Capacity, Potential, Infinite

There is a difference between capacity and potential. An (most?) adult(s) has(ve) the capacity to drive a car. A child has the potential to drive a car someday. Couple this thought with infinite, and you may begin to grasp the spiritual world. 

We are created in God's image, therefore we have infinite potential to accomplish and be great in the spiritual world. 
There is only One Being with Infinite Capacity. To try to assume any of His duties of judgement, salvation, lordship, wisdom is a thousand times more dangerous than a 2 year old child driving a car on a rush hour freeway!

Grand sons, Transformers, Imagination

In 2009 Allie videod her brother Zach and cousin Mathew showing off how they would be Transformers.

Multitasking, Potty Training, Baking Muffins

My daughter Wendy was and is so good at multi tasking. Here she is baking muffins and training Mathew on the potty at the same time.

Caterpillars, butterflies, homeschooling

My daughter is homeschooling her children. An on going science project is the study of butteflies and caterpillars. We are looking at a Monarch and a Black Swallowtail caterpillars.

Bass Lure Video, Fishing Stories

My son in law was in a rare talkative mood about a subject he's passionate about - fishing. He was so eloquent, I thought I'd video this rare moment.

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#rmdo Blankenship Reunion

First meal was at Smokey Bones! Yummm!

When I married into Mary's family I married into the tradition of going to the Blankenship Family Reunion every summer in Sprinfield, Illinois. Mary's mother, Almeda, is 86, and this year her children Dave, Lois, and Mary escorted her to the Reunion. I tagged along.

The Reunion centers around the 13 children of Elizabeth Blankenship, who mas married twice.

Almeda and Denzil, her half sister.

Almeda and her children, David, Lois, and my wife Mary, all had a delightful time at the Blankenship Family Reunion. Almeda was one of 13 children, the oldest sister and surrogate mom for the younger siblings. Mary remembers coming to the Reunion for perhaps 30 years.

David has been coming for 5 years, taking Mom and sometimes Mary with him. Last year was my first year, since I joined the family by marriage.

Saturday night Almeda's clan met at the motel, then walked over to Smokey bones for our first meal together.

Sunday at noon we all met one of the Springfield Parks for the reunion.

Bill is the spotlight of the Reunion!

David, Lois, Mary, their mother Almeda, and myself finished the day at Applebee's just across the road from the Comfort Suites here in Springfield. We ate light, had salads, took half of it home, but couldn't resist the deserts. Mary and I had the apple pie al a mode, Dave had the triple chocolate melt down with ice  cream, while Lois and Almeda had the warm brownie bites with ice cream.

Bill sings to his sister Almeda while
sister Denzil listens

Monday we had breakfast at IHOP, the Almeda's clan joined me as I searched for my Mom and Dad's grave site. Imagine our surprise when we discovered the two clans burial plots, Dittmer/Sinclair and the Blankenships, were at the same cemetery, and separated by only 50 yards! (Remember, Mary and I met on the interenet in our 60's, after our first spouses had passed away. She is from Michigan, and I am from Indiana.)

Linda, the youngest Blankenship sibling,
is close to Mary's age, her niece!

The Blankenship family met on Monday night at Ryan's Steak House. Bill sang a very touching song to Almeda at the end of the dinner.

"A good time was had by all!"

Mary's family visiting
 my families grave site.

Breakfast at IHOP

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Feverfew for Headaches

Have you ever heard of the herb Feverfew for untreatable headaches? Works 80% of the time, but must be taken daily, and sometimes takes two weeks or LONGER to see results. My late wife Lynne would get control of her migraines by taking it and then quit, then after a while the migraines would come back and she'd start up again, each time the headaches would quit sooner, and stay away longer. The last time she quit, they never came back.
Some Facebook friends commented on Feverfew:
Renee' Barnes: I take it and it works for me like nothing else. As your wife, I started out with a daily dose. Now I just take it at the first sign of an occular and the headache (usually) never even comes. If I find I'm having issues, I just take it for a week or so, then go back to the "as needed" schedule. Great stuff!
Daniel Guzman: Thanks Mike, I will pass the info to someone I know that has had really bad headaces for the last 8 yrs.
Mary Tonis Bencie: Indeed it worked for me!


I don't mean to brag but.... well, maybe I AM bragging. My Amazing Amazon estore has 217 selections of feverfew, an effective herbal relief for constant headaches!
Feverfew search page on MY Amazing Amazon Store for Parable Promoters

Pray for Selena

Selena Dittmer Boyts, her husband Christopher
and the newest member Annabella Christine

Continue to pray for my niece Selena Dittmer Boyts who was recently put back in the hospital with hemmoraging. She recently had her first baby, a beautiful girl named Annabella Christine Boyts.
To deal with her continued bleeding, the doctors performed a heart breaking surgery on Selena. She waited so long to have a child of her own, and Annabella will be her first and last child. Thank God for Annabella's good health. Keep Annabella Boyts, Selena Boyts, and all of my brother Ted Dittmer's family in your prayers.

Thoughts On Home Schooling

If you help a child discover their passion, as God helped me with mine, you don't work hard to motivate them, you work hard to keep up. Every child has a passion, because God is a passionate God about life, and we're created in His image. Of course, before I helped my children discover their passion, I had to discover mine.
Just thought I'd add that there is the hard work that comes with trying to stay ahead of your children's passionate interests, and there is also the hard work of keeping up with the expectations of others. The latter is totally unnecessary. Have faith in the process that God Himself designed, and trust in the image of God built into your children. You are doing better than you know, and when you relax in Him you'll do better yet. Hope this helps.
Been there, done that, heard it (about the flack you get when you decide to home school your children) Homeschooling was viewed much more skeptically over 20 years ago. I lost several school teachers that attended my church at the time. Now they are our biggest fans.
When we started homeschooling the children, we didn't have the money for tuition at even a low cost school. Lynne had started her battle with cancer, so her endurance was limited. We had to pray through until God revealed the answer to us, that parents don't teach, children learn. In fact, God warns all of the church about every one desiring to become a teacher, which displaces the Holy Spirit as THE TEACHER (see James). We must have an aptitude to teach, but always remember that whatever we can do, God can do better, and He should always have the first shot.


I also had some thoughts on home schooling in this blog:
My Home Schooled Sports Freak Grand Daughters

What Parable Promoters Need to Know

What Parable Promoters Need to Know!

Very early I selected both Amazon and Google as the organizations I would like to have support my blog, because of their stellar reputations. I was delighted to find out they were willing to sponsor my blog.

Click and buy on any of the Google ad links and Google supports my blog. Buy anything from my stores, 
including the endless shoe and clothing store with free shipping US and International, and free return shipping USA, 
or smallparts store for industry, 
 or Amazon Wireless, phones and contracts for 4 major carriers, and Amazon contributes 4% to 15% per sale or $50 per wireless service contract to The Shepherd's Heart Journal. 

If you're going to shop anyway, shop here and become a Parable Promoter! 
Remember, you have go to the stores through my blog, so that The Shepherd's Heart Journal receives credit for the purchase.  Click on any of the banners here or on my blogs and you'll be directed to the appropriate store. Remember to bookmark the page!
Thank you, and God bless the Parable Promoters!
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A Note to a Soldier

A young friend of mine, James Hittle, (the boy from The Parable of the Snowmobile ) is going into the Marines. He invited me to his farewell party. Of course, I wrote him a note.
James,
God is at work in your life. let Him also work in your heart. Let Jesus be the only One you surrender to.
Mary's prayers, my prayers, and God's Presence will always be with you.


Can you read? Thank a teacher. Can you read English? Thank a Marine!! -unknown
Marines are soldiers with a shepherd's heart. Shepherds run towards attacking wolves, lions, and bears. Marines run toward the attacking enemy.
Jesus ran towards the Cross.
Follow the Master Shepherd, the Warrior-King Jesus!

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My Political Affiliation

My quotes are cannon fodder for both parties. I am and always will be for defending the rights of the poor and innocent, anti corruption, pro family, pro safety, pro justice, anti racist, pro citizen self protection, pro unrestricted legal immigration. I'm for lowering taxes on citizens, NOT raising taxes on aliens, and NO  punitive taxes on anyone.
I don't always vote the straight party ticket, and I'm reluctant to identify my party affiliation for several reasons, not the least of which is they have behaved in an irresponsible manner. I hate negative attack politics, and alarmist, manufacture a crisis politics. I'm alarmed and amazed at how much big business lobbyists influence my party, and both parties at the expense of the poor.
I'm also for putting the responsibility for all this on ourselves, not the government or the politicians. When we refuse to humble ourselves and pray, God sends us the government we deserve and not the government we need. Shaking an angry fist at either our politicians, our government, or our God is not humble prayer.
We debate about money, whether to raise or lower taxes, and ignore justice, protecting the innocent, and defending the right of the poor to be heard equally.We always get into these messes when we turn to politicians to solve our problems, thereby turning AWAY from God.
Quit blaming our politicians, the other political party, and government, and MAN UP! We got ourselves into this mess because we refused to humble ourselves and pray and enable God's grace to make us the fathers, mothers, and compassionate, fearless believers we should be!

Pug Attack

Has anyone noticed how much better the commercials are getting? I have to stop the fast forward process to catch my favorites. Right now I love the Dorrito's commercial.

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Putting all my humorous, insane posts on this blog, also.
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