The Peace Rose

My wife was going through a difficult time last year and I knew that she liked roses so I went by the local garden center after work and decided to take her home a rose bush. I searched through the rose bushes and I found one called the Peace Rose. I brought it home that night and told her I had brought some peace to her life! It made her night!

I planted it in view of our front porch and our large living room window. It has produced a lot of beautiful roses over the past year and we have enjoyed looking out the window and admiring them.

The History

Among the roses, the ‘Peace’ rose is unique. It has truly played a significant role in world peace. It was christened the day that Berlin fell in 1945. That same year, Dr. Ray Allen, secretary of the American Rose Society, arranged for each of the 49 delegations at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco to receive a bud vase with a single, long-stemmed ‘Peace’ rose. He attached the following note, “We hope the ‘Peace’ rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace.”

On the fiftieth anniversary of the rose’s introduction, the firm responsible for its creation released some notes that Francis Meilland had recorded about the plant. He and his father were owners of Meilland, the legendary French rose firm. He wrote, “For all people of good will who love flowers and the rose in particular, it gives the opportunity to praise God with ‘Gloria Dei,’ (the name under which the rose was known in Germany) to conquer life with a smile—with ‘Gioia,’ (the name the Italian rose growers gave the plant) to wish for peace with ‘Peace,’ and for us it is an everlasting remembrance of Mme. A. Meilland.”

This is the most popular, best selling garden rose of all time. Over a hundred million have been sold.

The Gentle Rain

Almost always after pulling in the driveway I go over and look to see how it’s doing.
I came home from work on July the 12th of this year and there had been a gentle rain.
When I walked over to the bush this is what I saw. The pedals had gentle rain droplets resting on them and some almost ready to drop off. It was like God himself had painted a picture for me to admire. I got my camera to capture the moment! The picture speaks for itself!

Are you Ready?

Click on the link and watch closely!

http://www.youtube.com/v/SmLhyPjHVes

Trials and Faith in God in 1850

I found this old letter searching for some information about my family( he is not related to me) . This man can truly say he knows what trials are all about. The letter was written in 1850 to his Brother, sister, and nephew from him, so allow your mind to take you back 156 years ago. After I read this I thought why should I ever complain. What amazed me so much was his faith in God! I think you will agree we may have it rough sometime but this man carried a heavy heavy burden.



September 17th, 1850 Homer, Louisiana
Written to
Mr. Perlemon Pate
Murphysboro
Illinois
Dear Brother and Sister and Nephews
We once more take our pen in hand to inform you that we are all in tolerable health at this time hoping that when these lines reaches you they may find you all enjoying the same state of health and happiness. If I could see you I would say a great many things that I shall not attempt to right in this letter. I recieved a letter from you about the first of June that you had wrote last Winter which gave us great pleasure to hear from you all once more that you were all well and doing well and also that you hadn't forgotten us entirely as that is all we have heard from you in three years and if you are so lucky as to get this letter I want you to right me one this is the first time I have written to you in three years for which I ask your pardon and I hope you will forgive me my neglect knowing that he would be forgiven must forgive and may God give you a forgiving heart is my prayer for Christ sake who suffered and died for us all that we through him'might obtain eternal life. I said that we were all in tolerable health and so we are except on last Friday I was helping one of my neighbors raise a house and cut my foot very bad. I have not walked since, though I think it will get well soon as this is the fourth day and it looks in a healing condition. My dear Brother my only excuse for not writing to you often is the continual bad luck I have in my family. We have buried three of our children since we have been in this country and have had three born here. The first one we lost was little BAGLEY PAYTON PATE, was drowned on the 24th October 1842, he was the baby when we left Tennessee you know the next was ALFRED V. PATE on the 24th of October 1847 with out a moments warning he was called to eternity it was on Sunday evening he had been off some where in the neighborhood and come home just before sundown and without his dinner he asked his Mother for something to eat, she gave him some. The other children were out at the cotton house playing on the cotton it was now about sundown and his mother told him to go and tell the other children to come to their supper. He went Out there and told them He told BLAKE to make hast back and play with him on the cotton and when BLAKE went back he had grabbed a hole in the cotton some three feet deep about the size of a body and was in that hole head foremost and was dead. He had not been from the house more than a halfhour in good health so far as we know my Dear Brother you must try to imagine my feelings which I am writing you those berievements in my family for I right with a heart full of sorrows yet I have a hope when the last trumpet is sounded that we will meet again in a better world than this where parting is no more. My dear Brother I give glory to God who has given us hope beyond this veil of tears my dear Brother I don't want to hurt your feelings and I hope I shall not but I must speak the truth. We are all Methodist here in the spring of 1848. Myself, my wife and EMELINE all joined the church my wife as a professor of religion and myself and EMELINE as seekers and so we went on untill fall in September the camp meeting came on well I went there the day it commenced which was Thrusday the 27th of September and stayed untill it broke up and on Friday night about ten or eleven I felt that I got a hope of a better inheritance than the things of this vane world can give and through faith in Jesus I hope to get to heaven where parting is no more my Dear Brother I pray God that you and yours may meet us there. Brother pray for it you see this was in 1848. Well in July 1849 I took the fever I had a short spell and got about again in August I took the conjestive fever and I had a close call of it I lay eleven days without eating a mouth full I had two doctors waiting on me they both thought it a bad chance for me ever to recover but they still worked on for they said that there was some hope as long as there was life and I felt that the Lord Blest the means in the hands for I must confess I had gave up myself but Bless God I felt resigned. to his will. The Doctors gave me calomel every two hours for night and days before they broke the fever and when the fever left me I was badly salivated but I recovered so I could walk about the house a little and then took the chills and fever which lasted me untill February since then I have been in reasonable health and here I must tell you of another death in our family while I was sick and not able to get out of bed our little daughter JANE S. PATE took the fever and died the ninth day which was the 21st of September 1849 and dear brother these things seem for us to bear unless we are resigned to the will of God and I believe that all these earthly losses is our faith in heaven. We brought four children here and have but four yet I will give you their names: POLLY EMELINE, BLAKE THACKSTON, SARAH FRANCIS, PEMBROOK SUMMERETTE PATE. He is the youngest and was two years old the 29th of June last and he is some pumpkin I recon my wife is in better health than she was but her health is not good yet. Our daughter EMELINE made a profession of religion last Sunday at a protracted meeting that was held in the neighborhood the meeting a week we have very good crops in this country this year our cotton is first and it is thought is will bring form ten to fifteen cents a pound I think it will make ten bales this year if I can save it all but picking in cold weather is bad work, since I wrote to youlast we had our parish divided and the court house was located within five miles of my house and the town is called Homer We have a splendid brick court house there is six stores there and some fifty families in the place. When you right direct letter to Homer I reckon I had better quit so farewell to-
ANTHONY PATE

The Estates

There's never been a better place to grow your dreams. The rich soil of North Auburndale has become home to "The Estates of Auburndale," a new home community unlike any other you'll find in Central Florida. Take root at the Estates of Auburndale, a gated community with quality homes from the low $300's.

The Estates of Auburndale

A few Sundays ago my wife and I did something we use to do a lot and enjoy. We took a drive looking at new housing developments. We drove to "The Estates of Auburndale" It has been well advertised and featured in several articles. The land was carved out of an old Orange Grove. What at one time was a land of labor is now a land of beauty. When you drive down the highway and you come to the entrance to The Estates there is a big beautiful Stone wall with huge black gates that opens up to a winding road. It is dotted with a gorgeous landscape. As you drive in, on the right there is a big pond and a fountain shooting a spray of water twenty or thirty feet in the air.The back of the houses line the shore of this pond. As I looked ahead in front of me I saw flags along each side of the drive announcing Welcome to "The Estates" You could feel the excitment and the WOW. The homes start from the low $300's. We made the turn to the right and started admiring the well landscaped homes the big black sculptured street lights. Some homes had two stories with a balcony overlooking the street with a grand view of the neighborhood. It seemed as if this would be the perfect place to live.

There were some homes that were in various stages of construction. There were some empty lots. There was a model center that you could stop by and view all of the homes featured. You must keep in mind five years ago this was nothing more than an orange grove where wild animals, snakes, insects , wild vegetation among other things lived. Someone started visualizing this place in thier minds.

When you visit a community like this you forget for a moment about lifes many problems. Growing old vanishes. Troubled teens seem to be nowhere in sight. You don't think about death and diseases. You don't think about thieves. Divorce and marital troubles would seem impossible. It seems for a few moments that there is finally world peace. Our minds are brought to the illusion this would be the perfect place to live. How could you have any troubles? You have may been to places like this or may live in a place like it.

The Estates of Heaven

AS I excited The Estates I begin to think about another Estate called Heaven. Athiest would say it's a sheer imaginary place. They would try to convince you it could simply not be possible. John 14:2 Jesus said In my fathers house are many mansions:if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Tonya Goodman use to sing this song

"Cant Feel At Home"

This world is not my home I'm just a passing through

My treasures and my hopes are all beyond the blue

Where many friends and kindred have gone on before

And I cant feel at home in this world anymore



Over in glory land there is no dying there

The saints are shouting victory there's singing everywhere

I hear the voice of them that I have heard before

And I cant feel at home in this world anymore



Oh lord you know I have no friend like you

If heaven's not my home oh lord what would I do

Angel's beckon me to heaven's open door

And I cant feel at home in this world anymore



Heaven's expecting me that's one I know

I fixed it up with Jesus a long time ago

He will take me through though I am weak and poor

And I cant feel at home in this world anymore



Oh I have a loving mother over in glory land

I dont expect to stop until I shake her hand

She's gone on before just waiting at heaven's door

And I cant feel at home in this world anymore

Where is your mansion going to be?

The Titanium Rib Picnic Aug 5th S.A. in honor of Dr. Melvin Smith

Mrs. Smith

Dr. Robert Campbell and Lacey

The Titanium Rib Staff

Amy the Tooth Fairy
www.toothfairypillow.net
A portion of every pillow purchased goes to the Titanium Rib Foundation

Dr. Smith loves to go diving

Please don't retire!

Charmane and Lacey checking out her new doll!

The Rib Kids and staff

Great picnic I love cotton candy

The Best Barbecue in Texas The World Famous County Line Barbecue on the River Walk S.A.

www.countyline.com

Lacey's Home

Lacey is out of the Hospital

Lacey's Surgery went well!

We made it to San Antonio

A Miracle Hug!

If you have read my previous post “Lacey’s Story” you know about her difficulties. 7 years ago this morning she was born. I have been so charged up for the past few days! God gave us a miracle that morning and the beginning of many! Our fears were GREAT and we didn’t know all that was going to happen. I vividly remember seeing her almost lifeless twisted form being rushed away to the small NICU unit. I remember the shock in our hearts and the disbelief. Her little body was hooked to tube after tube. The doctors in the little NICU unit had no explanation as to whether she would live or die or for that matter what to do. I remember sitting in a chair that day, my heart broke and my pastor saying you did the right thing. I remember the flight nurse from Tampa General Hospital coming into the room to take our little baby to their specialized NICU and telling my broken hearted wife don’t worry I will take good care of her and I promise I will call you when we get to Tampa.

We had a party for her this past Saturday at Chuck E Cheese and I don’t think there was another parent in that building that could have been more thankful for their child’s 7th birthday. Last night as I put her to bed she threw her little arms around my neck gave me a great big HUG and said “I Love you Daddy” my heart pounded with thanks to God for his miraculous power.

Give your family a HUG today and let them know how thankful you are for them.

Please keep Lacey in your prayers we will be flying to Texas next week. She has another surgery on her back August 8th.

Lacey's Story

I stated in my first post that my wife and I know what trials are all about and that I would share them at a later date. This is a brief story written by my wife to share with you about our daughter Lacey.

On July 24, 1999 Lacey was born at the Regency in Winter Haven,
FL. The doctors immediately knew she had a lot of problems.
They told us she would not be able to live, they had never seen
anything like this before. The neonatal doctor had her flown to
Tampa General Hospital where she spent the first 32 days of her
life. There she was diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome by
Tampa’s genetic specialist who is considered “king of Genetics”.
The syndromeis King Syndrome.

Lacey was the third child they ever had known of being born
with this syndrome in the US, the second had died at 3 days old.
Lacey’s problems consisted of severe kypho-scoliosis which made
her spine crushing her lung, so she started out on a vent and
gradually made her way to oxygen by a cannula 24/7. She has
chronic respiratory insufficiency, webbing of the neck, low set
ears with severe hearing loss (she wears hearing aids),
arthogryposis , which is contractures in all of her joints, so
she can’t raise her arms up or straighten her wrist, fingers
or legs. The joints in her knees are in a frozen state so her
legs stay bent all the time, therefore she is unable to walk,
she scoots on her bottom to get around in the house and rides
a wheelchair everywhere else. She also was born with a severe
club foot and a vertical tailus, she has had surgery on her
feet 3 times but still her feet can’t sit flat on the floor.
More of her syndrome includes failure to thrive, so she has a
G-tube for feedings to help with nutrition, malignant
hypothermia which can cause death from anesthesia and she has
coded twice from this, and hypoglycemia.

The first two years of Lacey’s little life was not easy. She was
in and out of the Hospital constantly something going wrong. But
we were blessed and Lacey was quite a fighter. The most serious
was Lacey’s lung condition she was having a lot of problems and
they just didn’t think she was strong enough to fight the many
things against her, but she was and she did. In September of 2002
her spine was an 80 degree angle and her body was the shape of a C.
Lacey’s pulmonary specialist told us if something wasn’t done she
definitely wouldn’t be able to survive. Her spine was crushing the
lung so severely even with oxygen and a bi-pap machine she was
having difficulty breathing. Shriners in Tampa had been seeing
Lacey but felt her condition was to severe for them, so they found
us the surgeon in Texas who had invented this surgery that has
saved Lacey’s life! She has now had a total of 16 surgeries and
is 6 years old. She will have surgery in Texas every 6 months until
she is 16 or 17 years old. Lacey is such a miracle her pulmonary
specialist wants us to have a book written about her life.


To read more about Lacey's life changing surgery in San Antonio
see my link

Titanium Rib -VEPTR- saves lives

Mowing a straight line

Gardening is one of my passions. I can get lost in my own world.I can think and meditate while I am mowing, trimming hedges, pulling weeds or just cutting and pruning my roses. Last year my daughters and I had a nice butterfly garden. I would not call my yard and garden a paradise but when I am finished it looks well manicured. I like for the drive to be edged so the grass looks like a curb. I am one of those guys that if you don't weed eat and blow the driveway then you haven't mowed. I mow in one direction with a self propelled walk behind mower. Everything has to be just right when I get done. I like to look at the lines that the mower has made across the fresh cut grass.

This brings me to the point of mowing a straight line. My lot is on the end of a cul desac. So guess what? I have a triangular lot. BAD IDEA. I have a fence across the middle separating the front and back. I have always tried to mow a straight line between my yard and my neighbors. As I get to the fence and look back to the street there is normally a curve that looks like a bad golf slice. It frustrates me to no end. Sounds silly but I told you I like a straight line. I have to go back and try to fix it. Today as I was getting prepared to start the cut between our yards it was a little high from the recent rain. I thought to myself today I can't cut a golf slice because it will be very noticeable. So I started at the street and I kept my eye on the fence post and mowed toward it. I never took my eyes off the the post. When I got to the fence and looked back toward the street I had mowed an almost perfect straight line.

As I look back at my life I am reminded of the many curves that has happened in it.. I was aimlessly wondering along not focusing on anything. The curves were being thrown at me. Today as I was focusing at the post the thoughts began to roll in my head. We must continually be focused on Jesus Christ our redeemer! When we look back down the road of our lives we will have some curves but when we look ahead we will be on the Straight Path.

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

My message is this

1.Stay Focused
2.Press On
3.Hold On
4.Only look back at your mistakes to improve
5.Strive for perfection Hebrews 6:1
6.Don't beat yourself up for past failures and mistakes

Leaving a Legacy

This post was born this afternoon out of a conversation after work. One of my co-workers (who is a Youth Pastor) and I begin to talk about what is important in this life. Some would say to be famous, some would say to be rich, some would say what social circle you belong to. There are a great host of things that people say are important and deem you one of the elite in life.
Some of you reading this may be in your 20's others may be in your 30's, 40's, 50's or even older. I declare the most important thing you have in this life is the Legacy you leave when you are gone. This is not a doom blog about death but it is about the celebration of a life that impacted this world for Christ.

The Encyclopedia Britannica gives this definition for a Legacy : generally a gift of property by will or testament. The term is used to denote the disposition of either personal or real property in the event of death.

In other words it is something you leave for generations to come. There were some great Legacies left in the 19th and 20th centuries by some great men and women. Perhaps you have already thought of a Great President or person. These are the people whose lives keep touching people long after they are gone. As we began to talk about the Legacies in our lives this afternoon both of our minds went immediately to our fathers who left a great Legacy for two men that will undoubtedly be impacted forever. We both agreed that our Christian heritage was one of the most important gifts our fathers passed on to us. There were many kind words said at both of their viewings and funerals. We discussed the great number of people who came to pay their last respect. I remember one 39 year old man coming up to me and telling me that I would never know how much my father had impacted his life. Tears began to flow down my cheeks because it was a testament of my fathers Legacy. As we continued to talk this afternoon the Spirit began to captivate our hearts and minds of the Legacy that we will leave behind. What will be said of Tim Pate when he leaves this life? He was an honest man who impacted my life for Christ or God forbid not a lot of good is said about him.You and I are building our Legacy everyday we live whether we are 20 or 80. I ask you the same question. What will be said of you? Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Start building your Legacy Today.

I finally created a blog

This is a whole new toy for me. I can see where one could spend hours sharing their thoughts on a blog. I knew about blogs but just recently became interested in creating one. My first cousin is a Pastor of a thriving church and communicates weekly on his blog. I have been encouraged and personally challenged by a lot of his blogs. At the urging of another close friend who just created his blog I decided to give it a whirl. It is my attempt to use this blog to encourage as well. There is enough bad stuff in the world so why not share some good news! I've had a lot of personal trials which I will share at a later time. No matter what you face you can face it triumphantly. There may be clouds in your life today but there will be a brighter tomorrow. I am reminded of this when I fly and I take off in a storm. Below it is dismal and bleak but when you enter the dark clouds and come out on the top of the clouds there is sunshine. The blue sky and Sun was above the clouds the entire time. So look up! Just above the dark clouds in your life there is a ray of hope.