friday night family

Some of us, not all,

gathered for a mini family reunion at the David Cleland home.

We ate pizza and salad from Bella's Italian Restaurant,

Erika made some delicious cookies and served some refreshing, bubbly drinks.

Mostly, we laughed till we cried as we reminisced about days gone by.

Sadie, the baby, and Daisy, the dog, were there, making everything more fun.

The older I get, the more I crave time with our family.

Especially the ones I don't see much anymore.

We all go way back, and the memories of times together never fade.

Thank You, God!

You chose us to be Yours in Christ before the foundation of the earth was set.

You handpicked all of us to share life at this time and in this place.

Thank you for the time spent together now.

Thank You that one day we will all be together in heaven if we have trusted Jesus.

Can't wait!

It's gonna be glorious!

"And behold, 'I (Jesus) am coming quickly.'

Blessed is he who heeds the prophecy of this book."

Revelation 22:7

💗

"Behold, I am coming quickly,

 and my reward is with Me, 

to render to every man according to what he has done."

Revelation 22:12

💗

 

august slipped away...

...into a moment in time.

Is it an "old age" thing,

Or something else?

The months just fly by.

They start with all the promise a new month brings

and then they are gone,

just like that.

The end of August is here.

So much is happening in the next four months,

 And they, too, will be gone in a flash.

I don't remember time moving so quickly when I was young.

I have been studying the book of Hebrews in the Bible this summer.

I wasn't prepared for where it would take me.

His truth is never-ending.

 No matter how many times you read it, each time you learn more.

God reveals truth upon truth, 

He takes you deeper each time you seek His revelation.

I finally reached Chapter 11 this morning.

The Heroes of Faith are recorded there.

We who love Him and seek Him in His word are so richly blessed.

I am so, so thankful that the Holy Spirit

 has given me such a love and desire to read and study His book.

I am using the John MacArthur Study Bible to go in-depth.

The notes are invaluable for understanding the passages.

Get started reading the Bible.

You will not be disappointed.

💛

"But without faith it is impossible to please God, 

For he who comes to God must believe that He is,

 And that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Hebrews 11:6

 

i know a granddaddy...

...who would have been very proud of these two boys.

Eli is a freshman in college this year. 

 Jake is starting his second year.

Both have now graduated from high school

and are beginning to think about what they want to do with their lives.

Bubba spent a great deal of time with these guys before he left us.

They would go out to breakfast and talk to each other man to man.

They were impressed with what he told them.

They still remember and bring up snippets of their long-ago conversations.

So three of our grandkids are now attending college.

How did this happen?

Life goes by so quickly.

Prayer!

It's what I do.

I lift these "almost adults" up daily.

This is for Lucy, too.

God, bless them with wisdom and discernment as they go out on their own.

There is so much evil in the world...

so much lying, danger, greed.

Help them to guard their hearts and minds from anything but what is righteous and true.

Keep them safe.

Keep them pure.

May they be bold to always tell the truth.

May they know that Satan is a liar and is always seeking to deceive them.

May they put on and fight with the armor of God.

May they use the talents and abilities You have given them to make the world a better place.

May they stand out as men and women of God who never compromise.

Bless them, Oh Lord!

Hold them close!

💙💙💗

 

off to college

Where did the time go?

How can my baby girl granddaughter be old enough to move so far away?

I blinked, and she grew up.

I glanced away, and she became a young woman who wants to be a nurse.

She is full of compassion and has a servant's heart...

a perfect recipe for success in that field.

She leaves tomorrow.

Today, she is packing her bins and suitcases and cleaning up her much-loved room.

She's spending time with her parents, her brothers, and her cats.

I'm picking her up in about an hour to ride to the beach.

She's getting a haircut and I'm going to spend that time with her.

We will laugh and talk about fun times, and I'll try not to cry.

She and I have had a bond from the beginning.

The days right before you leave are the hardest.

Once you get on the road, it gets better.

The parting,

the hard goodbyes,

The overwhelming emotions ease as the excitement of arrival sets in.

A new life begins...

new friends,

a transition into independence in a Christian environment

surrounded by people who love God and His Word.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And do not lean unto your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will direct your path."

Proverbs 3:5&6

Shine bright, My Lu!

I'll be praying for you!

💗

Grammy

 

Happy Birthday Erika

We celebrated Erika's birthday last night.

I won't say how old she is, but she only gets better with age.

There is always so much laughter at our table.

For that, I am thankful!

For dinner, I marinated the steak filets, and David grilled them on the patio.

I had a baked potato bar with all the fixings and a mock Caesar salad.

Lucy, whom I'll get to in a minute, made cream brulee for dessert.

She brought her cooking blow torch and burned the sugar on top to a golden brown.

It was so delicious.

We are all struggling with our emotions as Lu leaves for college next week.

😢

It is a bittersweet time as her leave date gets closer and closer.

She is such an integral part of our life, but

we are also very excited, as she is, about her next adventure.

She has always wanted to be a nurse, and now is God's timing for her to get started.

Lucy will be missed.

Lots of prayers will accompany her as she settles in and finds her way.

🙏

 

a few random pics as summer comes to an end

Walter eating a bug at Hope Summer Bible Camp.

Of course he did.

The traditional family walking together shot at Jupiter Inlet,

Jupiter, Florida

Gus conquering the ocean.

Those are limestone slabs.

They've been taking a pounding for centuries.

Walter and Daisy in the backseat of my car on the way to South Florida.

Neither of them looks particularly happy.

Me, growing my hair out.

That was two months ago.

I pretty much wear it up on top of my head all the time in this heat.

The summer is ending because school starts back this next week.

 Lucy, Jake, and Eli head to college the week after

Yesterday I got a message on my phone that the heat wave is over.

What good news!

I know summer is not really over,

I'm just hopeful for a little bit less hot and humid.