Mon.-Cold outside and in. No heat in the house. Outside wood stove not hooked up yet and besides, wood is drenched. Rained most of today, too. Guys set trusses in precarious conditions. They had a story to tell. Susan and I put in a good day of school. I made turkey vegetable soup, venison chunks, grilled sandwiches, and raw vegetables to have on hand. Phil got home, changed his shoes, found a hat, and grabbed some sandwiches and went back out to Farmville for a meeting. Looking up more about aquaponics in Va. Have several email addresses to write too. Wore three shirts and a hat and sweat pants to stay somewhat warm.
Thinking alot about yesterday's sermon and wondering if I'm too cynical to serve. But then, one doesn't truly love, until one is on the other side of disillusionment. And then one can love after one has forgiven. Perhaps we can only love ourselves as well, after we are disillusioned with who we are. Perhaps, there is no need of grace if one has never been disillusioned with oneself and others. Perhaps, there is hope for me. Perhaps we need to give each other the grace to be double minded. Jesus said in one breath the Peter, "Blessed are you...for God has revealed who I am to you..." and in the next breath, or so it seemed, He said to Peter, "Get behind me Satan, for you are not thinking about things God's way." Jesus kept Peter on as a disciple and friend and founder of the church. Even though he wasn't consistently 'godly.'
Tues.-Thinking about being on the outside looking in and realizing how much I don't want to be in the chaos of the inside and how much I enjoy those who are also on the outside looking in and thinking it's time we enjoy ourselves with each other instead of wasting energy thinking we should be somewhere we don't want to be anyway. I wrote pages and pages about this in my blog notebook and now I feel better so that's all you'll hear about that.
Took Susan to co-op. Met D. for lunch and afterwards, found myself at the gas station down the road with a very flat tire. Baileys bailed me out. Got my glasses fixed. Picked up Susan. Ran more errands. Went to Goodwill and found some clothes for the co-op drama. Found a lode of new books. Some of them I've been wanting to read for awhile. Went to Belks. Nicest people work there. Went to Japanese restaurant to get strength to go to Walmart where everyone smiled at us. Every corner I turned, people smiled. Home again. The men had a challenging day setting trusses. As soon as they got home they had to rustle up the cows that had broken through the fence to get to the fields of harvested corn. Then they had to fix the fences. Got in around 9:30.
Wed.-Thinking about Doubting Thomas. He wouldn't believe unless he saw. Have some difficult things I"m praying about. It is hard not to stay worried until I see proof that He is answering. The proof of His promise that all will be well. I want to see Him and place my hand in the dent in His side. Then I'll believe. But it's no way to live. Locked behind doors of fear and isolation. Waiting until the proof comes walking through the walls. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. My unbelief is not deliberate doubt. It is sorrowful. I don't want to be this way. Help me to quietly trust and hope in You before I see the answer to my prayers.
Susan took me to the dentist today. I had to take antivert medicine and it really knocked me out. I slept most of the afternoon and the whole of the night. It was wonderful.
Thurs.-1 Tim. 4:10-"We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. " That's worth reading a time or two. Baked cinnamon rolls for guys to take on their trip to a cabin up north. Made granola. Susan made baked oatmeal. I also made sugar and gluten free pumpkin bread. It is not that good. Also added some walnut oil and honey to almonds and sesame seeds and roasted them in the oven for about half an hour at 325. Kept stirring them. They taste just like that sesame candy. Delicious. Made pizzas with wheat free premade pizza squares and bagels. In the eve., Phil and I went to be with John and Jeanne, who are mourning the loss of John's father. We had a sweet time visiting with them and his sister, and Peter and Ivona.
Fri.-Susan spent the day with Meredith at HV, mulching the flower beds, etc. I cleaned the house, listening to Handel's and some of Mother's other CD's. Washed clothes and packed for Cleansing Stream. Left for Chesapeake around 4 and had a nice leisurely supper at Cracker Barrel. Got to bed early but people in the rooms about us, the air conditioning going off and on, and the snorer beside me created so much noise, I really don't think I slept a wink. The snorer wasn't that bad, actually, because he didn't sleep well either. But sleep isn't all that it's cracked up to be so it didn't stress me out. But who talks loudly at 2 in the morning. If I held a cup to the ceiling, I may have been able to decipher what was being said! Oh well.
Sat.-Went to Waffle House for breakfast. All eight employees looked up from what they were doing and greeted us loudly. It was amazing. We heard a counselling session going on between three co-workers. A domestic abuse situation. They were like a big happy family that deeply cared for one another. Hospitality starts at home and draws everyone else in. If they hadn't been enjoying each other's company, no amount of friendliness to those of us coming in, could have influenced the atmosphere to make us feel at home. (I'm writing this after Sunday. I was with some people discussing the core value of hospitality and I was too excited to sleep for several hours afterwards.)
When we came into the Cleansing Stream Retreat Sanctuary, there were people lined up along the aisle, clapping and cheering for us as we entered. It was a little overwhelming but I liked it. We had a great day there. It's hard to explain unless you've done the studies and then go on the retreat. On the way home, we stopped at a little BBQ joint. Everyone was so very friendly there, also. there was a sign that said, "Beware of Attack Waitress." When our cute waitress came over, Phil said, "Let me see your teeth." She willingly opened wide her mouth and showed us her beautiful teeth. Then he said, "Are you the attack waitress?" "Not today, " she laughed. She loved it. She told her co-workers and they were talking about it. I can't believe that she opened her mouth on command like that.
When we got home, Alli, Freeman, and Susan, were just ready to watch The Goonies. We relaxed and joined them. Alli worked today. Freeman took Susan bow hunting in the morning and she barely missed a buck. So disappointed but she was close. Then he took her to the Appomattox Railroad Festival. They enjoyed some funnel cakes there. Freeman also made some great food while he was here. A prize winning looking and tasting apple pie and some marinated chicken and shrimp which was out of this world. He really should open a restaurant. I wonder if we could have food here every Sat. He could grill all kinds of meat and we could set up picnic tables and people could bring their side dishes and buy their meat. How fun would that be?
Sun.-Just erased somehow everything I wrote for Sunday. So I'll do a quick re-cap. Loved the worship song about leaning back against Jesus and feeling His heartbeat. We think of gentle Jesus when we do that. This weekend, at Western Branch Community Church, they had a big black and white painting of Jesus's face on the stage. The crown was red. He looked scary. I told Phil that He looked like a warrior. I said, "I'm glad I'm on His side." And now, I think about leaning back against the chest of a warrior and feeling His heartbeat. I tell Him my worries and troubles and He says, "I'll take care of that for you." And He's too scary not to believe. Like a lion. He'll roar my enemies of fear and doubt away.
Great sermon on 'Growing Up.' It was rich and full and something everyone could relate to. I still have alot of growing up to do.
Just a thought. Angel, our German Shepherd, is imprinted on Ollie, our turkey. Ollie acts like a dog, eats dog food, lies down beside Angel on the porch, runs after cars, wants to come into the house, and any day now, I expect him to start barking. God the Father, imprinted Himself on Jesus, His Son, and we are imprinted with Jesus. We are little Christ's, bearing His nature, His character, His moods, His purposes, His countenance. He in us and we in Him and fruit abounds. This was part of the sermon.
Learned more about hospitality in the evening. It's easy to snub people we have been disappointed by. It's easier to welcome the new people then to invest in long term relationships with the people we know all too well. It's easy to be friendly; much harder to be a friend. We think we have to show our disapproval of others behavior by being unfriendly towards them. Like that's going to help them do better. I know this, but I have a long way to go. Jesus was and is the friendliest guy around. But not everyone approved. Why would He befriend so and so and such and such. Like that woman, who went into Simon's house, and was more hospitable to Jesus that Simon was to Him. She was hospitable in a hostile situation where she was not welcome and Jesus was on probation. Not exactly a friendly atmosphere for Him either. But she broke through the walls of hostility in the house, and out of gratitude and love, washed Jesus's feet with her tears, and dried them with her long fragrant hair, and anointed them with costly oil. Oh that we would learn from her. Oh that we too, would love Jesus, and minister to His body, and in the midst of a hostile situation, make Him feel welcome.
Went to Country Cookin' for lunch. Came home. Phil walked down to the low grounds. I drove the gator to O'Brien's and took pictures and rested in the sun and the brown fall beauty. Susan vegged out on the sofa watching Monk, sleeping off and on. Lucy woke her up numerous times last night. Phil and I watched a few Monk's with her and then went off to a meeting where we learned some things about ants. There are 10,000 different kinds of ants. They can carry 20 times their body weight. They have two stomachs; one the fill for themselves and the one they fill to feed other ants. They work together and alot of their work is done underground where no one sees them. They have a plan. They know what they want. They want food. Napoleon Hill said, "All great achievements start with great desire." Most creativity takes place during a time of crisis and great need. Ants push themselves until the job is done. Even if they are injured, they keep going. Ants think ahead. They prepare for winter and scarcity. They never work for themselves alone. They are team players working for the good of each other. We are supposed to be like ants. We're supposed to learn from them. Go to the ant and observe. We need the imprint of ants to be on us. I think I will be more careful about stepping on ant hills from here on out. If they come into my house, then they are over-stepping their boundaries. Maybe I'll take some food outside and scatter it around so they don't need to come in anymore.
Learned about hospitality. Hospitality is that quality in a church or a person that makes people feel welcomed and loved. Honored and appreciated. Christ accepted us. So we accept one another also. I experienced hospitality last night. And I was too excited to sleep for a very long time. A new day dawns. This is where it is at. It starts at the top. And the trickle down effects will be huge.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The heart of the matter
Once upon a time, there was a doctor. He had a patient. The patient had an accident. The patient, I'll call him, Fred, decided to go to a doctor who administered natural treatment. His former doctor was insulted that Fred didn't come to him for treatment. He became cool towards Fred and barely returned his greeting. Fred felt bad. He became angry that the doctor was more interested in having him as a patient than in having him healed. It was hard enough to be crippled. The doctor's behavior added more injury to his injury. Finally, he realized that it was the doctor's problem and not his own. He wondered at the heart of a doctor who cared more about having patients than he cared about the patients well-being. He thought that a real doctor would be happy that another doctor's treatment was helping him to recover from his accident.
Perhaps his doctor forgot why he had become a doctor in the first place. Perhaps it was time for the doctor to search out his heart and see what was the matter. Perhaps then, there would be hope that the doctor would not be called doctor because of his degrees. Perhaps then, the doctor would be called doctor because he wanted others whole, no matter who brought the healing.
Perhaps his doctor forgot why he had become a doctor in the first place. Perhaps it was time for the doctor to search out his heart and see what was the matter. Perhaps then, there would be hope that the doctor would not be called doctor because of his degrees. Perhaps then, the doctor would be called doctor because he wanted others whole, no matter who brought the healing.
Hertzler Doings-Sept. 30-Oct. 7, 2012
Mon.-Rainy dreary cozy kind of day. Alli, Susan, and I drove about 7 miles and discovered the indoor pool we had seen advertised. What a wonderful treasure and wonderful people. $5 an hour. Open for parties and volleyball. I think I'll have my 55th birthday there come spring with a pile of women. There are plenty of chairs and a kitchenette. Came home and watched Monk and ate leftover chili. Alli went home to clean and Susan studied Anatomy and I did some paperwork and made corn bread to go with more chili for the evening supper.
Tues.-Rainy dreary cozy kind of day. Susan ran out at 6 in the morning and brought Lucy in during a down pour. Lucy didn't want to leave Susan's lap. Went out to Farmville at noon for Science and Drama co-op. I met Janelle for lunch at Country Cookin'. She is enjoying her teaching job at Longwood. Went to Walmart afterwards and then to Lowe's after picking up Susan. We both took a nap of sorts after putting groceries away. Guys had chili for supper again. It just gets better with age but tomorrow should probably be the last day it is served.
Wed.-Rough night. Right arm itching and painful. Finally took Benedryl at 2:30 this morning and then slept until 8:30. Dragging all day. Susan was full of energy and did all kinds of work-outs and school. She's feeling so much better. Wanted to order Civil War DVD's from a company and it was over $500. So I checked Amazon and got the same thing for under $22 shipping included. Ordered some SAT resources while I was at it. Susan drove us out to Calvary tonight. Phil will go pick her up. It will be her first time driving in the dark-if he lets her drive, which he will. (Which he didn't because he didn't think about it and apparently, neither did she.) For supper, we had fresh lettuce from our garden, NY venison chunk gravy, and real mashed potatoes. Rave reviews. Ollie was running all over the roof today. When I went out back, he was on the porch, waiting to be fed. Dog food. I think he was trying to tell me he was hungry. He also was knocking on the front door this morning, wanting to come in. It's time to power wash the front porch again. Ollie isn't potty trained. Oh, Annie called today. It was nice to hear from her.
Thurs.-Got lots of odd jobs done this morning and talked with Lindsay too. Always a treat. Ate our one and only watermelon from the garden. The tomatoes have revived and we have a whole other crop coming. Ate watermelon, cheese, and peanuts, and got very sick for awhile. Judy came with Sammy Jo for a photography shoot with Susan. It was great fun. We changed her outfit several times and for many of the pictures she held a little chick. Ollie and Angel hovered nearby, unwilling to be excluded. We left the gate open when we went down to the river and as we came up, the cows were pouring into the bottom field. Susan and Angel shooed them back in. It took some doing and Susan was barefoot and brave. Phil was home planting radishes as a cover crop. I ate some today. Really good. They're daikon radishes and as they grow down long and deep, they penetrate the soil and 'dig' it up. When they rot, they add nourishment to the soil. I read a little about pickling radishes. I think I'll try it. We have acres of radishes and the field won't mind if I borrow a few. Phil walked up from the fields at lunch so Ollie would come up with him. He runs right in front of the tractor and right alongside of it and Phil ran over his foot. The ground was soft so it didn't hurt him. Phil started his truck so Ollie wouldn't hear it start and come after him. Then he came in the house to eat and as I talked with Ollie on the back porch, Phil and Susan snuck out the front and Susan drove him back down to the field again. Phil said, "Ollie is complicating my life." I said, "All animals and rich women love you." He laughed a little. That was at lunch. Later in the day, Judy said, "I'll never forget the first time my mother saw Phil. She said he was the handsomest man she ever laid eyes on." We laughed and she went on to say, "He kind of looks like Pastor Frank." Phil is handsomest when he is driving a tractor because he is the happiest then. His tanned face glows and I wish I was sitting up there beside him. Ollie played tag with Sammy Jo today. She chased him and ran in circles and he stayed just out of her reach. SJ saw the little pigs too, and got her picture taken with a little calf. Read more of a George MacDonald Book-'The Quiet Neighborhood.' I wish it had been a quieter night. Hunting dogs were baying and I couldn't sleep. I write this at 4 0'clock on Friday morning. Perhaps now, I'll give it another try.
Fri.-Slept until 8:30. Read story in chapel about Moses going up into Mt. Sinai. He entered into the thick darkness where God was. Why does this thought always make me weep? Is it because in the darkness, there is only One we can see and hear, and in the light, there are so many things to distract us that we sometimes cease to incline our ear and heart toward Him? Perhaps we've had it wrong. We talk about mountaintop experiences with God where we can see Him clearly like the 3 disciples saw Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration. But Moses' Mountain top experience with God was in a dark cloud with no visible visibility to be seen. And this is where He stood closest to God-face to face-in the darkness. O dear hearts who are straining to see light in the darkness, don't endeavor to leave the thick cloud too quickly. Wait for the tablets of stone to be placed in your hands. Wait for the Word of the Lord. Wait until you have talked with Him face to face. You know not what awaits you when you leave the dark cloud. He never leaves us or forsakes us even if the behavior of others angers us so greatly that we are tempted to throw down the very stones etched with the finger of God. Thank God, for His mercy, and His willingness to write again.
I cleaned out the fridge today and made a flock of food-chicken breasts, salad, raw vegetables, rice and veggie stir fry, hummus, avocado dip, homemade mayonnaise, gluten free macaroni salad, regular macaroni salad, mushrooms and zucchini, beets, turkey bacon, and baked garlic. Some of these things I made to use up the odds and ends in the fridge. Susan worked on British Lit and mowed the lawn. Phil went to work nearby and Philip brought him home at lunch and then Phil planted more cover crops and Philip went back to work. Philip posted a video of himself on facebook. He filmed himself walking on a board and honestly, I broke into a sweat. Did I mention it was quite high off the ground. Later Michael posted a picture of a new airplane that he was going to fly. How is it that some of my kids love heights so much? I'm not real good with heights. ( I went parasailing in Cancun and that was as high as I want to get. Just as they were buckling me in and asking for a tip as they did so, the previous parasailer hit the beach hard. He was slightly overweight and it made quite an impression on me but there was no turning back at that point.) I fly in a plane if I must. But I'm drugged when I do so. It's good our kids aren't limited by my limitations. I do want them to soar. I just want them to land safely.
Sat.-I lost 10 pounds this past month by going gluten and sugar free. I'm starting to feel better. Phil said he can tell that I feel alot better. I am so thankful that God gave me an answer. The amazing thing is that I don't crave anything. I don't keep eating even if I'm full. I even have no desire for chocolate. And I ask God every day to help me eat in a healthy way. It is His mercy that gave me this answer and His strength that is helping me do it.
I noticed something in 11 Tim. 1. We often quote verse 7-"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind." But verse 6 says, "Stir up the gift of God which is in you"---and then--"For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind." Sometimes we are afraid to use our gifts and we let the good things of God settle down to the bottom of our life's pot. We need to stir it up-stir up the gifts, because God has given us the power to use them and the sound mind to use them and the freedom from being afraid of using them.
Paul's action words for chapter one: Stir up the gift; Be bold-do not be ashamed-Share in the gospel's sufferings; Hold fast the pattern of sound words; Keep by the Holy Spirit within you the good thing that was committed to you. This makes me think of Gil and Lindsay because they do these things in such a practical, intentional, honest way.
Got ready for Michael's party and then took Susan out to Liberty Baptist for drama practice from 1-4. I went grocery shopping and then to my favorite little shops in Appomattox. I found some pants for Micah and an LLBean bag for $6 at 'The Little Things in Life' consignment shop. I bought some Macintosh fragrance beads for the car at Country Charm. And then to B&L to tell Linda that my shore girls loved their jewelry but she had just left. I then bought 5 pairs of earrings there for $5.00. They're getting rid of their extra earring inventory. Two of them had no prices in the back. But three were marked 8.99, 5.99, and 9.99. The ones that Susan liked were the ones I had picked out for her. Silver long dangles with light blue beads. Also went to Salvation Army to look for props for Susan's photography business.
Came home and there were some kids here for Michael's party. More came as the night went on and there were at least 28 that I counted. It was a mix of old New Life friends, a few from Calvary, and many from Liberty. It was nice to meet Michael's roommates. Sweet Tea is not his roommate but said that Michael is his best friend in America. He is from Nairobi. He thanked us for making such a nice person as Michael. The fire was crackling, the volleyball set was getting a workout, hot dogs and s'mores were being 'cooked', hot chocolate mix was being stirred, stories were being told, friendships were being forged, stars were shining, pigs were being viewed, and everything was going along nicely. Hopefully, it still is. A few have gone home but the rest of the gang has gone for a flashlight-free walk down to the river. I can't imagine that they won't step in any cow pies. I mean, the odds are against them and it's dark. Phil and I are debating about hiding somewhere and scaring the living daylights out of them but there's probably enough crap out there already.
Sun.-RAIN! Church by the riverside cancelled and moved back to the building. Guest speaker spoke about Doubting Thomas. Good. Lunch served after church. Phil and I went to see 'Obama-2016' and Susan went with her brothers to see 'Taken 2'. The Gordon's were there and we visited with them a little bit. Came back home and snuggled in and watched Monk and drank hot chocolate made with dark cocoa and sucanat. Michael took the rest of the hot chocolate mix back to college with him. The kids were enjoying it last night. Recipe: 1 med. box of dried milk powder, 1 large container of powered creamer, 1-2lb container of Nestles chocolate quik. Mix well. Take 1/2 cup of mix and put in mug and fill with boiling water. Add marshmallows if you like. I saw some kids putting in caramel marshmallows. Yumm...Philip spent the afternoon/eve at the guys house. He told me this morning how many times and in what ways he scared the kids as they walked down to the river last night. One time, he dropped down from a tree right in their midst and snarled. I hope we don't get sued. Susan edited her pics of Sammy Jo and put them on facebook. It's a good night for snuggling.
Tues.-Rainy dreary cozy kind of day. Susan ran out at 6 in the morning and brought Lucy in during a down pour. Lucy didn't want to leave Susan's lap. Went out to Farmville at noon for Science and Drama co-op. I met Janelle for lunch at Country Cookin'. She is enjoying her teaching job at Longwood. Went to Walmart afterwards and then to Lowe's after picking up Susan. We both took a nap of sorts after putting groceries away. Guys had chili for supper again. It just gets better with age but tomorrow should probably be the last day it is served.
Wed.-Rough night. Right arm itching and painful. Finally took Benedryl at 2:30 this morning and then slept until 8:30. Dragging all day. Susan was full of energy and did all kinds of work-outs and school. She's feeling so much better. Wanted to order Civil War DVD's from a company and it was over $500. So I checked Amazon and got the same thing for under $22 shipping included. Ordered some SAT resources while I was at it. Susan drove us out to Calvary tonight. Phil will go pick her up. It will be her first time driving in the dark-if he lets her drive, which he will. (Which he didn't because he didn't think about it and apparently, neither did she.) For supper, we had fresh lettuce from our garden, NY venison chunk gravy, and real mashed potatoes. Rave reviews. Ollie was running all over the roof today. When I went out back, he was on the porch, waiting to be fed. Dog food. I think he was trying to tell me he was hungry. He also was knocking on the front door this morning, wanting to come in. It's time to power wash the front porch again. Ollie isn't potty trained. Oh, Annie called today. It was nice to hear from her.
Thurs.-Got lots of odd jobs done this morning and talked with Lindsay too. Always a treat. Ate our one and only watermelon from the garden. The tomatoes have revived and we have a whole other crop coming. Ate watermelon, cheese, and peanuts, and got very sick for awhile. Judy came with Sammy Jo for a photography shoot with Susan. It was great fun. We changed her outfit several times and for many of the pictures she held a little chick. Ollie and Angel hovered nearby, unwilling to be excluded. We left the gate open when we went down to the river and as we came up, the cows were pouring into the bottom field. Susan and Angel shooed them back in. It took some doing and Susan was barefoot and brave. Phil was home planting radishes as a cover crop. I ate some today. Really good. They're daikon radishes and as they grow down long and deep, they penetrate the soil and 'dig' it up. When they rot, they add nourishment to the soil. I read a little about pickling radishes. I think I'll try it. We have acres of radishes and the field won't mind if I borrow a few. Phil walked up from the fields at lunch so Ollie would come up with him. He runs right in front of the tractor and right alongside of it and Phil ran over his foot. The ground was soft so it didn't hurt him. Phil started his truck so Ollie wouldn't hear it start and come after him. Then he came in the house to eat and as I talked with Ollie on the back porch, Phil and Susan snuck out the front and Susan drove him back down to the field again. Phil said, "Ollie is complicating my life." I said, "All animals and rich women love you." He laughed a little. That was at lunch. Later in the day, Judy said, "I'll never forget the first time my mother saw Phil. She said he was the handsomest man she ever laid eyes on." We laughed and she went on to say, "He kind of looks like Pastor Frank." Phil is handsomest when he is driving a tractor because he is the happiest then. His tanned face glows and I wish I was sitting up there beside him. Ollie played tag with Sammy Jo today. She chased him and ran in circles and he stayed just out of her reach. SJ saw the little pigs too, and got her picture taken with a little calf. Read more of a George MacDonald Book-'The Quiet Neighborhood.' I wish it had been a quieter night. Hunting dogs were baying and I couldn't sleep. I write this at 4 0'clock on Friday morning. Perhaps now, I'll give it another try.
Fri.-Slept until 8:30. Read story in chapel about Moses going up into Mt. Sinai. He entered into the thick darkness where God was. Why does this thought always make me weep? Is it because in the darkness, there is only One we can see and hear, and in the light, there are so many things to distract us that we sometimes cease to incline our ear and heart toward Him? Perhaps we've had it wrong. We talk about mountaintop experiences with God where we can see Him clearly like the 3 disciples saw Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration. But Moses' Mountain top experience with God was in a dark cloud with no visible visibility to be seen. And this is where He stood closest to God-face to face-in the darkness. O dear hearts who are straining to see light in the darkness, don't endeavor to leave the thick cloud too quickly. Wait for the tablets of stone to be placed in your hands. Wait for the Word of the Lord. Wait until you have talked with Him face to face. You know not what awaits you when you leave the dark cloud. He never leaves us or forsakes us even if the behavior of others angers us so greatly that we are tempted to throw down the very stones etched with the finger of God. Thank God, for His mercy, and His willingness to write again.
I cleaned out the fridge today and made a flock of food-chicken breasts, salad, raw vegetables, rice and veggie stir fry, hummus, avocado dip, homemade mayonnaise, gluten free macaroni salad, regular macaroni salad, mushrooms and zucchini, beets, turkey bacon, and baked garlic. Some of these things I made to use up the odds and ends in the fridge. Susan worked on British Lit and mowed the lawn. Phil went to work nearby and Philip brought him home at lunch and then Phil planted more cover crops and Philip went back to work. Philip posted a video of himself on facebook. He filmed himself walking on a board and honestly, I broke into a sweat. Did I mention it was quite high off the ground. Later Michael posted a picture of a new airplane that he was going to fly. How is it that some of my kids love heights so much? I'm not real good with heights. ( I went parasailing in Cancun and that was as high as I want to get. Just as they were buckling me in and asking for a tip as they did so, the previous parasailer hit the beach hard. He was slightly overweight and it made quite an impression on me but there was no turning back at that point.) I fly in a plane if I must. But I'm drugged when I do so. It's good our kids aren't limited by my limitations. I do want them to soar. I just want them to land safely.
Sat.-I lost 10 pounds this past month by going gluten and sugar free. I'm starting to feel better. Phil said he can tell that I feel alot better. I am so thankful that God gave me an answer. The amazing thing is that I don't crave anything. I don't keep eating even if I'm full. I even have no desire for chocolate. And I ask God every day to help me eat in a healthy way. It is His mercy that gave me this answer and His strength that is helping me do it.
I noticed something in 11 Tim. 1. We often quote verse 7-"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind." But verse 6 says, "Stir up the gift of God which is in you"---and then--"For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind." Sometimes we are afraid to use our gifts and we let the good things of God settle down to the bottom of our life's pot. We need to stir it up-stir up the gifts, because God has given us the power to use them and the sound mind to use them and the freedom from being afraid of using them.
Paul's action words for chapter one: Stir up the gift; Be bold-do not be ashamed-Share in the gospel's sufferings; Hold fast the pattern of sound words; Keep by the Holy Spirit within you the good thing that was committed to you. This makes me think of Gil and Lindsay because they do these things in such a practical, intentional, honest way.
Got ready for Michael's party and then took Susan out to Liberty Baptist for drama practice from 1-4. I went grocery shopping and then to my favorite little shops in Appomattox. I found some pants for Micah and an LLBean bag for $6 at 'The Little Things in Life' consignment shop. I bought some Macintosh fragrance beads for the car at Country Charm. And then to B&L to tell Linda that my shore girls loved their jewelry but she had just left. I then bought 5 pairs of earrings there for $5.00. They're getting rid of their extra earring inventory. Two of them had no prices in the back. But three were marked 8.99, 5.99, and 9.99. The ones that Susan liked were the ones I had picked out for her. Silver long dangles with light blue beads. Also went to Salvation Army to look for props for Susan's photography business.
Came home and there were some kids here for Michael's party. More came as the night went on and there were at least 28 that I counted. It was a mix of old New Life friends, a few from Calvary, and many from Liberty. It was nice to meet Michael's roommates. Sweet Tea is not his roommate but said that Michael is his best friend in America. He is from Nairobi. He thanked us for making such a nice person as Michael. The fire was crackling, the volleyball set was getting a workout, hot dogs and s'mores were being 'cooked', hot chocolate mix was being stirred, stories were being told, friendships were being forged, stars were shining, pigs were being viewed, and everything was going along nicely. Hopefully, it still is. A few have gone home but the rest of the gang has gone for a flashlight-free walk down to the river. I can't imagine that they won't step in any cow pies. I mean, the odds are against them and it's dark. Phil and I are debating about hiding somewhere and scaring the living daylights out of them but there's probably enough crap out there already.
Sun.-RAIN! Church by the riverside cancelled and moved back to the building. Guest speaker spoke about Doubting Thomas. Good. Lunch served after church. Phil and I went to see 'Obama-2016' and Susan went with her brothers to see 'Taken 2'. The Gordon's were there and we visited with them a little bit. Came back home and snuggled in and watched Monk and drank hot chocolate made with dark cocoa and sucanat. Michael took the rest of the hot chocolate mix back to college with him. The kids were enjoying it last night. Recipe: 1 med. box of dried milk powder, 1 large container of powered creamer, 1-2lb container of Nestles chocolate quik. Mix well. Take 1/2 cup of mix and put in mug and fill with boiling water. Add marshmallows if you like. I saw some kids putting in caramel marshmallows. Yumm...Philip spent the afternoon/eve at the guys house. He told me this morning how many times and in what ways he scared the kids as they walked down to the river last night. One time, he dropped down from a tree right in their midst and snarled. I hope we don't get sued. Susan edited her pics of Sammy Jo and put them on facebook. It's a good night for snuggling.
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