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Noise From The Barnyard

This is where family and friends hang out and discuss world events, family happenings, valley news and things I'm "moosing" about.  It's the day to day across the fence chatter.

My Black and White Christmas

12/26/2024

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I opened my eyes on Christmas morning and pulled back the curtain to look outside. Under the cloudy sky, the world looked black and white. Even the red birdfeeder appeared exceptionally muted and almost colorless. I laid there a moment, expecting to soon hear Kai's click-clicking toenails on the kitchen floor as he waited to go outside. Then I remembered that my Kai was gone and I laid my head down on the pillow and cried. 

I didn't have the luxury of laying there in my sorrow. There were people coming who were expecting a Christmas brunch. As I prepared the food, I realized that I had neither the energy or some of the ingredients that I needed to fix what was on the menu plan. Sadly, I didn't even care. Not having French Breakfast Puffs or dinner rolls paled in comparison to not having Kai to share them with. The thought of food made me feel like throwing up. I felt like I was living in a black and white movie. 

Kai loved to lay on the couch by the Christmas tree. The different colors would reflect off of his white coat and it almost appeared as if he was part of the decorations. I would catch him gazing at the tree and could never quite figure out if he could see the colors or if he was wondering if I had brought him a potty tree into the house since his least favorite activity on earth was going outside or anywhere for that matter. He was happy to stay inside, going between his bedroom bed and the couch and playing with his box of toys we kept under the t.v. Mostly he just wanted to be wherever I was and followed me literally everywhere.

The family showed up and we did our usual brunch with gift opening. No one mentioned Kai, in fact, some of my grandkids didn't even realize he was gone until a day later, but Kai was all I could think of and I forced myself to act excited, for the grandkid's sake. But inside my heart, there is a Kai-sized hole which feels as if most of my heart is missing and what little remains just hurts with an inexpressible pain that I can't imagine will ever go away. Experience tells me it will, eventually, but I don't believe I will ever go a day without thinking of him and missing him. 

My inner critic scolded me and I felt a little guilty that on Christmas, the day that we celebrate the coming of the Redeemer of all mankind, I found little expressable joy. My heart was shrouded in grief, my emotions dulled except for the unbearable pain that I felt. I honestly think the Lord understood. He knows my heart. He gave Kai to me because He knew I needed the kind of love that only Kai could get to me. Surely He understood the pain I felt at losing him.

One of my Christmas traditions is to take one aspect of the Christmas story and focus on it in scripture. This year, I hadn't picked one because I had been focused on helping Kai in his failing health. My days were filled with medication, ointments, and internet research as I searched for ways to help him. I spent as much time as I could with him, often even sleeping with him on his bed or on the couch. I knew he was uncomfortable and I could bearly stand the thought of it. I was willing to do whatever I could to help him, to keep him healthy, to have him for as much time as was possible. As I sat on Christmas day pondering my loss in light of the true meaning of Christmas, Isaiah 61 came to mind.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord anointed me To bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim release to captives And freedom to prisoners;

I had spent the last two days asking the Lord to help my broken heart, knowing that He was the only one that could give me what I needed to continue on. Darrell tried to help but he was hurting just as much as I was and we mostly just held each other and cried together. 

Kai came to me at very dark period of my life. Because of some things that had happened, I felt totally alone, abandoned, friendless, and I was unwilling to trust anyone. It was a miracle that I was able to own Kai at all, even though I had wanted to for nearly 6 years. When he came to me, he was not in good health and I busied myself doing whatever was necessary, sparing no expense to see to it that he was healthy and happy. I think Kai realized what I was doing and in return he loved me so fiercely that it made me believe that maybe, just maybe, it might be possible to trust again. He was God's way of giving me hope and answering prayers that I had prayed in a practical way. And all the while that I was helping Kai heal, he was helping me heal. That is why he was so special to me. 

I told one of my pastors that I wished there really was a rainbow bridge because it would give me comfort to know that Kai was still somewhere. His response was so sweet and brought me some comfort. "Well," he said, "the Bible really doesn't say much about this but we do know there are animals in Heaven. We don't know how they got there." And that made sense to me. If God had given me Kai, God could take him back. 

When my oldest daughter was small, she had a stuffed bunny given to her as an infant that she was extremely attached to. And being the Godly mother that I was, I would share with her about the Lord returning and taking us to Heaven and how glorious that will be. One day she burst into tears and asked, "When Jesus comes back to take us to Heaven, will "Bunny" go to?" Something I heard from an old Pentecostal preacher came to mind and I told her that if she needed Bunny in Heaven, he would be there because God promised that we would always have everything that we need. I know I won't need Kai in Heaven, but it sure would be wonderful if he was there. It's nice to hope. 

And I guess that is my Christmas lesson for this year. Because of the fierce love God has for us, Jesus came into a hurting world that was shrouded in darkness, lost, grieving for lack of hope, and He brought healing and hope to mankind. In Him we find all that we need. He is our rainbow bridge, our promise from God that we are not without hope. He is the Redeemer who has saved us and brought us the promise that we will live with God forever.

I have so much to thank Kai for , but oh, so much more to thank God for. 

Merry Belated Christmas!  





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Goodbye Sweet Kai

12/23/2024

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Goodbye, my sweet boy. I will love you everyday for the rest of my life. You gave me a lifetime of love in just a few, short years. Oh, how I will miss you and I'm so grateful that we got to have you as part of our family. There just aren't words to describe how sad we are today.
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From Tragic Defeat To Ultimate Victory - For Max

7/9/2024

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My oldest nephew, Max, passed away on July 3rd of this year, at the age of 36, after a long, hard-fought battle with cancer. I always process things by writing and I wrote these thoughts down as I pondered his life and his death. I intended to share them at the funeral, but I didn't. So I'm going to share them here. 

​I don’t have as many memories of Max as I wish I did, but every single one that I do have makes me smile. Max lived about 2 hours from us, so we usually only saw him and his brothers at family get-togethers, weddings or funerals. But when the 7 cousins were all together, anything could happen and it usually did. 

When Max and Byron were in elementary school, they came to State College for a week one summer. We celebrated by taking them to an All-you-can-eat buffet that served crab legs. Max enlightened my boys in the art of crab leg eating. I never imagined that 4 boys could eat so many crab legs in one sitting. I glanced back at the pile of shells on their plates as we left the restaurant and it looked like the great wall of China was sitting on the table. 

Another summer day, we met Max and his brothers at a small amusement park. Because our schools start earlier than most, the park was all but deserted so when we boarded the roller coaster, we were the only people on it. We took our turn around the track and came to a stop. Max asked the attendant, "Can we go again since there's no one in line?" "Sure!", she said, and off we went again. At the end of that run, there were still no riders waiting to board so Max yelled, "One more time!" as he whirled his arm in the air and the attendant just let us pass on through. I don't know how many times we did "One more time!", but it was at least 7-8, despite the adults pleading with Max to shut up! But that was Max! He didn't do things small in life. 

Every Christmas we had a tradition of gathering around the table to play everyone’s (well, all but one aunt's) favorite game - Old Maid. In fact, that is the last and most fond memory I have of Max. Not too long ago, Max called his grandma while we were there visiting and said that he was coming over. He showed up with a couple of pizzas, some soda, and a brand-new deck of Old Maid cards. After eating, we all gathered around the table and had a rousing game of Old Maid, Egolf style. We all laughed ourselves silly as the game progressed. (Egolf style means that we all decide that a certain overly competitive aunt is going to lose and we determine how the old maid will be positioned in our hands so that we can quickly pass the card along until she draws it.  Her hearing aid does not work well, so we can freely talk about what we are doing while playing and she doesn't hear us. To this day, she has no idea that the games are always rigged. She just knows that for some uncanny reason she always seems to have the old maid card ALOT!) No one enjoyed this as much as Max. I didn’t know that would be the last time we would play or that I would give Max a hug, but I hugged him tight and whispered to him what I always say to my nephews when I hug them, “don’t tell your brothers, but you’re my favorite nephew.” 

From the day Max first entered our lives, we prayed that someday, he would come to know Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. That's what family does. It took a long time, but God answered. Through the journey that has brought us here today to honor Max's memory, God has performed the greatest miracle that can ever happen to a human being.  There is no greater miracle than the new birth because when we are born again, we will never die. Today is not really a goodbye for those of us who are in Christ, but rather a “see you later!” As hard as it is to not know how long it will be until we see Max again, we would be in complete despair to know that we would never see him again. I don’t know what Max’s life would have been like if he had been able to beat cancer, but I do know what his life is like now, and the peace and joy that I feel knowing Max is safe and whole and happy for all eternity is a huge comfort to me. 

 1 Thessalonians 4, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians; 

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

When I heard that Max had indeed, fallen asleep in the Lord, my first thoughts were to try to picture his face in his first few moments in Heaven, that moment when he realized that he had passed from time into eternal glory and he saw, for the first time, the perfection and beauty of Heaven, and felt what it feels like to be in a perfect body, with a perfect mind, to be free from the restraints of a sinful world and to instantly understand the plan that God had for his life and why God led him down this path. In that moment, he had the full understanding of the immense love that God has for him, the indescribable gift that we have in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,  the wisdom of God in bringing him home, and he could honestly say to God, “you truly do all things well!” It’s fitting that he will be buried near his Pappy, because I imagined that Pappy was waiting for him at the gate of Heaven, rejoicing that our prayers for Max had finally been answered. What a reunion that must have been. 

Then my thoughts turned to his parents, especially his mother, Lisa. I can’t even imagine what it has been like to walk this road, to see seeming victories turn to defeat, to watch your child struggle and hurt, to see a disease as predatory and unrelenting as cancer, slowly drain the life out of your child and not be able to do anything to help. To have to let go and let God, to relinquish your baby back to the one who gave him to you. Outside of God’s love, there is no love stronger than the love a mother has for her child nor any deeper grief than the loss of one. My deepest sympathies and prayers are hers today. I only hope that his parents will come to the see that God understands their pain. He lost his Son too. God surely knows how to heal their broken hearts and to bring some meaning and purpose from all they've been through.

The verse I read earlier does not say that we should not grieve. It says that we do. And I know that this grief is the worst kind of grief that any human can experience. Our grief may be heavy in the coming days, but it will not become despair. Despair has no hope. We do not despair, we hope! Scripture calls it a blessed hope. It's the assurance that God has done and will do everything His Word says in that passage. We will see Max again. We will be perfect, just as Max is now. We will spend our forever with Christ and with each other. 

God’s Word tells us that while our family has suffered great loss, Max has experienced great gain. While we mourn our loss, heaven is celebrating that Christ has triumphed and another of His own is finally home! It may appear that the devil has won a victory, but in reality, the devil’s ultimate, diabolical plan for Max's life has been thwarted and Max is more alive right now than he has ever been and we will see him again someday, if we continue in the same faith that has led Max to glory. 

I don’t know how many people Max was able to tell about his new found faith and trust in Jesus Christ, or about how God was helping him and showing him things while he was still with us, but I know that if he could, he would try to convince everyone he knows of their dire need of Christ and would tell them that today is the day of salvation. Don’t wait. While Max had time and opportunity, by the grace of God, to see his need and to respond, not everyone gets that kind of a chance. Life is a vapor, here today, gone tomorrow. Only God knows when our lives will end, so we must be ready when the time comes. I know that Max would tell you this if he could be here today. 

I will see Max again. I look forward to the great family reunion we will have when time is no more. And we will laugh together "One more time" about Old Maid, roller coasters, and crab legs.
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When Death Comes Unexpectantly

7/7/2024

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I started this blog two years ago and never finished it. Since the untimely passing of my nephew last week, I thought that I would finish since all the things I wrote two years ago still ring true to me today.

A friend of mine lost her father unexpectedly a few months ago. Death, coming unexpectedly, whether tragically early or seemingly without warning or cause, carries a different and heavy type of pain. My heart was deeply burdened for her as I sensed that not only had her heart been broken but her faith had been shaken as well. In times of greatest grief, we need the Lord, but it is hard to lean on Him when we are suspicious of His ways. It's hard to believe and find comfort while we're questioning everything we've  been taught and professed to believe about His goodness and plans.

I lost my brother the same way. He just died one day for no apparant reason or cause. I was in such shock that I didn't cry until he had been gone 6 months. I remember that I questioned my feelings, my reactions, and even wondered what in the world God was thinking in letting it happen. Yet, through it all, I learned a few things: 

~People are going to say some stupid things to try to comfort you. It's hard to know what to say especially if you have never been through it. It's best to keep it to a sincere "I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm here to help if you need anything." Grasping for wisdom to share that you think will make a difference is presumptuous at best and can be more hurtful than helpful. I quickly learned to appreciate the sentiment but to leave the words behind. 

~Grief must be walked through, not avoided or questioned. It has no roadmap, no time table, no expiration date. However, the pain that grief causes does ease and dissipate over time as God heals those parts of our heart that are shattered. Grief comes in waves and will at times surprise us, but we must not let that discourage us or cause us to question ourselves. It will look different for every person so comparing our journey with the journey of others is fruitless. Bending to the expectations of others or comparing another's journey with ours is more damaging than healing and often adds insult to injury.  Accepting what we feel, what we know, and acknowledging that we don't know an awful lot of things that we wish we did, is all part of the healing process. Healing and settling things in our minds are two different things, so if you feel unsettled in your understanding or acceptance, that doesn't mean you aren't healing. The most important thing is that we remain available to the Spirit of God through it all. He knows that we don't understand, that we may be misplacing the blame, and that we need Him, so He stays close even when we try to push Him away or plug our ears to His voice. 
 
~When people die in the Lord, we can find comfort and hope in the scriptures that tell us that "we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope." If our loved one died in the Lord, we know that we will see them again. That, in itself, brings us a comfort the world is not privileged to have. And ultimately, if we could have one wish granted for our loved ones, it would be that they spend eternity in Heaven, no matter how or when they go there.

That word, "Hope", is not a shot in the dark, a roll of the dice, or an "I hope so." It is a certainty that Jesus Christ is the blessed hope and we have a surety in Him that His finished work on Calvary declared us citizens of Heaven. Our loved ones have taken up residence with Him and are waiting to see us again. Death for the Christian is a sorrowful "see you later", not a final good bye. This will bring comfort as you meditate on it. 

~God's agenda is above and beyond my life's agenda. When grief is holding you hostage, it's hard to remember that we are not of this world. Our kingdom is spiritual, not temporal. This life is a proving ground for the next and in the grand scheme of God's design is just a minute piece of the puzzle. Scripture plainly tells us that we will suffer in this life. We will encounter trials and temptations and problems of all kinds. These fires of life are where faith is most effectively forged. 

If I remember that God is faithful, that He is intimately involved in every detail of my life, and that He loves me with a perfect love, then I don't spend a lot of time asking God why? Instead, I ask Him what? What are you wanting to do in me, for me, and through me in this circumstance? Show me how I can see you more clearly through this and what will you have me to do with what you show me? For Your purposes are good in allowing it. You see the end from the beginning. You see the whole picture and everything you do is right. 

It seems insane to run to the one that seems to be allowing these things. That is where our faith gets tested and we truly find out what we believe when the rubber hits the road. Honestly, this helps us to locate where we are in our faith and shows us areas that need to grow and mature. It's one thing to say "I trust God!" It's a another thing entirely to walk that out in the darkest times of our lives.  

~It isn't wrong to ask God questions, as Mary did when she found out that she was to bear the Messiah. However, it is wrong to question God, as Zachariah did when God told him that he and Elizabeth were going to have a son. Mary did not doubt the word God gave her. She just knew it was impossible in the natural and desired to know how God was going to do it. Zachariah, on the other hand, doubted God's Word and His ability to give them a child and God shut his mouth until the promise was fulfilled. 

When things happen that hurt us deeply and when we feel that we have been robbed by life in some way, it is hard to face the fact that for some righteous, perfect, holy reason, God allowed it. At this point, we can become either like Zachariah and question God's nature or doubt His character, or we can be like Mary and realize that His way's are higher than ours and allow God to work His purpose in us through it.   

The Lord took me to Ps. 5:4 that says, "For you are not a god who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil can dwell with you."  And I realized that I was subconsciously accusing God of evil. That is why I was so miserable. I spent many weeks meditating on these three things: God is Good. God is good to me. God is good at being God.  (Lysa Terkeurst) From her book "Uninvited." 

The old song says, "We'll understand it better by and by." And we will. But until then we must trust in that love that loved us so much that it cost God His Son. That alone is really all we need in this life and it is enough if we will press on to know Him fully. 
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The Grand Graduation Adventure - The Extras

6/3/2024

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Graduation was over on Thursday night. We didn't need to be home until Sunday night. That left us with a day or so to do whatever we wanted. So we ate cashew chicken one last time. By this time, we were growing feathers and clucking, and Darrell was making a wierd jerking motion when he walked, but we ate it anyway. Springfield will forever be famous for its cashew chicken. It doesn't look like anything special, but take my word for it, it is! The secret is in the sauce. Shhhh!
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Twice fried chicken in a soy sauce based sauce with cashews and green onions. What a flavor combination!
As I mentioned in a previous post, our first home was right in the city proper. We remembered where it was and it was like taking a step back in time. Not one thing had changed about it. It was here that God reminded me that He had created me the way I am because that is how He would use me, which enabled me to step into being a Pastor's wife with confidence. I soon learned that my confidence must always be in God because people are fickly and hard to please. Like Christ, we must have a soft heart and tough skin. 

It was here that Darrell first tried his hand at biscuit baking because I was working nights and he was in charge of feeding our daughter. He mistakenly used cornstarch instead of baking powder, proudly producing the best hockey pucks I've ever seen. (Even the dog wouldn't eat them.)

It was here that my oldest child and only grandchild celebrated her first birthday, without any fanfare or family for that matter and where she took her first steps. The landlords were Christian people who rented it to us even though we didn't have jobs and patiently waited until we were settled to accept any money. They even gave us the first month free.

It was here where other seminary wives would gather to talk about what our husbands and ultimately us, had signed up for. We were all so naive! LOL! 

It was here that a young boy from the worst neighborhood in Springfield bowed his head and invited God into his life. 
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That young man lived in the ghetto of Springfield. This is also the neighborhood where our first youth pastorate was located. The sound of gun shots was a regular occurence during services. Fire and rescue personnel refused to enter without a police escort. After evening services, we drove all the kids home because it was too dangerous to walk, even if they lived two doors down from the church. Those kids lived in shacks and in the filthiest conditions you could ever imagine, yet they came faithfully to church and many accepted our love, and the Lord, with tremendous gratitude. The church looks much the same as it did when we were there, but is not a church building anymore. 

This is also where I learned that the definition of a pastor's wife is that she is the person in the church who does whatever others either can't do or won't do. Believe me, it did not endear me to the ministry, but I totally loved those kids and wished that I could take them all with me when we left. I can still see there faces and remember a lot of their names.
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Our next stop was the Assemblies of God International Headquarters. When Darrell was there, the seminary wasn't located in the nice building it is in today. It was on the 5th floor of a building we called "the blue Vatican" because of the color of the building, otherwise known as headquarters. They have since changed the color and it looks much better. I also worked there in what was then called the division of foreign missions. Although we spent years there, we never really toured it or learned much about it, so we took the tour. My old office is now part of the museum, which was fascinating and very interesting. Of course, the seminary now resides on Evangel University's campus. 

I have to say that no one does missions like the Assemblies of God. Their indiginous church philosophy has built thriving churches all over the world. In fact, the general council first formed as a missions organization. It has always been and still is the heartbeat of the Assemblies. Today, over 1200 missionary families are serving around the world, making disciples and mentoring them until they can pastor their own churches. They have done more to take the gospel around the world than any other evangelical denomination. 
My fondest memory of this building is a lady named Joyce Booze. At that time, she was the editor of Mountain Movers Magazine, the A/G's monthly missions magazine. Before this, Joyce and her pastor husband Nelson had lived two lifetimes worth of ministry, doing campus ministry and planting churches, here and abroad. She was one extraordinary lady. And believe it or not, she still is! I stopped to visit her. She's in her 90's now. She remembered my name but of course, didn't recognize me. After all, I have aged just ever so slightly in the last 30 years. 

Joyce typed all her work on a manual typewriter, even though she had access to a computer. This was her downfall when she tried to remain anonymous in an act of kindness that I will never forget. Although I worked full-time, money was extremely tight! The Asia-Pacific director would often bring his wife a plethera of dresses home from the field because they were so inexpensive in the Asian countries where they were produced. His wife would choose what she wanted and put the rest of them in the ladies lounge with a price tag of a measly $25.00. At the urging of a co-worker I tried on a dress and it fit me perfectly. It had the most beautiful white on white design with bright pink swishes. Now I'm not one to want things, especially clothes, because my height makes me a terribly hard fit, but for some reason I fell head over heels in love with that dress. I remember praying and telling the Lord that if there was any way possible, I would love to have that dress. I was nervous to ask Darrell for the money because we rarely had an extra $25.00. I took the dress home to show it to him. Upon arriving home, he announced that his car had broken down and would need a costly repair. I never took the dress out of the car or said a word and promptly returned it to the ladies lounge first thing Monday morning.

The next day, I attended a co-workers wedding. Joyce asked me about the dress and I non-chalantly said that we were buying a car part instead. The next Monday, I got called to the front desk. There the receptionist handed me a box that contained the dress. The typed note simply said, Love, Jesus. Had it been typed on a computer or even an electric typewriter, I would have never known who the Lord used to remind me He hears, that He cares, and that He loves to grant us the desires of our hearts but I knew it was Joyce. I never told her that I knew until just a few years ago when we connected on facebook. Once a writer, always a writer. Joyce has a blog that I follow. Take a look! ​https://boozejoyce.wordpress.com/2014/03/
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As you can see, neither of us is good at selfies. We took several but this is the best we could do! LOL!
From there, we moved on to a town 40 minutes northwest to a small town called Ash Grove. It was here that we met Tony and Rhonda. The little church has added an addition. It just happened that the pastor was there and gladly gave us a tour. It's always fun to hear about the experiences and memories of former pastors and we had a nice conversation. Ash Grove was a town of about 1200 people. When we took over the youth group, there were 4 kids. That youth grew to around 125 kids. We attended every sporting event, every concert, and every debate. Our church kids introduced us to their friends and we invited them to church...and they came! 

One young lady came to church because she had a crush on one of the church kids who happened to be the high school quarterback. She got saved and went crazy witnessing to her friends and inviting them to come to youth group. The Lord can use literally anything! LOL! 

One night, Darrell challenged the kids to write down the names of the top 3 hardest to save kids at the high school. They all agreed on the same 3 names. Then we began to pray for them every meeting and encouraged the kids to pray for them during the week. They did! Another church in town had revival meetings and those 3 guys ended up at the meetings and all 3 got saved the same night! Boy, did that light the youth on fire and from there, the sky was the limit. Soon, the youth group exploded. Thankfully, we were living just out of town in a farmhouse that was built in the 1800s. It had a huge L-shaped living room and a large yard that could handle the games of pillow hockey and the extreme water balloon fights we had. On any given night, there were at least 6 or 7 seven kids at our house, eating us out of house and home, and fellowshipping with us and each other. We are still in touch with some of those kids. 

It was also the yard that was frequented by coyotes, a great horned owl and his wife who hooted all night long, a snapping turtle that was so big, our 3 year old could have ridden him around the yard, a 6 foot black snake that took up residence in our cupboard, and a mama racoon whose babies got treed on a telephone pole by the road when our dog started them chasing them (man, what a racket they made!). It also had a sour cherry tree. Every year we would pick the cherries and make pies together. 

While in town, we got hungry, so we stopped into the country diner. Now you know it's a "country" diner when there is a boot cleaner by the door that is heavily used, as this one was! 

We also stopped to see the Pastor that had hired us. He is now the district superintendent of the Southern Missouri District. He was glad to see us and we were able to chat for awhile. 
Our next stop was the small town of Conway, Mo., our first senior pastorate. There were few people there when we took over. Turned out it had been an extremely troubled church and we realized that we had bitten off way more than a greenhorn could handle. But we stuck it out, prayed hard, preached the Word, and watched God turn it into one of the most loving congregations you would ever want to meet. Sometime after we left, there must have been great growth because the building is 3 times larger than it was when we pastored there.

It was here that Darrell learned all about blue racer snakes. He was mowing and one kept following him as he mowed. When Darrell stopped, the snake stopped and when Darrell started moving again, the snake started following him again. Of course, we had never seen these snakes before and Darrell felt sure that the snake was playing some kind of a game. Sadly, Darrell tired of it and eventually took care of the situation. LOL! If you're curious, google blue racer snake and enjoy just one more wonder of God's great creation. 

This was also where I learned to play the piano by ear. We sang every song in the same key for months as I fumbled my way along. I often wonder what would have happened had we stayed longer. I was extremely homesick by this time. I wanted so much to go home to PA. I wrestled with it for months until one day, I finally relinquished "home" into the Lord's hands. That very week, we got a call inviting us to come home to do campus ministry.  ​
Last, but not least, was a stop to see our very treasured friend, Lisa. Lisa and her husband, Joe, held a Bible study at their house and we enjoyed many evenings studying the word and just plain having fun together. Unfortunately, Joe was killed in a an auto accident and Lisa was left with 2 small children to raise. Eventually the Lord brought Kevin into her life, and along with having very good grilling skills, is such a kind, loving, and gracious man. We feel privileged to know him and call him our new friend. God is good! 

The last day, Saturday, Darrell had a brain fart and thought it was Friday so we toured  Wilson Creek Battelfield, home of the 3rd battle of the civil war. We cut it short though when he realized that we should be driving east! LOL! I wondered what he was thinking, but it all worked out and we saw all the important parts. 

And so, our grand graduation adventure came to an end. So many miles, so many memories-new and old, so many blessings, so much encouragement, so much fun. Our hearts are full and thankful. Thanks for traveling along memory lane with us! 
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The Grand Graduation Adventure - The Festivities

5/26/2024

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You might be wondering, when will she get to the actual graduation? Right now! 

After traveling and visiting with friends, we made our way to Springfield, MO, a place we called "home" for 5 years. Our first mission was to go to the seminary and grab the cap, gown and much coveted hood! It felt funny to be on the Evangel University campus, a first for us. In the 1990's, the seminary was located downtown on the top floor of the Assemblies of God Headquarters building. In all the years we were in Springfield, we never once stepped onto the campus of what was then Evangel College. Since then, both Central Bible College and AGTS have come under the umbrella of what is now Evangel University so the seminary is now located at Evangel. The photos below are of the seminary. I loved the prayer chapel. What a reminder it is that NOTHING of eternal value is accomplished but through prayer. The cloud of witnesses above encouraged me as I knelt on the prayer bench to give thanks to God for all that He had done to get us to this moment. My favorite thing there was the Torah. This particular torah survived Hitler's Poland and was declared unkosher due to damage and age. It was donated to the seminary for academic and teaching purposes. As I stood there, I wondered what stories it could tell, what tradgedies it had seen, and especially how it experienced the power of God who will always save and preserve His own until His plan is completed.
Our first function was a baccalaureate for AGTS - just the ministerial students. There we heard an encouraging message about the path that God leads us on and how to trust it even when it takes you in directions you don't understand and didn't plan for. It certainly was a blessing to Darrell and I! Afterwards, they called all the candidates to the front to receive their hoods and to pray for us. The prayer time was power packed! There is something about Spirit-filled corporate prayer that is dynamic. You could feel the Spirit of God in the place as each graduate was prayed for by both the president of the seminary and the president of the university. We both had tears flowing as we felt the Spirit resting on us and heard the prayers prayed for us assuring us that God was in all that we had done and been through, and would be in every step of our future. It was if these men, that we had never met, knew us personally and knew the journey we have been on. But I know that the Spirit is well aware and gave these men of God the words to pray over us and we received their prayers gladly. We weren't the only ones that said this after the service. What a blessing is was to be there! 
Our 2nd day was AGTS baccalaureate for all AGTS graduates. Again, the worship was wonderful and the speaker so dynamic and encouraging. Truly this man had a word from God for the graduates. I especially enjoyed the Evangel chapel and it's massive pipe organ. All the services were conducted in a celebratory yet reverent way. Darrell and I talked a lot about this trip, not sure that all the pomp and circumstance would be enjoyable but we're so glad that we went. What a blessing it was! 
We had a few hours to grab a bite to eat and to get ready for the big night! We had cashew chicken, of course! (If this means nothing to you, stay tuned to a future blog!) 

Graduation was held at SMU conference and convention center. The venue was about 1/2 the size of Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State's campus. The lobby and stage were decorated, the Evangel orchestra was playing, the worship team assembled, and of course, the grads were anticipating the big night! The speaker was Admiral Vern Clark, an Evangel alumnus. He was the 2nd longest serving Chief of Naval Operations and is a highly decorated Naval officer with a long list of accomplishments and honors, but when he stepped behind the podium that graduation night, he was a humble, (and quite funny), man of God with a lifetime of living for Christ and serving others in some of the most desperate of situations, while maintaining his witness and integrity. What an honor to hear the wisdom this man challenged the graduates with. The ceremony concluded with one power-packed prayer by a female professor and the largest confetti shower I've ever seen! It had been a hectic and tremendously blessed two days and we were spiritually full, exceptionally grateful, and expectantly looking to the future with a smile. 

The most special moment was when the entire building resounded with the chorus "You Are Worthy of it All" as graduates, faculty and spectators alike all raised their hands and sang. While some campuses are erupting with violence, this campus was filled with worship singing "for from You are all things, and to You are all things, You deserve the glory." And so He does! 
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The Grand Graduation Adventure - Our Historical B&B in Springfield, MO

5/14/2024

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After many promises to return as soon as possible, we left Tony and Rhonda and headed south to Springfield, MO. Instead of staying at a chain hotel, we decided to "chance it" and we booked a room at historical bed and breakfast. When we lived in Springfield, we didn't have time or interest in the history of the area. I wasn't even aware that Springfield even had a history. LOL! It turns out that it's history is fascinating and something I hope to explore in the future.

Tucked on a corner that borders the historical district and SMU was the Walnut St. Inn. It's Victorian feel immediately caught my eye. Sprinkled all through the house were old photos with little bits of the house's history, taken from the builder/owner's journal and I read every single one I could find. (I have to admit though that it was a bit strange to be looking into the face of the owner's daughter while I was sitting on the toilet. That little piece of history could have been better placed. LOL) The original owner landed in Springfield during the first 50 years of it's founding and built a successful wholesale grocery business. He went on to become a prominent member of Springfield, enhancing the city's appeal and growth. The history of the house and some of Springfield's history can be found here: https://walnutstreetinn.com/history/

I picked the room because of the gas fireplace and the large windows that let in lots of natural light. The bedroom was large and well furnished with antique furniture that fit the time period perfectly. The adjoining room housed a wardrobe (and no, unfortunately it did not take me to Narnia), a dresser that was coverted into a vanity/sink area, a free standing tub with a shower curtain that hung from the ceiling, and a "water closet" that looked like they took it out of Mrs. Olsen's house on "Little House on the Prairie." It would be our home for 2 days and 2 nights. The grounds were small but tastefully decorated and the spring flowers were in full bloom. There was a cute carriage house in the back near the parking area. What Darrell liked was that it was only 2 blocks from the graduation venue on SMU's campus and was easily walkable. He hates city traffic as much as he hates Penn State traffic! Evidently he puts practicality before ambiance. 

The staff there was incredible! Jessica, the desk clerk, was a hard working girl with a big smile and friendly demeanor who is working towards becoming a pharmacist. We only had 2 hours between the time we picked up Darrell's graduation gown and our first baccalaureate. I cringed when we pulled it from the bag. It looked as if he had worn it the whole 32 years it took him to get his degree. I found an ironing board and set the iron to a "cool" setting per the instructions in the gown's bag. The minutes ticked away as I ironed and ironed, moving the iron to hotter and hotter settings with no results at all. I tried steaming it in the shower but that didn't work either. I discovered the laundry room and asked if I could stick it in the dryer with a damp towel but was told that legally they couldn't do it. But Jessica saw the look on my face and relented and allowed me to do it. Kudos to you, Jessica! You made my day and my hubby looked very regal in his graduation gown, hood and cap!

Breakfast the first morning was on the sweet side (as was the wait staff), pancakes with fresh fruit and a creamy sauce with just a touch of lemon flavor, bacon, and a small bowl of melon and grapes. I'm not a pancake or a lemon person, but I must say that I ate every bite and thought it was delicious. I even considered asking for 2nds. The next day, breakfast was more on the savory side, eggs with fresh veggies and a fruit cup, also very delicious. The dining area was very charming and I was especially drawn to a corner with a flowering plant and a victorian lamp with a shade that looked like they took it off of a flapper. (See the photo gallery below) Others that were staying there too chatted with us like we were old friends. That is one thing I love about B&Bs. There's more of a family feel and you meet some pretty interesting people. The common rooms were full of comfy chairs and things to do for all ages and it gave us a respite from the big city, transporting us out of the city to a more relaxed and quiet era. 

So if you're ever near Springfield and need a place to stay, I highly recommend the Walnut Inn! You won't be disappointed. Be sure to check out their website. https://walnutstreetinn.com/
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The Grand Graduation Adventure - God's Immeasurable Gift

5/11/2024

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(Hey! be sure to check out the photo gallery at the end of this post!)

​I have to admit it. This will be my favorite blog to write because it's about two of the most special people on this earth, Tony and Rhonda. Every now and then, God graciously and lovingly gives you a gift that you just can't put a value on and these two people are one of those gifts. 
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​​When God took us from the dairy farm, he dropped us right in the middle of the city in Springfield, MO. Granted, Springfield is not what some would consider big city. After all, until the 1990s, the skyline's tallest structure was the feed mill in the center of town but to us, it was a city none the less. Along with my lack of a sense of direction, I also am terrible at US geography. All I understood was that we were 18 hours from family, in the big city where people shoot at each other, all alone, somewhere in the middle of the country, with barely enough to eat and tuition bills pouring in.

Even though we couldn't afford it, Darrell would drive me to the country on Sunday afternoons just to smell the cow manure and corn silage. On one of those drives, we found a little country church and decided to attend the next week. That is where we met this precious couple. After church, they approached us and invited us to their house for lunch. It didn't even take one stomach growl for us to say yes. To our delight we followed them even further into the country to a small angus farm. And yes, they fed us steak, homemade biscuits, and fresh baked pie for desssert. It was as if they knew were coming. We spent the afternoon walking among the cows and watching Tony push our little girl on a tire swing that hung from a large tree in their front yard. 

Tony and Rhonda's youngest son had recently left home to go to college and they were feeling the effects of an empty nest. God putting us together was a match made in heaven. We spent many weekends in their "upper room", the room above the garage, where they had beds for all of us. According to Tony, "Ya'll saved my life. I was lost, but having you guys here and being able to play with your daughter filled a huge void in my life." We could easily say the same thing about them. They became our "family" in Missouri. I know these sweet people were God's provision, especially for me. I will be eternally grateful for them and I've already told Darrell to skip the beach next vacation, we're heading west.  

The sunrise on the prairie is something you don't want to miss. Soon after I would hear Rhonda banging around the kitchen as she fixed us a southern style breakfast-fresh eggs from the chickens in her yard, sausage, sausage gravy, and freshly baked biscuits. There's just something magical about her biscuits which she serves with homemade jams & jellies. 

After breakfast I would sneak out to the sunroom to have my devotions. Once I went to the front porch but she has a toad that likes to sit on the porch chair. He'll sit there for days until he gets hungry and then he'll go eat and come back. He was not hungry the week we were there, so I had to go somewhere else. LOL! I called him the doorman.

When Rhonda isn't growing all the delicious food she serves us, she quilts! The first thing I saw when I pulled back the bedspread on the guest room bed was a handmade quilt. There is just something about a handmade quilt that says you are welcome and loved. I slept every night feeling like I was covered in love.  Rhonda showed me all the quilts she had made over the years. She has made one for each of her children and grandchildren and is now making quilts for great-grandchildren, some of which she may never see. One of my favorites is the chicken themed quilt she has on her couch. I was silently hoping that I could have one of her quilts some day when she said, don't leave without picking one out. You're family too! I chose a double wedding ring in blues, reds, and pinks. It looks lovely on my bed. I will treasure it forever!

Although I call those years "my time spent in the state of misery," Tony and Rhonda made it feel more like home than I could have ever imagined it could be. Their love and care for us meant so much to this homesick-how will I ever be a pastor's wife-where in the world is Missouri-girl.

They say you can never go home but walking into their house after not seeing them for 30 years was like coming home and it seemed as if no time had passed at all. They are just as I remember them, genuine, loving, generous and fun! In the places I have been since leaving MO, the genuine part means the most to me. There's a stability and trust I feel around them that I don't have anywhere else. That's hard to find in today's world. Even though they no longer live in Springfield where we made so many memories, I have come to the conclusion that anywhere Tony and Rhonda are is a place I can call home. Many people agree that relationships are our greatest asset. When it comes to Tony and Rhonda, I have to agree. They are truly one of my life's greatest treasures.  


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The Grand Graduation Adventure - Some Days Angels Work Overtime

5/9/2024

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As many of you know, Darrell and I love adventures - traveling the unknown roads, seeing the oddities that you find on the backroads of America, and chatting with all the people we meet along the way. So we decided take a few extra days and drive to Missouri instead of flying.  We hit the road at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday with the intent to make Kansas City, MO by nightfall, a mere 13 hour drive. The truck was packed with all kinds of goodies: fruit, nuts, sandwich stuffs, vitamin water, soda, crackers, guacamole, hummus, and carrot and celery sticks, and the ever popular Werthers Toffee. Eating lunch in the truck made for less stops and more efficient travel. 

The first two hours or so were spent in the wilds of Pennsylvania, where we were surrounded by the mountains that we love so much. That early in the morning, this is exactly how they looked to me - a little blurry, but beautiful. 
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We crossed into Ohio, also known as toll road heaven. Everytime you came around a corner, there was another toll gate. I did plan for tolls but not nearly $25.00 worth, just in Ohio. Seriously? I guess they need the funds to build the pretty impressive gas station/rest stops that we explored. One even had an Aunt Annie's and to Darrell's credit, he had a hallmark day and didn't buy one. 

Indiana soon rose to meet us where one corn or bean field was as big as a whole farm in Pennsylvania. You couldn't stand at one end of the field and see the other end like you can in PA and the dirt, oh my, was rich and dark and deep, and void of rocks! Darrell drooled at the thought. I think he could see himself on an air conditioned tractor with a glass of ice tea in the cup holder, with his feet up as the GPS guided him down perfectly straight rows. I didn't take any photos that day because, quite honestly, the scenery was all the same. Just fields and farms and fields and farms and fields and fields and fields.  

The day was full of chatting, laughing, dreaming, munching on snacks, and napping-just me, of course. I don't know if Darrell napped or not, but I didn't worry because as he so often tells me, "Don't worry! I am a PRO-fessional driver." Still nothing prepared us for Illinois. A pickup truck passed us right before a bridge. It drove straight into the cable guardrail before the bridge, swerved around the bridge and drove into the cable guardrail on the other side, causing it to swerve and spin into the median where it came to a stop. Then without warning, the driver stepped on the gas and floored it, crossing right in front of us while we were going 70 m.p.h. More than likely we weren't going that fast because any "PRO-fessional" driver would have slowed while watching that truck banging and crashing around in front of them and I was so glad that Darrell was driving and that God was watching over us. We kept those angels pretty busy that day. 

We came right out of that scene and into the darkest, most omnious looking clouds I've seen in awhile and I suddenly remembered that tornados are no stranger to that area. I checked the weather and discovered that the line of storms that had devastated Nebraska earlier that morning were now heading straight for us. We were under a tornado watch and as the rain poured to the point that we could hardly see and the hail pelted our truck, all the sudden the joy of the journey disappeared and nervousness set in. I was constantly watching the skies for those green looking clouds that form right before a twister and scanning the horizon for funnel shaped clouds. Then as quick as it had begun, it stopped, possibly due to the prayer meeting each of us was having in our seat. We managed to make our destination, Kansas City, MO, and to the home of the friends we were going to visit for a few days. They were so glad to see us and we were all glad that we made it in once piece! We put my truck in their garage for the night until the storms passed by. 

I was again reminded that my times are in the Lord's hands and well, if that was supposed to be the day that I left the earth, (even if transported by a tornado), I knew all would be well. I calmed down after that thought, but I must admit, the rest of the journey wasn't quite as relaxing and the welcome light on the porch of our friend's house was a welcome sight! 
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One Grand Graduation Adventure - How It All Began

5/8/2024

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One Grand Graduation Adventure
So many of you have commented that you have missed my adventure blogs. Truth be told, so have I! The reality of it is that we were busy working on one grand adventure that was a long time coming.

In 1986, we packed all of our belongings in a U-Haul truck, along with our 6-month old baby and a golden retriever and headed west to the state of Missouri. Darrell had been accepted to AGTS (Assemblies of God Theological Seminary) and would be earning his Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Studies degree. Because his BS was in dairy science, we knew it would take a little longer but we never dreamed it would take 33 years!

We went without having jobs, a place to live, or even a kitchen table as we had sold as much as we could to have enough money to get there. A family from the seminary graciously offered to house us until we could get settled and what a blessing they were! (Thank you Craig and Fay! We have never forgotten or ceased to be thankful for your gracious hospitality!)

I soon came to refer to Missouri as “the state of Misery,” as money was too tight and life was hard but Darrell persevered and in 5 years earned 90 of the 96 credits that he needed. During that time span, we youth pastored at 2 local churches and senior pastored a third, and we moved 4 times in order to be closer to the churches we were serving in. All the while, Darrell not only studied full time, but he worked full time as well.

In 1991, our home church in Pennsylvania invited us to come home and serve with Chi Alpha ministries, the AG’s campus ministry. We jumped at the chance to go home, thinking that Darrell could finish his last two credits by mail. (There was no internet at that time.)
Upon arriving home, he learned that not only was he the campus pastor but was also the CE director of the large church that was paying our salary. The classes got postponed as we got acclimated to a quickly growing campus ministry and the other duties. In 1993, we planted a church with the campus group at the request of the Pastor of the church. Planting a church leaves you neither time or money to spare and again, the classes were postponed. We worked hard and established a growing, thriving church and in 1999, we had a devastating car accident that left 2 of our children brain injured and a third pretty badly beaten up. Life again changed, and the classes were postponed. In the back of Darrell’s mind, he always wanted to finish what God had asked him to start, but life....

In 2019, after a few hard years of medical issues, family emergencies, ministry frustrations, and personal challenges, he resigned the church we had planted and pastored for 26 years. In 2023, he began the process of finishing his degree and discovered that after 10 years, college credits do not count anymore. We were devastated that those 5 years of struggle and near starvation now meant nothing. Still Darrell was determined to do what God had asked of him and started the whole process over. He was accepted at another on-line college to earn a lesser degree at a more reasonable cost.

In the process of finding this out, AGTS inquired as to why we had not finished those last 2 classes. When they learned that we had been busy in ministry and planting a church while persevering through devastating personal challenges, the student advisory council, motivated by the grace of God and in an unprecedented act, decided to let him finish. So our weekend adventures stopped and the studying began.

It was all encompassing, taking months of every evening and all weekend for reading and writing. He also had to tackle the technological challenges as he created videos, participated in ZOOM mtgs., submitting electronically, etc. Finally, in December of 2023, after writing a 65-page paper summarizing his months of study, the coveted degree was “bestowed” as the guys in the flowing gowns and funny hats said at graduation...but wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Since neither of us had attended our college graduations in the past, and still marveling at the goodness of God towards us to allow Darrell to finish without extra class requirements or penalties, we decided that he should attend this graduation, with all of its pomp and circumstance, and so our Grand Graduation Adventure began. In the next few posts, I will be sharing photos, commentary, and thoughts of the 9-day trip that culminated in the graduation ceremony. So stay tuned!
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The Word for 2024

2/12/2024

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IIf you know anything about me at all, you know that I am not one for New Year's resolutions or finding a "Word" to focus on during the year. I find them faddish and nearly useless as the year never seems to cooperate even if I give the "Word" a concentrated effort. Still, in the circles I run in, a "Word" is often a requirement so I have to come up with something.

God was good to me this year. I had one picked out but frankly, I don't remember what it was now. That is because God gave me a "Word" that will last me a lifetime and which, although not identified in a word, has been and forever will be my heart's desire. At the beginning of the year, I had so much stirring in my heart but I just couldn't find words to describe what I was feeling. 

Than one Sunday, my Pastor read a quote from Tom Alexander, an unfamous preacher who had a short lived life and ministry in Scotland. It read:
          In some people's lives, Jesus Christ has no place.
          In many Christian's lives, Jesus Christ has a prominent place.
          But in a few Christian's lives, Jesus Christ has a preeminent place.

The word "preemmince" exploded in my heart to the point that had I not quickly remembered that I was sitting in church, would have come right out of my mouth in a burst of excitement.

In the last decade, I have experienced just about every kind of human trauma one can experience. In those years my life ebbed and flowed like tornado, a hurricane, a typhoon, and an earthquake all in one. Coming through that and looking back, I see that the one constant in it all was God. "He is before all things, and in HIM all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17) He certainly was the only thing that held me together. 

With Him, I walked the darkest valleys and as Psalm 84 so eloquently states, "I found a pleasant pool where others find only pain." (TPT) His presence filled every void, healed every wound, satisfied every desire, comforted in every worry, and answered every question. 

5How enriched are they who find their strength in the Lord; within their hearts are the highways of holiness! 6Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain . He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring. 7They grow stronger and stronger with every step forward, and the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion.

In response, I am giving Him "preeminence" in my life from this day forward. No more suggesting to Him what I think would be best, no more questioning if He is really listening or really does care, no more complaining or bemoaning where in life He has placed me right now, no more looking ahead, just quiet, peace-filled trust because He has certainly proven to me in more ways than I can count that He loves me and is trustworthy. 


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Saturday Adventures/Fall Follies 2023

9/30/2023

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Many of you have asked about our lack of Saturday adventures. Believe me, no one misses those more than I do. Truth be told, our Saturdays have been taken up with books, studying, and lots of typing. As you can see from the photo, there is no time for foosball and certainly no time for Saturday adventures either. 

God miraculously made a way for Darrell to finish the MDiv degree that he started in 1986. In 1991, we moved to PA to work in campus ministry. The plan was to finish his last two classes through directed research, which essentially meant he would send his assignments to school via snail mail because the internet had not been invented yet. Circumstances never lined up in such a way that we had time or money to finish. This past year, Darrell expressed the desire to finish. Unfortunately we discovered that college credits are only good for 10 years. It had been 32 years. The 90 credits that we had suffered for, sacrificed for, and nearly starved for were gone! He decided to get a lesser degree and started the whole process over....again!

Purely by the grace of God, someone at AGTS got curious as to why Darrell had never finished those last 6 credits. When we explained how life had panned out for us, how we had taken on two ministries at a very large church, how we had planted a church, that we had suffered a disastrous accident and were left with 2 brain injured children, they had mercy on us and informed us that Darrell could finish his degree as long as he finished by the end of 2023. So, while working full-time and having his family to consider, Darrell worked his tukus off and wrote his thesis this summer and is currently taking his last class, and on December 2nd, he will earn the MDiv degree that he started so many years ago. Hallelujah! God is good!

Our Saturdays though are still taken up with books, and studying, lots and lots of typing, and an occaisional trip to watch our grandsons play sports.  We do carve out a few hours on Saturday mornings to go out to breakfast and for a short ride but our adventures are on hold until next year, for the most part. 

Don't worry though, they will return! Our bucket list is not nearly completed. 
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When Loved Ones Die Lost

5/11/2023

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As of today, I know three men who died on 5/11.

The first I am sure knew the Lord. Although my initial thought was, oh that is so sad, I soon found comfort in knowing that he was in Heaven. My prayers go out to his family in their loss, but oh, what a victory was won for Christ.

Now that his loved ones have said goodbye to him they "do not mourn as the world mourns, as those without hope." Their "hope" is faith in the assurance that Jesus paid the price for his sin, therefore, he is waiting for them in a place that knows no goodbyes.
But what about those family members who die openly and adamantly rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ? How can we, as Christians who understand the gravity of this scenario, find peace when a loved one is forever lost to us?

1. Remember that God is full of compassion. He is perfectly just but He desires mercy. He works in the confines of His holiness and mercy. He will be lenient as far as His mercy allows without violating His perfection and holiness. Be thankful for this because if He wasn't this way then there would be no assurance for any of us at all.

2. God's judgments are always correct. God recompenses sin in a just and fair way. Once we step outside of time, we will become aware of how little we understood of eternal matters and we will see that every judgment made by a merciful God after time ceases to be, is perfect and right. Even those who are lost will see, know and accept this truth. I don't quite understand why, but this thought brings great comfort to me.

3. God will comfort us. We will not forget but we can rest in knowing that everything God does is perfect. We can trust Him to always do what is right. There is no shadow of turning with Him. He is trustworthy and pure.

If there was ever a time to shamelessly, relentlessly, and adamantly share the gospel with others, it's NOW! Today is the day of salvation. No one is guaranteed tomorrow.
Not your neighbor who is lost.

Not your boss and co-workers who do not acknowledge God outside of using His name as a cuss word.
Not your children's bus driver.
Not the new person at church who you haven't taken the time to meet.
Not the person you pass every day on your morning walk.
And no, not your beloved family members.
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They need to know! Christ deserves for them to know! We can never go back and change a single thing, but we can go forward, as lights in a cold, dark world, and dedicate ourselves to leading as many as possible into the light!
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Saturday Follies

4/25/2023

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Meet "The Relics!" These are two of my favorite ladies on the planet! They are my Mother-in-law and my husband's aunt. They are both in their 80's, full of wisdom, overflowing with God's love, and about the two most fun people you'd ever want to meet. We travel to see them at least once a month. Every trip is filled with lots of road-beating fun. Honestly, one weekend, they had us in four states. We are exhausted by the end of the day but we have SO MUCH FUN!

We hit the local Mennonite farm markets, sometimes go visiting, take every back road we can find-especially the ones we've never been on before, go out to lunch, and just generally have a great time together. No graveyard is off limits with these two. They know someone in almost every single one. It's a delight to watch them peruse the grave stones and get excited when they find someone they knew. We've learned all about people who never wore summer clothes, sang off key, swallowed a dime in church, and did things I won't mention on my blog. LOL! What a time we have with them!

This past Saturday, we wound through the backwoods of Franklin county to Biglerville to see a round barn my husband had spotted on Facebook. 
 Although no longer in use as a dairy/horse barn, it houses an extensive farm market on the bottom floor and the top is used as a wedding reception facility. (We were delighted to meet the furry fellow in the photo above too.) We were fortunate enough to be there on a day when there was no reception, but they were preparing for one the following weekend so we got to get a idea of what it would be like inside for such an occaision. I can just imagine by the time all the lights, crystals and chandeliers are hung and the doors and windows are closed, it would be magical inside. What a place to have a reception!
We spent most of our time in the farm market below. The inventory was all locally sourced or at least sourced from PA. In some of the photos you can see black u-shaped bars at the back of the shelves. These are the old stanchion stalls where the cows heads came through to the feeding trough, which is now the walkway through the market. The design was quite ingenious. The barn could hold 60 cows and 15 horses when in use. We left with some fresh baked peach bread, a postcard, some apple cider bread mix, a heart shaped succulent plant, a surprise birthday gift for someone, and a whoopie pie. Whoopie pies are part of every weekend in Pennsylvania, at least for us anyway. 
While driving around, we were thankful that we were on the Franklin county side of the mountain. The clouds sitting on the other side of the mountain range looked omnious, to be sure. As you will see from some of the photos, we did have some rain, but in general it didn't dampen our plans or our spirits. Franklin county's growing season is running full force while ours has barely begun. The farmers were already cutting their grass cutting to prepare the fields for corn planting. Even the wheat was tassled already. Ours is barely out of the ground. It was an absolutely beautiful day to be out and about!
We stopped for lunch in Gettysburg, taking a route that led us across the battlefield. We stopped to pay our respects at one of the monuments.
We also passed the Totem Pole Playhouse which was originally owned and operated by Jean Stapleton, otherwise known as Mrs. Archie Bunker. She spent her summers there and times when All in the Family was not filming. The playhouse is still in operation even though she has passed away. 

Much of what we saw was on Rt. 30, The Lincoln Highway, which is a historical road through Pennsylvania. We are planning to devote an entire Saturday to the tour even though we have seen many of the stops along the way. 

AND NOW, WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! We see the wierdest things on our outings and this weekend was no different. We ran into wild elephants in the Michaux Forest, a runaway circus horse on the backroads of Franklin county, and a repurposed gas pump on The Lincoln Highway. We live in an odd state! 
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Life is Full

4/5/2023

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​Birthday parties, snow geese, tundra swans, hidden chapels, old barns, wolves, doggie days, sweetie pies, roses, snow trips-life is full! 

It's been awhile since I've chronicled our travels. Boy, have we gotten around. (Photos have captions, if you're interested.)

We've had the good fortune to be able to spend more time with grandkids. 

Weekends have found us roaming roads that we have never traveled before. We've found many old churches and little towns in obscure places. Sometimes we had no idea where we were but we figured that if we kept driving, we'd end up somewhere. How I love those Saturday excursions. They never cease to leave us with good memories. 
Hubby had a birthday so we took a trip to see the snow geese. Of course there was lots of food and ice cream involved. We never cease to be amazed at the snow geese. It truly is a bucketlist worthy trip for everyone to make at least once in their lifetime. We also found another old chapel on an old country road. 

We've always wanted to see the wolf sanctuary and they happened to have just enough room to squeeze us in. And as always, there is always something just odd. I used the smallest bathroom I've ever been in. On the way home, we passed the Sportsmens Show at the PA Farm Show Arena and although we were already exhausted, we stopped so that hubby could get his gun fix. 

A few days later was Valentines Day and I received a beautiful bouquet that I put in my grandmother's antique vase and enjoyed for many weeks!

Around my birthday, we traveled over to Black Moshannon to see the tundra swans that were migrating through. You couldn't see them from the observation deck so we found a dirt road and got as close to them as we could and then, forgetting our age, we bushwhacked through 100 yards of blueberry bushes that were over our heads to try to get a gander at the swans. I maxed out the zoom on my phone and managed to get a sorta photo. I don't know what we were thinking at the time but we decided that it isn't something we would ever try again. LOL! On our way back to the car, we found a beaver dam! What a treat! We've always wanted to see beavers in the wild. Unfortunately, they were still sleeping but spring is coming and now we know where they live. 
We are excited about what 2023 holds for us. There are many new experiences on the horizon. We found a church that we love. We're making new friends. I'm volunteering for a worldwide ministry and loving it! I'm also adding more freelancing opportunities to my repetroire. I'm looking forward to warmer weather, getting outside, taking photos, walking with my hubby, and traveling wherever the roads might take us. 

Life is surely busy but our hearts are also full! We are thankful! 
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Revival and Hot Chocolate

2/24/2023

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"Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." 2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT

I don't usually use the NLT. I'm a NASB girl mostly but I do examine other translations from time to time. After studying this verse, I like the way they paraphrased this verse except for the last part where most translations say that "Christ is in you", not among you. But I guess if you fail the test, then He's only in others around you, but not really in you. Hard truth.

With the recent happenings at Asbury University, I thought it fitting to share some writings from Charles Wesley, the major influencer of the Methodist movement and whose beliefs are part of Asbury University's doctrinal statement. Francis Asbury was appointed as a circuit preacher by Wesley and served in England from 1765-1771 until coming to the United States. It doesn't surprise me that a move of God started there as the beliefs of Wesley guide the university's statement of faith. 

Examining ourselves means that there has to be some kind of criteria to examine ourselves against. In the science field, that would be called a standard. A standard is something that establishes a baseline or the greatest level of purity to test other like substances against.

Of course, our standard is the Word of God and the life that Christ lived when he was here on earth. That's quite a standard.

When Charles Wesley was a college student he had a small group. Some call it The Holy Club, others the Chocolate Club. I think that combining the two would be optimal in practice, not in name. LOL! There's nothing holy about chocolate (except for some). If that is you, please see the 10 Commandments #1.

For their private devotional time, they used a list of questions for self-examination. I have had those tacked on the front page of my Bible for many years and I use them regularly in my devotional time, especially when I feel that something is not as it should be or could be in my spiritual life. I thought I would share them with you today in hopes that they might help you in your walk with the Lord. And perhaps, by examining these questions and praying through them, we could also experience the personal revival that the students at Asbury are experiencing. It's undeniable that America needs spiritual help.
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Here they are. I pray you are blessed as you pray through them.
~Am I creating the impression that I'm better than I am? Am I a hypocrite?
~Am I honest in all of my acts and words?
~Do I break confidence-tell other's secrets? In other words, am I a gossip and a liar?
~Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, habits?
~Can I be trusted? Would I trust myself with my deepest, darkest secrets?
~Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying? Do I allow myself to be a victim or justify my sin by what is happening to me at the time?
~Did God's Word live in me today? Did I give it time to speak to me?
~Am I enjoying my prayer time?
~When was the last time I shared my faith?
~Do I pray about the money I spend and the way I use my other resources?
~Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?
~Do I disobey God in anything?
~Do I have an uneasy conscience? On the other hand, do I feel shame for no reason?
~Am I defeated in any part of my life?
~Am I jealous, impure, critical, touchy, irritable or distrustful?
~Am I proud?
~How do I spend my spare time?
~Do I thank God that I am not like others?
~Is there, anyone I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, disregard, or resent?
~Do I grumble and complain
~Is Christ real to me?
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A Pot of Chicken Soup and So Much More!

1/12/2023

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Tonight I fixed a simple meal, bread, and soup. As I stirred the soup, I watched the onions, celery, carrots, and chunks of chicken turn over and over in the pot. My mind took me back to a day when having chunks of chicken in the soup wasn't normal, it was a luxury. Money was tight those days and the closest things to meat in the soup were the bullion cubes I threw in for flavoring and that one-quarter-inch cube of chicken product Campbells threw into the can so that they could legally call it CHICKEN noodle.

January is a time when many are busy looking ahead to dreams, plans, goals, and expectations. The years that lay behind are passed and put away. Yet, as I stirred that soup and reflected back, it struck me how what used to be an impossibility was now my new normal. I was happy in my old normal. I wasn't looking for anything new. However, I love my new normal much more. The process of letting go of the old and embracing the new was not easy. The one constant in it all was the faithfulness of God.

I've talked a lot about the past decade and how literally everything that was normal to me a few years ago is not part of what is normal to me now. The process was hard, difficult and at times agonizing, but as I look back and reflect on those years, the one thing that shines through all the changes and the rearranges (Yes, I know that's not a word), the breaking and the shaking, the crying and the sighing, and the dying, is the faithfulness of God. I'm where I am today simply because of the faithfulness and grace of God.

Our culture has lost the art of reflection on past events. We are told to push forward, full steam ahead, get rid of the old to make room for the new, and look ahead not behind! In many instances that is good advice. It is not good to dwell on things from our past that tried to destroy us, that stole from us, or that hurt us but as I stared at that chicken swirling around and around, I realized that as lean as those years had been there had never been a day when we went without a meal. There had literally been days when I set plates, cups, and silverware on the table, prayed for a meal, and waited because there was no food in the cupboard. On those days, God never failed to send an unexpected dinner invitation, a bag of groceries dropped on our front porch, or friends stopping by to share a pot of something they made that day that "made too much" and they would never eat it all.

As I read scripture I see how meticulously Israel recorded their history so that they could purposely look back. We have the stories of deliverance from Jonah and Moses, the miracles of the prophets, the power of God's protection in Daniel, the providence of God in the story of Joseph, and the revelation of God's heart to the world through Jesus Christ. They are more than just stories to tell our children in Sunday school. They are mile markers of the faithfulness of God as He journeyed with Israel through His wonderful plan. None of those stories seemed good while they were happening but they were necessary to bring Israel into what God had promised them.

And today, as I look to an uncertain and uncharted future, I have hope, not in the desire for things to be better, or fuller, or easier but because of the evidence of God's faithfulness that lies behind. I remember that God has never once failed to come through and I can look ahead with great peace and anticipation even to the things in my future that will replace my new "normal" because the faithfulness of God is my one constant, no matter what else is going on or how things might change. I need not fear the changes or the rearranges because "He who has promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)

I pray that your new year is full of reflection on the One who has brought you safe thus far and abounding in the grace that will lead you home. 
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My Verse for the Year 2023

1/2/2023

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2 Corinthians 1:12b
""...that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you."

There can be nothing more important in life than walking in, through, and by the Spirit of Christ. This is evidenced by the words we speak, the things we do, and how we treat others, especially in the body of Christ.

I don't look for "A WORD" or "A VERSE" for the year. It's not some kind of spiritual new year's resolution that I feel I have to come up with. This verse just happens to be, by the providence of God, one that the Lord illuminated to me as I traveled through the New Testament. It has stuck with me over the last couple of weeks leading up to 2023 and is one I will continue to ponder, meditate on, study, and pray about in the coming weeks.

This verse speaks several things to me:
1. About the nature of man
2. About motives
3. About power
4. About conduct

1. The Nature of Man
The natural nature of man is total depravity before Christ. There is NOTHING good in man. But when we receive Christ, we are then called to become HOLY. Holiness comes to reside inside of us as God puts His HOLY Spirit in us. When we are saved, we are changed by the power of God. We become holy simply because Christ is in us. Holiness is not a movement, an outward expression such as dressing weird or wearing a Christian t-shirt, it's not even something WE can work at and accomplish for ourselves. It's something we allow HIM to do and be in us. As we step more and more out of the world, we step more and more into His holiness. Paul desired for Christ to be formed in the Galatians. Christ doesn't need forming or reforming, we do! What Christ forms in us is holiness.

2. Motive
Because Paul was holy, his motives were pure for ALL that he did. They were Christ-centered, God-honoring, and Kingdom-forming. There was no selfishness or self-centeredness in what he wrote or said. He was not trying to gain anything for himself. He was completely sincere and that sincerity was rooted in and grew out of the holiness in his heart and his total trust in God. He had no ulterior motives. He simply gave himself completely over to God in trust and love.

3. The Power
The power for his life and ministry was the grace of God. He did nothing, said nothing from His flesh-not his intelligence, not his position, not his education, not his assets or wealth, not even his past experiences and lessons he had learned. He lived in the here and now and everything he did was out of the grace that God provided him at that moment. He was totally reliant on the Holy Spirit's leading at every moment.

4. Conduct
All of this is what formed his conduct toward those in the world and in the church. His conduct wasn't always pleasant or approved by others, but it was never fueled by hatefulness, selfishness, or insincerity. Paul was free to be who God had made him to be without reservation or fear of rejection.

So as I surrender to God to form holiness in me, then I can walk in godly sincerity toward others, not by the flesh, but through grace!

I am often challenged by people I meet who are exceptionally kind or caring. I envy their ability to put people at ease and communicate genuine concern and care with a sense of sweet abandon. Scripture tells us that the true mark of a Christian is the love they have for one another. Love loves. What else can it do? It has no other recourse, nor does it want to.

I feel that I love people but I have a hard time trusting them. My experiences in life make it difficult for me to truly trust anyone. For me, trusting people is like stepping off a cliff and hoping that I don't fall. It defies the laws of nature. I know this way of thinking is neither good nor right but I have enough knife holes in me to be mistaken for a piece of swiss cheese. But you know what? So did Paul. So did Christ! And yet, they continued to love with holiness and godly sincerity. Christ didn't entrust Himself to people because He understood what is in man (Jn. 2:24), and yet He still gave His life for them. He even washed the feet of Judas, knowing full well that he would betray Him. He still put Himself out there every day knowing full well that He would be betrayed, maligned, lied about, used, and hated. In his humanness, that must have been hard, but in His holiness, it was the only way to truly share His love, and the love of the Father, with the world. That really speaks to me.

My desire is to not only have godly sincerity as I deal with others but to be able to trust that they have godly sincerity too. I try to make room for people to be "peopley", to fail, to be different than I am, and to make mistakes because heaven knows I do all those things, but I catch myself isolating my emotions as a means of self-protection if someone tries to get a little too close. I don't think that serves me or the body of Christ well.

Now I think God is saying 2023 is my time to be free from the bondage of distrust and to step out and know that He will always hold me up, even when others fail me. It's gonna happen, you know. People will fail me. I will fail others. It's the human condition. But as I surrender my distrust of others to Him, as I choose to trust Him, He will develop holiness in me and free me to walk in godly sincerity, by His grace. I guess this is part of the dying-to-self process. And I'm so ready to be free of distrusting people needlessly.

One thing I have learned is that God can be trusted, ALWAYS! And when my security is totally in Him, I can be fearless, vulnerable, and sincere (while using wisdom) in my relationships with others AND I can afford to believe that they are that way too. Who knows? Some of them might surprise me and that would be really, really good. 
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Thankful November Conclusion-The Scope of Things

12/2/2022

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I know it's December 2nd. The last couple of days were a bit painful from a flare-up of whatever it is that I have. The doctors are clueless but that's okay. God knows and He still heals. I've had to face the reality that I can't eat things that I've always eaten, at least for a while. But that's okay too. I can adjust. I've had to realize too that as foreign as it feels to me, I have to take time every day and do some things that take care of me so that I can be available to help take care of those I love. This is a first for me. I've always put everyone ahead of myself so having to say no sometimes to take care of me feels weird, almost sinful. But that's okay. I'll get used to it.

Thanksgiving was not what we had planned. Originally there were going to be 17 people at our gathering. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, we were down to 8 and the location of our dinner had changed too. But it was okay. The food was yummy, the company pleasant, and we still had a lot to be thankful for.

In the grand scope of things, I have nothing to complain about. Life is life. The Bible doesn't promise us a rose garden, it just promises us that the Lord will walk through every step of our journey with us if we are completely dedicated to Him. Even if I. like Paul and Silas, were chained to the floor in a Corinthian jail expecting execution, I could still sing and worship God because what I have cannot be stolen from me by pain, suffering, family issues, busted plans, uncertainties concerning the future, or even death. I am not of this world, I'm just in it and as long as I'm here I will share my faith story with whoever will listen because God is good and nothing on this earth can change that!

Because of Him, I have hope and a bright future. When I think of eternity I realize that this life will be no more than a quick blink of an eye compared to the glory we will have with Him. We really tend to take life way too seriously.
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Today and always, I am thankful that God has saved me from my sin and has given me a bright future. I can never praise Him enough.

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Thankful November #27-Driving Skills

11/27/2022

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Something happened on the way to church tonight that made me very thankful. It was raining hard. We were on the interstate near where it ends and joins another interstate. Right at that junction is a place to turn left onto a country road, where our church is located. For the next month, I will be going to choir practice before the evening service. We haven’t been attending all the Sunday evening services because that is the time our family gathers for a meal each week, so we are in somewhat of a quandary. I had planned on going for practice and then leaving to come home. For some reason, my husband decided mid-afternoon that he wanted to go to church tonight so we canceled the family meal and left for church.

The traffic was still very congested from yesterday’s football game at the local university. I have no idea why people were still in town that late but traffic was backed up right where the two interstates meet. It really isn’t a great place to have to make a left turn and the rain made it all that much more difficult. We were almost to the spot where we could get into the left turn lane when the car in front of us jammed on his brakes. My husband had to swerve to miss it but we didn’t have an accident and all was well.

My hubby drives a school bus so he has really good situational awareness. Me, not so much. I realized that if he had stayed home as he planned and I had driven myself to practice, I would have run right up that guy’s tailpipe and we would have gotten to meet and make friends. Plus, my beautiful, nearly new truck would have gotten all smashed up.

I don’t know if the Lord put it on my husband’s heart to go to church to protect me or if God protected us because we put Him first and went to church but I am so thankful that I wasn’t driving tonight.
​
Today, I am thankful for my husband and his driving skills, for the Lord’s protection no matter how He chooses to provide it, and for Christmas choirs because I am really loving singing in a choir again.
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Thankful November #26

11/27/2022

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Today we went on an unscripted adventure. After breakfast, we took the road less traveled back to town because that’s how we roll. We had roads to discover. One was a dead end. The other was a beautiful stretch of mountain road that led to a quaint village we were unfamiliar with.

Very often, our present-day experience correlates to something God is doing in our spiritual life. I don’t think I ever stopped to notice before because I was too busy "doing" Christianity. Now, since life threw a few wrenches in my "normal", I’m content just to just "devote" with God every day, no matter what adventure He has planned. 

I’ve never believed that “devotions” are a book, a block of time, or a program. For me, daily devotion is a lifestyle where at the end of the day I can honestly say that I’ve been with God and He’s been with me, whether through the Word, worship, prayer, intercession, or supplication. 

When we live this way, God can show us the roads in our lives that are leading to dead ends. And it’s also there that God will guide us into “uncharted” territory taking us to new places that we've never been in Him before. 

God's been showing me that there is so much more to being His child than what I know or have experienced. He is beckoning me to travel those unknown roads with Him and discover the beauty I will find there. As Voddie Bachum once said, "We don't know what we don't know." 

Philippians 3:12-14 says "Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Today, I am thankful for uncharted territory and surprising destinations.
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Thankful November # 25-God is Writing My Story

11/25/2022

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Thankful November #25

Is your life turning out as you planned? 

That question makes me giggle. It probably makes most people giggle. Before coming to Christ I aspired to be a doctor until MSATS chemistry. Enough said.

Then my husband and I got saved and he got called from tending the herd (dairy) to tending the flock (ministry). Definitely not in my plans because that made me a "Pastor's Wife!" I'm not sure I ever really adjusted to that role to anyone's satisfaction. I'm just glad I survived. 

Very little in my life has turned out the way I prayed it would or thought it should. What I have learned is I'm not in control. God is. There have been several times when not even that thought was very comforting or encouraging to me because I didn't like the chapters He was writing at the time. 

I never read much of Max Lucado's writing until the last couple of years. The thing that fascinates me about his writing is how he starts out with the main thought and takes you so far away from it in a few paragraphs that you can't remember what the thought was. Even if you do remember, you can't imagine how he'll ever bring you back around and make all the detours somehow support his main point. But he always does it in blaring clarity. When it comes to a chapter, he is a master craftsman. 

That pretty much describes where I've been for the last 39 years. Unfortunately, it's only been in the last couple of years that I've quit trying to grab the pen from God's Hand and show Him quite plainly that He isn't writing my story in the correct way. God let the chapters get so far from my main expectations that all I could do was cling to Him until He brought me to that point of clarity where it all made sense. 

This involved learning to not just say, "I trust God" because that's what us Christians do you know, but to truly learn to trust Him, even in the midst of devastation, chaos, change, and seeming defeat. 

Some of my chapters are really ugly and I don't understand why they had to be written, but I trust the author and I know the end of the story. It ends with "They all lived happily ever after." 

Today, I'm thankful that God is writing my story. 
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Thankful November #23

11/23/2022

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Thankful November #23-Are you Ready?

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? 

More importantly, are you ready should the Lord come tonight? Please consider this as you prepare for your dinner. 

There is a dinner much more glorious in your future. Is your table setting reserved? 

​Today, I am thankful that I am ready!

Happy Thanksgiving!
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Thankful November #22-God Had A Tree

11/23/2022

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This is a repost from last year but enjoy while I'm busy in the kitchen!

Max Lucado wrote, "God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He'll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up. God is for you. God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, he's carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. 'I have written your name on my hand,' he declares (Is. 49:16)." " 

Although I appreciated the sentiment, a thought immediately struck me. God did have a tree! He hung Jesus there. And God carved my name on His Son.

In my mind, I pictured my name carved in the skin of Jesus. As the blood flowed from that wound, my name got bolder and bolder. Eventually, there was so much blood that it flowed down to the ground, covering my name as it went. My name was gone. My sin died with Him and was washed away by His sacrifice. Thanks be to God!

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
​He washed it white as snow

Today, I am thankful that God had a tree.
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Thankful November #21-This Good Friend

11/22/2022

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Thankful November #21-This Good Friend

I love this photo of me and one of my best friends. Here she was expounding on the complexities of life in her own quirky way as we took a walk in nature on a chilly day. Don't you just love the hands going? 

I really love this woman. She has stuck by me through the hardest times of my life. She never judges. She doesn't pull away if things get awkward. She never criticizes anyone even when it would be easy to. She always makes me laugh or just feel really, really loved especially when I don't feel very lovely or lovable. I mean seriously, all I have to do is sneeze and she is at my front door with chicken soup. 

She has a reputation for being "that woman" that has everything in her purse that anyone would ever need at any time. On this particular day, she had a snack display in the back of her car that rivaled Walmart. I was glad about that after our hike to the top of the mountain. 

She's always reading a good book that she's more than willing to share. She knows how to endure hardship. I've seen her weather storms that I pray I will never have to face with strength, grace, and faith, all the while keeping her sense of humor and a positive outlook. She has a ZEST for life! Quite honestly, I don't know what I would do without her.

She knows who she is and today, I am thankful for this good friend.
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