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2月12日 Beginning of an Adventure in TongaAfter two years being in our home in North Carolina, after returning from China, we decided that being quietly retired was not very fulfilling, and that we could use our time better in service to others. Consequently, we applied to the missionary department of our church and were subsequently called to serve for 18 months in the Island Kingdom of Tonga.
Tonga is a poor but proud nation of good and honorable people, located in the South Pacific ocean, east of Australia. There are 169 islands in the Kingdom, of which only about 36 are inhabited. There is little industry here -- most people are farmers, and some run shops, banks, and other businesses to serve them. Life here is "laid-back", meaning that it runs at a slower pace that our life in America. The people are kind and loving. They speak their own Tongan language, but English is the second language of the country, and many people speak it.
Tonga is of course an island, so much of its culture revolves around the sea. There is beautiful, crystal-clear water and lovely beaches. There are coconut trees everywhere, and mangoes, bread fruit, taro, tapioca, and many other kinds of vegatables. Seafood is plentiful and good. It has not been hard to adjust to life here.
We were assigned to a nice apartment in one half of a duplex. It has one bedroom, one athroom, a kitchen and a sitting room. The windows are all made of glass louvers that can be easily opened and closed. It often rains, but usually only for a while, then the sun returns. The windows help cool the place, as temperatures are generally around 84F, and humidity is usually near 65%.
We have an office in the church service center, where there is a desk and a computer for each of us. We usually arrive at work at 8am, and leave at 4:30pm. Our "commute" to work could easily be said to be the best we have ever had, as our house is about a 45 second walk from the office. Our job is to help ensure that the financial procedures of the church are followed, so we do training and periodic audits of the financial records.
Because Tonga is a series of islands covering a space of many hundreds of miles, we sometimes are required to travel to the other islands to do our work. We had such a trip last week, where we flew to a series of islands to the north of the kingdom. They use small airplanes for travel, or boats if necessary. Some of the islands are so remote that an airplane only goes to them perhaps once a week. Everything is green, bacause of the rain and humidity.
We are happy and busy here, serving our Tongan friends. I'm sure the time will go quickly, and soon we will be home again, remembering all of our good experiences here.
Hope you enjoy the photos I posted in the photo section. 9月19日 Caribbean CruiseThis year was a milestone for Mrs. Clayton and me. On August 23rd, we marked the 40th anniversary of being very happily married. Forty years is many, especially when we feel still young, and still very happy as a married couple. We decided that it deserved some sort of unusual celebration, so we went on a cruise to the Caribbean sea.
The ship was large -- one of the biggest of the cruise ships. It held over 3,000 passengers. It was very much like a small city, with several restaurants, three swimming pools, a theater, an ice skating rink, a miniture gold course, many small shops and much more. The cabins for the guests were much like being in a large hotel. Every morning a steward would come and make-up the room. At night he would prepare the bed, and make small animals out of towels, just for fun.
We are in a large dining room, and became acquainted with people from many different countries. Near the end of the cruise, we happened to meet a Chinese fellow in one of the restaurants named Zhu. He graduated from Shandong Normal University with a degree in Economics, and is now working on the cruise ship. I have posted his photo -- perhaps some of my students from Shandong Normal will recognize him.
There was some concern about the weather. The Caribbean area is famous for hurricanes and tropical storms, especially in September, and this year was no exception. We were a little concerned as the date for our cruise neared, as three major storms formed in the Atlantic and started toward Cuba and the US. We were blessed, however, that our cruise date took us between storms, and they disrupred our trip very little. At one port, the dock was too small for a large cruise ship, so it was intended that we would go ashore on small boats called "tenders". But by the time we arrived, the dock had been closed by the authorities, because the water was a little too rough, and it would not have been safe to use the little boats. As you can see from my photos, the weather was excellent in general, and whatever small disturbance there was in the sea was easily managed by the large ship.
It will be a busy time for us from now until the end of the year. We now have 24 grand-children, and numbers 25 and 26 will be born in the next few months. Mrs. Clayton will travel out west to assist with the new babies. In the meantime, we are waiting for a call from our church, advising us where we will be given the opportunity to serve for the next two years as service missionaries. It could be anywhere in the world. We are working on the house, preparing everything for a departure in January. If all works out as planned, our 4th son Ben and his family will live in and take care of the house while we are gone.
Thanks to all of you who are such good friends. We love you, and wish you the best in all of your activities. 10月14日 Making A Sewing CenterFor the past three weeks I have spent most of my free time building a sewing Center, a place where Mrs. C. can keep her sewing materials. The cabenet keeps the machines and supplies clean and tidy when not in use, then provides a working area when it is opened.
It is almost finished, but I thought you might be interested in the progress so far. Please check out the photos that I posted in the photo section.
Mr. C.
9月28日 Put Life Into PerspectiveSo many people today are focused completely on making money, as if it would make them happy. It is not true. Keep your eye on what is really important in life, and you will realize one important fact: "The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they Use whatever talents you have in the service of others and never worry about what you do not have. I promise you that your life will be more happy and full of joy. 8月2日 Wedding DayEight children is many, so we are thenkful that finally our youngest son, Daniel, was married last Saturday, July 28th. He met his bride at university, where they dated and gradually fell in love. They are young - Dan is 22, Katy is 19. They have two more years to go to finish their bachelor's programs. But American schools are setup to accomodate married students. They will be living in married student housing, and will help each other with their school work as they grow together in marriage.
Dan ad Katy were married in a large church building called a temple. It is our belief that such a marriage can bind together a man and woman forever, and allow them to be together forever with their children, if they live good and honorable lives.
Daniel and Katy will have a very strong marriage because they share common goals, and saved themselves for each other as they were growing up. Their virtue allowed them to place high value on their marriage, and it has allowed them to begin a pure and honorable family into which children will be invited and raised with strong spiritual values. Roberta and I are very proud of Dan and Katy, and we ish them the very best as they begin their life together. 3月20日 What I Do Every DayOne of my students recently asked me "what do you do everyday". I wrote her a reply, which I then thought others might be interested in, and I am writing it here as well. Hope it does not bore you to death.
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Dear Friend,
I enjoyed very much our conversation yesterday. We talked about importand and interesting things. Too often people talk about nothing - they use time, but when they are finished, their lives are the same as when they started. What we did was significant, because we have learned and grown closer. I am happy to shar with you my daily life - perhaps it will be boring to you. Not very exciting from the view of the world, I suppose. Now that I am retired, I don't have to go to an office every day anymore, like I did for 33 years at IBM. I do have a small part-time job though, that I do whenever I feel like working. I think I may have told you about "mystery shopping", where we take a hidden video of a salesman giving a sales presentation, which is then used to improve his sales techniques. It is a nice job because it only takes a day or so a week, and I can do it with Mrs. C., which is nice.
I also lead two discussion groups each week, on Wednesday evening and Saturday morning. They last about an hour and a half each. It is part of a program sponsored by my church, and is called the "Addiction Recovery Program". It is intended to be a support to people who are experiencing addictions or compulsions, as they struggle to put their lives back in order. Addictions may be to anything -- some people are addicted to drugs, others to smoking or pornography. Some may even have addictions to eating, or other behavior that interferes with leading a normal happy life. There is a twelve-step program designed to help the people first recognize that there is a problem, then change their behavior. We discuss one of the 12 steps each week, and when the 12 weeks are over, we start at number one again.
I also teach a church class for 12 year old kids. It is taught on Sunday, as part of the weekly church meetings. Usually a very active time, as there are usually about 11 kids who come, but I enjoy it.
On Monday mornings each week, Mrs. Clayton and I go to one of our local church buildings and help clean it. It is a good opportunity to give service, and it saves the church from having to pay someone to come and do the work. It is very satisfying to give service in this way, as our efforts benefit many people. I suppose that some would say that it is not very glamourous to go each week and clean, but to me, the most important things we can do in life are to learn to help and serve others.
Those are my responsibilities outside of the home. All the rest of the time I spend doing things with Mrs. C. or working on my own house or out in the workshop I am building in the garage. Sometimes I go to classes to improve my skills in woodworking or in other areas. We visit our kids who are still loving in this area. Once a week, on Friday night, we have "date night", where we go out to dinner and maybe watch a video. It is very important to cultivate a marriage, just as you would a flower. With a flower, you pull the weeds, add water and fertilizer, make sure it gets sunlight. With a marriage, you work together to strengthen love and friendship. Going out at least once a week on a date keeps us strong together, and helps us remember that courtship never ends -- we should treat each other with love and respect after we are married, just as we did before we were married. Later this year we may go on a cruise or something, to be together. It works - we have been happily married for almost 39 years now, and we grow stronger each year because we make the effort to help each other and do things together. We will be married and be best friends forever.
Well, that is my life. To me, it is very exciting, interesting and satisfying. Many of the things I do today I had to wait for many, many years to do, because it was more important to strengthen my marriage first, and to raise the kids first. My personal interests had to wait, because the priority had to be on the family. But now there is time for me, and it feels good, because the important things in my life have been done.
11月24日 Repairing to the houseWhen I write to some of my students, I have been telling them that I have been busy fixing and repairing my house. I thought it would be interesting to show you some pictures of the kinds of things I am doing. Most of the place needs to be painted, but there were some big problems that I needed to fix first -- the floor in one of the bedrooms, and some bad water stains on the kitchen floor. The photos that I posted today show the progress of the repaires, which are now almost finished. And I am tired. :)
Thanksgiving DayFor three years I showed my students pictures of turkeys, pies, potatoes -- all the things that are special to Thanksgiving day. Now finally I am back home with my family -- at least part of my family - and we can enjoy the special day together. We invited our kids who are living nearby, and some other guests. All went well, and the meal was delicious.
The only thing missing was you!
(please see the photos that I posted).
9月26日 Wood-working SchoolAll my life I have been interested in learning things, especially how to build things. I have always wanted to learn to work with wood -- to build beautiful things. Those who know me are aware that my life has been rather full, with 8 children, a busy career at IBM, and many opportunities to serve others. The result? No time for such things a wood-working. Finally, all the children are grown, and I have retired from IBM. My three years of teaching english in China are finished. I have a little time of my own. So, I decided it is time to learn how to work in wood.
I learned much from my father. How to use basic tools, how to plan things out, and how to put things together. But I wanted to know how the professionals do it. So, here I am in Cloverdale, Indiana, about 800 miles from home. I am attending a week-long class learning to build a Chippendale Chest. Today was day one -- selecting boards, cutting them, gluing them, etc. I will post some photos to show what we are doing.
A man should be able to do anything. i hope one day I can.
7月12日 Un-happy Father's Day?Being a father is a wonderful job. It helps you to grow and mature, it gives you opportunities to learn new skills – like changing diapers and staying up half the night helping a little one. I loved it and I gave it my best performance. I came straight home from work everyday, when my buddies were drinking and passing the time talking about useless things. When my friends were spending Saturday playing golf and watching football games, I was building model cars and helping with school projects. With eight children, it was impossible for Mrs. Clayton to do everything, so we shared nearly all of the responsibilities of raising the children.
The true rewards of parenthood lie in the success of your children. When they do well, they bring honor to the parents and the family. Nothing more should be expected than that. Yet, there is a special time when we take a moment from our busy schedules and specifically focus our time on parents – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day. One day in a year when we can say a special thank you to those who have given us so much.
This year I was happily contemplating how special Father’s Day would be, because not only was I expecting eight calls from eight children, but I was expecting something else. Over the past three years I have spent my time and my energy in China, meeting and teaching literally thousands of students. To me they were an extended family. I taught them as I taught my own children – to be honest, to be honorable, to make good decisions, to plan for their future – I came to love them very much. They are now a part of my life. Some, of course, are just acquaintances, but so many became close friends. Some asked for my advice. Some asked for help with resumes and statements of purpose. Some I knew well enough to write letters of recommendation for graduate school and other programs. Some I knew well enough that they called me father. I helped them all I could – just as I would my own children. Hours and hours and hours, for so many special friends. So, this year, I happily thought, I will hear from many children on Father’s Day – not just 8.
Well. Father’s Day came. And Father’s Day went. I heard from all of my eight children. And two or three of my Chinese friends. I was crushed. Why had I spent so much of my life helping and caring for so many young people, only to have them forget me on the one day when they might have said a simple “thank you”.
My first thought was negative. What ungrateful students. I asked them for three years to show their love and respect for their own father’s on Father’s Day by giving them a call or in some way saying hello, then to have them forget me completely was very disappointing. They have just used me, I said to myself. They used me for their own needs, then forgot me when I was of no further use to them. It was awful to have such thoughts about those whom I love.
But then, I thought, that is not a kind way to think of these special friends. Who knows what reasons there might have been not to say hello on Father’s Day? Surely it would be better to think in a positive way. Perhaps I am the one that should be offering more to them? Perhaps if it is Father’s special day, then I should be making it special by doing more on that day. Once I began to think in this way, the hurt of being ignored by those who I thought loved me started to fade. I remembered what I had always been taught, and what I had tried to teach my students: serve gladly, and your life will be happier. And it is. 6月24日 Is Kissing Sex?A student recently shared some feelings with me, including a feeling of shame at having given her first kiss to a young man that she will likely never marry. She wanted to know if what she had done was right, and if not, what she should do about it.
As we all know, there are many cultural differances between America and China. Because of this, the viewpoints that I expressed to her were western viewpoints, but also they were conservative views, which is how I was raised, and how I have found great happiness in my marriage and in my life.
When I finished my response to her, I decided that perhaps others might like to know what I believe. I am often asked why I am so happy, and why I believe that my marriage will last forever. The following message back to my student explains part of the reason why I am this way.
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Dear Friend,
I am very pleased to be counted among your best friends -- I hope we can always be the best of friends. Thank you for trusting me with a personal part of your life -- I hope that I can share some ideas that will help you with the situation that you describe.
I am very happy to hear that you believe, as I do, that sex before marriage is wrong, and we must try very hard to make sure that we are pure and clean on our wedding day. I don't normally tell such personal things to people, but because of the questions you have asked, I feel it is ok. Mrs. Clayton and I did just as I told you in class -- we have never been with any one else, and we did not have sex with anyone before we were married. For 37 years we have been very happy with the knowledge that we have built a home based on trust and honesty, and all of our children have been taught this principle. To me, it is one of the sources of true love -- to trust, and to remain pure before marriage.
Well, what about kissing? It seems that kissing is a part of life these days -- every movie we see seems to have kissing, and we see it done all the time. I know that traditionally in China it was a vert special thing, reserved only for a husband and wife. In the west, it is different. Kissing should always be looked upon as a special thing, and not done lightly, but in that culture, it is part of growing up, and is not bad.
I don't know how much you have been taught about love, intimacy, relationships with boys, and all that -- mayby nothing, maybe a little -- maybe a lot. Maybe, as you mentioned in your note, you have heard a lot of things from friends, but you are right to point out that they don't really know any more than you, so they are not really a very good source of information.
Please allow me to share my viewpoint on this subject. My view is of course a western view, but it is a very conservative view -- I was taught from an early age to respect love, to respect my body, to respect young women, and to protect their virtue in every way. I have tried to do so for all the years that I have been married, and it is one of the reasons why I have been happy, with a strong marriage and family.
Love begins with little things. A smile, a kind word, a good deed -- little things that each person should do for others as part of being a good person. A romantic relationship should start this way too -- first getting to know someone as a friend, then later as a close friend. Casual kindness can then grow into affection as two people sense a special feeling between them, and that feeling compels them to want to spend more time together. As they do so, maybe watching a movie together, or going to a dance or party together, eating dinner together, or going shopping, or whatever -- there is a desire to be closer physically. People come with a built-in desire to be close to others. As we get to know a special person more and more, that physical attraction is properly shown by holding hands, or walking arm-in-arm, or with an arm around a shoulder, or with a gentle hug. This is the way that a true love should develope.
When you feel that hearts are close, that there is trust and honesty between the two of you, that there is a faithfulness to each other that has developed through this process of becoming close friends, then perhaps it is time for a kiss. Not a rough, open-mouth kiss like some of the stupid romantic movies that are seen today, but a gentle expression of affection and love. Is it sex? No, I don't think so. Not if it is done in this gentle way.
Sexual activity is a process. If it is done correctly, it is done starting the day you are married to that special person that you have committed your life to. It involves kissing, which begins the process of sexual arousal, followed by touching, building to the conclusion of being together sexually. If it is done in a marriage, between two people who sincerely love each other, it is a beautiful and satisfying thing that will bring two people together not only physically, but emotionally as well, and will strengthen the marriage.
If sex is done outside of marriage, there is no committment, and the fulfillment and emotional togetherness is generally not present. It is simply done for the purpose of physical gratification. It spoils the emotions, and brings guilt to those who realize that they have given up their virtue for very little in return. It is especially painful later, as people realize that they can never replace that which has been lost -- their virtue. In some cases, sex before marriage leads to pregnancy, which must then be dealt with. There is shame to the people involved, including the families. If the child is allowed to be born, he/she is born without a family, which is a tragedy for any pure, innocent little child. If the pregnancy is terminated, many people, including myself, view it as the murder of an innocent child.
So, kissing is an important thing, and it should not be done lightly. Should it be reserved only for husband and wife? Well, perhaps passionate, excited kissing, which leads to sexual arousal, should indeed be only part of a marriage, yes. How about a gentle kiss that says I love you? A kind kiss between special friends to express their closeness? A soft kiss to say goodbye to a friend leaving on a long journey? From my point of view there is indeed a difference. The gentle, kind, soft kiss that says "I Love You" -- but which does not say "I want to have sex with you" is ok outside of marriage. It is part of the experience of life. It is part of close friendships. But it is not sex, and should not be treated as such.
So -- should you feel guilty about kissing someone who will likely never be your husband? No, of course not, as long as it was not the beginning of improper sexual activity. Does that mean that you should feel free to go around kissing everyone you meet? Again, of course not -- you affection should be a special thing, reserved for special people and special occasions.
You mentioned that recently you had your first kiss with a boy, and you wondered if it was love, or something else. You mentioned that he was probably still in love with his girlfriend of five years, a person that he was afraid of saying goodbye to, for fear of losing her as a friend. I would suggest that your kiss was probably not love, but the desire to experience a kiss -- to see what it was like. It is possible that you have the beginnings of a love for him -- but it is not obvious at all the he has the same love for you. A boy who is involved in a relationship with a girl should honor the relationship, in much the same way that a husband should honor his marriage relationship. You say the boy can't break-up with his girlfriend -- which means that he is still bound by that relationship. He shouldn'y be sharing his affection with anyone but her until he decides that she is not going to be a part of his romantic life. Otherwise, he is cheating on her, and he is cheating on you.
Boys will often do this, as they have been taught a double standard of morality. For some reason, someone once decided that girls should be virtuous and boys should be able to do whatever they please. There are some boys who feel that they are being virtuous if they are not caught cheating. There are many who don't care at all about their own personal virtue, as they have been taught that it is alright for them to have sex with whomever they please, as long as she will let him. That double standard is hateful to me. A young man should be taught that it is his obligation and his duty to protect the virtue of a young woman -- not take it from her. If he is in the company of a woman and someone tries to take her virtue, he should be willing to give his life to protect her.
It seems that society today teaches that boys must have sex. That is is natural, normal, and to be expected. Too many girls have been taught this, so when they start to have some feelings of love for a boy -- and he suggests that he really wants to have sex with her, they say "well, boys need it, so I must do it". It is a massive lie. Boys don't need sex any more than girls need it -- but they have been taught that they should be able to satisfy their natural desires as they please, without regard to virtue and honor. I hope that you will never fall for this line that boys sometimes use. It is a classic in western culture, that a boy will say to his girlfriend "if you really loved me, you would do it". Well, if you ever hear that line, or anything like it, I hope you will remember a different line that will protect you and help you to always be an honorable and virtuous woman. It goes like this: "If you really loved me, you wouldn't ask me to do it". If he persists, then he is not an honorable person, and no matter how much you think you mat love him, I would encourage you to get away from him -- because he loves sex more than he loves you. Such a person cannot be trusted in a BF/GF relationship, and cannot be trusted in a marriage.
Well, my friend, I imagine I have told you far more than you wanted to hear. But it is important -- very, very inportant. True love is not based on beauty or sex. True love is based on honor and trust. I have tested this idea in my own life, and have found it to be true. I have seen it in the lives of my children -- and it is true. I care for you, and I want you to be happy all your life, so I hope that you will carefully consider these things, and make them a part of your life too.
Love you,
Mr. C.
4月9日 Is It Love? Test YourselfStudents sometimes ask me to help with questions about life and love. They often want to know about love -- what it is, and what is a really good relationship. I recently came across a "love test" published by a very famous doctor and radio show host. People like her because she is honest about love, and has helped many people to strengthen their relationships. I like her because her views are similar to mine.
Take the test, and see what you think. Add a comment and tell me what you found when you took the test. I would like to hear from you. ====================================
Dr. Laura's "Is it Love?" Test Dr. Laura Schlessinger is the top female radio personality in America. A licensed marriage, family and child counselor, Dr. Laura's internationally syndicated radio show airs on over 450 stations in the U.S. and is heard by 18 million listeners each week.
Take Dr. Laura's "Is it Love?" test. It is an indication of whether or not your relationship with someone special has a chance of growing into a long-lasting marriage. Answer each question with "yes" or "no." After taking the test, check your score results below. Then, have your boyfriend/girlfriend take the test to see how you compare. Most importantly, be honest! Your future happiness depends on it. 1_____ Can you say there's no jealousy in your relationship? 2_____ Is your relationship free of drug and alcohol abuse? 3_____ Can you say you're never asked to compromise your moral values? 4_____ Do you appreciate and enjoy each other's family and friends? 5_____ Have you discussed your long-term goals for beliefs, family and career in detail? 6_____ Do you have complete confidence in each other? 7_____ Has experience shown him/her to always be truthful and open with you? 8_____ Does he/she always follow through on promises and commitments? 9_____ Do you talk openly and easily with each other about everything? (Including this test?) 10_____ Do you both listen carefully to one another and try to understand each other's point of view? 11_____ Do you both agree that marriage should be forever? 12_____ Do you refrain from using manipulation or blackmail to get your own way? 13_____ Do you like spending time together doing different activities? (Not just watching TV, mall shopping or talking on the phone together. Perhaps volunteering for charity, school and civic projects -- or joining clubs, bands, debate teams or sports programs.) 14_____ When you have a disagreement or a problem, do both of you respond respectfully with patience and understanding? 15_____ Have your family and friends told you they approve of your relationship -- that they feel it's making you a better person? 16_____ Do you limit your physical relationship to holding hands and simple kisses? 17_____ Have you seen each other during good times and bad? (Virtues shine during adversity. Never rush to marriage. -- you'll miss critical signs of good or bad character traits.) 18_____ Do you both stay away from pornographic magazines, videos, Internet, etc.? 19_____ If your future spouse had a serious accident that maimed or disfigured him/her for life, would your love remain strong? Could your love survive without physical expression? 20_____ Do each of you dress, speak and act modestly? 21_____ Can you admit your own shortcomings and discuss them openly? 22_____ Are you both generous in making sacrifices for others? 23_____ Does your sweetheart already have the qualities needed to be a super spouse and a wonderful parent for your children? 24_____ Are you willing to give up power and let your loved one (either the boy or the girl) control some of the important decisions and circumstances? (True love means frequently surrendering your will to meet your loved one's needs and wishes without violating your moral values.) Here's the Scoring . . . Scoring: Give yourself one point for each "yes" answer and zero points for each "no" answer. 21 to 24 pts. "Solid as a Rock!". . . It's True Love! Congratulations on a very strong relationship. 18 to 20 pts. "Looking Good!". . . You're relationship has good potential. With a little work, you can become "Solid as a Rock." 14 to 17 pts. "Warning Signals!". . . It might be "Infatuation." Work on the "No's." Take the test again in 6 months and again in 12 months. Hopefully your scores will improve and your relationship will grow. If your relationship doesn't greatly improve within a year, you should consider ending it. Below 14 pts. "Red Alert!". . . Sorry, this may be painful to hear, but it's probably time to say "goodbye." It's either blind infatuation or there are other serious problems. (If you're married and you scored below 15 points, don't give up -- get some good marriage counseling ASAP.) ** Bonus Question ** Are both of you committed to saving sex for marriage? If yes, add 2 points to your score. Important Tip from Dr. Laura . . . "It's difficult to get an accurate reading from my "Is it Love?" test if you're sexually active. Sex is so powerful that it's often blinding before marriage. That's one of the reasons I say, 'Don't do it!' If you're sexually active, my first recommendation is to stop having sex immediately. With sex out of the picture, it will be easier to see how each of you responds in the critical areas that build strong, healthy, lasting relationships. It's definitely challenging to save sex for marriage - but it's worth the wait and it helps assure a happier marriage. Go ahead - make the commitment. You'll be glad you waited!" 4月5日 A new grandchildAn exciting week -- a few days ago we were sent the good news that our oldest daughter, Elizabeth, had given birth to her fourth child. That is our 20 grandchild. His name is Russel, and he is healthy and strong. He weighed 4.5 Kilos at birth.
Families are so important -- they are the reason for everything. A good job is important, to be able to support a family, but it is not the reason for our existance. A nice house and a car are very nice -- but neither is worth giving up a family for.
To all of my friends who may read this, I wish you the happiness that comes from remembering what is important in life -- a good strong family.
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