we left him just now.......

asleep in the big metal crib.......blue this time instead of red. Everything is the same as before. Harry is stable and in very good hands as we wait once again for him to awake and breathe on his own.

Lucy is with us....asleep in the next room. She chose her bedtime books carefully and we read until she got drowsy. She is happy and content here with us. I think that it is the "snug as a bug in a rug" treatment that does it as well as the star nightlight. I tell her, "Look at the star and know that Jesus is watching over you."

Pray without ceasing.....Amen and Amen!

this is my 600th post!!!
cathy
.

please pray

Our little grandson Harry was taken to the hospital just a little while ago.
He was having trouble breathing again.
They are putting him on a respirator again.
That's all I know right now.
Please pray.....I will update later.

Thanks, Cathy

did you know....

that Tybee Island was voted the healthiest beach in America by Health Magazine. I am very impressed that our little corner of the world holds such a distinction. It also makes me much happier to loll around in the sand and swim in the ocean.

I just got back from a bike ride.....my first in a while. Tybee is an amazing place to bike.....so much quaintness to see. I had noticed that the wind was picking up when I left the condo. By the time I got the bike down the elevator, a storm was brewing. I went on my way and was quickly blinded by a gust of sand in my face. I can still feel the grit grinding between my teeth. Oh well, such is the cost of good exercise.

After a week of sickness and a busy weekend, it was good to stay home today. I love to linger long over scripture and prayer after a time of drought.

"If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction." Psalm119:92

Look at that verse......what profound truth it contains for our lives!!
This promise is for believers. God's law is His word. Without His word we (who love it and believe it) would perish in the trials and hardships of our lives. We would sink down into the pit of despair.

It is such a DELIGHT to come every morning and sit down with the Word of God to study it and meditate on it and pray it through. Today I got to go back after lunch for more. It sustains me...it is keeping my head from going under from sorrow.

I think I'll go walk along the healthiest beach in America.........
will you join me?

Thanks for your love and understanding Estelle, and thanks again for lunch yesterday!!

cathy

the crushing weight of sin

Sin is what tethers us to this earth.
Our very human existence was marred with it from birth.
We are told in God's word that we are conceived in it.....no one escapes it's brutality.

Sin kills and maims and ruins relationships.
It causes hate, dissensions, quarrels, and fights among us.

Those things we want to do for God seem hard because of it.
Our laziness, greed, selfishness, and pride are fed by it....we cannot escape it.

The more I grow in Christ, the more I hate my sin.
It encumbers, it snares, it bites, it hurts.....there is no stopping it.
Many times I am bowed down under the sheer exhausting weight of it.
I cry tears of shame when it defeats me yet once again.

That's where Christ comes in...that's the amazing thing He did for us on the cross.
The source of sin is Satan and he is very real and very strong.

Satan wants to dishonor God by making believers dishonor Him and thus destroy the work of Christ on this earth.....but God is more powerful than Satan. God won the victory over Satan on the cross and because of that we have the ability to overcome in Christ.

Through the trials of these past years I have fought many sin battles and lost.
I am, thanks to His grace winning some now.

This is the time in my life that I will quit contending.....quit trying to make things right. I will leave that to God and His providence.

One day, that tether to sin will be broken and I will no longer feel that crushing weight of sin.

That is what keeps me going.

In the meantime I will draw near to God and to those who love me. In His word and by His grace and mercy always looking for someone to share the blessings of Christ with.

cathy

can anyone find .........

a good watermelon anymore? They cost enough......they should be good, but they are almost tasteless.

I remember as a child eating some of the most delicious chunks of this most ripe and delicious treat. What a delight on a hot summer afternoon.

Doug and Diane along with David and Erika and the kids are coming soon to enjoy the beach and dine and fellowship with us this afternoon. Bubba went to the store earlier to choose a melon and came home with a cantaloupe size one that is almost completely white inside. I feel bad even serving it.....but I will.

Everyone is going to the shore except me because the medicine I am taking for my stomach says to avoid direct exposure to the sun at all costs. Wonder what would happen if I ventured down there? I envision a rapid heating up with skin turning red and mottled. Choosing the wise course, I will stay and prepare the meal and do what my doctor says.

I wonder what time the thunderstorm will come this evening? It is always a highlight to have the sky darken, the lightening flash, and the thunder roll. Everyone scurries up from the beach to wait out the storm and then, after it has put on its display, everyone hurries back down to enjoy the cool, freshened air.

Anyway.....back to my question about watermelons. If you know where to find a good one will you let me know??

happy summer afternoon

ps David is done with the ordination counsel which lasted all morning and into the early afternoon. We are looking forward to hearing firsthand how it went.

"the cat scan" again

Can you believe it??? That nurse made me drink that vat full of liquid down to the bottom.
How rude! Couldn't she see I was trying to catch a good nap?

With that and the bag of fluid attached to my arm which entered my body at the speed of sound, I felt like I was a whale floating on the top of the ocean. This feeling was enhanced by the morphine I am sure.

Soon, a very nice young man came to take me to the cat scan room. "Better not roll me far from that bathroom," I told him in my groggy state. He just smiled.

Now I've never had a cat scan before and I was expecting to be put into a tube that covers your whole body. All I could think of was that they were making a huge mistake inserting me into something like that with all of the fluid in my body.

Happily, the scan looked more like a doughnut and I didn't have to fear that my claustrophobia would kick in and somehow trigger an urgent need to disentangle myself immediately from said machine.

Once on the table and snuggled into the machine, I began to relax. "Maybe I can catch my nap here," I thought. Just as my eyes were closing the machine shouted at me in a loud twang....

"TAKE IN A DEEP BREATH NOW AND DO NOT BREATHE AGAIN UNTIL I TELL YOU."

"Who do you think you are talking to Me like that?"

Finally the machine said, "YOU CAN BREATHE NOW."

"Oh thank you for your kindness," I replied.

I guess they found what they were looking for. I was taken back to my room and unhooked from the IV. The doctor appeared and gave his take on it all.

"You can go home, " he said.

I finally got to go to sleep in my own warm cozy bed.

At least I now know what a CAT SCAN is.

Hope you enjoyed this farce....

cathy

warning: water may cover the road

The tides are springing, yes they are.
Super high tides for the last couple of days have caused the roads to the islands to be covered with water.

When this happens Tybee becomes isolated from civilization for a few hours.....I like that.....I like that alot!

This morning at 3:45 am I was wide awake. That happens so infrequently that I rather enjoy it. I heard rain on the tin roof, so I went and sat on the deck for a while. It was so dark that I couldn't see the ocean, but I could hear the roll of the waves and the gentle rain that had come unexpectantly in the night.

I felt that I had come upon a sudden wonder....a glimpse of things so beautiful that if I had been asleep at that time I would have been deprived. God's blessings come in so many different ways and I am thankful that He has allowed me to know Him.

To say that my heart is grieved about my father (earthly) would not adequately describe the pain that I live with every day. His is a situation that I personally and on a human level can do absolutely nothing about.

The miracle of my life is the place that God has brought me to spiritually through these last almost two years since my mom died. The power of Satan to decieve and destroy is very great, but the power of God is greater still and I have to wait for Him in all things.

My God and My Father hears my prayers....He knows my despair.....He knows my father....He knows what he needs. I pray that God will have mercy and open his heart to the truth.

These verses sustain me today: (all from Psalms 34)

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them."

"I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears."

"I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

The sustaining power of the Lord is amazing.
I am thankful to have been brought to the place where I can experience this depth of His love.
Please pray with me the line that I highlighted above.....just that one line is all I ask.

I am getting stronger from my illness and I will complete my cat scan experience.

The peace of God that surpasses all understanding reigns in my heart through Jesus Christ my Lord.

Thank you so much for loving me and sustaining me through these difficult times. Yes, God uses people like you to sustain people like me who are suffering greatly.

cathy

the cat scan

This year has been a hard one for me physically.....everyone has times like that when you can't seem to get rid of one ailment before another is coming right down the pike.

Well....I thought I was doing great. I had been feeling well and whole again. I was swimming and walking and lifting babies and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.......lots of energy and enthusiasm for life.

Then I got up one morning and didn't feel so well......"Oh no, it can't be happening again," but it was.

Monday morning early I went to see my doctor.....she took one punch on my tummy and said, "You need to go to the ER." Oh no, this is NOT a good situation.

Same routine...most of us have been there at some time in our lives.......
An ugly gray gown that ties in the back is thrust at you, but the ties are always missing.....
You are told to put that ridiculous excuse for a covering on and get onto the examination table which is hard as a brickbat, narrow as a sliding board, with no pillow in sight.
Unspeakable things will start to happen to you, but don't worry, a DIAGNOSIS will be forthcoming.

Don't worry? Are you kidding? Quite frankly I am scared out of my mind. At times like this I begin to think the worst.....

Now I'm in for abdominal pain....bad pain. The doctor makes a quick visit......I don't have time to speak except to utter these words, "Yes I do have abdominal pain," and he is gone like a vapor, sucked up into the atmoshere.

Next thing I know the nurse is coming in the door with a huge bag of fluid. "Do I have to have an IV?" "Yes dear, now just relax while I stick you with this needle and draw huge quantities of blood from your veins." Relax? Are you serious?

Once she got the IV in place she inserted into it these three things:
1. prilosec
2. an anti-nausea med and
3. morphine.

"Hurray, the glory days are here at last! I will feel no more pain! Just let me sleep right here on this hard slab until I feel better and then I will get up and go home!"

Just when I'm cozying down into my little nest, in she comes with an extra-large vat of liquid that has to be drunk to the bottom. I groggily told her, "Look....there is no way I can drink that much at this time. Please take that out and see if you can interest one of your other patients with it. As for me, I just want to sleep."

to be continued.............

being thankful in all things

Sick, very sick.
Spent all day in the ER.
Not life threatenting, but very painful.

I will write more later.
Please pray for me.....c

update

I am not feeling so well......yesterday and today. It dawned on me that I might have a kidney stone because of the intense pain in the lower quadrant of my body. I have never had a kidney stone before so I don't know what it feels like.

Amanda made it home safely yesterday afternoon with Jake and Eki. She was heading for the bed anda long nap.

Sorry...I thought i could write but I can't. Will try again in a little while.

Not any betterat 8:23 pm.....fever 1o1.5. I have slept all day. Pain still bad. I have no idea what is causing this malady. c

a tidepool at sunset

Yesterday, during our visit, Aunt Dottie said this....."If you can't write, at least post some pictures." Here are a few that were taken last evening. Hope you enjoy!

Amanda and boys will leave for home early in the morning. I will be sad and the condo will be quiet...............but thankful for the beautiful memories that have filled my heart.

always and forever, cathy

freedom from fear

A four year old jumping into the pool unimpeded by fear....how freeing is that?
I cannot believe the progress Jake has made since last Monday. Notice that Eli is taking it all in.

Amanda is here until Friday....she arrived late yesterday afternoon and is eating everything in sight. We praise God for this healthy pregnancy.

We were talking this morning at the pool and Amanda said to me, "What if we had been too afraid to try again?" Fear deprives us of so many good things.

Our condo is on the small size and we were talking this morning about where we will put this new baby when he comes to visit. I told Amanda, "Never worry...we will fine a place."

Amanda, Jake, and Eli are all sleeping in our small second bedroom right now....but everyone is happy and having a good time.

Happiness does not come from having a mansion with plenty of bedrooms.....it comes from hearts that have God at their center and thankfulness at their core.

"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control." II Timothy 1:7

humbled before Him....cathy

a place to call home

This is a picture of Jake in his new birthday clothes. We had just arrived home from church.
Talk about bonding.......we have. I love this little guy so much.

We had the privilege to become members of Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church this morning after the worship service...........so glad to finally have a church home again. It means more to me at this point in my life than it ever has before.

Bob Dimmit, our pastor, began preaching through the book of Isaiah today. What awesome words of God we will have the privilege to hear in the coming months.

It is no small feat to find a church dedicated to the pure, clear teaching of God's word by a man who is humbled and bowed down before the throne of God. We are very blessed indeed to have found such a place.

Isaiah 1:1 "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."

Come next week and worship with us!!!

love, cathy

the desire is strong but the glass is hard

This is the new Hollingsworth cat Charlie Chapman....aka Charlie bear or char char.

hey dude....that's a fine looking car you have there

Jeep from Ma and Na Hollingsworth.

more later.......c

getting brown

Jake and I spent two hours at the pool this morning.
Temps in the nineties and no clouds mean that our skin is starting to brown up.
Between the morning swims and the afternoon swim lessons we should be turning pretty quickly.

An observations from the pool:

One word....tattoos. Everyone has one.....most have hundreds. It is such a sad sight to see what these people do to their skin. They seem to be proud of them too. I find it bizarre to say the least.

I mentioned my eye problem the other night. The manifestation in my sight is a wavy line that is present and makes the words and lines take on a hill and valley sequence. A very strange sensation. The enigma is that my vision is so good that I don't need prescription lens. I am praying that it will get better and not worse.

As we all do, I have things in my life that are sin to me. Some things that I think I need and cannot do without. It seems I always fail when I try to deal with them and go back to my old ways.

Why is it that way? Because it is easier to give in to temptation than it is to be obedient to God's word.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4: 7&8

This takes work Christian. Notice the strong verbs in this passage......
submit - resist - flee - draw near.

This is the sequence that works and I need to remember to practice and practice. Just like the children are practicing their swimming everyday.

One thing He taught me today.....if you fail....get up and try again. Tomorrow is another day and His faithfulness is new every morning.

Pray for me please for I am weak and vulnerable.

cathy....standing in need of prayer

these are for mark and amanda

We are treating Lucy and Jake to swimming lessons....they will run for 2 weeks.

So far things are going pretty well.

Erika and I would wish for more one on one, but what can you expect at the YMCA.

Just a short little post for tonight.

night, night.........cathy

losing sight

I have always thought that losing one's eyesight would be the most tragic of losses apart from the losing of one's mind.

For me to write and read bring some of the brightest moments of my life.

Loss of vision in my left eye took me to the eye doctor who gave me the diagnosis......I have an optical vein occlusion. Put in terms easier to understand, there is a blood clot behind my retina which is obstructing some of my vision.

Probable cause.....all of the stress of the last four + years and then some. I knew it was bound to catch up with me physically sooner or later. The laser is a possible solution, but not just now........we will watch and wait and see what happens.

Jake is here with us....he sleeps in the next room. When he wakes up we will go meet Lucy for the start of two weeks of swimming lessons. I just folded a whole load of little clothes and his granddaddy is making his favorite......spaghetti.

It is good to travel, it is good to be home and to thank God for watching over us the whole while.

with love, cathy

a beating heart

I, thanks to the mavel of technology, got to see our new grandchild this morning and I have been humbled before the majesty of the work of our God.

Amanda is seven weeks and one day along. She got rave reviews from all of the blood tests and was told that she should have a completely normal pregnancy. She had gained one pound. She is glowing and happy and we thank God for this good news.

The baby is less than half an inch in size but has a heart that is beating one hundred and forty times a minute. By the end of next week she (hoping) will have a perfectly formed head as well as arms and legs. I watched her on the screen in amazement.

As many of you know, Amanda was extremely sick during both of her previous pregnancies. Some of you have been anxious to hear that she is entering into another one. We believe that it is God and He alone who opens the womb (Psalm 139) in His will and His timing.

Those of us who are called according to His purpose know that this new life was planned by God before the foundations of the earth were set. There are no accidents with Him.

We all rejoice with Mark and Amanda, Jake and Eli as they prepare for the arrival of this precious gift of God.

for blessing too many to count....for love too immense to comprehend, we thank you Lord Jesus!

greetings from falls church, va

Within your heart keep one small secret spot where dreams may go,
and sheltered so,
may thrive and grow
where doubt and fear are not.

Oh, keep a little place within your heart for dreams to go. (author unknown)

having a happy and peaceful time.....
cathy