Tornado Weather

I forgot that here in NW AR tornados are pretty common. Yesterday was our daughter's 29th wedding anniversary, so we treated them to dinner anywhere. They did not feel like going out (I can't blame them as they live in a beautiful place in the woods, so we ordered Piology (if you have never been there you are missing some great pizzas). For instance I ordered a cauliflower crust with herbed oil, 3 kinds of meat, lots of wonderful veggies, a red sauce, 2 cheeses, and pesto added after baking.The pizzas are made to order, with anything and as much as you want on them, all for one price. We stopped to visit our other daughter on the way there and heard tornado warning alerts, so we quickly proceeded to pick up the order and head back home. We got caught in a torrential rain, but made it safely home just as the tornado warning was lifted. I had forgotten the  feeling as I felt the power and the majesty of the storm, just s we often feel the power and majesty of God - it is all around us and terrifying as well as exhilarating at the same time.

Last week was the beginning  of our annual sasuage/brat making.  Usually done on a week-end but this time made during the week - so being the only female around I was the go-fer! We made brats and a delicious kielbasa sausage which had to be smoked. The wonderful smells coming from the smoker made a person's mouth water. We make enough so that we can take it all back to the Valley with us to last until our next trip North. Today was the packaging and freezing day .

out of the smoker, ready to package after cooling

stringing the sausage on the rods

off to the smoker which is hot and ready

whew - lots of smoke and heat

don't know how our son-in-law can stand the heat/smoke 

happily smoking away

Saturday we celebrated the birthdays of two of our great grand children - Brielle who is 3 and Jaylen who is 1. Our granddaughter just combined their birthdays into one big day at Fun City, much like Chucky Cheese, etc. As the twin great granddaughters were also there, it was quite a feat to try to keep track of those little  munchkins as the were so excited and ran from here to there - boy are they fast!!!!

 great grandpa and Jaylen

 party girl Brielle on the left and the twins, Kinley and Kenzie

party time

 pretty Brielle

Jaylen wouldn't touch the cake, just daintily used a fork

An interesting day in church on Sunday as we were warned that the collection song was not the normal "church" hymn, but we were not to be offended as it all pertained to the  sermon given by Matt Tibbets (an amazing youth pastry at our church). The song??? - "A Boy Named Sue" - really????  There were actually 2 young folks in the congregation who never heard that song before!!! The song is based on a name that humiliated a man. The theme was that the man would not be around to raise his son and gave him that name so the boy would have to fight to survive. Words, a simple name, etc. dictate our lives. A single word can make us doubt ourselves. Our Words can steer our lives as well as those of others. How does our tongue steer our lives as well as the lives of others? Our tongue is a bridge from our heart to the outside world. What is in our heart is revealed by what we say. When we are tempted in our brain to commit sin, gossip, say unkind words, there are no consequences unless we actually speak it.  Our tongue either pushes people away or pulls them closer to ourselves. "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm".  Proverbs 13:20. So if you hang around those who speak the evilness of their mind, then you, too, will become like them. Words can either echo or confront the devil, Satan, who whispers lies in your ears. Stop and think before you speak - is what you say going to be true, is it helpful, inspiring, necessary, is it kind??