The week between Christmas and New Year’s started out with no snow and nice temperature wise. By Wednesday we were under a Winter Storm Watch. By Thursday we were under a Winter Storm Warning.
Our kids from church had gone up into the mountains for Winter Camp. DD went and DH and I felt like honeymooners again! It was rather nice :D Wednesday night at church they told us that because of the impending storm the youth group would start home either in the middle of the night or early Thursday morning.
The snow wasn’t supposed to start falling until noon on Thursday, so I figured I’d go ahead and go in early as usual and get what I could done at work before being forced to come home. DH had one vacation day left and so decided to take it that day.
When we got up on Thursday the snow had already started falling but I thought no biggie… I’d go even though my car is a small economy job, I figured I’d still be okay. So, I went keeping a weather eye on the storm.
By 9:00 a.m. we had about 4 inches of snow on the ground but the wind hadn’t started blowing so I figured we were still okay besides the youth group wasn’t back and I’d texted DD to make sure I knew when they were in town. They did get back noonish. DD had driven her car in because they weren’t supposed to get back until Friday and she was scheduled to work that night. Why she didn’t just go on home, I’ll never understand… I think it’s a girl thing. Anyway, I went ahead and worked a full day but by 5 I figured it was time to head for home. I think DH was starting to be concerned.
I again texted DD and said she’d better be headed for home directly, then I left. I’d gotten about 8 miles from home when my cell rang. DD said the lights on her car weren’t working, could I come back and get her.
I did but knowing DH would want my take on the situation with the lights, I asked her to show me what was going on. Miraculously the lights came on so I told her to head out and I’d follow her home.
It was gracious thing because by the time we’d gotten to the county line about 15 miles from town, the snow was coming down pretty good and the roads didn’t look like a plow had been by recently. Where we live, there’s nothing to stop the snow or the wind so it was like driving in blizzard conditions. Thankfully, someone was in front of DD so she had to pay attention. However, she wasn’t used to trying to find our road in these conditions.
We did make it home. I do feel God was being gracious to me because He knew I needed to know DD was okay. I believe He was gracious to DD because the person in front of us showed us where our road was. It was a little hairy for a while but God got us home and we were glad to be in. The wind kicked up and we had drifts the next day but we didn’t care…. we had a nice warm fire, a book, molasses cookies to eat and loved ones to snuggle.
Until next time, love God, love others and snuggle your loved ones.
The other day I was going to work and noticed along side the road that there appeared to be street lights all down the road.
Now this is not a city road. This is a state highway along which we have had electric poles stationed. Not the old wooden kind but the tall steel ones.
As I looked in wonder, I realized that the sun was just peeking it’s head over the eastern horizon and as it came up, the light reflected on what looks like support plates to other electric lines. As the sun reflected on those plates, from a distance it looked like lights shining along the road.
I began to think about what Jesus said. He said in John that, “I am the Light of the World” but He also said in Matthew that ye are the light of the world.
A contradiction? No, I don’t think so. I believe that just as the sun is the light source of our physical world and those plates reflected that light, so too, we are to reflect the light of Jesus Christ in our lives. Our reflective light starts from within rather than an outward source.
The one thing I also noticed is that the reflected lights are more plainly seen when it is just dawning light or dusk is starting to set in. Will our lights reflect more as dusk settles in on the world?
Just a thought. Until next time, love God, love others and be a reflective light!
As I mentioned last time, we just took a “vacation” to see all the relatives. We drove and I was the driver. Over 3300 miles I drove and wondered why I was so tired???
Since I was the driver, DH was my GPS. As we drove along, particularly in unfamiliar territory, I’d ask DH where I was supposed to go and he’d only give me the next road or the next turn I needed to take. I must admit, I got a little frustrated because when I asked him where we needed to go, I really wanted to know where we’d end up. He was calm and patient with me in my impatience, though.
As I’d ask directions and he’d only give me the next road to go, I heard the Lord speak to me.
He said, “You know, you do that to Me too.”
”What, Lord? What do I do to You?”
“You often want Me to tell you where you’re going to end up when you take the next step I tell you to take.”
“But what’s wrong with that?” I asked.
“It’s not wrong to ask where you’ll end up though it is wrong to demand that I tell you. You see, there is a destination I want you to end up at but to tell you the next road, the next path,the next turn too soon would not be good for you and might deter you from that destination.”
“I’m sorry, Lord but I get so frustrated on my present path sometimes and I want to know there’s a goal, a destination to this path that I can’t see right now. I want to know my efforts are worthwhile”
“That’s where loving Me and trusting Me must come into play. Do you trust Me? Do you love Me? “
“Of course, Lord but..”
“No… there can be no buts… you either love and trust Me or you don’t.”
“Okay, Lord, because I love you I will trust You. I know that You “…knoweth the way that I take and when You have tried me… I shall come forth as gold.”
Until next time, love God, love others and trust God for each path, each road He sets you on for He has a destination in mind for you.
This last week, we had a whistelstop tour type vacation. We left home Friday night and stopped in Omaha where my SIL is undergoing chemo for lymphocytic leukemia. She had just finished her first week and was doing fairly well, though she had experienced a fever as a side effect to the chemo therapy. However, by the time we got there on Saturday, she was feeling fairly well. They guys went and did guy stuff… like visit the Railroad Museum and of course, since there was a Cabela’s in Omaha also went to Cabela’s.
We girls, on the other hand found a mall! I was a little concerned that my SIL would not feel up to going but she said she did. So, we went. We laughed ourselves silly through the mall. We rode the seethrough elevator several times and found a dress suitable for DD to wear to homecoming.
We went to church with them on Sunday morning and heard some awesome preaching and teaching from the Word of God. Then after eating lunch we headed toward Toledo where we met with DH cousin, Bob. Now, we thought we were only going to see Bob but Bob’s brother Jim was also there… and we were able to see both of them. We spent a few hours with them and then left for Michigan.
The next day we stopped at Hillsdale College as we’d heard a lot about it and toured it. I had grown up not too far from it but for some reason it had never been an option for me. We were impressed with the college. It’s a small college of 1400 students. The students were very respectful, friendly and helpful. The campus is beautiful and old but conservatism is alive and well there.
From there we headed to my parents. We spent a couple of days there with them. It’s sometimes hard to see parents growing older but it is a part of life and though I would do what I could for them, they seem to be doing fairly well for themselves.
I also was able to spend time wiht each of the three siblings that live around that area as well.
From there, we left and went up through the UP. We got to the Bridge later in the afternoon and by that time it was raining and we didn’t want to go over the Bridge in the rain.
Now, I need to stop here and explain that we rented a car to take this trip and I was the one who did the renting but I was brain dead when I rented it as I put myself as the driver and had no other authorized drivers. Therefore, I did ALL of the driving…. I do mean ALL! Wow! by the time each day came to an end, I was exhausted.
We got up the next morning a little later than the other days and went across the Bridge. It was still raining. From there we went to Wisconsin to visit DH’s uncle Howard who resides in an Assisted Living Home. He was in good spirits and we spent a few hours with him talking over old times.
As we were leaving, we encountered DH’s cousin Ruthie and her husband. They had just arrived as we were leaving. We hadn’t been able to contact them so we didn’t know if they knew were coming through. Long story short, we ended up spending a very enjoyable few hours with them as well as the night with them.
In the morning we had breakfast wtih them and Howard’s sister Elaine and her husband at the Rock Restaurant in Tigerton. So DH got to spend time and visit with them. The owner kept us in stitches with all his rocks while we were waiting for our breakfast.
We left there about 9:00 that morning and had to be back that night as we needed to return the car on Saturday. It was a long day of driving and we didn’t get home until 3:30 in the morning. I was very much ready to be home.
That’s the whistlestop tour that was our vacation. We enjoyed ourselves but are glad to be home to rest up. The colors in Michigan and Wisconsin are just starting to turn but they were still beautiful.
Until next time, love God, love others and keep your loved ones close.
The other day I was mowing around the outbuildings in preparation for coming winter. We’ve dried out so much that the fire danger has risen as well. So, we’re trying to keep the fire danger down as well.
Anyway, as I was mowing with the bushhog attached to the tractor, I became aware of our blind cat. He was born a year or two after DD and is about 16 years old. Lately, he’s been showing his age though he still is able to keep out of the coyotes clutches.
As I was mowing, though I looked down and he was running along side the tractor. Looking for a place to get out of the way. Though I wasn’t chasing him with the tractor, he felt like I was.
I was struck at the similarity sometimes to us, as humans…. we feel like we’re running ahead of danger trying to find a place that’s safe but we’re blind to the safe place. Our enemy, the devil, is chasing us… trying run us down. Trying to discourage us from doing good. So, we run trying to hide out of his sight, but something blinds us from the Place of Safety. Sometimes it’s our “jobs”, sometimes it’s a difficult relationship, sometimes it’s a disease process. However, the Place of Safety is just within reach, all we need to do is open our eyes.
Until next time, love God, love others and remember our Place of Safety is within reach if we’ll just open our eyes.
of Fall! There’s nothing like it!
That was last Thursday. Temps dipped down to 39 and when you walked outside and breathed in deep, you knew Fall was just around the corner! It was great! I love fall!
Of course, then temps started on the rise again into the 90s. That is fall. It teases you with the cooler temps and then bam… the heat’s back on!
I’m ready for fall. Summer has not been as hot this year but the grasshoppers have been out of control! In fact, they have eaten what was left of my grass. They started on some of my trees out front but we sprayed and I think we got to them in time and the trees will survive!
What a crazy summer! Both DH and I have been long hours at work. The only reason I’ve seen DD is because she worked with me this summer!
So, now school’s in and the craziness continues but I hope not for long.
Well, that’s all for now. Until next time, love God, love others and cut the hours so you can enjoy fall!
crickets, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers and meadowlarks!
Well, it would seem it’s that time of year when the mice start moving in… I was sitting at the computer the other day and heard noise. Not being able to identify it, I thought perhaps there was another snake in the office… thankfully not so.. though if there had been I may not have heard the scurry of little feet across the drop ceiling the office. They’ve eaten all my mouse food… I need more.
Traps have been set in my lazy susan cupboards in the kitchen… A few have been caught that way.
Grasshoppers have pretty much annihilated everything green around here.. though on the plus side things actually were green pretty much through August this year. An unusual event in itself!
Yesterday, while we were getting lunch ready after church, I noticed an unusual number of birds hopping around in the backyard. As DH and I watched them, we realized they were meadowlarks catching grasshoppers. Gotta love those meadowlarks!
It is also that time of year we must prepare for what is coming. So, since I worked Saturday at the office, I took today off and am piling the wood that DH and DN cut a couple of weeks ago into stacks easily accessible should we need it sooner than I think.
I was trying to get the yard trimmed up. DN helped me change the post hole digger out for the bushhog on the tractor and asked me to mow an area where he usually keeps the head for the combine. So I did. Then I ran out of gas. So, no problem, I thought. I just get some gas from the tank and put more in. Well, no gas in the tank. So, the rest of the yard will have to wait until I can go to town and get some. Maybe next week.
So, I guess it’s time to tackle those bills. 
Until next time, love God, love others and make sure your tank has plenty of gas.
she cried in dastardly delight while he looked on with mystified stupefaction!
Okay…. so, I don’t know what all that means but I just liked the sound of it. You now know where DD gets her flare for the dramatic! Ha!
Actually, the monsoons are upon us. We’ve had a (for us) unusually wet summer. This is almost August and things are still fairly green with just a tinge of brown coming around the edges now. Of course, my front yard which is not really grass but kochia, has all turned brown since I mowed it last. Sigh… that’s okay though.
We’ve had a really busy week. This week is VBS at church. We have VBS in the evening and we’ve had a great attendance! Last night we had 97! Woohoo! Our VBS goes Sunday night through Thursday night. This helps because our VBS is usually the week before the county Fair starts with all the 4-Hers getting everything ready… so when we were going through Friday night, Friday’s attendance dropped off dramatically!
Of course, the other reason we have VBS at night is because most of our workers have a daytime job. So, we’re all a little on the tired side right now and looking forward to Saturday when we can rest!
Well, that’s all for now…Until next time, love God, love others and enjoy the weather God gives you!
the pits. I’ve been in several sticky situations and things have gotten quite hot for me!
Okay, Okay… so it’s just cherry pits, cherry juice from picking and hot weather but I couldn’t resist! This week we’ve had several days that reached the century mark and better…. whew!
I had the opportunity this week to go pick some cherries at a friend’s house. She has a lone cherry tree that looks quite burdened with cherries so, I helped take a few off.
DSD was gone to youth camp all week and so DH and I found ourselves working longer hours… why? I’m not sure. Though we did find ourselves on a date several times this week which was cool and he even helped me pit some of those cherries!
So, anyway, we’re trying to stay cool. Though the heat doesn’t lend itself to anything but heat and we’re not any more active than we have to be! I’m hoping to make a couple of cherry pies and a cherry cheesecake for dinner on the grounds for Sunday lunch… but I’m waiting on it to cool off a little bit… so….
Until next time, love God, love others and remember, life may be a bowl of cherries and sometimes we find ourselves in the pits but God is still good!
you know that the best time to pull weeds is when the ground they’re in is saturated with water.
I was reminded of that this morning as I (for the first time in a long time) had the joy of pulling weeds out of my flower garden. Last night along with the haystack fire, we had a good dowsing rain ( it put out all the other fireworks in the townsaround but we still hadours all night!).
This morning having the opportunity to putz around, I started pulling weeds. It was then God spoke to my heart and said, this is just like pulling the weed of sin out of your life. The easiest time to pull that weed is after the ground of your heart has been watered by My Word.
Then the thought of King Saul came to mind. King Saul, if you remember, had been chosen of God to be Israel’s first king. When God chose him, he had all the qualities Israel wanted in a king and for a while Saul was a good king.
Then something happened. Saul made some choices based on his own perception of what was right rather than what God’s Word said was right. He’d been given the Word by God’s man Samuel, yet he ignored the Word. When once again confronted with the Word, he justified his refusal to obey the Word and the ground of his heart became hardened so that eventually that refusal to obey spiraled down until God couldn’t speak to Saul’s heart anymore. Saul had quit believing God.
You see when sin is not pulled early, it will develop or deteriorate into a downward spiral until God is just a vague memory in our life. It is important for us to stay in God’s Word every day! We’re to take heed to God’s Word and pull any weeds of doubt and unbelief in our lives before they cause us to turn our backs on God!
So, until next time, love God, love others and please, please, pull those weeds early!
