(Church Secretary - Guardian of the Universe - Not hardly!!! LOL!!)
Destiny: "Predetermined course of events considered as something beyond human power or control". 
When I left my house this morning, I came upon a house that was all decorated for the big TJ / AL High School game tonight. This house had crepe paper streamers everywhere and they had been "chalked" - chalk writing on the sidewalks and driveway saying - "Get it DONE!" to the football player (I'm assuming) and cheering him on to victory at tonight's game. Another sidewalk I passed said something entirely different. This driveway said someone was "NOT Welcome Here". What a contrast in words. 
On my "walk in the rain" back home I couldn't help but notice that both of these chalk writings had been totally washed away in this short amount of time. That may have been a "blessing" for the one who was told "you are NOT welcome here". Maybe destiny would not want that person to know that this was written in big "warning" letters on the driveway. But the rain also washed away the well-wishers "Go-Team Get it DONE!" message. The wet crepe paper was drooping to the ground and there were no signs of the words of encouragement on the sidewalk or driveway. All washed away with the morning rain! Each of these destinies unknown - each message unknown to the person it was meant for. Would these messages have changed anything if the person they were intended for had seen them?? Who knows - maybe or maybe not! Funny little "chalk" messages but what was behind those little messages? Fun, excitement, encouragement for one but what about the other? Hurt, resentment, anger, and hate - so much so, that "You Are NOT Welcome Here" was chalked in big letters so the other person could see it. Words, spoken, chalked or just displayed, like the people driving by me in the pouring rain this morning, speak ever so loudly. 
 |
| "Mr. Spider" |
I told mom that there wasn't much left of that tree. She said, "no, too many storms had hit it and broken limbs out of it". I sat there looking at what was left of the tree, thinking of the many, many storms and the bolts of lightning that had passed by that tree down through the years. Some lashing out at it's very limbs - bending and breaking them, leaving some of them hanging from the tree and some falling to the ground with a thud. I've seen dad go out to the trees many a time with his trusty saw in hand, climb up his ladder, and finish cutting out the bent and broken limbs. 
We lived out by the river for a while and one of the most awesome things about that was each year the majestic bald eagles would gather and roost in the trees across the river. Sometimes 30-50 of them!! I was so facinated by them that I went out and bought some binoculars so I could watch them up close! They were amazing as they sat in those trees so "stately" with keen eyes watching everything around them. Then all at once one would take flight and soar high above the trees, then just as quickly, would dive down to the river and in a split second snatch up it's prey soaring once again up into the heavens and back to it's stataely perch in the tree.
"Even the Lone Ranger
had Tonto!" -Unknown
Who is your "Tonto"? We all need a "Tonto" - a BFF as the kids say today - "best friend forever!!! As Anne of Green Gables would say - a friend of "kindred spirit". I'm thankful for the "kindred spirits" in my life that are there for me when I need them. They pray for me, they call me, they check up on me, they hold me accountable, they listen to my problems, they encourage and counsel me, they laugh with me, they also cry with me, they lend a helping hand when I need it, they look out for my best interests, they tell me when I've goofed up and they still befriend me!! Thank you to all of my BFF's - love all you "Tontos"!!!!
Check out this slide show "Farmers by Robert Duncan". I love these paintings. They remind me of my growing up years on the farm. They are so true to "farm-life". Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Check them out . . .
otect you each and every day! I don't think I could ever shoot a rabbit, squirel or anything else. So don't count on me to "rough it" and bring in the "game" for supper unless it's from the grocery store!!! Or maybe I could just bake some gun shaped sugar cookies like this cookie cutter!
ng about music. He talked about playing the piano and how you can pound out every note, add runs and arpeggios, add triplets, trills, accidental notes, etc. but you can’t forget the rests that are written into the music. Sometimes amongst all of those notes written on the sheet there comes a “rest” where everything stops – all music pauses – it is quiet for that one rest and then it begins again. That rest is important. That pause in the music adds depth, dimension and dynamic to the music that follows. That one little “rest” builds for the remainder of the song making the music more distinct and sweeter after the rest . Ps. 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord”. That is kind of like a “rest”. Take time to wait, take time to be still, take time to calm down, take time to step out of the traffic, take time to be quiet, take time to rest . . . to do nothing – like the little black "rest" on that piece of music.
I love holidays - special times when family gathers for good food and wonderful fellowship! Our usual destination is "the farm". Those from out of town and those of us nearby find our way to "Honey Creek" where farm life is truly "sweet as honey"!!! Family and friends gather at mom and dads where we catch up on what's going on with each other. We gather around the picnic tables, sit in lawn chairs, we laugh, the kids play, the adults tease and play too, the guys grill and we all eat the abundance of food the ladies brought! Why is food such an intrical part of fun and fellowship???!!! Just look at us and you can tell we have plenty of fun, food, and fellowship!!! LOL! Well, anyway, I think all of us had a wonderful day together at the farm - fun, food, and all! 
music has always been a highlight of our lives whether it was as kids singing songs all the way into town or a backyard jam-session. We all have a love for music! We didn't have a jam-session this Memorial Day but we may have to plan on one July 4th. Mom bought a keyboard at a yard sale! I told her and dad that they better get practiced up for the next jam-session - mom can play and dad can sing along!!! LOL! This Memorial Day we just enjoyed visiting with each other, relaxing, and just simply enjoyed the day! It is so relaxing to go to the country and enjoy not only family and friends but also God's wonderful creation!
I always enjoy sitting by dad's pond listening to the water cascading down into the bigger part of the pond. The waterfall sound is kind of like "music therapy" to this brain of mine! I was sitting there enjoying the sound and looking for the fish when dad came over and asked me if I brought my fish with me ? ? ? What? He laughed and said if I wanted to enjoy any fish in his pond I would have to bring my own. The racoon got all of his fish. He had some really big ones in there so those old coon must have had a feast! It was still nice relaxing there in that corner of the yard.
sun began to set across the hills. There are always beautiful sunsets on the farm! I have always loved the early morning sunrises and the evening sunsets on the farm! A constant reminder to me of the vastness of our God and His creativity! Where did He get the colors to put in each sunrise and sunset?? Oh, that's right - He made them - every one of those beautiful, breath-taking colors!! Master Artist among other things, I would say!! What an awesome God we have that every single day brings this kind of beauty into our lives if we will take the time to stop and notice. Thank you God!
hered around the fire ring. Uncle Bob "loves" to build fires! A while back, around another campfire, I told him that when I was a kid my mother and grandmother told me that if I played with fire . . . I would wet the bed!! He didn't even care!! He kept poking at the logs and throwing more on until we had the perfect campfire for roasting marshmellows and making S'mores! What a wonderful end to a awesome day with family and friends - from gathering around picnic tables earlier in the day to gathering around the campfire talking, laughing, sharing, and visiting with my loved ones! Oh, and eating S'mores!!! Can't forget that food - even if it is 10:00 at night! Thanks, Bob, for "playing" with fire! We all enjoyed the blazing warmth and smell of the campfire! I will always keep these special heartfelt family times forever ablaze within my heart and soul. God has truly blessed me with a wonderful family that is always there offering me encouragement and support. I am so thankful for each and every one of them - see you all July 4th!!
