Thursday, August 31, 2017

God's gorgeous light


It rained!
The sky got dark as night.
The lightning flashed.
The thunder roared.
And then, 
quick as a wink, 
God sent that gorgeous golden light 
that only comes after the rain.
I am overwhelmed with the beauty of God's world.
I always get excited by His storms!

Not much to say tonight....
just sharing 
my geraniums in the blue pot,
and some praise for
 the One who makes all things perfect in His time!

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

teddy bear standing guard


I love this picture.
What little child has not at some time believed
 that their favorite stuffed animal 
keeps them safe when the lights go out.
We have made many trips to retrieve
 our grandkid's forgotten source of comfort in the night.

We live in a world that is scary.
Storms, violence, sickness, and death.....
people, situations, accidents, abuse.
All of these things and more can cause anxiety 
to run amuck in our minds,
seeming insurmountable as in the picture above.
Our fears can seem like beasts hovering over us ready to devour.

But God tells us not to be afraid.

"I will never leave you or forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5b

"The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?"
Hebrew 13:6

As I continue to struggle with anxiety and depression issues,
I am constantly drawn to God's precious word.
God is the One who protects us!
God is the One who cares for us and who knows how many hairs are on our head.
God is the One who goes before us and makes our paths straight.
In His word are treasures forever.

These are the truths that I pray will replace the teddy bears when the grandchildren get older.
That they will have a firm foundation of scripture to take to bed with them at night 
when the teddy bears are put in the attic. 
That they will know the One who slays the dragons of fear, 
that they will put their trust in Him and Him alone.

One more...
"Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9










Saturday, August 26, 2017

"tanked" part 2


To understand this post, you need to read yesterday's post first.

So, to recap.
 I'm home alone.
The propane gas man
 has come to my backdoor
 to inform me
 that we have a huge problem.

I follow him outside 
to what has become a huge hole in the ground where the gas tank resides.
 It is filled with water and is bubbling like a fast boiling pot of water.
All around is the sickening, sweetish, putrid smell of gas.
I quickly feel nausea and a burning in my nose.
Seemingly the tank has sprung a leak....
underground.

He tells me to turn off the air-conditioners 
and all other electricity that could come on and spark a fire.
He asks me if any of my neighbors smoke.
He tells me to block the driveway with my van.
He tells me that he is going to call the fire department.
By this time my head is spinning.
I set to work following his commands.

When I do all of his bidding,
 I call Bubba to tell him that he needs to get home quickly.
While I am talking , 
the fire engine comes with sirens blazing.
The situation in the yard is quickly brought under control
as the tank empties itself of all of the gas that was pumped in and fizzles out.

Meanwhile,
the firefighters in full gear,
gas masks,
fireproof outfits,
gas tanks,
steel helmets etc,
come in with a meter to check for gas in the house.

Finally. all is deemed "safe."
The firemen leave quietly.
The gas man says he will stay until Bubba gets home to forge a "plan."
He thinks the tank may have been struck by lightning.

But where is Bubba?
He has had plenty of time to get home.
Surely he would be hurrying,
anxious to relieve his "damsel in distress."
Finally he appears.

What took you so long? I asked.
Well,
I was hungry so I stopped by Publix and got me some chicken wings for lunch.
I ate them on the way home.
I threw the bones out the window each time I finished one.

Excuse me!!!!
Our house is getting ready to blow up and you stop to get yourself some chicken wings?
I was stunned!

😒


Friday, August 25, 2017

"tanked" part one


So, yesterday morning I went to get a pedicure.
A pedicure is a very relaxing experience,
a time to lay back and let someone pamper you.
It was everything I had hoped for and more.
Except for walking out in paper flip flops and forgetting my real shoes,
it was a most wonderful experience.

Backing up a little...
On Wednesday evening,
while preparing to make some sweet tea for our dinner,
(Bubba's famous shrimp scampi)
He discovered that the large, black, underground tank
 that holds the propane gas that fuels our cooking stove was empty.
No worries!
"I'll call the gas company,
they'll be out tomorrow morning."
And off we went to Spanky's to get some chicken fingers.

So back to yesterday, 
when I returned home from my pedicure, 
a very large propane gas truck was in our driveway. 
I was glad to see their promptness in getting us gassed up again.
It's never good to be without your stove!
The jolly man apologized for blocking my entry.
"No worries," I shouted over the din of noise of the huge hose.
I entered the house and decided I needed a quick Cheez It snack.

Almost immediately the jolly man was banging on my backdoor.
"Maam" he said,
"We have a huge, huge problem."

Bubba had gone into town.
I was home alone.
My relaxing morning turned quickly into panic.

"tanked" part 2 coming tomorrow.
🚒

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

in the good ole days.....


....when our kids were growing up,
we would load up the van and head for parts unknown.
Amanda was ten and David was getting ready to be a teenager.
We spent a lot of time during summer vacations in Colorado.
There wasn't much we didn't see or do.
Here we are on the top of Pikes Peak.
The air at 14,000 feet was very thin causing us to have trouble breathing,
plus, it was freezing up there.
Love,
my Calvary High School sweatshirt,
(I was a teacher then)
my frizzy topnotch of hair,
pedal pushers,
the way we are sprawled out on the bench.

Bubba drove us up the mountain.
It was a crazy, hairpin curved, sharp drop offs adventure
but we made it to the top.
When we disembarked from the van,
we were very disoriented from the ride up and the absence of air to breathe.

Our trips were true adventures!!
We were young and fearless.
We had the best of times.

I love now when our children talk of taking roadtrips with their kids.
We definitely gave them wanderlust.
What better way to grow up than in a van with your family having the times of your life.

🚙







Monday, August 21, 2017

when you look up into the sky


As so often happens when I open God's word,
in His providence I read something that applies directly to my life.
I know this is not by chance because
 God's word is God speaking to His people.
Yes, He communicates with us through His written word.
This morning He wanted to thrill my soul!!

This day, 
August 21, 2017,
everyone will be looking up, 
gazing at an uncommon occurrence,
a total eclipse of the sun.

The bible tells us that.......

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."
Psalm 19:1

So....
as you look up into the sky this afternoon
you will be gazing upon our Creator's work,
the majesty of which we cannot even comprehend with our finite minds.
May it cause you to worship and praise His name.
To stand there in wonder and awe.

Back to my first paragraph....
This is the passage I read this morning,
hence the star picture...

"Lift up your eyes on high
And see who created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number.
He calls them all by name.
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power
 not one of them is missing."
Isaiah 40:26

That verse blew me away.
It sent me right here to my computer to write this post,
to give Him glory for ALL He has done!

picture credit...
www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1428a/


Saturday, August 19, 2017

Friday, August 18, 2017

seeing in the dark


"Faith is the ability to see in the dark,
to pierce beyond all that is
visible,
tangible, 
sensible, 
or even conceivable,
and yet still to connect with something solid.
This spiritual landfall is what frees us from the prison of ourselves
and of the world's passing show.
If our gospel is not one that, like Job's, will stand up to the prolonged test of having absolutely no circumstantial evidence of worldly success, then it is a gospel of straw.
It is a gospel founded on appearances,
not on the cross of Christ."



Taken from The Gospel According to Job
written by Mike Mason
pg 146
Used by permission of Crossway Publishing

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

back to school ~ 2017



This week was back to school for most of these grandkids.
After a fun-filled summer,
a trip to China for Lucy,
time with cousins,
pool and jumping fun,
It's time for them to get back to work.
My blog is my journal and the place where
I keep important memories.
These kiddos mean the world to me.
They are growing so quickly.

I pray for them each day.
For God's protection.
There is bullying and meanness to contend with.
I pray that they will remember to be kind to others,
that they will share,
that they will always tell the truth and never lie.
I pray that they will remember that God made them,
that He loves them,
that He has given them a book, the Bible,
 that contains everything they need for life and godliness.
That they would love it and study it.
I pray that they will listen,
be respectful to their teachers,
do their work as unto the Lord.
I pray that they will always be thankful,
that they will obey their parents in all things.
I pray that they will be filled with joy and strength
and to always remember to pray and ask God for what they need.

What a gift are these children of our children!
What a joy to be their grandparents!
What a sobering duty to live out our faith before them...
to always point them to Jesus!!
To pray to the God of the universe on their behalf.


*Photos by Erika and Amanda*



Sunday, August 13, 2017

home....


......no place I would rather be.

I am thankful on this stormy Sunday evening for our home.
It can be quiet as a mouse
or rocking like a concert in full swing.
It can be just Bubba and I or a whole houseful.
It can be just one bedroom in use
or every bed occupied.
It can be just me and him supping together,
or all tables laden with food and filled with people.
It can be all of these things,
but best of all it is home.
It is that place that is uniquely us,
what we have made together for the past 47 years.

My safe place,
comfortable,
inviting.
Filled with all of my collections,
my books, 
my favorite movies.
Good food,
clean clothes.
My bed,
my favorite pillow.

As I get older, home is where I want to be.

Looking forward more each day to my heavenly home.
The place where I will lay my burdens down
and find true rest at last.
Thank you Lord Jesus for choosing me to be yours in Christ Jesus.
Thank you for giving me a little piece of heaven on earth.
Thank you for Bubba, the man I share all of this with.
🏡


Here are a couple of our blessings....
Jake and Walt.
The oldest and the youngest.
Bookends!!



Saturday, August 12, 2017

day trip


So....
We love to go to the Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida.
We like to all pile in the van early in the morning....
David, Erika, Grammy, Grand Daddy, Lucy, Harry Gus, Archie, and Walt!
We love to head south down I-95,
stop at the go-asis for a bathroom break,
go over the big bridge,
and land in shopping mecca for the day.
First stop is always
PF Changs for lunch to refuel 
and then off to buy school shoes,
a new shirt for David,
and get ideas for Harry's coming up birthday.
For Trader Joe's we head over to the beach before we head home.

The problem is....
We can't ALL fit in our van anymore.

Wednesday afternoon I suggested to Bubba that we rent a bigger van for the day.
Above is what he came home with...
A twelve passenger bus.

You can just imagine the excitement of the kids
when they saw our wheels for the day.
What fun!
Everybody had their own seat and a space in between.
Driving home yesterday afternoon,
we were all happy and content.
Our Day Trip was a huge success.

Oh...
Lucy made me this purse.
I love it so much...
will carry it to church in the morning.


Sewing lessons worth the money and time spent?
Yes, yes, yes!!!!

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

and then there were seven


Walter Bookman fits right in with the rest of our gang of grandchildren.
These are the joys of my life.
Every little face,
 smile, 
idiosyncrasy.
Every crazy band aid placement, 
two-handed wave, 
arm full of all of the bracelets of summer.
One little boy who is sick but keeps on keeping on.
One little girl who I find sitting on the floor in my closet quietly trying to finish sewing her mom's birthday gift.
One little boy who planned the play Peter Pan to be performed for his mom's birthday.
All of them sitting at my dining room table,
under the chandelier, 
laughing and making merry.
The house alive with footsteps and voices of happy children.
Thank you Lord for all of this!

What a wonderful day.
Sunday after church,
Erika's birthday.


The cast of Peter Pan.


Happy birthday Erika!
We all love you!!