and now october slips away........

Lucy in the corn maze.


" Praise ye the Lord,
the Almighty,
the King of creation.
O my soul praise Him, for He is my health and salvation.
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration."

The end of this Lord's Day and this month
finds me filled with praises for the Great God
that we love and serve.
Our loving God who saw us lost in our sins
and sent His son Jesus Christ to reconcile us
back into a right relationship with Himself
by the blood that He shed on our behalf.

"Amazing grace
how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost,
but now am found,
was blind,
but now I see."

I thank You & praise You!

today at the pumpkin patch

Erika, Lucy, Harry, and I drove over to Ridgeland, SC to a wonderful pumpkin patch. Note the necklace that Lu made for me around my neck.

Showing off the pumpkins that we finally decided on.

We rode out to the pumpkin patch in this covered wagon. It felt like we were the early settlers heading out west except that we were pulled by a tractor and not horses.

Lucy petting the tiny horse.

This tire swing was a big hit!

A picture perfect picture spot.

Somehow you could actually milk this make believe cow. See the utters in the background?

We started out at "The Original Pancake House" for breakfast.

One of my all time favorite places to eat.

Our time at the patch was so much fun.

Beautiful day to be outside.

I will share more pictures tomorrow.

cathy

don't be fooled

by the lovely fall picture.

I am here on Tybee Island in shorts and a t-shirt......
going barefoot as well.
It has to be one of the top ten most beautiful days of the year.
Just got back from an island long bike ride,
full of energy and sweet beach air.

The canopy is crystal blue with nary a cloud in the sky.
The breeze is blowing in from the ocean...
salty, with that marsh smell.
I can't describe it but my nose knows it by heart.
The temperature is in the seventies,
cool but warm in the sunshine.
The sun is bright,
making the ocean glitter like a trillion sparkling diamonds,
The tide is on its way out,
revealing all of the wonders that it leaves behind on the beach.

I can't find enough words
to describe the wonder
of just being at the beach
and my thankfulness to God
for all of this beauty that He made.

To top it all off,
we are going to eat
crab legs at 7:00.

cathyc

minnie & the cowboy

We are having an "endless summer" here in Savannah.

Almost 90 degrees today.

Waited all afternoon for the rain and it never came.

~

It would be fine with me if winter stayed away......

I don't like to be cold.

It is dark at seven now.......

in a couple of weeks at six.

~

Met with the man today who will build my children's table.

He is going to use the flooring that I mentioned for the tabletop.

It wasn't oak by the way....it is cherry.

I am very excited.

He said when finished it would be heirloom quality.

I will have it for Thanksgiving.....

~

Went back down to River Street just now to see

the cruise ship "The World" one more time.

I wanted to catch it moving off down the Savannah River,

but that won't be until 11:59 tonight.

For some reason I am fascinated with that ship.

~

Lucy said earlier "It is really humid."

I said to her, "Do you know what humid means?"

She replied, "It means that the air is very buggy."

~

As we were going over the big bridge coming back into Savannah,

Harry spotted the cathedral all lit up and said,

"Look grammy, there is Cindaella's castle."

~

I love it....can't get enough!

pretty

I probably won't write tonight.
We are going to the Fall Festival
to see Lucy and Harry in costume
and then down to River Street
to see a fabulous cruise ship
that is here in Savannah for only one night.

"My soul melts from heaviness,
strengthen me according to Your word."
Psalm 119:28

cathy

my love of architecture revealed

I hope you enjoy the photographs that I share on my blog.
I try to capture the beauty of God's creation,
and also things that appeal to me.

In my living room I have a rather large picture of a red barn.
That's it....just a barn.
When I first revealed this masterpiece, I heard some rebuffs.
But, you know, I love that barn picture
more now than I did when I first laid my eyes on it.
Maybe that is why I was captivated
by the red smokehouse pictured above.
And what makes it even better is
the smoke rising from the chimney.

I love to drive around Savannah
and look at the architecture of houses.
Bungalows to mansions, it doesn't matter.
I can't get enough.....there is so much to look at in this city.

If you ever come visit you will see what I mean.
It is charm....all charm!

dreamy eyes

Lucy is spending the night.

After three rounds of our new game "pencoloo"

(Of which she won the title of World Champion

over her poor beleaguered grammy) (legitimately)

and about forty books read with much animation......

she sleeps.

~

During her precious prayer,

she could barely hold her eyes open.

There was some sadness mixed in as well.

~

I remember as a little girl away from home.......

I felt that sadness too. Missing my mom and dad.

Just when the sun went down it would come upon me

as it did Lucy tonight.

It didn't last long though,

because sleep came so quickly.

~

We prayed for her little sister over in Ethiopia.

There is a lot of red tape and two trips that have to take place

before she can come home.

~

I would ask for your prayers for this

tiny

five week old

eight pound

infant that is so far from her family.

~

We can't hold her,

but God will hold her close until she can get home.

~

"Thou hast been the helper of the orphan."

Psalm 10:14

~

So until then my dear....

we pray.

the sovereignty of God........

in the birth of a child.

I am simply overwhelmed.
On September 15, 2010, our fifth grandchild was born in Ethiopia.
The child is a girl and she is beautiful.
We just found out about her birth last evening.

This little girl was chosen by God
to be a daughter and a sister and a granddaughter and a niece and a cousin
to all of us here who are eagerly awaiting her arrival.

We are first thankful to God for the gift of this child.
We are also grateful and humbled by every one of you
who have had a part in making this miracle happen.

Read David's blog for more details.
We can't publish her picture or her name yet.

"Who among all these does not know
that the Lord has done this,
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind."
Job 12: 9&10

http://www.ethiopiancleland.blogspot.com/

back in the day bakery.......

is one of my favorite places in Savannah.
This bakery is located in the Starland district in midtown.....
on Bull Street just north of Victory Drive.

Everything these people make is "to die for."
The sandwiches consist of delicious concoctions
wedged between two pieces of freshly baked bread
like you've never tasted before.
And the cupcakes and baby cakes....
what can I say?

A prayer was answered just this afternoon.
I'll be able to tell all about it tomorrow.
Until then....

Sleep well
knowing that God
will sustain you
until you wake
in the morning.

cathyc

sleep

"I lay down and slept;
I awoke again for the Lord sustained me."
Psalm 3:5a

happy birthday irvin

Everybody gathered

over at Johnny Harris tonight

to celebrate Irvin's birthday.

There were twelve of us

and a good time was had by all.

~

Irvin we are glad you felt good enough to come out,

and we hope you have many more birthdays.

~

I will keep it short tonight.

If you haven't already, look out at the full moon.

God hung it there and it is beautiful.

"grace, grace......

God's grace.

Grace that is greater than all our sin."

~

On Monday mornings

some of us ladies gather

over at the church to study God's word.

~

If you need a Bible study, this is a good one.

"Seeking Him" by Nancy Lee DeMoss & Tim Grissom.

~

This one goes deep into the word.

It forces us to look into our hearts

where all the secret sins are stored away.

I will never think about God's grace

in the same way again.

~

"Grace is the free gift of God

to those who have sinned against Him

and deserve only His wrath."

~
"Grace is that which God gives believers

to meet His requirements

and to face the difficulties of life."

~

"There is not one single aspect

of the Christian life

that we can handle apart from God's grace."

~

"God's grace is the dynamic quality

of His life within us

that gives us both the desire and the power to obey God."
~
All of the above are quotes taken directly from the study.

The last one is where I am working now.

~

Lastly is a quote from John Piper....

~

"Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned.

Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin.

Grace is power, not just pardon."

~

Grace as power not to sin is new to me.

I want to hold on to that truth and not forget.

I want it to be active in my heart.

~

cathy

finally....

a morning to stay home.

The author of The Footsteps of the Messiah, Arnold Fruchtenbaum,

has been at our church teaching since Sunday morning past. He will continue

sharing the word until Wednesday night.

He is a converted Jew and a brilliant Bible scholar.

The book above was fascinating to read as are his lectures to listen too.

What a blessing to hear him in person.

He is tracing the Holy Spirit through the Old and New Testaments.

~

On Saturday we drove up to Cashiers, NC.

I will be sharing pictures that I took there the next few days.

The pumpkin in the picture above was on sale for $60.00.

I left it sitting there hopefully to entice a buyer.

~

I love the autumn season.

The sunlight is really strong.....

the sky is crystal clear blue,

and the colors are amazing.

~

"For everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

a tribute

Out of tens of thousands of men

who fought for our freedom in World War II,

only a very few are still standing.

~

This weekend it was our honor and privilege

to fellowship with a few of these great men.

Men who were not afraid to go and fight in foreign lands

for the freedoms that we enjoy today.

~

Bubba and I have been a part of national conventions

in Vail, Colorado, and Sun Valley, Idaho,

with thousands of these warriors and their wives and families.

At this little gathering this weekend we might have had thirty people total,

but it was sweet and wonderful just the same.

~

Thank you men for what you did for our country.

I'm glad especially that you came home to tell your stories.

I know how close my dad came to death one night on a dark lake in Italy.

Only the providence of God spared him and gave us life in turn.

~

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

today was a sun-dappled day.......

superb in every way.
I have seen enough beauty to last for a while.
The mountains are drenched in the colors of autumn...
yellow and orange, gold and brown.
God's masterpieces....
every flower, tree and pumpkin.

"When you are in the furnace,
God keeps His eye on the clock and
His hand on the thermostat"
Warren Wiersbe.

Going to have dinner with some really fine folks...
Back home tomorrw.
cathy

leaving.....

on a little getaway in the morning.

We are heading up to the mountains
in search of some cooler air and some beautiful fall color.
I will be taking my new camera and a fleece.

I am really looking forward to this outing.
Some antiquing will be taking place as well.
If I find a suitable old table
for those chairs in the picture from yesterday,
I may just buy it....
not sure if Bubba has time right now
to build a table out of old oak flooring.

The photo above shows the windows in my bedroom.
Notice that there are no coverings.
I lay in my bed every night looking out at an expanse of sky.
Sometimes the moon floods my bed with soft silvery light.
I thank God for this gift.

This verse is the key to everything I know to be true.......

"I have set the Lord continually before me;
because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken.

Thou wilt make known to me the path of life;
In thy presence is fullness of joy;
In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever."

Psalm 16: 8 & 11

Praise Him, Praise Him, all ye little children!!!

these chairs...........

are little antiques.
These are the chairs
that the children at my childhood church
sat in for Sunday School.

I am going to have them refinished
to use with a table that Bubba will build
out of some old oak flooring that he became privy to.

This will be where my babies will sit
when we have big feasts here at our house.
I can already picture them sitting around the table.
Laughing and eating and having a grand old time.
Hopefully it will all be ready for Thanksgiving.

Most of you know of my love for Martyn Lloyd Jones.
I always have one of his books going on the side.
His books are almost entirely compilations of his sermons.
Hopefully you also know of my love for God's word.

Here is a quote that I found today by MLJ...

"Do we realise, I wonder,
what a privilege it is that we have these Scriptures,
New Testament as well as Old?

Do we realise the advantage of having an open Bible?

Do we realise the advantage and the privilege
of having these living oracles of God?"

God's letter to us
containing everything
we need to know about "life and godliness."
He didn't leave anything out. It's all there.

Read it, study it, love it!!!!

Don't miss the picture of Lucy and Harry
that I posted earlier in the day.

two cuties on driftwood

I'll write again tonight!!

i decided......

to go ahead and have the shot in my eye.

All of my counselors agreed and encouraged.
"You can't let fear hold you back if the shot can help restore your vision."

I washed my face with extra care this morning and wore no make-up.
I even rubbed a little bit of hydrogen peroxide around my eye.
I was at the office a little after 8:00 for my 8:30 appointment.....
ready for whatever the day would bring.

After an extensive examination, the doctor said,
"I'm not giving you the shot today.....too risky,
Let's just leave well enough alone."

My inner thought was,
"You've got to be kidding me."
Then I remembered....
that was God's answer to my prayer about what I should do.
For whatever reason today was not the day to get the shot.

Being blinded by the double eye dilation,
I drove carefully to Bubba's office and we rejoiced in the news...
and the answered prayer.

Speaking of prayer, I would ask you to lift Estelle and Irvin up tonight.
They are going through a very difficult time right now.
Estelle is Bubba's sister, but she is mine too.

O, and thanks for your prayers for me in regards to my eye.
God is ever faithful to hear our prayers
and to do His will in our lives.

cathy

ten~ten~ten

Just got back from a walk on the beach.
~
I watched the sun come up over the foggy marsh this morning.
I saw the sun set as a giant, fiery, golden ball dropping into the water this evening.
God's creation is my greatest entertainment.
It simply takes my breath away.
If you look into the sky right now you will see that the moon is a giant sliver.....
and there is a planet right outside of my window that is brighter than any star.
~
David preached at church this morning.....
"the parable of the dinner" in Luke 14.
What can I say about this?
He speaks the truth clearly and we are blessed by the hearing.
~
I like this.....
"O Lord, Who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Thy holy hill?"

"He who walks with integrity,
and works righteousness,
and speaks truth in his heart."
Psalm 15: 1~2
~
"Living in God's tent" is a grace gift.
~
Having integrity,
working righteousness,
and speaking the truth,
is a result of having the Holy Spirit of God
dwelling in our mortal bodies.
~
We who live in God's tent are blessed beyond measure.
~
To the eye doctor at 8:30 in the morning...
We'll see.
cathy

hanging out in romans 8

When I speak about a "believer" in my blog,
I am referring to
one who follows Jesus Christ.
To "those who are called according to His purpose."

If you are a believer, you have assurance because
God lives in you in the form of the Holy Spirit.
You desire the things of God and
you are aware of a huge gulf between you and the world.

I have been reading in Romans 8 for the last couple of days.
The last thirteen verses speak of "Our Victory in Christ."

Let these verses make your day....
relish in the truth that i will write here.
Rejoice in what God has done for you......

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation,
distress,
persecution,
famine,
nakedness,
peril or sword?....."

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer,
through Him who loved us."

"for I am convinced that neither
death,
nor life,
nor angels,
nor principalities,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
nor powers,
nor height,
nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us
from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8: 34~35 and 38~39

That is without fail the most powerful statement
of His love for us that exists anywhere.

Praise Him from who all blessing flow.
Amen

shhhh.......

don't wake Lucy.
She is sleeping in the Mickey Mouse room in our house at Disney World.
Note Mickey's hands that hold the curtains back.
If you look carefully you can see puppy in his usual place under her cheek.

We had steaks over at David and Erika's house tonight.
So good...
They are in the middle of painting their bedroom.
Beautiful color and a great job you guys are doing.

I have had a rental car all week.
It was a Dodge Ram van.
I called it a somewhat glorified truck.
So glad to have my Honda back if for nothing else but the leather seats.
I have new bumpers, front & back.
It looks new again.
Now if I can just stay off of the curbs
and not have anymore encounters with immovable objects.

"But I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He hath dealt bountifully with me."
Psalm 13: 5~6

"bountifully"
Think about that....
cathy

the secret to a man's heart

Do you know what it is?

Today was a stay at home day for me.
I've gotten a lot done,
but not nearly what I wanted to.
That's okay though and I'll tell you why.

I labored for about an hour making one
of Bubba's favorite meals.
He knew what was being prepared today
because he bought the pork chops.....
hint ~ hint.

Just now he e-mailed
that he would be home at five.
I returned the favor and told him
that the casserole would be in the oven
waiting for his arrival.

This is what he wrote back.....

"There ain't no better than you."

A home-cooked meal never fails ladies.....
cc

trying not to be afraid

I got the letter in the mail two months ago.....
it was time for me to get my yearly mammogram.
I finally went today.
I put it off as long as I could.
Why does this strike such fear in me?

As I've written before,
I taught my radiologist in third grade.
She was one of my favorite students.
I always enjoy seeing and talking to her.....
but maybe not under these circumstances.

Everything turned out good in case you were wondering.
For that I am thankful,
but I am really put out with myself
for getting so stressed and afraid.

I know that God is sovereign over my life,
and I know the following is true:

"Man, who is born of woman,
is short-lived and full of turmoil.
Like a flower he comes forth and withers,
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain."

"Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with Thee,
And his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass."
Job 14: 2&5

He is sovereign ~ I am frail humanity.
I guess that explains it.
I really need to work on my thinking.
I really need to work on my trusting....
cathy

my hometown

Savannah is a really beautiful city.
This picture was taken from the roof of the Hyatt Hotel.
It is borrowed from my "Savannah facebook page." (Mark Rodocker)
The location is our famed "River Street."

In the foreground is the new Bohemian Hotel.
The rooftop there is as they say "a happening place."

That is the Savannah River
which makes it's meandering way about twenty miles
on down to the Atlantic Ocean
right in front of our condo.

We have a front row seat
to watch all of the big ships pass by
on their way in and out of Savannah.

Further on in the picture
you see the beautiful Talmadge Bridge
which gives a panoramic view of the city
when entering from the great state of South Carolina,

I love living in Savannah.
It is home.....I feel it in my bones.
I belong here.
Every sight, smell, twist, and turn is familiar.

Oh by the way....
Last night I got a call.
It was a political poll.
I got to tell them my side of the story.
It felt good.

cathy

i cancelled it

October 4, 2010.
The day I was to have the next shot in my eye.

I got up this morning and decided
that I wasn't ready to make that decision yet.

One afternoon last January
I agreed to the shot.

A small hemorrhage had left debris in my eye
and the shot of medicine was to go in there
and mop up the mess.

Sounded like a good plan.
The doctor assured me that he gives hundreds of them every week
with no consequences.

Unfortunately,
a horrible infection entered my left eye on the needle
and caused me to go completely blind.

The doctor had only seen this one other time.

My sight has partially returned.
I cannot see to read out of that eye,
but I do have some sight.

What should I do?
Should I try it again?
What would you do?

I have another appointment.
It is next Monday at 8:30 am.
I think I will be ready then.

cathy

to the beach

Today was a perfect day to go to the beach.

Bright blue sky....

Gentle cool breeze.....

Gigantic waves caused by something going on out in the Atlantic.

Two walks,

one nap,

Seven people I love very much,

and Spanky's fresh chicken fingers

made for quite a nice day.

Tired,

Full,

ready for bed.

Sure to sleep like a log.

Life couldn't get any better than today!!!

cc

three years ago.......

on the first day of Ocotober, my mom died.

Today we took a beautiful mum to her grave.

Not a lot of words needed tonight....

a picture is worth a thousand of them.

~

"For everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter under heaven:

A time to be born,

and a time to die."

Ecclesiastes 3: 1~2
~

pictured top....frank~cathy~teri

other.....me~dad~teri