Bret called tonight. It was such a delight to hear his voice. It has been about three weeks. He is busy, working 7 days a week, often. This is good right now because he really needs the money and it will help him get a bit ahead.

Bible Study was good this morning. We finally got beyond Paul's introduction to the IICorinthians letter and into something besides his explanations of why he had not showed up when they wanted him to. We discussed a lot the fact that Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant of the Old Testament and do we really need the Old Testament and what is the obligation of Christians. We really covered a lot of territory.

We started with a prayer that I had found in an article in Family Circle written by a Sophy Burnham. This paragraph was special. "I once asked a Hindu teacher the best way to pray. He answered with a story. Once there was a dog who was attacked by a pack of wild dogs. He fought his way free, limped home bleeding and presented himself at his owner's feet. And what did the owner do? He carried the dog indoors, washed and bandaged his wounds and set his broken bones. Every day he gave his dog food, water, a soft bed. And soon the dog got well. the dog did not ask for anything. The dog merely presented himself. 'That is how you pray', my teacher said. 'For if you ask for trousers, you will get trousers. But if you simply present yourself, every blessing will be yours.' "

Today I was remembering a neighbor, Joyce. Bret and her son Chip were the same age. She had an older son Mark who had, like Bret, been a very cooperative little one. If he was doing something not acceptable, Joyce would simply tell him that this was not OK and he would cheerfully go on to something else. Then came Chip who was sweet as a bugs ear but very determined and always experimenting even unto trouble and danger. For example, one day they were cleaning the garage and he found a bird cage. He asked his mother if they could get a bird. She said later or something like that and the next thing she knew Chip was 30 feet up in the tree in the front yard. He saw a bird. He was 4.

Then she got pregnant with their third son Matthew, and spent the first six months of her pregancy throwing up. This was a woman who had never had a sick day in either of her first two pregnancies.

She came over to the house one day and said. I have had to eat so many words in my day. I used to say that if children were told from the beginning what is safe and acceptable there will not be a problem with them doing and getting into things they shouldn't. I also had the gall to say that morning sickness was all in peoples heads. I hope I have learned something.

This is a lesson we all need. This kind of came to mind and has been swirling there since Mr. Tom Cruise had the nerve to say that all mental ills can be healed with diet and medication.

My friend, Helen said that unless you have lived in a house and eaten at that table and slept in that bed, do not judge.

We bottled the Gewertziminer today. It tastes good.

Enjoy Tudsday. We are shopping and (Ick) I have to go to the dentist.

Mary