Work Hard. Play Hard. Fall Hard.

This day is dedicated to my grandson (Happy Birthday Payton Wallace), and his wish for his 17th birthday TODAY, to be here at Marval Camp in Gore, Oklahoma. This first couple of pics are from Tuesday when we arrived here (note the coveted photo with the ginormous trout letting us know of things to come), and then the rest from yesterday when we started our day out at 5 am (yes, we are serious fisher-people) to get to our favorite fishing spot by daybreak, just below the Tenkiller Dam. It is a picture of heaven (at least in a fisherman's eyes) to arrive to those quiet, calm, peaceful, glass-like-waters (except for the fish jumping and saying (in our imagination) "Come get me", long after the dam gates from yesterday were closed, leaving behind all those hungry trout and striped bass to jump on our hooks. We like to think those fish are people-whisperers, and we are fish-whisperers. LOL! They were no doubt disappointed by the breakfast they went after because they will end up in our tummies tomorrow, but we weren't. By 8:30 am, we had reached our limits on the number of fish we could catch.

Bless Larry Wallace's heart -- he spent so much time getting all the poles rigged up, helping getting lines untangled, taking the fish off the hooks for the girls, that he didn't get as much time fishing, but when his line went in, he made up for the lost time by the number of fish he hauled in! Of course, Staci's line is in the water from start to finish -- they cleaned the fish we had back at camp -- and then fished more at the river. Notice that fishing necklace around her neck? That was her Daddy's. She represents him well in her love for fishing as much as he did. Alexia Wallace has become a great all-around fisher-girl too so now, it's a total family affair!

The boys (Payton Wallace & his buddies from church, Matt and Darian) ventured over to the other side of the river to see what their take could be on that side. They were gone a couple of hours and then we saw them heading back. They decided to walk across rocks in the river in order to stay dry. No sooner than they started across, that the horn started blowing that signals the huge dam gates are opening to let the heavy flow of water come through. In their haste, all three guys fell in the water. Hence the photo of the soaked and cold guys here! LOL!

That incident leads me to where I'm at right now as I type this post. All those wet clothes were bundled up and I'm doing their wash at the Gore laundromat, which by the way, has free wifi! Thank you, Lord, for helping me to stay on point to my commitment to You -- to post a daily encouragement on Facebook.

So what is my encouragement for today, particularly in the light of my not being in a church or cathedral or the privacy of my home? As I sit here listening to the hum of the dryers here in this unconventional "online" setting, the first scripture verse that came to me was John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." I totally get it. The enemy of our souls wants our thoughts to be on the politics, the concerns and the lives of those in the public's eyes -- most of which deals with negativity. He wants us all consumed about matters of the world and matters in our little worlds, rather than taking to the words of Christ to heart "I CAME to give you life and have it to the full". All I know, my life is FULL and running over with God's abundance and blessings. That's what I purpose to fix my mind on -- and NOT those things that the enemy purposes to use to steal, kill and destroy my good thoughts and good attitudes! So, until next time, I think I'll get back to my gang and continue with celebrating the life of my awesome grandson and celebrate that abundant life Christ came to give us! http://ow.ly/OYhD30c10HN