Howdy Neighbors!

We will repeat some of this story tomorrow morning in the regular Wednesday email- but wanted to share with everyone that is a part of our farm and ranch family the news from Hydro, Oklahoma today.

Karen has written in a special blog over these past two years about Jeff's journey- Jeff wrote quite a bit in the first year of his illness- Karen was the scribe this second year and her spiritual insights made me bawl like a baby more than once. A few weeks ago Karen, knowing that Jeff's time on this earth was coming to an end- spoke of her struggle with God. She wrote "It's in those moments, that I begin to question God - what kind of a life does Jeff have? If you aren't going to heal him, then why does he have to go through this? I question, then I always come back to "who am I to question the wisdom of God?" The Psalms often start with that tone and somehow end up in praise to the creator and sustainer of all life (Psalm 13). I, too, find myself following my questions with praise for who God is and thankfulness for the blessings he has poured out on us. Who are we that he would die for us? Who am I to question God's will for Jeff? I eventually come around to praise." She added "Keep up the prayers. My human strength was used up early - now all that is done, all the strength that seems to appear out of nowhere, is an answer to prayer - your prayers. God continues to provide strength in just the right portion at just the right time. Thank you for your prayers for all of our family."
Please pray for Karen, daughter Brittany and Jeff's parents Wayne and Fern and all the rest of their family.

Services for Jeff will be Friday afternoon at 2 PM in the Dome at the Hinton school facilities. Handling the arrangements of the services is the Turner Funeral Home in Hinton- their number is 405-542-3222.

Friday is a special day in that September 9 is Jeff's Birthday- he would have been 48 years old this coming Friday.

Jeff wrote "Well today has been very educational. Brittany told me today that the difference between a minivan and an SUV is the Mini Van has sliding doors and the SUV has regular doors. After looking at the vehicle I was driving I decided she probably had a valid car talking point and after looking on the internet I determined that my Chrysler Aspen that I was driving was an SUV. Now for western Oklahoma I am officially a soccer Dad and I can be bought to pick up your kids for a price. Price will be determined when the Kids are delivered."

That same day he also described how he had fixed the toilet in their home- and that got him to thinking about the relationship between that toilet and one of the on going subjects of the blog- Jeff's Sleep Infested Lazyboy. Jeff explained it this way "There is a relationship between the sleep infested lazy boy and the importance of the properly working toilet. The PWT is so vital for the comfort and convenience of the person running the sleep infested lazy boy (SIL) that an evening without either one could be very detrimental. Therefore I claim that any home with an SIL should also have a PWT. More consideration needs to be put in to this train of thought."