Can You Sleep When the Wind Blows?

Received the following from a friend and thought you would all enjoy it!

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast.

He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were

reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the

awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received

a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached

the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help,

hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from

dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.

Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed

next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the

little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming!

Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No
sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on
the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.

To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had

been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred.

The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.


Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his

hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while

the wind blew.


When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically,

you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the

wind blows through your life?

The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he

had secured the farm against the storm.

We secure ourselves against the storms of life by
grounding ourselves in the Word of God.

We don't need to understand, we just need to hold

His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

Hope you can sleep when the wind blows!!!

Enjoy Life!

Russ and Karla

Happy Birthday Richard!

We wish son in law Richard a very happy 28th birthday! He is celebrating it by going to Grayling on a weekend outing with Kari, Megan and some friends. We will celebrate all the June/July birthdays and Father's Day at the same time.

Enjoy Life!

Karla and Russ

6th Grade is Fun - even 45 years later!

Since May, 2002 Russ and some of his former 6th grade classmates have gathered for a Memorial Sunday Picnic. All of the spouses have become such good friends that sometimes it is hard to know who was the classmate and who is the spouse. Thought you would like to see a picture of the 6th Grade Class of East Southfield Elementary taken this year. (Had a smaller group this year due to the sudden death of one very special classmate, heart surgery for another and the loss of a pet that day to another.) Pictured is Leonard Schwandt, Houghton, MI, Pam Easlick Pile, Battle Creek, MI, Linda Lockwood Gregg, TN, Russ Patterson, Shelby Township, MI, and Melodye Miller Ammer, Sturgis, MI

Enjoy life!

Russ and Karla

Happy Birthday Kari!

Hard to believe our baby is 26!!! Where does the time go?? Now she is a married lady, a pediatric emergency room nurse and a mommy herself!

We are so proud of the woman she is today - loves to cook - can follow recipes and cooks most things from scratch using meat Richard has captured (ok - killed). She is such a dedicated mother - always looking out for Megan, the joy of her life. Where you find Megan you will usually find Kari nearby. People talk about needing to get away from their children while Kari looks for the opportunity to spend time and teach Megan - and it shows.

While dating, Richard introduced Kari to the bow. Kari became quite proficient quickly. She could split arrows easily right in the bulls eye. Karla had a hard time just pulling the bow back much less making it hit the target. Richard also introduced her to deer hunting with a gun. On her first trip out during deer season she called home by 8 a.m. to tell her dad that she had already got 2! Kari grew up with a small lap dog, Cricket. Now she and Richard have 5 big dogs - and Kari is still known to hold them in her lap occasionally.

Kari has given us a few scares - like the time she called from the freeway after hydroplaning into a semi! She was in the ambulance and declining transport to a hospital - she said no need to overburden hospital workers when she was just fine - and could I meet her at a gas station where the police would drive her. Or how about the time she went canoeing with Rich and the canoe tipped and she was caught in the weeds and currents and he pulled her out? Or the time when she was about 2 and managed to slip from her swimming ring and daddy had to jump in a Florida pool to fish her out? That same day she got a fork caught between her teeth and then mommy let a restaurant door hit her in the face. We were spared some nervous times as a hurricane hit their honeymoon spot a week before their wedding - instead they toured Michigan and went to Cabo San Lucas for their one year anniversary.

To know Kari is to love her - and we sure do! We are so glad that Number 4 arrived for us!

Enjoy life!

Russ and Karla