4th 2010 A day to celebrate our freedom

Freedom Rings.... 2010

As we enjoy our freedom and our family fun.... Let us not forget those who served in the past for giving us our freedom and thank those who serve today for the keeping that freedom that we enjoy in America.

We enjoy our freedom and sometimes we take for granite the cost of that freedom. It was shed in blood by our fore fathers who set up this great nation under God and the soldiers who gave everything and many the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.

We pray for all that serve us today and we are proud to be Americans.


















Don't Tread on me!!!!!!

Fathers Day 2010

A day where we honor those who have given their time, their resources and everlasting love to provide for there children and the children that they are charged to care for.

Just like our heavenly Father provides for us.... we need to provide for our children.



We need to stand in the gap for our children and be there for them until we are called from this earth.

We thank God for the men that God gave to us as our Fathers.

and at times have to carry us as God carries us.

Mothers Day Remembered

Mothers Day 2010


Mothers Day has been a hard day for me for over 19 years. Now the past two have been incredibly difficult for all of us. It has become a very sad day for us all.

Mothers day was the time to be with or remember the one person who loves you without question. The woman who chose to keep you and bring you into this world. Also this was the person who daily fed you, clothed you, held you when you fell or were scared. She was the one person who you have a definite spiritual connection with on this earth, because you had the physical attachment for nine months.

Mothers day is a day when we thank our Lord for the beautiful and loving woman who gave her all to make you what you are today. We wish we could talk to her, but it is not possible. Or is it! We still can have that conversation with her and imagine how she would respond and encourage, but mostly love you.

Love you Mom!

Danielle and Erin, now your children share the joy of being with you as their mother.

She is the first to wake up every morning,
With a smile as bright as sunshine,
With a loving heart and friendly soul;

She is the last to go to bed,
With a promise of a wonderful day ahead;
She is my true friend, The only true one;

She consoles me when I am hurt,
Helps me through hard times,
Celebrates my victories however small they may be;

She loves me in a big way,
Too big to say in words,
I owe her a lot;

There is no mother that is better than my mother----a great mother.

Lo Man Birthday

LO LO....

Logan Michael Simko was born in April 23, 2005 in West Virginia. He is my third grand child out of five grand children. He loves school, soccer, super hero movies and he loves to be active..very very active.

Logan was born on a very cold night at the hospital near WVU. The night of his appearance to this world was at first a normal start to a new life.... soon I would realize a super hero was being born.

His grandma and I drove down to the hospital and soon knew we were in for a little wait. Jamie stayed with Erin the whole way thru as a support to her as mothers often do. I of course, took a different approach by staying out of the way and give the staff some space to work. Soon I found a comfortable chair in the waiting room and fell asleep. After a little while... in the midst of my rest recovery, Jamie kicked my chair and said, "I guess you don't want to see your grandson".

I sprung to my feet and still half sleep came to the room where my newest grand child was expressing himself. Logan Michael was here and he made sure everyone knew it.....


Logan did not need a herald to announce his birth he did it himself.

Logan has always been a very happy and loving guy. He loves each day of his life and makes us all enjoy the day he blessed our lives.



You might know him as Logan Michael..... but we just call him LO LO MAN.


ding ding ding

Chasing the Soccer Ball

Soccer anyone! Logan and Ry on the attack.


Ry is very fast and seems to be a solid player on offense and defense. She is understanding the game in a very fast rate and it will not be long when she can be an offensive force.





Logan is becoming the enforcer and seems to be pushing his way into being more involved. He is now in the middle of every pile and tries to get the ball away from the other team.




With the each soccer practice a marked improvement can be seen in Ry and Logan. They are more active to attacking the ball and have been driving towards the opponents net. You can tell they are really getting into their first organized sport.



The "Bean" is waiting for her turn in just a few short years and enjoys making fun of Pappoo.

Day at the Museum

Danielle's crew went with us to the Museum ...... March 27th, 2010

Nathan enjoyed the Diplodicous which seems to be his favorite dinosaur. He marched thru the Dinosaur exhibits in less than 15 minutes and we still could not get him to dig for bones in the bone yard.

Haley emerging from a replica of a sperm whale. It is the actual size of the whales heart.

Nathan enjoyed the pizza and doing his superhero looks for the camera.

But, as usual we had a great day at the museum..... and none of the dinosaurs came to life while we were there.

Our Faith requires ... the Risen Christ

He Has Risen... He has risen in deed.

Easter is a beautiful time of year... The sunshine, warmer weather, spring is in the air. It is the time for flowers, trees and wildlife to create a new start and new life.


It is also a time to reflect on an event that happened close to two thousand years ago. An event that is the cornerstone of our religion..... and our faith in the after life.

He lived and died for sure, it is documented by historians of the time including Josephus. In this time when the most violent of men were in power, he came to tell his people about love and the promises of peace from God. To the most gentle of men came the most violent death that a man could possibly have.


If he is risen and is alive then our faith is real. If he is risen his promises are real. If he is risen then he was who he said he was.... the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.



1 Cor 15:14-19
14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.


1 Cor 15:42-44

42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

Have Faith because He is not in the Tomb!!!!

Anniversary with my love

I met a girl in 1969.


She was a very pretty, with beautiful blue eyes and captured my heart right away.

She was the kind of girl that you just wanted to be with all the time... and when I wasn't with her we were on the phone together. She had voice that was like the voice of an angel. In the years to follow, when I would be troubled or down, that voice had the calming effect that saved me.

Our first dates were with her girl friends and me. Since I did not have a car she always drove. She didn't really like me at first but the girls with her knew that I had a thing for her. We started to date after going to a party together. She was growing on me, and before long she was the only girl I could think about. Finally, I suggested that we go on a double date with one of the girls and her boy friend. At this point I think she caught on that I was interested in her only.

We would go on numerous double dates with these friends before actually going out with just us two. Time always went fast when I was with her, but we both knew that we had found that special person.





College was a tough experience.... and being away from someone you wanted to be with all the time. We wrote letters and I tried come home almost every weekend. Our love grew and before long we were talking forever plans. With almost 30 years of marriage and two precious daughters and 5 beautiful grandchildren. We lived the full life together, with the struggles and joys that all good marriages endure.


Our anniversary of when we started dating was March 26th, 1969.

My love has always been with her, I called her my love and my wife, you girls call her mom.

To heaven I call out Happy Anniversary ...... I.L.Y. babe......

Awaken... Dry Bones

Awake.... God calls us all to Awake.

It is time to come alive in the Spirit
and realize that God is calling his chosen people
to awaken from there slumber and live for him.


Rom 13:11-13
11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

The Dry bones were brought back together and breath was placed in them to make them alive. They are Gods people, the true Israel, His chosen.

Ezek 37:1-10

37 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said, "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know."

4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'"

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet — a vast army.

Get your spirit right with God and be ready to be part of Gods vast army.

Gods love is eternal.....................

Armor of God

Armor of God


The world is filled with wonderful and amazing things that God has provided for us. But, the ruler of this world makes it difficult to enjoy all that God has made for us. He is constantly after us and will not relent unto his time comes to an end. And his time will someday end.

If you read the newspaper or watch the news on TV you can get a daily dose of tragedy, death and disease. Even in our daily lives we battle illnesses, hardships and frustration. We need to be able to combat the daily attacks in our lives.

James 4:7-10

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

We need the Armor of God to protect us daily.

Eph 6:10-18

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the shield ofhelmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

We have more knowledge than any other time in human history. Yet the world is not getting any better. No, the reverse is happening and more evil is filling the world in which we live.

Do not despair and do not be frightened.

But, my loved ones we serve a God who has defeated the foe and has won the victory. If we humble ourselves before the Lord, he will lift you up. For he is full of compassion and mercy.

Take care of them

Take care of them....

Before Jamie Passed away we had the conversation about life after she was gone. She was concerned for our daughters and grandchildren.

Jamie said to me that it was up to me to take care of our daughters and grandchildren. But over the time since she has been gone I am starting to wonder what she really meant.

Did she mean ... take care of them ..... like a mafia hit ..... or sell them on the black market ..... or send them on a long one way journey.

What did you mean Jamie?

They seem to think of me as a cruise director on the ship of life. My main job is to keep them thoroughly entertained and well fed. I have a large supply of toys, videos and Wii games to help me with the entertaining side of the job. I have multiple DVD players to take care of the demand of showing multiple videos at one time. Because the boys like one type and girls .... well you get the gist.

I have so many spaghetti o's and fruit snacks that I could feed a small army. As far as drinks, it is required that I have juice boxes, apple juice, orange juice, chocolate milk...... to keep them thoroughly hydrated.

With Ry she is very much the little princess that you wanted..... She asks so many intelligent questions and I cannot answer a one of them.

Logan and Nathan are definitely boys from head to toe............... Nathan said that I was placed on this earth as his servant..... He also instructs me on what videos and new toys that I should procure. Logan thinks that I am a bronco, which usually requires a chiropractic visit after he leaves.

Sarah and Haley are the ones that really scare me.... they call me Pappoo..ie. They are the ones you did not get to know and they are the ones I fear most. Haley enjoys dressing herself ... a number of times per visit. While Sarah carries her yummy baby around at all times.... heaven forbid we would need to wash her. I am not sure who they think I am.... maybe I do not want to know.

But really Jamie, I wish you could enjoy them as I do!!! They are the greatest.... and at this pace the rapture better come soon or I will be joining you.

Rob and Danielles big wedding day

Rob and Dee... Happy Anniversary!



March 6th, 1999 was a day I will remember always. Usually you would remember it as the day you gave away your eldest daughter. But not for me.


A WEDDING DAY STORY .............







Danielle and Rob wanted a modest wedding and a fire hall reception.

To Bad !!!

It is not what you want that counts!

It was the day that I aged 15 years and went past the national debt in one day.

But lets start at the beginning.
Your mother insisted that we have the reception in Penn Hills even though the wedding was in somerset. Also, that we get the reception at the local hotel RAMADA with the most expensive package possible. ( I think I'm still paying for the reception). The flowers and the special candles that she bought were the also quite expensive. She worked with the hotel to provide the best food and alcohol possible. She got a DJ from a friend at work who was the best that money could buy. Also, the photographer and video guy were quite expensive. Your mother had every person in the family making at least 6 dozen cookies each..... which means we had more cookies than those little elves on TV make in any one day. She coordinated the outfits of everyone in the ceremony and at that point money did not matter.

What could go wrong!! She had taken every aspect of HER big day!

oops... she forgot the weather man. It started snowing in the morning and never stopped until the next day. We were in a blizzard! Now the worry was that people would get killed or not show up for her big day..... (which means they better hope they were killed.) She was so worried that the she would not be there for her daughters wedding.... I joking said that at least we could be there at the reception... she started to cry.

But, by the grace of God we were able to be there and enjoy a very happy day. We had weeks of extra food from the wedding.

So Rob and Danielle we say congrats and Happy Anniversary, Love mom and dad!

Give thanks always

Every Thanksgiving we take a few moments to pray around the table and give thanks to God.
But what about the other 364 days every year....

We are called by God to thank and praise him for his many blessings every day. Yet we take the
daily blessings for granite.


Col 2:6-8

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

God tells us in his word, how he expects us to live... and whatever he expects we should strive to complete. We need to rejoice in his Love for us and not be anxious.

Phil 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


Do not take your salvation lightly, because it came at a heavy price. Be thankful he sent his son to take our place. We can never repay the price of salvation. It is a free gift from God.

1 Peter 1:17-21

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Next time you see the cross..... remember the precious life that died so you may have the eternal Hope of salvation.

Thank you Lord for true love and the moments that we share. These are the true blessings that we enjoy but never realize until it is to late. Thank you God for each day and each moment.















1 Thess 5:16-18

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
NIV

Why do we Pray?

Is it to solve a problem in our lives....
Is it because we are afraid and need reassurance....
Is it an illness that we need a healing .....
Is it an impossible situation that needs a miracle....

Yes, it is all of these and more.

The word prayer or praarthanaa (in Sanskrit) is derived from two words ‘pra’ and ‘artha’ meaning pleading fervently. In other words, it is asking God for something with intense yearning.

When we pray it our means to gain access to God and His Holy throne. It should not be taken lightly how God provides us with this wonderful gift to talk to him and make our requests to him.

My goal here is not to write in detail about prayer, that would take up volumes of work.

I want to provide a few major factors for Prayer and then let you search for yourself on the extent of your study.

There seems to be four major factors of prayer in the bible:

1. We need to be humble when we pray to God.
1 Kings 18:42
but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

2. To be very specific of our request.
James 4:2-3
2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.


3. We need to be very persistent in our prayers and pray life.
James 5:16
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.



4. When you pray you need to be expectant that God will answer your prayer.
1 Kings 18:44-46

44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea."

So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'"

45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.


Come to God as a child comes to His or Her Father........ for he loves you.

Birth of Danielle

The birth of Danielle was an exciting and yet frightening time for us. We were young and not really ready to care for a new born. We ourselves were adjusting to the married life and now we would be parents without a clue. Jamie was so excited about the baby and could not wait to hold her. I was scared and was not in a hurry to be a father.

On that day February 28th, 1975 she awoke in the early AM hours to let me know that her water had broke and we needed to go to the hospital. Being under the impression that meant now. I proceeded to run about the house gathering clothes, calling my mother, getting the car warmed up, hyperventilating the whole time..... She on the other hand was fixing her hair and makeup like she was going on a date.

We arrived at the hospital.... and they were going to send her back home... when an intern Dr Resurrection saw that there were major complications with the placenta separating. This would cause bleeding and I could lose both my wife and child.

I was very comforting to my wife, mother and mother in law as usual. My wife told me to out of her room because I was coaching her to breath... we will not write what she said. In the waiting room I wore a path in the carpet and made everyone out there dizzy.

When Danielle was born she was not breathing and the delivery room staff took her and got her to start breathing, while Jamie was bleeding and they worked on her to make sure she did not go into shock. As it worked out we had our little miracle baby who I believe heard my prayers in the waiting room and touched my little family.

Danielle Suzanne Abbott was born at 6 in the morning... and she was beautiful.... I had my second rose in my life... Jamie was the first.

Danielle you were chosen to live by God and for this purpose you were called. To live and praise the Lord who that day reached down and breathed the breath of life into a little baby.... our precious little one.

Isa 41:9-11 9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
NIV
Know that your mother and I were and will always be proud and in love with you.

Wings Of Eagles

Are you tired and weary. Has life got you down and wearing you out. Turn to the one who can restore your body and refresh your spirit.

When Jamie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Danielle, Erin, Jamie and I held hands as the doctor told her she had one year to live. She was extremely calm for the spirit of God was with her. She told me after the news, that the fact that the four of us were there together as a family was so fantastic to her. Not the fact that the doctor told her life was now on the clock.

This moment stuck with me and how she was in the fight of her life. That is why I gave her the scripture from Isa 40:31. It really was her scripture throughout her years battle.

And on that day Dec 6th, 2008 the Lord called her into glory.... on the wings of eagles.

Isa 40:25-41:1

25 "To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

NIV

Be strong and cling to the one who can restore your body and refresh your spirit.

Storms of Life, build faith

As winter continues for 2010 and more storms approach us, it makes me think of the storms that happen in our lives. Are we ready to meet these challenges in our life? If not do we just fold under the pressure of the present storm.

In just the past few years we have been riding a roller coaster of blessings and tragedy. From the blessings of the birth of five grandchildren, to the tragic death of two grandchildren and a loving mother. Why do these bad things happen and why does God not step in to stop the storms of life.

I believe God puts these challenges in front to not only strengthen us, but to make sure we lean on Him.

Read Habakkuk who thought God was not fair.

As the prophet complained to God in two complaints.

Hab 1:4 "Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted."
Hab 1:13 "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?"

Read Gods answer to Habakkuk it is the answer we don't want to hear. God is not fair... but he is just.
...... But to summarize we need to understand one thing. God is on His throne and we do not have a say in what He does. We are the clay and He is the potter.

Hab 2:20 "But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him".

Three things to remember;

1) Remember what God has done in our lives.
2) Accept what God is doing at present.
3) Trust what God is going to do.

These things are meant to bring on a crisis of our faith in Him. When we accept the present condition and trust in him he enables us to go forward and Faith grows stronger.

What is the goal of our life? Is it to enjoy all that we can and get all we can out of each and every day. No..... Remember this life is not the end but, the beginning. We should pursue the prize. The prize of eternal life that comes from salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ!

Pappoos prayer

This is the next installment of my blog to talk to my children and grandchildren. This is Pappoos pray which I actually did back in 2006 after both of my daughters lost children during pregnancy. It was a very emotional and heart wrenching time. I know that Jamie is now with both of them and enjoying her time with them in heaven. Before she passed away we talked about heaven and that she would be with the two grandchildren that we lost and never knew. We do not understand why these things happen but, yet it was Gods way to provide Jamie with a little bit of both our daughters to be with her in heaven. This image is the painting we had made in our kitchen in spring of 2007 which displays the two angels that we lost in 2006.

Here is Pappoos prayer

Although I never knew you or held you in my arms,

I’m filled with a great sadness deep in my heart.

And even though I never saw your face or gazed into your eyes,

I feel your little spirit and miss that we’re apart.

Although we never had the time to talk or even to laugh,

I hear your little voice clearly say.

Tell my mommy that I love her, and she did her very best,

But only God knows why and I’ll see her some day.

Even though we have never talked or had a day to share,

Know that you are loved and I will meet you up there.

Someday we will meet in heaven on that special day,

I will say I’m Pappoo how would you like to play.

And on that day we will run and laugh and play,

And we never have to stop, no not ever.

That’s the great part of eternity,

We will be together forever…..

For now though you two better rest,

And save up your energy.

Because when Pappoo and you two are together,

We will play for eternity.

The Purpose of this blog

The purpose of this blog is to help the others along there way in life. My children and grandchildren have inspired me to put some means to communicate to them in a way that they can view during there busy lives.

For many months I would send inspirational emails to my children while there mother was dying from brain cancer. After she passed I continued these emails for some time to inspire and reassure them that there is a purpose to life.

I hope and pray that the blog will provide a place to get peace and refresh the spirit, for God knows we need it in these times.

The picture is of Jamie back in 1973 on our honeymoon. It was the best of times, when life had very few problems.

This blog is in her memory and to help my children and grandchildren remember how precious the time and moments we share on this earth. It is not our final destination, but what we do here and the decisions we make will decide our fate. She loved you all and hopefully you will hear her tell you so, as we blog on.