Simple Sunny Sunday

Today really a simple Sunday - we took a short detour this morning on the way to church to buy a Sunday paper from the neighborhood paper lady  ( she is perhaps in her late 40's). She is on the street every day and stays there until all of her papers are sold. I used to have the paper delivered on Sundays, but the cost was over $2 - I can buy a paper from our favorite lady for $1.50 (we give her $2) for which she always replies, "God bless you". After church services we began our search for a bed skirt. We have a beautiful quilt a friend made and I would like a matching bed skirt, Can you believe how difficult it is to buy a bed skirt in a store in any color except white, ivory, brown, or black?!!!  Sure, you can check online, but how can you determine the exact color? Oh for the old days of the 5 and dime when everything you needed was right there in the store and employees were readily available to help you. We will keep looking - the elusive bed skirt will show up one day soon.

so gorgeous and comfortable to sleep under

 

 

On Friday we picked up produce at Border Missions for the food and clothing ministry at Great Oaks Community Church. I was really unsure of the quantity of produce available due to the huge amount of rain the Valley has had this spring. Many of the huge fields have been plowed under as much produce had just rotted in the fields - some of the seeds never even germinated. The farmers could not even get into the fields to save some of the produce. We were amazed at the amount of produce available when we arrived in Hildago at Border Missions- many tomatoes, bell peppers, Mexican squash, bananas, cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, and loads of limes. What a blessing.

 normally these fields are full of veggies

 miles of empty fields

 both sides of the roads are barren

as far as the eye can see - nothing





 

 

 

I have noticed on my evening walk that the level of the lake has gone down some - even the water birds seem to be returning. We saw 6 whistler ducks when there were only 2 last week. Some of the great white egrets were also visible on the other side of the lake. We miss the birds on the lake and hope they all will return soon.

 

This morning Pastor Israel continued his series regarding the armor of Christ according to Ephesians by trying to define righteousness - being just, doing what is right (you cannot define a word by using the word itself), mora,l good , blameless, even upright. Being righteous is the absolute character of God. It is ironic that many of Chaplain Bill's sermons last year was based on many of these very verses. In Ephesians, Paul reminds us to be strong in the Lord and in His powers. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 10:12.  Temptation comes not only from the world but also from within.  In the Old Testament, it was pretty simple to appear righteous - follow the law, keep God's commands and everything is ok. But the standard was raised in the New Testament, as Jesus died for our sins and righteousness goes beyond keeping God's commands. Being righteous is not the heart of the problem, but the problem of the heart. How righteous is your heart: do you keep the law through faith? Faith in the resurrection, faith in the knowledge that Jesus wants a relationship with us, and all we have to do is believe in Him and we will be saved. Following the law of God is obedience to Him  and because we believe we strive to do what is right according to His law.

 

Continue to pray this week for those who are in physical need of prayer - the needs are many. If you cannot think of anyone who needs your prayers, pray anyway - God knows who they are.

 

 

 

Alamo - Here We Are

We left Arkansas early last Monday on our way to visit Chaplain Roy and Paula Gee in Joshua, Texas. It was a cool morning and a beautiful day for a drive. We did run into lots of rain, but nothing too terrible. Evidence of all the flooding all the way along our route was very evident though.

Roy and Paula also have twin great-grandchildren, theirs being a boy and a girl - Mac and Mallie. They, too, are miracle babies and such a blessing to parents, grandparents, and of course, great grandparents. We blessed with seeing the twins while we were with the Gees - thank you so much for Michelle (grandma) and Bailey (Mom) for bringing them over!!!

Mallie and Mac celebrating their first July 4th

Tuesday we drove with the Gees to Fort Worth to visit the "big city". Lots of skyscrapers, as well as beautiful historic old buildings. We wandered down to the stockyards just in time to see a cattle drive down the main thoroughfare (not a real one but fun to watch anyway). The old stockyards are all shops to entice the tourists, although there are a few stores with items for the real cowboys!

 here come the cattle

 now those are really long horns

a caballero or vaquero

 

 they look pretty docile - but.......

 lots of outriders to make sure the cattle don't bolt

no, they ate not going to the petting zoo - just up the ramp to the stockyards, waiting for their next trip down the street

 lots of barbeque places

 not sure about barbequed shrimp

Fred and Roy checking out the shops while Paula and I browse in other ones

 which one shall I chose - cheapest one was over $800

spurs anyone

wonder if Paula wished she married a cowboy???

 this little gal was a bit shy even though it was only a statue

 a distinguished gentleman sitting outside the Cattleman's Club - shown often in the "Dallas" series

After all this Western culture, what would the best place to eat be??? Joe T Garcia's, of course. The outside is very deceiving as it is very normal  and ordinary looking.

looks pretty similar to every Mexican restaurant you see - perhaps even a bit more uninviting

 surprise - this is the patio area - a virtual oasis in the bustle of a busy city

 beautiful fountains - we were lucky to be sitting at the table nearby when I took this picture

 a peaceful setting

 more breathtaking scenery - this restaurant seats 1000 (yes, 1000) people when it is really busy on Friday and Saturday nights. Glad we were there on a quiet day.

 some of the many exotic flowers

 

 Paula's hand compared to this huge leaf

We then decided to visit the botanical gardens, which were beautiful, but not in their full glory as preparations were being made for the big holiday week-end.

 

 normally the dark areas are filled with roses

 Roy now has wings

 and so do we

a quiet refreshing spot - it was very hot that day

 

We left Joshua and the hospitality of the Gees on Wednesday morning with the plans of being in Alamo in about 9 hours. As we traveled along, we noticed a detour on the highway - we were being re-routed along side roads as there was a huge accident and the highway was closed on both ends. After an hour of creeping along on tiny back roads, fighting for position with semis, we were back on our way. As we arrived in the Valley, again the signs of flooding were everywhere. Our lake has been overflowing to the point of the streets being flooded - at least it water did not rise above the curbs.

there is usually a steep bank down to the lake

 trees standing in the lake

usually this tree is on the bank of the lake

lots of rain did this

 we do not have the water birds we usually have - perhaps the lake is too deep as they are lake bottom feeders - sure hope they come back

 

 

As we attended church this morning, we listened as Pastor Holaday spoke of strengths in weaknesses. Paul had a thorn in his side and asked the Lord to remove it 3 times, but the Lord did not do so. Why?? Because of this weakness, Paul's ministry had strength, as others were sent in his place due to this thorn.  Paul wrote his letters rather than actually visiting the churches he wrote to because of the thorn. This was God's plan for Paul's message to be more effective. God's weakness is stronger than any human strength.

 

As we have celebrated the independence of our great country, remember that God and country are no longer linked. We are bound to obey the laws of the country, but are bound by faith to obey the laws of God, Let us be lovers, not haters!!

 

May God always bless the USA!!!

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Texas Bound

It is almost impossible to believe that we have been in Arkansas for 5 weeks already, and are ready to leave tomorrow on our way back to Alamo Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. As usual, we did not seem to find time for all that we wanted to do, but totally enjoyed our time here, despite the many downpours that seemed to happen so often.

We played hokey on Friday and took a trip to Eureka Springs - a place I always love to visit. Eureka Springs was a summer home for many of the rich landowners and agriculture barons who lived in the Arkansas Delta years go. They discovered the beauty and coolness of the Ozark Mountains, as well as the natural healing springs that we everywhere in the area. They came by the hundreds, built their beautiful homes, established businesses and churches where they could escape the heat and humidity of Southern Arkansas. Tough times for Eureka Springs came after the turn of the century. People’s attitudes were changing, putting more faith into science and new medical discoveries and less into healing waters. Though the automobile brought a resurgence of tourism in the 1920s, the Great Depression of the 1930s dealt a heavy blow. Many buildings were abandoned or torn down. ES was little more than a seedy semi-ghost town until the 1960s, when hippies discovered it at about the same time as Christian fundamentalist Gerald L. K. Smith. The Great Passion Play opened in 1968 in the hills above ES. Hippies revitalized the downtown section and springs, bringing art, music, and alternative ideas. In the 1970’s, while teetering on the brink of disaster, the town’s civic leaders decided to consult with theme park experts to see if some grand attraction could be lured to the area. To their surprise, they came to understand that Eureka Springs, Arkansas is a theme park. Efforts began immediately to preserve what was left of the Victorian Village that had been built nearly a century earlier. The whole of the Historic Downtown Eureka Springs and most of the buildings in it were placed on the Registry of Historic Places, one of only two such places in the country. Many of the buildings now house quaint stores and shops - hours of browsing can take at least an entire day. My favorite places are the quilt shops and "Two Dumb Dames ( a sweet
shoppe with the best fudge ever!!!).

a refreshing sight along the way - the American flag billowing in the breeze

the road cut through the rocky Arkansas soil

 a bit of topsoil - the rest is rock

 the road to Eureka Springs is crooked and steep for miles - one of the many warning signs

the beginning of an adventure

 

 amazing architecture

 one of many picturesque streets -

a palatial home - now a museum

 love this building - a person is always walking up or down streets

Historic Basin Street Hotel - said to be haunted 

one of the smaller homes built into the hills

entrance to the Great Passion Play - a must see if you visit Eureka Springs

 

 

 

On the way home we stopped at War Eagle Mill, another fun place to visit. A renovated undershot grist mill which is actually a working mill. Many types of stone ground flours and mixes are available for purchase, as well as a gift shop, many antiques, and a restaurant on the top floor which features beans and cornbread, and pecan, blackberry, or apple cobblers!

 

 the working grist mill

an undershot mill - the water enters from below and turns the water wheel

 

 

 

Today was our last Sunday at out home church - Prairie Grove Christian Church as well as out last Sunday School Class until we return next year, Pastor Vance finished his series in I Corinthians, reminding us to be intentional stewards of our money - always aware of the resources that He blessed us with. Our awareness should be on how we use these resources and our willingness to be cheerful givers. God rains blessings on us everyday - we need to return these blessings to Him - not only 10 fold, but however it is laid on our hearts to do. Stewardship is an act of worship, not a weekly chore! The more blessings He pours out on us, the more blessings we need to give back. We do not know what the future holds - our country is changing daily - but we need to keep on what we are doing for the Lord because our hope is in Jesus Christ.

 

Pray for us as we return to the valley - that everything we do is for the glory of God and nothing is a reflection on ourselves.