Holiday Season

Halloween will be here this week, followed shortly by Thanksgiving in less than a month, and then Christmas in 4 weeks after that. It does not seem possible that the time flies by so quickly. I tend not to look that far ahead, only concentrating on each holiday coming up first. Halloween used to be so much fun when the girls were little. Living in North Central Wisconsin, we had to either make or purchase ( I mostly made) costumes large enough to fit over snow suits!!! So the little pumpkins and ghosties were really plump. Walking through the crisp, cold evenings with kids all over the place, hollering "Trick or Treat" was a real experience - followed by returning home to the warm house. As the girls removed their heavy clothing, as a parent, I took the privilege of checking their candy stash, looking for a few of my favorites. Yes, I really did that.

After Halloween, thoughts turned to Thanksgiving -  turkey, dressing, cranberries, pumpkin and apple pie, and football games. The best part was the gathering of all the relatives, the enjoyment of being together for a day of bonding and giving thanks for God's favor and mercy. The day after Thanksgiving was a special day for me, as Fred would go off deer hunting, and I would start planning Christmas baking, making all of the roll out cookies that day to be decorated later on. No shopping, as most of the  Christmas presents were already made (yes, I said made). There were some store bought items, but the fun was seeing the joy as handmade gifts were unwrapped. I remember one year when one of the girls thought she had lost her favorite doll (which I had found and hidden). After they all went to bed in the evenings, I sewed new clothes for Dollie and she reappeared under the tree with all her new togs. Yes, I do admit I love the gift giving, but always remembering the greatest gift of all. (I guess my ramblings have gotten away from me). Try to make these 2 months of holiday bliss meaningful to you and your family by giving thanks every day for something, no matter how small it may seem. Then prepare yourselves for the birth of our Lord and Savior at Christmastime.

This week we celebrated the 85th birthday of one of our residents with cake and punch.
There were not to many of us there, as most have not yet arrived here at Alamo Rec Veh, but it was a great fellowship time - wishing Evie Happy Birthday. We soon will be celebrating her husband's 90th birthday. Both of them are doing well physically, are members of our church family, and love life to it's fullest.

birthday girl

 

Jack and Evie - a fun couple

Pastor Israel finished his series of "It Matters" with an important message of finishing well. In 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Paul is at the end of his 30 years of ministry, reflecting on the fact that he fought a good fight for the Lord, spreading His word throughout the land, finishing the race while keeping the faith. He is looking forward to the crown of righteousness, promised to him by the Lord. What an amazing testimony. In this Scripture, he is encouraging young Timothy to continue the fight, keeping the faith, and running a good race. It is important to realize that how you live your life today will determine how you see yourself at the end of the race.  Was your life an offering to God, did you finish the race being faithful to Him, and are you looking forward to a victor's crown?? It is never too late to get it right.

 

Chaplain Bill and Ali Artherholt arrived last week, ready to begin ministering to the residents here at Alamo Rec Veh. As we begin the season, pray for all 4 of us as we step forward in Christian love, preparing to continue the race by always being faithful to Him. Please pray for the Church @ Alamo Rec Veh, Chaplain Bill, the musicians, praise team, all of the electronics, the church board,  even for us,  as we proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord.  

 

More Reflections

Pastor Israel's sermon this morning was a continuation of his series "It Matters". Today's message was based on the fact that prayer matters. He encourages us to reflect back on the times in our lives where we remember that God answered our prayers. He always answers our prayers - maybe not as we expect Him to, but He always answers. We seem to remember the times that made biggest impact on our lives - maybe even forgetting those answered prayers that destined our lives. How you pray is important and is directly related to the Lord's prayer, as this is how the Lord told us to pray. Matthew 6:9-13. Not only is how you pray important, but when you pray is just as important. Our Lord directed us to pray continuously, in reverence and sincerity. Some important points to remember are that when you pray, you pray in worship of God, surrendering yourself to His will, putting your trust in Him, reconcile (forgive) others, remembering that God protects us from temptation, and giving Him the glory. Many people stood up and testified a time in their lives when God answered their prayers - with one lady stating that God answers her prayers everyday as she faces the challenge of  being the lone caregiver of her husband who suffered a stroke. My personal prayer answer came last year as I prayed often and always for twin great granddaughters that seemed to be in grave danger of never being born. Today they are normal, amazing, little girls, who melt my heart whenever I see a picture of them. God answers prayers and I give Him all the praise and glory for Kinley and Kenzie,

God's miracles with their Grandpa Scott Wilken

The evenings are still cool and blissfully quiet as I walk, carrying a walking stick with me, as there are a few dogs still getting into the park. They probably are more afraid of me than I of them, but I feel safer with a stick!!! The quietness makes me think of how the Garden of Eden must have been with soft evening noises of animals, no traffic or loud music, just peacefulness and a feeling of perfect contentment. I sometimes see a few others enjoying walking during this down time before settling in for the night and suppose there will be many more as the Winter Texans filter down.

 I believe they were moving along and not parking

more whistlers looking for a place to snuggle in for the night 

 the egrets look like lights on a Christmans tree

 

 the lake looks so peaceful in the evening

 

the moon through the trees

 

 a few more glass flowers sprouted up by the cactus

This week was spent readying everything for The Church @ Alamo Rec Veh which will begin services on November 2nd. Chaplain Bill and Ali Artherholt should be arriving this week as we plan for this first service. As it is  the first Sunday of the month, Ali and I will be baking cookies to honor those with birthdays and anniversaries in November, as well as restocking the card supply for  the "We Care" program, preparing for the first CRM gathering, and finalizing plans for our ladies conference in February. Our church board president scheduled the church board to serve donuts during the month of November, probably not realizing that church board members would not all be here by then (but then maybe she did!). Looks like it will be the Chaplains serving donuts.

 a project accomplished - all of the communion trays washed and ready to be used.

Need also to wash the church linens this coming week, but I do enjoy doing these things - sort of like list of items to be crossed off with a feeling of accomplishment.

 

As many of our friends will be traveling here from their Northern homes, let us pray for travel mercies for them all. Pray for the families of those that are not returning here, but have gone home to the Lord. Sadly, some are returning to place their homes up for sale for various reasons. We will miss them as they have become part of our Texas family, but know that they will always be in our hearts.

 

  

 

 

 

Refelctions of the Week

Unbelievable that another week has gone by. This morning we were discussing where we had used so much vehicle gas this past week - upon further discussion,  we realized that we were on the road every day of the week - church services, Bible Study, delivering produce to the food ministry, and volunteering at the CHI resale store, not to mention the grocery shopping and RX pickup. Luckily gas is $2.91 a gallon - it really helps out a lot. But the time goes so quickly when we are busy. With the return of the Winter Texans and the start of church services here at the Park, our days will truly be full.

Uriel, one of our college boys at the refuge in Reynosa graduated this last week with a degree from a technical college. We are so proud of these kids who go on to school in order to ensure a better life style for themselves. What an amazing role model they portray for the kids still in school at RIN - a living proof that they, too, can be whatever they want to. About a year ago we were saddened at the loss of 3 brothers from RIN as their mother, through devious plans, managed to pull her boys from the refuge back to the streets of Reynosa. But God had a plan in mind!!! This last week, all three boys returned to RIN, with the assurance that they would never have to go back to the living conditions that were way less than desirable. We don't know what took place in the period that they were gone, but the oldest boy was asked if he wanted to press charges against his mother. He declined to do so, thus proving that the loving care he received previously at the haven softened his heart, allowing him to forgive his mother, just as God forgives all of us. What a powerful message.

This week as we volunteered at Border Missions, there were 2 people who really impacted my life and proved that God is really alive!!! Jesse, a preacher from Pharr, Texas, presented his testimony, both in English and Spanish. At a young age, he was involved in a gang and as he stated it, fell further and further into sin. From what I understood, he was sort of the leader of a very bad gang in the area. Unfortunately (at the time), he was incarcerated and thrown into solitary confinement after being beaten by the authorities. His gang members also were put in jail, and looked up to him as their hero, certain that all charges would be dropped and they again would be free to terrorize the neighborhoods. While in solitary, Jesse cried out to the Lord, whom he had abandoned even though he been raised in the Word. He talked to the Lord, cried out to Him, and prayed for three days, asking, "Lord, you said You would always be with me. Why did you leave me?" After three days he got his answer, "Jesse, I did not leave you, you left Me". This statement really impacted me for some reason. I knew it to be true, but to hear it from Jesse really got my attention. Like when you read Scripture for perhaps the 10th time, then all of a sudden it hits you right in the face??  To make a longer story shorter, he went before the judge and jury to be sentenced for up to 25 years in prison. The jury all declared he was FREE - not to serve anytime in jail. That day, 25 years ago, Jesse turned his life over to God.

As we were waiting for the church service to start that afternoon, we talked to an amazing Mexican lady named America. She married a widow man with 6 children, and then they had 1 of their own. They lived in Reynosa (as they still do) and were very poor - raised all sorts of animals for food, such as chickens, pigeons, ducks, geese, pigs, and rabbits. In time they raised 10 more children - children from poor families who did not even have papers registering their birth. They did not know the name of one young girl whom they named Anna Christina. America and her husband managed to put all these kids through school, some even went to college. She said that even that they were indeed poor, she was rich in her heart!!!! What sacrifices they must have endured to see that all of "their children" found a better way of life. My life is so very insignificant compared to hers and my sacrifices minute.

One evening as I was walking later in the day, the sun was just setting. As I turned in  the other direction, there was the Blood Red Moon. A truly magnificent sight - I was totally awestruck. It was a quiet evening - the birds were not singing, but just getting ready to settle in for the evening.

 the sun setting in the palms

 the moon is not as red as it was in reality, but it is still beautiful in the picture

a family of whistlers, taking their last swim of the day

 

a white egret, checking out the area before roosting

 

 

Pastor's Israel's sermon this morning was based on "How You Serve Matters". We have to see the need and have compassion (as in America's case), the power of God is unexpected (as in Jesse's case), and when God is at work, our needs will be satisfied, ( as I like to believe happens in our ministry). This is all based on the gospel of Mark 6:30 and following (as well as the in Matthew, Luke, and John) - the loaves and fishes.  Keep your antennas up to see a need this week and compassionately fill that need. Do it all for God's glory and for none of your own.  

 



   

Remembering and Forgetting

October brings some migrating birds (where ARE those hummingbirds!), but also the beginning of the largest winter migration - Winter Texans or Snow Birds. A few couples have wandered back to our park, as well as a few new ones. Next week promises to see a trickling of a few more (the snow in the North have pushed them South). Our Chaplain Bill and wife Ali are also due to arrive in a few weeks, as well as the rest of the CRM Chaplains in the area, ready to start services in the parks by November 1. We are going to have quite a few changes in our church services this year (not the service itself  but the praise and worship part of it) so please pray for us that all changes will be for the better, but most important, are to the Glory of God.

With the coming of the winter season here in the park, I won't have as much spare time as I seem to have now. Although we do keep busy with the food and clothing ministry, Border Missions soup kitchen,  and volunteering at the resale store for Children's Haven, we still have time for relaxing hobbies. Fred relaxation consists of mowing - with all the rain and heat we have had, the lawns here at the park have gone wild, so Fred is helping the maintenance crew catch up on mowing. It keeps him busy and allows me the free time to do some fun stuff.  My latest glass creations are flowers from vases and candle holders - they slip over a metal rod stuck in the ground to look like sparkly flowers. I also have been practicing my spinning. Grrrrrr - all I spin so far is lumpy stuff, but it is getting better.

they really do sparkle when the sun shines on them



close up of glass flowers

We have some wonderful produce donated to Great Oaks Food Ministry this week - beautiful peppers, limes, squash and tomatoes, as well as bakery items and tortillas. Because God blessed us with so much extra, we again were able to share with another church. He seems to know our needs before we can even determine them ourselves.
When we see people leaving the church with bags of fresh produce and bakery items, we know God has lead us here for a purpose.

 look at all those beautiful peppers, squash, and tomatoes

limes and cucumbers, too

 

 

We ventured over to the Mexican market (pulga) next to our park the other day to get a few sweet onions and found those delightfully delicious little bananas. They look like a banana, with a thinner skin, and taste just a bit different. I used a few with mango, pineapple, and spinach in my morning smoothie - simply heavenly. Do you suppose there are fresh fruits in heaven, or do we just live by the fruit of the Spirit??? 

 

see how tiny the banana is compared to a dinner fork? I am going to find out if they have a different name than little banana!

 

There is a really weird tree growing here in the park (actually lots of them). I may have  mentioned it before, but the leaves are different from each other - it is very beautiful but certainly not like any trees that I have been used to. I imagine they will all turn the same color eventually but for now they are certainly unique.

 

 some of the leaves are green and some are pink and green



 the branches are very long and lined with leaves





 

Pastor Israel's sermon this morning was sort of a continuation of last week's sermon, entitled "What You Do Matters". Chameleons change their color in order to blend in with their environment, but Christians should not blend in. People should be able to tell that we are Christians just because we do not act like many others. So many times people are raised in a Christian family, only to fall into the temptation of the world because they forget what they had learned, just as the Israelites did after they crossed into the dessert after 400 years of captivity. They forgot that God parted the Red Sea, that He provided food (manna) and water (from the rock). He lead them towards the Promised Land in a cloud, promising them a land of milk and honey. Because forgetfulness is a part of our human nature, we need to ask God to remind us of what we are supposed to do. We can do this by daily devotions, Bible study classes and listening to the Word of God. Temptations are out there and can overcome us when pride enters the picture so stand strong in Christ.

 

Continue to pray for Israel. Why should we pray for Israel? First and foremost because human souls are suffering, struggling and fighting to survive there amidst physical, political and spiritual warfare. Why pray for Israel? You should pray for Israel because God commands our support and aid of Israel throughout the Bible. We hope that you will join us in prayer for the State of Israel.

  

Lemons and Limes

We have received so very many lemons and limes from those who have trees growing in their yards. The lemons were a bit different- from a church family member who has a Mexican lemon tree producing a lot of these amazingly juicy lemons, not to be confused with the large Valley lemons. I squeezed quite a few and made a pitcher of lemonade - not enough for a lemonade stand, but enough for  us to enjoy. We also received a huge quantity of key limes. They also are very juicy - I froze 7-1/2 cups to use in baking and mixing into my Mexican Hibiscus tea. There were still extra limes which I shared with neighbors.

just one half of the limes waiting to be squeezed

The large influx of hummingbirds just has not happened yet. We had a flurry a few weeks ago - about 10 or so tiny creatures, and we were sure that the rest would be soon following. So far the few that were here left, leaving only the local few birds. Maybe they are late getting started this year?? We did hear that the migration route was changing, so maybe we will not see the hundreds that we have always seen. We did have an Oriole here this morning - sorry for the photo through the blinds and screen, but I did not want to scare him away.

he looks like he is telling everyone else about the tasty breakfast

 

 

I know that I have talked about Prairie Grove and Fayetteville Arkansas , but I love both of these cities. Prairie Grove is the home of our Arkansas church family which truly believes in Loving God, Loving Others, and Serving Others. Yesterday was the Great Serve Day which allows everyone in the congregation to serve the community in some way. Usually the activities are lined up beforehand - raking, repairing, cleaning, painting, whatever it takes to serve the community. The church staff does not only encourage everyone to participate, but they themselves get involved. One very special young lady, who is wheelchair bound, abandoned her wheel chair to lay on the ground and weed around the Senior Center. I so much love Prairie Grove Christian Church and am proud to be a part of this congregation knowing that when the Lord is finished with our missionary work, we can return to an amazing church family.  

 

she knows no bounds in her desire to serve

Fayetteville was host again this weekend to Bikes, Blues, and Bar-be-que which is a huge event involving motorcycles, blues bands on Dickson Street, and all sorts of Southern bar-be-que. The roar of bikes is constant all week-end, the streets and restaurants are crowded. I love it (even though we are in S Texas) because everyone - bikers, sightseers, and residents all seem to meld together in the commotion, with no one seemingly getting upset   I often felt that a person should just plan to stay home on this particular week-end if they resented all the confusion. Many thanks to friends for a few pictures I stole from their facebook page!!!

the streets are packed 

 as well as the highways

 this charming guy even posed for a pic

 

 We have had a continuation of the rain again - every day this week. It is a strange rain though - you hear a bit of thunder, then the skies open up in a deluge which causes flooding all over, and then it stops as quickly as it starts. But we thank God for the cooling rain - for us as well as for the fields. The birds love it, as the mockingbirds were just singing for joy!

 the streets are flooding

 rain pouring out of a neighbor's drain pipe

                                                  a river in front of our house

 

 

Pastor Israel's sermon this morning was one which touches everyone, I am sure. "What You Say Does Matter" taken from Proverbs 10:17-21. God gave us the wonderful ability of speech in order to praise Him and spread the Good News. There are so many verses in the Bible warning us that words from our mouths may not seem important at the time, but they can accomplish a lot or destroy a lot. What we speak comes from our heart. What kind of heart do you have and what does it say about you when you speak? "It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony into chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke. and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell." From The Message James 3:5-6. 

 

Take time this week to think before you speak - let the Christian love in your heart come out of your mouth.

 

 

 

 

 



Porsoli and Sweaty Tacos

Great Oaks Community Church holds a Hispanic service on Sunday nights. Those who attend this service extended hospitality to all who wanted to join them for a dinner last Sunday night. We ventured out in the rain and arrived just before another downpour. Since this service is totally in Spanish, we were blessed to have an interpreter by means of a small wireless radio. It was so interesting to be able to understand a Spanish sermon - the terminology, emotions (of which there were plenty) and message were so different from ours. We then were ready for the meal of porsoli, a pork soup (not greasy at all) to which you add raw shredded cabbage. It was extremely tasty, with enough spicy heat to be able to eat comfortably. Also included were sweaty tacos (sounded really nasty) but turned out delicious. These tacos are sort of like pork filled steamed taquitos, with 3 different hot sauces added to your own amount of fire!!! Also included was pizza for the kids, as well as pan dulce, the not so sweet but delicious Mexican pastries. It was a great evening for fellowship and sharing cultural foods.

decorations and food

a bit of fun, too

two senioritas who dressed up for us

porsoli, sweaty tacos, and pizza, complete with red tostadas

Robert won one of the door prizes - Mexican cookies



Lots of rain again this week, but I was able to walk a bit every night. As fall descends upon us, there are many changes in the park. Even the birds love the cooler evenings as much as we do.

another storm blowing in

 the egrets are back, enjoying the evening

 a blooming bush of some sort

 my latest creation - a bird bath which the birds have not yet found

a rare sight here in S Texas - mushrooms!

beautiful sunset

papayas growing here in the park

 

 

Children's Haven resale store has been hosting a 50 cent sale this past week or so. We were blessed to be able to give them a donation and box up all the extra clothing to take to Great Oaks for their clothing ministry. We are so thankful for Director Betsy Chicon for allowing us to help more of those in need. It took a bit of time, but we finished the clean up and delivered 38 boxes of clothing!

 

 looks like a huge project

almost done packing up

  we even had a few empty boxes left over

We had an unexpected visitor at the park this past week. Our park manager rents out the hall in the summertime for events of all types. The area McDonald's had their get together here on Monday and guess who showed up? Yep -Ronald McDonald!! I didn't get a picture of him as I did not want to crash the party (guess I am aging -a few years ago I would have done so). But I did get a photo of his transportation mode.

Ronald McDonald Mobile

 

 

Another happy surprise

look at these gas prices -

 

 

Pastor's Israel's sermon this morning was based on the familiar story of Mary and Martha with a bit of a different twist. We read this with the idea in mind that Martha was so very busy preparing for her guests, including Jesus, and upset with her sister Mary for not helping but just sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to His message. Martha was so upset, she went to Jesus to complain about it. But Jesus told Martha that Mary chose the better thing. What I did not consider before that Jesus was the teacher and Mary (as well as all of us) are disciples which is what Jesus wants. We welcome Jesus into our lives, listen to His Word, which takes us out of the error of not knowing His word. God takes care of our needs, which allows us to be a true disciple.

 

Saturday I listened to God's voice as I was in morning prayer. I heard "pray for Shirley" who is a friend in Arkansas. I had not conversed with her in a few weeks, but I immediately prayed for her. Later that day, I called her and told her what happened and that I had prayed for her that morning. She was quiet for a minute, then proceeded to tell me of her two cataract surgeries (of which I had no knowledge), the first one presenting a few problems which resulted in her having a shot in her eye, and perhaps needing one every week - a very expensive and painful experience. Luckily, her insurance will cover it for now. I am so thankful that I acted in obedience to the voice of the Lord. I pray that if any of you are led by the Lord to do something, please follow His instruction.

 

Season Change

Fall is in the air here in S Texas - the temps are dropping slightly, especially with the downpour of rain we have had lately. Yesterday was over 4 inches with all the frontage roads flooded and cars sitting in water up to their hoods. We were coming home from McAllen - it took us over an hour when the normal travel time is15 minutes. We had to backtrack and work our way around the flooded streets, coming in the back side of our park. Thanks to a great friend for opening the side gate for us to get in. We are supposed to get more rain this coming week - good for the grass and fields, but hard to travel in - this will be a stay at home week!!!

Everywhere you look there are pumpkins, squash, and scarecrows in every store. As I think I said before, this is my very time of year, even though we don't get to see the color changes here. I need to dig out my fall decorations and buy some candy corn! Maybe even make some pumpkin bars and an apple pie for Fred.  We have noticed a few more hummingbirds at the feeder, so we put out one more - two feeders to fill often now. A friend from Wisconsin noted on her facebook page that she has not seen any of those tiny creatures for two days now - so we can expect a huge influx of them very soon, We have identified three varieties already at our feeders. Another sign of fall is the appearance of the Halloween and Thanksgiving items showing up on the shelves at the Children's Haven resale store. They seem to fly off the shelves as soon as we put them out. Love the cooler weather (well, 79 and 80 is cooler). I can envision the piles of raked leaves and almost smell the sweet scent of them burning in the cool air. No leaves here in S Texas, just mesquite and palm trees, Guess I could collect a pile of mesquite leaves and burn them on the curb, then run and jump over the pile of burning leaves just like we did as kids on the streets of Chicago years ago. Wonder what the neighbors would think?? 

some fall items at CHI resale shop - the human head is not for sale

more great  fall stuff

Yesterday, 5 of us from Great Oaks Community Church were blessed to be able to attend the Simulcast presentation by Beth Moore at a large church in McAllen entitled "Living Proof". Beth Moore is an amazingly funny but profound speaker. Her Bible studies and videos are truly an inspiration. The presentation, based on being female, mentioned so many women of the Bible who played an important in Christianity. It seems that Jesus changed the life of every woman He met. Many times, after prayer, God reveals Himself to us: it then becomes our responsibility to respond to that revelation. He wants us, as women, to know who we are and who we are not!!! She brought up a very intetesting thought that a women's joy is not the same without girlfriends ( tas philas in Hebrew). We, as women,  all need girlfriends to share our joy, just as the women in the Bible who lost her coin, found it, and asked her friends to share her joy. I am so very glad that I decided to attend this program, as I met some amazing ladies there: a lady from Guatemala, new to this country, who asked for prayer because of a wounding from a man,  and a Hispanic lady who asked for prayer from a wounding from another woman. We prayed with each of these ladies, placing our hands on their shoulders, praying and crying with them (even though I could not understand all that they has said). I also got the opportunity to share with a missionary lady who, with her husband, are ministering to the Muslims in S Texas and Mexico. What a huge ministry with many obstacles to overcome. It was a wonderful day to fellowship with other Christian ladies, despite the pouring rain.

 the theme for the day

 a beautiful welcome

 three of our ladies - the middle one is the lady from Guatemala

Becky Rodriguez and myself, just after finishing a delicious luncheon from Chicfila

 

 

 

Prayer for this week - for every lady that has ever been wounded by a friend, relative, or stranger: take time to meet Jesus through Scripture - He will indeed change your life. Blessed is she who believes.