Be Still and Know...Then and Now

After my whirlwind of activities yesterday it is good to have a quiet moment. There is a gentle drizzle outside so I am confined to the sofa. The Hubs has gone to his small group and the Girlchild is still sleeping so my house is quite. A quiet house is a good thing! God is good and my efforts to make good choices during campmeeting were  balanced. I fixed a big salad from home most  nights and then allowed myself one choice (ok maybe one and a half choices) from the dessert table. It was a workable solution. I did give myself one night to visit the covered dish table and again God is so good. He prompted someone to make everything I was searching for. Macaroni & Cheese, hashbrown casserole, deviled eggs, butter beans, broccoli salad and a fried chicken wing. I did also heap on a big serving of a really good greek salad, so a good choice was provided as well. Y'all is was soooo good! Even my devo this morning was about making one good choice at a time. Repairing decad...

After many years I have learned what the essential campmeeting supplies are. Now I can get everything over there in one load, the first few years I was captured by the desire to set up house, fortunately my husband did not divorce me with the multiple loads for the first few years. I learned my lesson, as well as realized the error of my eays. Less is more where campmeeting is concerned. I have it pared down to one large Rubbermaid container that is set aside each year. However I have not figured out how to contain the chaos,  the dirt tracked in and out, the things that go undone here at the house, the laundry... The day after is a whir of sweeping, sorting, putting back together and general clean up. The laundry is nearly done, the floors and carpets are sweat and vacuumed, I still need to find the leak in the air mattress but that is for another day. The Hubs wad gone on a mission trip for a week, the turned around and left on a business trip for another week. He got home ...

It rained last night. It cooled things down considerably. No one ever believes me, but sometimes it gets chilly at night. I had to get up and turn the fans off last night and get another blanket. It was cold! Last night felt a bit more familiar. We sat on the front porch, talked, ate homemade chocolate ice cream, enjoyed the youth talent show from afar and listened to the gentle sprinkling on and off throughout the evening. It was good. More accurately stated, it was similar, the rain kept a LOT of folks away. There is an old testament passage, I'll have to search for it later, but the gest of it is a description of longing for the days past. That's it in a nutshell, maybe it's nostalgia,  maybe I see how it is now compared to how it used to be. Yes, I know change is a guarantee. I guess I am wondering where tradition went? I did not grow with a lot of family traditions. Dysfunction tends to overshadowed so many things. I think that, in part, may be why I am reacti...

I am pleased to report that last night's service was very well attended, however Tuesday evening is usually well attended, The Joy class hosted the covered dish supper. These are the saints of the church, they have been hit hard over the last few years, lots of saints going home to Jesus, in years past they had the numbers to host all by themselves, now they are joined by another Sunday school class. The food is always plentiful, comforting and folks look forward to Joy class night. The second draw is Dr. Royeese Stowe , she has been a tradition for several years, folks love to come out and hear the word preached by Royeese, she brings a unique, powerful and humorous word from God. I love listening to her preach! Third, the youth are in residence,  it just isn't campmeeting for me until I can sit after worship and listen to the young ones gather for their worship time under the arbor. I lean on the hope for the future knowing that there is a foundation being laid in the live...

I slept in my own bed last night. It was a bit strange to willingly on purpose skip dinner and worship during campmeeting, but my husband has been out of town on a mission trip then immediately left again for a business trip to Germany. We have not had dinner together in over two week, so I decided to spend time with the Hubs last night. He was very tired, that flight from Germany is a killer, but he is home safe and sound. The day lilies are finished blooming but the crepe myrtle have just started. The black-eyed susan's are almost ready to bloom. After two years the asters I planted look like they my bloom. The bunnies have mowed my yarrow practically down to the ground, I am not to concerned about this, it has never been a favorite of mine in the landscape. The nasty bore worm has attacked my zucchini again this year and I think it may be done for. I should have sprinkled some seven dust, but I try to avoid pesticides. The tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers are out of con...

I actually beat the birds and squirrels up this morning. They are just now emerging from from their campground homes to explore the dropped tid-bits from last nights supper. So my internal dialog is full of difficult questions this morning. Our church is struggling right now, this grieves my spirit. I feel like my family is falling apart and I am at a loss to stop it. When I look back, we have been members here for over 25 years, I remember the sanctuary bursting at the seams. Now we are a dim shadow of what we once were. This struggle has encroached upon my beloved campmeeting. I try to remain positive, yet realistically wonder how much longer it can hang on. I continue to pray, in the fall the church body will be dedicating several months to prayer as well as other actions to seek direction for our future. I know the church, overall across our nation is in decline, but this for me is personal. The momma in me wants to fix it, scold it into submission, embrace it and  comfor...

Campmeeting starts today. My family and me have been participating in campmeeting for 20 years. Things have changed so much, I am not sure all of it is for the good. But since I am not in charge, nor do I want to be, I forge ahead and try to embrace the different without too much grumbling. This year one of my differences will be a BIG test for me. The food. I am going to strive for balance,  as well as maintaining my commitment to repairing my temple. Do I think I can go the whole week without  a portion of fried chicken, banana pudding, Ima Jean's pound cake with Carmel frosting and all the other wonderful offerings that will show up on the table? Probably not. However I am making a plan, what I will take, making a few salads and basically trying not to completely go off the rails for the next five days. I wish I had taken note of exactly when I began, but it has been a gradual process.  Over the course of time, eliminating certain foods and moving towards real f...

I have ten minutes before I have to get ready for church. I have read a few blogs, checked my Facebook and been reminded of my appointments for the day all from the palm of my hand. The young ones take all this for granted,  it's normal, and in most cases permanently affixed to their person at all times. I know my girl does not take a step with out her phone. It's a good thing and a bad thing all at the same time I am connected. Blogging from my patio y'all! Step one in my plan for world domination...will have to wait cause I have to hit the publish button and get ready for church ! Blessings R

I am sitting outside listening to the birds, drinking my coffee and wondering about the small quiet moments in life. The big worries in my life such as the state of our retirement and the security and safety of my children seem tempered with a hefty dose of God’s comfort and reassurance. I was reading the creation story this morning. The details, God's ability to speak all that surrounds me into creation and I take great comfort in that. Listening to the birds, the cool of the morning breeze, watching the sun play off the dew on the grass, tiny specks of brightness vibrate across the tops of the blades of grass. For right now everything is just fine.

I can post from my youversion directly to blogger. Next I may attempt to rule the world!! http://bible.com/97/mat.4.1-11.msg Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: “Since you are God’s Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.” Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.” For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, “Since you are God’s Son, jump.” The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: “He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone.” Jesus counte...

Morning Coffee, took a picture of it on my phone from my blogger app and it uploaded directly to my post... Y'all this is cray cray!

So now that I have my new fangled smart phone I am exploring all the gizmos that go along with it. I successfully spoke and sent a text this morning, I spoke and opened my contacts, my calendar and asked how the weather outside was. Now I am attempting to blog from my phone...the possibilities are endless. I am still working on trying to key in the text like the girlchild does using both thumbs,  however that may require that both halves of my brain work in cooperation with one another. If this is successful, blogging from my phone...have mercy!