Summer Days

Although it is not officially summer yet, the weather certainly seems to think it is. It has really been hot and humid here in S Texas lately, with lots of stormy, rainy weather. We will be heading to Arkansas at the end of this month for two months - maybe then the allergies that I have be dealing with will be better there. I never have had allergies but the past two years it sure seems to have caught up with me. Lots of dry cough, runny eyes, and sneezing. Perhaps it is because something is always blooming here. Thanks to the rain, everything is still green and pretty, even the lake here at the park is full. The water birds and frogs seem to love it.Those big ole bull frogs are singing away in the evening, and hopping all over during the day.

We really need to pray for our country which seems to be totally out of control. We need God's intervention to bring everyone back to some sense of rational thinking and living. It has been difficult living with all of the restrictions due to the Corona virus, and now this rioting and looting going on. I understand the frustrations of the people with the injustices that are happening but burning down and destroying your own city is no solution. Most of the rioters are those who have no interest in the issues - they just incite others in order to cause confusion and chaos. How does setting cars on fire, smashing windows, and looting pertain to the death of George Floyd?? Violence does not stop violence, it only adds fuel to the fire

This last Thursday, a few of the ladies from the colonias (some of our loyal helpers) along with Ida came to visit Miss Opal and also us. We met at Miss Opal's house for a short visit and a few snacks, even a bit of reading from Psalms and a few songs in Spanish  Even with the language barrier, we all communicated well, and had such a wonderful visit. When they arrived at Miss Opal's, their first question was , "Where is Fred??" He did not join us at that time. Honestly - why were they so concerned about him - I was there wasn't I??? After we all left Miss Opal's, we went to our house. It was a time to relax with them, get to know them better in a different setting, and let them get to know us better as ordinary people, not just those missionaries who deliver food to them. It was our wedding anniversary week (59 years!!!) so I showed them pictures of our wedding, which created much discussion and even some more laughter.

God again blessed us with an abundance of produce for both of our deliveries this past week. We received 47 prepackaged boxes of food - large boxes with potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, beans, onions, and other items already boxed up and ready to hand out. It was a great time and energy saver for all of us. Along with our regular distribution, we served over 150 families. Severe storms were predicted for Friday, so we watched the weather and prayed. The rain and storm held off until we were returning home - thank you Lord!!

Pastor Vance continued his sermon this morning in the book of James which we again watched live on the computer.  Last week he discussed how was our attitude during times of trouble. This week was a big question - how do we deal with temptation during times of trouble. Our attitude and temptation and directly connected. During times of trial we are tempted to lose our trust in God. Why did He let this happen, where is He when I need Him, etc.We cannot use one bad thing to justify sins, exactly what is happening in our country today. We need to slow down and love others. God  wants spiritual truth and not religious nuts! The truth of our faith is through our hearts and the transformation of our hearts. When we face trials, we do need to slow down and act in healthy ways. There are things to help us handle temptation. One is to look at the source of temptation. We all are tempted and cannot trust ourselves to turn away from it. Do not blame God, do not blame your childhood, your spouses, or even your children. Adam blamed God for his sin - after all it was the woman whom God had created that made Him eat the apple. Eve blamed Satan for enticing her to eat the apple.  God is not the source of our temptation as He is holy and only wants the best for us. The real fault comes from our sinful desires. We are a sinful people. Another way to handle temptation is to look at the cause of temptation.There is a definite pattern for our temptation. There is desire - we are lured by outside influences. One of the lures is that we feel sorry for ourselves, so we justify our desires. We feel that we deserve to act in sinful ways and disobedience which gives way to sin.It is not a sin to be tempted, but it is a call to battle. We have to make a choice to resist temptation. Sin births death which is the separation from God. The third way to handle temptation is the conquering of the temptation. Satan tried to confuse us about the goodness of God. God's goodness does not change. He is good all the time. God's way are the best ways. Remember who we are - we are children of God. We have the power to resist temptation - it is the power of the spirit within us. We can win the victory of the trails that we face today. 
 

Thank You for Your Service

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

Remember to take the time on Memorial Day to honor all of those who gave their lives so that we can be free of oppression, free to live in a country where we can express our views without fear of reproach, and free to work as we choose. Think of the many, many young men who fought for this freedom, dying on foreign soil, and never having the privilege to live their lives in the country they swore to protect. 

We had a wonderful distribution for the ministry on Tuesday - ample amount of produce, rice, and packaged food to hand out, although we did not invite folks to come pick it up. On Tuesday's we are packing the baskets (boxes) to be delivered by our loyal ladies. This cuts down on the time we need to hand out individual boxes and clean up. It works out well on Tuesdays. This past Tuesday, we celebrated a belated Mother's Day with gifts for all as well as a wonderful "snack" - really a full meal of chicken mole, mashed potatoes, cactus (napoles) salad, a traditional Mexican pasta salad, fresh fruit, flan, pina colada cake, tortillas, fruit and marshmallow dessert, French breakfast puffs (my contribution) and of course, the ever present green noodles. All of the ladies took part in providing some of this wonderful food,  which gave us chance to sit and enjoy each other's company, keeping social distance. Our gifts were an array of pampering items - soaps, hand towels, a manicure set, toothpaste and toothbrushes,along with an inspirational note that we each filled out and attached to each gift. Ida gave a short devotional on the importance of women in God's eyes, as well as in our daily living. We all miss the hugs and closeness of being able to physically show each other how much we all mean to each other. 

Ida with our gifts - including a package of oregano and oil flavored crackers, and a small package of oatmeal, nuts, and a cooked apple mixture to add to the oatmeal.

Children's Haven resale shoppe reopened last week, so I worked my Wednesday morning shift, with a mask and many changes. We are now protected while taking money with a plastic barrier, 2 of us always work together, spaces marked  for social distancing, a limit of 10 shoppers at a time in the store, everyone gets a squirt of hand sanitizer when entering the building, we use sanitizer each time after handling money, and wipe down counters, door knobs, etc, often. The restroom/-dressing room is not open as we do not want have to wipe it down after each use.. We had very good sales on opening day, even our Wednesdays ales were good. It was nice to be back working and able to talk to our loyal customers. 

Friday was another good distribution day, as we served over 100 families. The girls spoil us terribly, never allowing us to unload the produce or carry boxes to cars. We help all that we can to save them steps and hurry the loading process along. They again surprised us with a cooling drink (it was very hot and humid) of horchata (the h is silent). It is a cinnamon rice drink ad very good. We always have a good time together, even with the language barrier. 

This morning was a soft reopening of our church in Prairie Grove, with all social distancing rules applied. Only a certain number were allowed to attend the live service, having to make reservations first. The at risk individuals were encouraged to watch it online. We did so as we are still in S Texas, but will be leaving the end of June for a 2 month haitus. Hopefully at that time we will be able to attend in person. Pastor Vance's sermon series comes from the book of James. He was Jesus' half brother, the biological son of Mary and Joseph, along with a few more brothers and sisters. Most of the family did not really recognize Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah. James finally realized and understood who He really was after the Resurrection. His book of the Bible is all about being a person of God 24/7. Faith without works is dead. A person does not really believe something until it is acted upon. James tries to show us what we believe and how to live it. If God is really bigger than we are, then it should show through us. 

James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem during the persecution of the Christians, so this was his letter to the Jewish Christians who were scattered and going though trials because of it. How you respond to times of trouble reflects your faith. It is said that Christians are like a tea bag, you don't know the flavor until it is put in hot water!! There are 5 responses we need to remember as we go though trials and troubles. 

1) We need a joyful attitude. We will face trials of many kinds. God will test us to bring out our worth. Our attitude should be to consider it all joy. Look at our difficulties and realize God can use us for His purpose. This is really a command, Reaction to a problem is a negative, response is a positive. We normally immediately react to a problem, rather than wait and respond to it. If you read last week's blog, you saw my reaction to a problem I though as insurmountable, but when I stopped trying to fix it myself, and asked God to take over the problem was resolved quickly. 

2) We need an understanding mind. We know we can understand our that our trails are designed by God to test our faith. We need to have perseverance and patience. We need resistance to build our spiritual muscle.

3) We need to surrender. We need to really surrender our will to the Lord. Let the testing do it's work - it may not be resolved the way you perceived it, but it will be according to God's  plan. Surrender is also an active response. 

4)We need a prayerful heart.  :If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you". James 1-5. Pray for the wisdom to pray for God's help You need to believe that God will answer - be prepared to receive this answer even though it may be different than what you expected. 

5) We need to keep our eyes on the prize. When we are brought down by trials, we are forced to  look up! Eternal life is the ultimate prize - be prepared to receive it.

Take time on Monday to give thanks to all who gave their life so that we can live ours!! If you see a service person, take time to thank them for their service Those few seconds you go out of your way to thank them will mean a lot to them. 

Lesson Learned

This week as been more than interesting. I had a situation that involved a series of steps which seemed to be almost impossible. I was truly frustrated running into brick walls every where I turned. I made a phone call to one office 34 times in a row one day, never getting through. I went to bed that evening with my mind in a whirl, trying to figure out the problem that I had been working on for 3 days, worrying and fretting. And then I stopped, and thought, oh my goodness. I need to pray about this - so I did. A thought popped into my head "call a different office", actually speicfying which one I should call. Seeing this as Friday, I had to wait until Monday - there was a certain peace over the weekend when another piece of the puzzle popped up - one that could create another road block.  On Monday morning I made 2 calls,  got wonderful advice, called the previous number, and got through on the 3rd try. After about 5 minutes, problem solved.  Now just the last step to be done before all is good. Luckily, one of our daughters is going to follow through on that for us. Why do I always try to solve everything by myself, not realizing that God has the answer - He already has the problem worked out. I just needed to ask Him!!

The  pandemic we are experiencing right now is going to change a lot of normals in our lives. We are certainly going to have many new normals. One of them is the fact that more and more folks will be working from home rather than an office. A lot of companies are already preparing fr this. I am sure that for a lot of people it would be a great way to work, but after I began thinking about it (this slow time gives me lots of time to think!), I wonder how that would work in the long run. I would not want to work from home. Think of all the relationships that I would have missed out on - the friendships formed that have lasted for years, the thrill of learning something new from someone else almost everyday, no matter how trivial or mundane. One of the ladies I worked with passed away just recently - I think God for her friendship. She taught me that no matter what, life goes on, life is made to live every day, that doing thing spontaneously was great fun, and there is really is no norm to the way some things are done. I will always remember her. Working from home would have not allowed me this privilege. It may be perfect for others, but I truly believe human interaction is good for a stable life.

Tuesday was a perfect example of right church, wrong pew. I thought we were having Mother's Day quiet celebration for a few of our loyal helpers in the colonias, but, wrong day. It is going to be this coming Tuesday. I made small loaves of cranberry bread for each lady, as well as a blueberry coffeecake (with real maple syrup) for a dessert. Needless to say, the ladies received their treat early as well as an additional treat of blueberry coffeecake. So -- on to baking tomorrow for another try at a dessert. Our produce is slowing down a bit, so on Friday we limited each car to only one box of food for each vehicle. Sometimes folks receive more as they collect it for others, but we had to do this to make sure everyone got something. I felt really sad about this, but realize we need to do this for a bit. We did receive 400# of beans and rice, so will be distributing it this week as a fill in. We just pray that we will have enough to continue this much needed food distribution. Luckily, most of the folks who pick up food know of other places that also provide free food, so hopefully they will continue on to collect more. The ladies always seems to surprise us all with some sort of treat - Friday it was slices of fresh, cold, watermelon. Love these sweet ladies.

Our home church in AR will be having a soft reopening net week - but will still continue online services. I enjoy the online services for now, but still want the fellowship with others in a "normal" church atmosphere. Vance's sermon this morning related to our world today, taken from Hebrews 12:26-29. Vance told of the earthquake in AR a few years ago - a milder one but noticeable for sure.
Earthquakes make you run for solid ground. Today's world is like a huge earthquake - shaking the whole world.  Another shaking is coming, the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. the things that we are now experiencing us has shaken u indeed. As Vance so aptly stated "there is a whole lot of shaking going on". (Groan) This can shake our faith but it can be used on a productive way in our lives. God shakes us with things that temporary to show us what is eternal. God shakes us so we can take hold of things that are eternal. What we will learn after this Covid19 outbreak? What will God use to teach us? What is eternal? Hopefully it will reinforce our relationships with God and others. It will be our hope in Jesus. God is using this to work towards greater things. Let this be a time of learning,a time to reevaluate our lives. God will shake us so we won't bake! God wants to invite us into His kingdom. It cannot be shaken. We are experiencing this kingdom now in this time of uncertainty. Jesus Christ is the same a today as He was yesterday and will be forever.He is unshakable. His kingdom is exclusive, though. You have to trust Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. Be a part of the kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Be safe - practice social distancing, and wash your hands often. 

Quiet Day

A quiet Sunday although a lot of the days seem like that lately. Things have again loosened up here in S Texas - we did get a chance to get our hair cut. The roads are a lot busier than they have been and the stores are more crowded also.

We are having sort of a Mother''s Day celebration in the colonias on Tuesday, with just the girls who help, and Ida, too. Guess the girls are cooking something - not sure what but just a little treat I guess. I made some cranberry bread for the ladies - we also were donated walnut meats, so will give the girls each a package of that. Ida is making some sort of little gift, also. We will practice social distancing, as we do every distribution day, and at least will get a chance to relax after we distribute the boxes of food. We had an abundance of food again this last week - although on Tuesday we had to go to 2 different distributors to make sure we had enough. We even got packages of Velvetta cheese for everyone on Tuesday. I am always surprised at what we receive. We have been taking a few more donuts, also, as we want to add extra to their boxes as extra is needed right now. Some of the folks who pick up their food precede on to the next distribution point in the Valley nearby to collect more food for their families. Those teenage boys demand a lot of food. We had 5 young boys helipng on Friday - they certainly made the work load lighter for all of us.

little loaves of cranberry bread for the ladies.

Happy Mother's day to all  of the Mothers out there. We are a mothers whether we have biological children or not. We mother every one - loving and caring for them all. One of our daughters has no children of her own,. but lavishes her affection on the nephews and nieces. She does have two very spoiled fur babies though!

We try to keep in touch with all those we know, even if it is through phone calls or the internet. Even those in the park who we do not see very often. Please be very careful when making purchases during these troubled times. A friend bought 2  pair of shorts at Wal-Mart. Their fitting rooms were not open. so he bought his normal size. Upon getting home, he tried them in - way too small. Incorrect sizing. Trying to return them, he was told store policy at this time does not allow for returns or exchanges. When he asked when he would be able to do so,he was told probably never. Check with the store's return policy before purchasing.

Vance's sermon this morning related to the last chapter in the book"The Story". It was difficult to try to summurize the whole Book of Revelation in one sermon, but, as usual, Vance did an amazing job. God has an upper story plan as well as a lower story plan for His people. He has a plan to redeem and restore us. The first book of the Bible and the last book of the Bible relate to each other. Genesis starts with the fellowship of God and man, Revelation relates to the restoring of that relationship with man. We shouldn't avoid Revelation because it seems too hard. It has a message for us today. It does not record specific dates on the calendar of when and how the world will end, but it does prove that the Lamb was slain to rectify and save us all. It provides illustrations to get us home safely. We all need hope and confidence, more so today than ever. Believing in God will get us into trouble in today's world just as it did for the early Christians. John, who wrote Revelation, was the last of the living disciples of Jesus. The Book of Revelation has one central character, that character is Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain for us. Jesus told John to write Revelation to show us what we have, what is in now, and what is to come. Stay faithful to Jesus because He has won and you will win through Him. God's team wins!!! In the middle of adversity, we will be challanged with painful repercussions: you may lose your job, your family, your finances even your lives. This  may cause us to move away from Jesus. We may be tempted to blend into today's culture so that we won't seem to stand out as Christians. Stay faithful to Jesus because He has already won. Don't give into today's culture.. Look at who is on the throne! God is soverrign. He is in charge. Look at what lies ahead. God has got this - He is there. Help is on the way through faith in Him. Jesus will come again. The lower story is for us to pick a side, don't be stupid people, pick God's side.

Release

We have been partially released from shelter at home lock up as of last Monday. I was really surprised when some of the restaurants were opened that there were not lines of people trying to get in. Things are pretty quiet in that area, but there were long lines people standing 6 feet apart, waiting to get into malls! How crazy is that? I cannot relate to being able to shop more freely and then standing in line to get into a  mall. Guess I never was a big mall shopper. I just feel blessed that I can go grocery shopping and not have to stand in line or find the shelves empty. I am sure soon we will be able to return to normal living - although I do believe we will have a new normal.

As we were doing some food pickup the other day, I noticed a huge billow of black smoke coming over the border from Mexico. It seemed to have been carried for miles in the sky - black and ugly looking. Found out later that it was a junk yard just over the border on fire. It really made me think that that smoke was just like rumors and gossip. It started out small, then carried in the wind for many miles, ugly and dark. Once it had been released, it was impossible to call it back, nor change it's path. Just stop and think of the effect it has on everyone and everything - be careful of what you say and do not get involved in idle gossip. Even if you are with a group who is gossiping and say nothing, just being there creates suspicion.

junk yard burning in Mexico

We are still doing 2 distributions a week as long as there is enough produce for everyone. Luckily, we are still getting an abundant supply to help fill everyone's need. This last Friday, the girls who help us decided to make us all a cool drink. We had received pineapples, oranges, and limes. Sometimes some of the produce is not good enough to hand out, so it goes in a box to be feed to the animals that the people have. So the girls took a bad pineapple, cut out the good parts, squeezed some oranges and limes, added a bit of brown sugar that was donated, added ice, and Wow what a wonderful, refreshing drink. It was a warm sunny day so it really hit the spot. Earlier that day, one of the girls brought us fresh coffee, and some sort of baked item. It looked like a pancake, but was the consistency of an Italian pizelle. It was very good - tasted almost like a pizelle without the anise flavor. The ladies spoil us a lot!

The weather has been unseasonable hot , especially for this time of year. We definitely need rain,and a bit of cooler weather. Most of the folks who leave early but were still here left on Thursday and Friday, so the park is very quiet and settling  in for the summer season. As things slowly open up, we anticipate that we will be getting busy with more donations, but until then we continue find time for some down time for us..

I have been keeping busy reading (thank goodness we have a library here in the park with a lot of reading material!), and sewing. So far have finished 3 queen size quilt tops and a wall hanging, as well as made two covers for Bibles which were in great need. Also have made a few masks for ourselves - everywhere you go people are wearing masks - a  lot of business require that a person wear a mask to enter. Fred has been doing a bit of honey-do work, and getting caught up on old westerns! 

Church online this morning with Prairie Grove Christian Church and Pastor Vance Eubanks. Vance has been preaching on the "The Story" - the Bible in the form of a novel. Today's sermon  was the last chapter in Acts - Paul's final book in Acts. Today, as well as in Paul's time, we are looking for hope and security in troubling times.Paul is in prison finally in Rome after 3 journeys of  spreading the word. He is not in a prison as such, but sort of under house arrest (shelter at home?). He spent the time writing letters to the churches which became many books of the Bible. He was finally released and traveled a few more years, continuing his work. Then began troubling times. Nero became ruler (a bad one at that) and burned Rome, blaming it in the Christians. Paul was again arrested in Rome where he wrote his last letter - this one to Timothy. He encouraged him and all of the followers to continue to race to spread the word of God, just as God is encouraging us to do today. How do we carry this to our generation? We need to guard our confidence - God's got this. It is always in the middle of a struggle that you need to place your trust in God the most. The enemy will attack your circumstances to undermine your confidence in God. Your circumstances do not need to determine your level of confidence. Guard the gospel. Keep it unharmed and unchanged. The methods of spreading the gospel has changed but not to message itself - the way to God is through Jesus Christ. Because the gospel is valuable, it is vulnerable. God won't give you a job without giving you the power to get it done. Nothing can keep us from sharing our hope in Christ. The church of God will not be stopped.