Monday, February 06, 2012

And we are off, the start of another week


2/6/12 Monday
Monday, the start of another week. What shall I talk about? There is so much on my mind and so many things coming to fruition. Unfortunately some of the wonderful things God is putting together I won’t talk about till they happen, for there are those who would rather see us fail than succeed. This we have seen many times so have learned to keep things close to the vest, so to speak. But it is exciting to see things coming together. On the other hand we also see an increase in things that must be overcome. There are times when circumstances seem overwhelming and with that comes the battle with frustration and depression.

I remind myself daily of the scripture that says “If God be for us, who can be against us”. We still need to find a church home and there is a loneliness that comes from living in a remote location and finding it so hard to develop relationships locally. The rejection of the church people we reached out to here in Stanton still has a sting, but mostly it brings a great sadness in me. Sadness that those who publicly profess the love of Jesus in reality show none, except for those they know and like. Sadness because I know God and His word, and that there is a judgment regarding how we treat others. How I would love to reach out and talk with them, to have a conversation face to face where everything is out in the open and in the light, instead of gossip behind closed doors and hidden. It’s real simple folks, that which cause division is not from God but that which brings unity and peace is His will.

We were blessed with another person to help. Unfortunately she fell last week and broke her foot and clavicle so I plan on building rails she can hold on to as she walks out to her car. Her husband had been a farmer and she asked if I could clean up the tons of stuff laying around and take it to a scrapyard. Much of it happens to be farm equipment such as discs and livestock feeders that I need for our future hopes and plans for the farm. This is a double blessing, we can minister to and assist an elderly person and we also are provided with equipment I can’t afford to purchase. It’s old and half buried in the sand but I’m confident I can make most of it workable. The only obstacle now is I need a trailer to haul this stuff away and I am not physically strong enough to lift much of it so we will pray that God provide the means for me to do this.

We have formed and registered a company, called Westbrook Management. Under this umbrella we expect to operate several enterprises. Funding for one of them has been made available and we are working with the state of Texas on funding for another one. The third requires I find some equipment, such as a mobile air compressor and a trailer to haul lawn and maintenance equipment to job sites. It is exciting and a little scary right now. I still have great difficulty following through on tasks and the short term memory loss is a constant problem. As I write this I just remembered something I was asked to do for the State, that I had totally forgotten about and had neglected to inform Cherie. Typical in my life. I called Cherie and let her know. There is no question I depend on her a lot to keep me on track.

It’s already 12:40 and I haven’t gotten much done. I did take Trixie to the vet this morning. She has been whimpering a little and not as active as normal so we were concerned. Plus the dogs had gotten into the garbage on several occasions and one time got ahold of chicken bones, a potentially dangerous thing health wise. She has a slight pancreatic infection so the vet gave her a shot and some antibiotics.

I need to make a list of things that need to get done. There is a letter that needs to get written to a friend in Ohio, who’s phone has been disconnected. There is wood to cut for a person we are helping out. And lots more that I don’t need to put on this blog but keeping lists is important to help me remember what to do.

I think I will go cut wood and do some work at the house of the woman who fell and broke her foot and shoulder. That way I can check and make sure she is ok. So gotta get going

2 comments:

Amy E said...

Bob have ya'll thought of starting your own church, a house church? I'd rather be part of a group of TRUE believers than attend a church full of the dead. If the pastor isn't embarrassed or ashamed, she definitely should be...

Have you thought of purchasing a bottle of penicillin to keep in the fridge? I avoid a lot of vet bills by keeping an eye on my animals, knowing the symptoms of illness and then providing a shot of penicillin. Just trying to help keep the vet bills down ;-)

I pray you and Cheri are doing well, and I think about you often.

Bob Westbrook said...

We have been praying about starting a bible study, with a focus on reaching all those who are generally not thought well of, the outcasts, poor, you know, all the ones Jesus cared for and reached out to. There is great need in this little town. In my ministry at the jail I talk to those who have gone to churches only to walk away feeling rejected. They ask "Where is your church?" and I tell them they are my church. Pray with me for this, that God provide a place we can meet at and provide the funds we can use to advertise and reach out with.