God's Grace

This has been a week that we have been truly blessed by the grace and protection of God. Although when reading this, it seems like a lot of back luck, but that is not the case. On Tuesday, while mowing for the park with the commercial lawn mower, Fred had a mishap. The slippery ground by the lake sort of just let go, the mower flipped over backwards an headed down the hill to the lake. Fred was either thrown off or jumped -it happened so fast that he really had no time to think - he was on the ground sliding to the lake with the mower, still running, right behind him. All he could think of was to cover his head and pray. He stopped just short of the lake - his toes were almost touching, the mower rolled over him and fell into lake. Someplace along the line, the mower hit his leg, causing a large spot where the skin was scraped off, and broke the small bone in his lower leg. I was not home at the time, so I was notified and came home to learn that he had been walking around, helping to get the mower out of the lake, etc. God's grace - yes. The mower could have hit him in the head, cut him seriously fell on him in the lake, etc. The keys, some of which are our personal ones, were on the counsel - when he finally stopped sliding, he picked up his head and saw the keys right in front of him and not in the lake also.  - the angels were certainly watching him that day.  I took him to his doctor, only to discover that she does not take workers comp cases, so just went to the ER - we were in and out in about 2 hours. The bone he broke was not a weight bearing one - the Dr said some people break theirs and never even know it. Now we have to see an orthopedic doctor tomorrow and deliver all the workers comp papers. It was sort of funny that in the ER, the Dr was almost shocked that it was a workers comp case - after all Fred is 75!!!! Today after church, we arrived back in the park when we heard a funny noise - the fan in the vehicle fell apart - probably from the heat we have here. Praise God that it happened after we were home in the park - another chore tomorrow as we go to the repair shop! As a result of all this excitement, we have had many visitors  causing this blog to be late today.

I have truly enjoyed working with the ladies on Friday - sewing our quilts or whatever project we all are working on. I finished the baby quilt for our new great grandson due in February, and learned that we have another great due in June! I  also am making a scrappy quilt for (my own enjoyment of sewing) to give as a gift. Guess I will be busy sewing.

Jaylen's quilt - not really a baby quilt but a youth size - one down, two to go (so far)

Even with Fred's leg in a splint, we have amazing friends who have stepped in and helped with the food distribution. Of course, Fred goes along to make sure everything is done correctly :-). We again fed about 90 families and are also collecting small hams for Christmas distribution.

We had a very relaxing Thanksgiving as we went to eat with friends - just relaxed over the meal. The chef was so very helpful and fixed a plate for Fred so I did not have to do so. I thought it was going to be a quiet day, but folks kept dropping in to see how he was doing - love the company of friends.

Today's sermon was so thought provoking: viewing the manger from the outside.  this series is based on the journeys people took to the manger - not only the physical place, but the social and cultural place. The magi were not Jewish, they were not from the area (it took them 2 years to follow the star to Bethlehem). They were not believers - had not studied the prophets, did not know that this was the spiritual Messiah. We all have our own locations from where we come. Everything looks different from the outside. The church we attend is beautiful from the outside - cathedral looking, huge, imposing. The sanctuary is actually n the gym - beautiful, but still in the gym. Quite different from outward appearances. Herod was also on the outside but looking for the manager born Messiah. He did not know when the star showed up, he did not know where Jesus was born. The Magi worshipped Jesus on their knees - when people encounter God, they worship in many different ways - on their knees, with their arms lifted high, flat on the ground. All people hear God in some way - the magi did not know God, but heard Him and  obeyed. We are on the inside while viewing the manger - we can minister to  those on the outside by welcoming them into the family of God.

Have a blessed week as we enter Advent and prepare for the birth of our Savior.

Thanksgiving

It is almost unbelievable to think that Thanksgiving is this week - with all the media revolving around the election and the aftermath there has hardly been time to even begin to think about giving thanks. When we got the newspaper this morning from our Sunday paper lady, she informed us that on Thursday she will have all the Black Friday ads - nope - not for me. No way am I going on there in the world on Black Friday. We need to just pray for all of those dedicated folks who have to work on holidays and nights - those in the medical field, the firemen, police and security that keep us safe, but let us not forget those who work the night shifts - those who, while we are sleeping, keep our world spinning as usual - the night factory workers, the shelf stockers at Walmart, those who work all night in restaurants and gas stations, the blue collar workers who keep our lives normal during the day. These are the forgotten workers who we seldom ever see but who are just as important as those whom we do see.

This week as I was enjoying the perfect weather and watching the water birds on the lake, a cormorant was swimming in the lake right after he dove and caught a fish. As he swam around with the fish in his mouth, an egret swooped down and tried to grab the fish from his month. All I saw was a flurry of wings and feathers - hooray, the cormorant won, swimming away with his catch. Had I just been on my way, not paying attention to all the wonders around  me, I would have missed this awesome moment. Take time to enjoy this amazing world.

This week we were so blessed as a lady (a resident of our park from Canada) arrived with 100 of those cute pillowcase dresses - sundresses made from pillowcases or fabric the same size as pillowcase. In each pocket in the front of every dress was a small toiletry item and a small new toy - yes, 100 of them!!! I was totally overwhelmed with emotion - that someone had taken the time to make these dresses, supply the toys and other items, and then send them by way of Canada to us for our ministry The most amazing part is that they come from Wyoming! I don't know how this ever came about but for the grace of God. The lady who fashions these dresses Enid Thompson (according to he newspaper article sent along with the dresses) does so in about 50 hours a year. She recently celebrated her 80th birthday and wants to continue to sew these sweet little dresses as long as there are volunteers to take them to those in need. It proves that person is never too old to do God's work.

an older embroidered pillowcase

                                                            just three of 100



This week we began our sewing get together as we all started or worked on projects. I just about have the quilt finished for our soon-to-be great grandson, a almost finished quilt was also being worked on by another frien, as well as new quilting projects, and items to be sold at the craft sale. We also began a new quilt project or two - I started an "Arkansas Crossroads" quilt - a scrappy quilt with over 600 small squares. It is not nearly as difficult as I thought and I am anxious to see it finished.

 getting ready to begin

 some visiting, some sewing - my project is on the left

 an amazing quilter with much needed advice to us novices

Judi - always ready and willing to help while working on her Arkansas Crossroads quilt

sewing purses for the craft show

Today we attended services at Mission Bell RV Park with Chaplain Jim  Maxson officiating. This was his first service  for the season ( Aatually his first Sunday at the park) which was very well attended. He spoke about the power of prayer - why, when, and how should we pray. Everyone prays in some form or another but does everyone expect their prayers to be answered?? And if so, do we often think our prayers should be answered immediately? Sometimes it takes many days, month, or years of praying to finally get an answer but usually when that answer comes, it comes with more blessing than we could ever imagine. Why do we pray? We pray for ourselves, for others (intercessory prayer), in an emergency, or for comfort. Sometimes we pray to make a deal - you know how that goes - Lord, if you would just grant me this, I will go to church every Sunday from now on, etc. God wants us to pray because He commands us to do so, He wants to have a relationship with us. Pray for everyone and everything everyday because it please God. When should we pray? Constantly. Pray at meals, bedtime, before, during, and after church series, when we need something, when we need something found or fixed, God loves to hear from us and wants us to pray, but is it different from when we want to pray?? He wants us to wake up, praising and glorifying Him, and to continue until we lay our heads down to sleep at night. How should we pray?? Should it be with our eyes closed, heads bowed or should it be standing up, raising our hands to the heavens? Should we pray alone or with friends, in private or openly?? God just wants us to pray earnestly, specifically, and confidently. Pray, knowing and expecting God to answer. Pray always, in all things, and in all manner. We all have needs so pray with grateful heats, all the time, live our lives in a prayerful attitude, and pray earnestly, specifically, and confidently.

As Thanksgiving Day arrives, thank God for all of His provisions, - then continue to pray constantly.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

For some reason, this blog did not want me to post pictures at all this afternoon - yep - I prayed and God answered!!!!!

November Rain

November has settled in here in S Texas, along with the fall rain, which is desperately needed. It is cooler, but nice enough to have the doors open and the fresh air flowing through the house.

Busy week as I finished sewing and tying the quilt top for our great grandson, due in February. Now just to finish the edges and it is ready to get out into the mail. I also started working on Arkansas Crossroads quilt - which is a scrap quilt. Now that I seem to have a bit more time, I can channel my talents (ha). I squeeze in a few minutes whenever I can.

Friday was a real blessing for Caring Hearts Ministry as we were able to feed 90 families. We were surprised by a special offering of carrots and apples (big, beautiful, ripe Delicious ones), which are a real treat for the ladies who pick up their boxes of produce. Some of the ladies could not wait and bit into the apple as soon as they received their boxes (each box contained only 4 apples, but such a welcome gift for the ladies). We never know what we are going to receive as donations, but it always seems to be enough. This coming Monday there is going to be a Thanksgiving distribution (rice, beans, canned goods, clothes, coats, etc) for many of the families. It is through God's provision and grace that we can help provide a little happiness in these people's lives, people who otherwise struggle just to keep warm and have a bit of food to eat. God is so good.

We had out first chaplain's meeting for the season on Saturday which was a great time for getting to know the new chaplains and re-acquainting ourselves with the ones from last season (although most of us keep in contact year round). When we had our week of training a few weeks ago, the entire training was video taped with no problems at all, except when it came to Dr. Bill Artherholt's day of "Spiritual Warfare".  3 videos were torn apart. The audio was unusable - even the backup video had holes in it.  After Dr. Bill's video, taping returned to normal. Same camera, same computer recordings, everything had not changed. Our IT man was stunned - he never saw anything like it before and it made no sense to him. Were outside forces preventing this portion of the training from being seen by others?? Satan is alive and well in this world.





As we have finally gotten over the election week, the country still is divided - do folks think that protesting the election will change the results?? The people of America have spoken, Donald Trump is our president-elect - period. If Hillary Clinton would have won the election, would the opposition have reacted in the same manner? On a sad note, at a school presentation here in the Valley last night, a video was shown immediately afterwords, portraying that Donald Trump would send all the illegals back (most of the population here is Mexican), and build a wall between Mexico and the US. The video was in very poor taste, shown after a public program at a public school. Many folks got up and walked out because it was biased and hateful. Whatever happened to  Christian values of love your neighbor - and our county's values of accepting the voice of the majority? People, wake up - American is the greatest county ever - why are you all trying to destroy it???  Enough of this for now, as I get really upset at ignorant people.

Today's sermon was based on family - we are all part of one. It is more difficult to end relationships with family, so you are virtually forced to be a part of it. Being a part of a family is hard work. Family relationships is one of the top stresses of people - trying to balance all different personalities is a stretch to say the least. Jesus certainly was not a part of a traditional family - he was sort of a loner except for His followers. His family thought He was out of His mind (Mark 3:21).  When told that His mother and brother were looking for Him, He asked who His mother and brothers were - "Whoever does God's will is My brother and sister and My mother." (Mark 3:35). God calls us to be accountable in our relationships, within family and friends alike. It is certainly easier to criticize friends than family - family will always be there, friends can leave you. God calls us to messy relationships also, as well as holy relationships (which are through the Holy Spirit). The holy relationships can actually  heal messy relationships. God calls us to be in relationship with His family which is truly more difficult than relationships with our immediate family. Treat your family like friends and your friends like family.

Pray this week for broken family relationships, for healing in the brokenness of family hurt and pride,
misunderstandings, and spiteful words.




.

American Graffiti

This sounds like a strange title for this week's blog, but something that I observed this week seems to want to stick in my mind. As we were traveling to pick up some canned goods for the ministry from an amazing couple in a nearby town, we had to wait for a long train to pass by. The drawing and art on the train cars were unreal in their beauty. I have often seen this type of graffiti before, but for some reason it really attracted me this day. The colors and talents just mesmerized me - my mind went wandering about the artists - where did they live, how old were they, what were their lives like (the train was quite long and I had not realized how long I pondered these things)? Can you imagine what could be accomplished if this talent was directed in God's direction - proclaiming His glory through art????  Are our lives similar to this thought?? We could accomplish so much for the Lord if we concentrated our talents and energy on serving Him.

It has certainly been an interesting week keeping us busy trying to juggle schedules - sometimes we had to put off what was planned until the following day because of "road bumps" that occurred. Fred had a toothache, so we managed to get in to see the dentist almost immediately. It was so cold in the office so I went outside to warm up as Fred was being worked on (why are the medical areas soooooooo cold?). When I came back in, I was told to go to the room where Fred was and ushered to a leather couch and presented with a warm blanket as I relaxed while the dentist finished his work. Never been in a dentist office like  before - the dentist was Dr. Victor V...... (something) from Russia and a strong Christian. After listening to Fred talk about Caring Hearts Ministry and CRM, he finished up, then informed his office staff that we were not to be charged, as he would accept just what the insurance paid and ask nothing more from us!! It amazes me that so many folks want to help and find creative ways to do so. The office staff was so friendly and kind and as we left they informed us they like cookies - so when Fred returns the end of the month, I will have a platter of homemade cookies for them. For the rest of the story - Fred has to have a tooth extracted next week when he goes to the specialist this week.

When delivering the produce on Friday with Doug (our winter help is beginning to arrive - Dean also helps Fred on Fridays so I can finally attend quilting classes!) Fred got a flat tire. He was so concerned because the families were going to arrive for their weekly distribution and no produce was there yet. After several phone calls (AAA, local tire services, etc) the tire was changed, some very wonderful folks involved in the ministry arrived, transferred the trailer to their vehicle along with the rest of the items and delivered them, although just a bit late. All in all everything worked out well. In the meantime, I was home trying to finish the quilt top for our great grandson Jaylen due in February.
The sewing machine kept jamming, up. Then the iron quit working, and I was getting frustrated. Guess ole Satan was trying to discourage us - didn't work though! Fred arrived safely home, got a new tire (the other one was unrepairable) for just $10 as we had purchased road hazard on the prior tires, I finished the quilt top, and got a new iron. All was well in our world.

As we enter a very important week with the upcoming election, we are all very concerned for our country. Pastor Robert's sermon this morning centered on Jesus' reply to politics and value, based on Matthew 22:15-22. A serious and dangerous subject in these times, but centered on what the Bible tells us to do. It is a known fact that someone will loose this election - the scripture verse is the answer of how Christ is calling the church to act on the results. We as a country need to support the president, no matter if that person is our desired candidate. Each one of them is made in the image of God according to Genesis 1:27. Every candidate falls short of the the glory of God - neither of them is perfect, but remains under the power of God. They have no power that God does not give them. God allows many things to happen and come to pass that we cannot understand - we pray for the correct person to be put in power according to His will, but then complain because it is not the person we favor. Many people feel cheated and angry if their candidate loses, but tend to forget that God is indeed in charge. Our primary identity is found in the One whose image we bear - that is where our identity is and where our loyalty belongs. 

Pray continually for this election to be God's will and not ours, that we strive to be the image of God in this broken world. Pray for our country as well as all of our churches to remain loyal to the One whose image we bear.