weight over the last couple of years. I've gained about 20 lbs! and I'm afraid if I don't just stop this right now, I'll just keep gaining and gaining! I'm actually between 5'2" and 5'3" and weigh 130 lbs!

I was visiting with one of the ladies from church the other day who is a friend of my mom. She said, "Oh, I have a dress I've been wanting to give you for a while now. I hope I haven't waited too long since you've gained so much weight!" Ha!

All my life I've been underweight and have never had a weight problem. So this is a whole new way of looking at myself. Others around me have always been on this diet or that one, so I guess now it's my turn!

I know, I know. No starvation diet (as if I could!); Eat sensibly; exercise more; eat more fruits; vegetables. Go gradual, only lose about 2-3 lbs a week. So my goal is to lose 20 lbs over the next few months.

Wish me luck!