Friday, July 31, 2009

Dear Diary...

Don and I had a really great day today, just driving around the country.  After his shower, he suggested we "do something" today.  That means he feels better!  Praise God!

Before we left the "Q" and while I was reading blogs and emails and having my morning caramel truffle decaf.... reading blogs and having my morning cup of carmel truffle decaf ... there were many robins outside our window.robin outside our dining room windowA lot of the robins appear to be young.looks like a very young robinOK, that's a little disconcerting... he's looking directly at me.oooo, that robin is looking at me100_1861the dew is glistening on the grassTurning over every leaf in search for breakfast.looking under each leaf for a bug or a wormI know, I know.... enough Robins, right?

This gentleman from across the street, walks his two white poodles.....100_1873... and then he walks the black and gray poodle.  We've seen he and his wife walk all four at once.  Let's see, that's a poodle for each of them and then a poodle for their poodle.  The pets even have pets!!!  All four in that black coach behind them here.same man with two other poodlesWell, it's a beautiful day and we head for the Whitebead Cemetery near Pauls Valley to repair the marker on Don's dad's grave.  The flower holder on the right had fallen off and Don promised his mom that he would fix it.  After asking the monument-maker how to stick it back, we stopped at WallyWorld and picked up a tube of liquid nails... that's what they told him to use.Don's Dad's markerYou know me, I started roaming around looking at dates on some of the older markers.  1796 - 1883 was about the oldest I saw, but I didn't look at near all of them.  The father lived 87 years and the daughter lived 88 years.  I wonder where the mother is?at the White Bead Cemetery.  1796 - 1883This cemetery is out in the country and is very pretty with lots of trees.  Don told me that when he was a kid, he took care of this cemetery, mowing and trimming by hand... no weed-eaters, yet.White Bead CemeteryOn the road to the cemetery, we passed the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Center.  Can you just imagine... I'm in picture-taking heaven.100_1894There were three big signs this size, with all the information one could need about wild horses and burros.100_1899They are just beautiful.  All colors.wild horses in the adoption programIsn't this Palomino gorgeous?beautiful wild palominoThere was even a Paint in the group.100_1892This blue crane flew from the water pond that was close where I was standing and landed in another pond no too far away.blue craneA herd of cows around the water pond where the crane landed.Don and his dad farmed this property when Don was growing upThis one was away from the herd and looks like a Mexican bull fighting steer.100_1913Back to the horses.  Most all of them had a tag around their neck to identify when they were brought from the range, etc.100_1918100_1924100_1919I'm fascinated by the big blue crane.beautiful blue craneThis place where the cows are... Don's dad leased and farmed it when Don was growing up.  They also had some cows they kept here.100_1926Fifth grade through eighth grade... Don spent here:Don's schoolThe two story building held the classrooms. The upstairs held the cafeteria and the auditorium. Don said, "About an hour before the lunch time, the yeast rolls baking would send an aroma throughout the building that would be heavenly."  So, in seventh and eighth grade, Don volunteered to work in the cafeteria a little every day and he said those cooks spoiled him rotten.  Shocker. the Whitebead school where Don was educated through 5th gradeThis building was the gym where Don spent many hours playing basketball.the gym where Don played basketballDon graduated from Whitebead Schools with eight other classmates, Salutatorian.  For about a year while in high school, Don received a grant to work at Whitebead everyday after school, painting, polishing floors, repairs, etc.  Fate Jones was the janitor/bus driver/everything man and Don said Mr. Jones taught him a lot.  Since Don left, many buildings have been added to the two original buildings, including a new gymnasium and a football and baseball field.  Over 300 students attend this country school and people even move to this area because of the excellent reputation of Whitebead School.  Neighboring and larger Pauls Valley tried to annex Whitebead a few years ago, but the voters of this community said "NO."  

Don has good memories from his years at Whitebead School.

Whitebead School

It's now past lunch time and we're hungry, so we drove into Pauls Valley to eat at Punkin's.  They have excellent fried catfish and my Southwest salad was very good, also.

From there we took Hwy 77 north to Paoli.  When I spotted these dark pink and LILAC crepe myrtles blooming.  My sweet husband made the block so I could take these pictures.  pink and lilac crepe myrtleThe lilac color crepe myrtles are rare and Mama Trudy just loves them.  Aren't they beautiful?lilac crepe myrtleThe next town we came to was Wayne, Oklahoma.  Driving out of Wayne, Don stopped so I could take this picture.old barn outside of Wayne, OKOn down the road to Purcell, where we stopped at the saddle and tack shop of a good friend, Richard Boyanton.  Here's Bill repairing a saddle.Bill at Richard Boyanton's Saddle & Tack shopJust a little of the tack for sale.100_1939We left the shop and went over to visit Richard's wife, Susan. It was good to see them again and hopefully we will get to see them again before we leave Oklahoma.Susan and Richard's house in PurcellFrom Purcell, we drove to the Warren Theater in Moore, OK to see a matinee.  We saw The Proposal... cute movie.

After the movie, we headed home and stopped in the Tri-Cities at Carmelito's for dinner.  We were pleasantly surprised.100_1944

Don and I haven't had a Date Day in quite a while and we thoroughly enjoyed today.  Thanks, Hunny!

We are so blessed.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Meditation Time

From "40 days to a faith that Satan cannot penetrate."

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
      will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
   He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
      he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
      and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
      He will shelter you with his wings.
      His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
      nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
      nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
      though ten thousand are dying around you,
      these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
      and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
      if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
      no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
      to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
      so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
      you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
      I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
      I will be with them in trouble.
      I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
      and give them my salvation.”

"I will rescue those who love me."

The secret to being the owner of all the promises in this chapter is .... a relationship with The Lord, The LORD, Jesus Christ.

Think about the definition of "relationship."  Unless you spend time with someone, unless you get to know them, you can not have a relationship with them  You may be acquainted, but you do not have a true relationship with them. 

Notice that the Lord defines relationship as "those who love me."  I promise if you spend time with the Lord, in His Word, in prayer, in waiting before Him, daily (gives us this day our daily bread), you will fall in love with Him.

As I meditate on these verses, I can not help but be excited and encouraged in our present circumstances.  These promises are for you and me, if we love Him, if we trust Him, if we believe Him.  God's promises are not like human promises.  God's promises are true and CANNOT fail. 

We are, indeed, so blessed.

It's not a trivial thing....

.... it's URGENT.

Eternity . . .
from the messages of Adrian Rogers

BIBLE MEDITATION:
John 3:16 - "That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Your soul, made in the image of God, will exist forever. I think Billy Sunday the evangelist said it this way:

“Imagine a little bird taking a grain of sand and flying to a distant planet. It would take him a million years to fly to that distant planet. Then he would drop that grain of sand. Then the little bird would fly back to the earth taking him a million years. He gets another grain of sand and flies back to the distant planet. Back and forth, back and forth it goes. When he will have transplanted every speck of earth to that distant planet, it will only be breakfast time in eternity.”

Your soul will go on, and on, and on.

ACTION POINT:
Where do you plan on spending eternity? Where do your loved ones plan on spending it? If you don't know, ask them today and get their salvation on the right side of eternity.

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You CAN make it.

You Can Make It

 

[Update:  Mark Westerfield is the pastor of the Central Baptist Church, Round Rock, Texas where my daughter, Leslie, and family are currently attending.  They are very excited that God has led them to this church and are looking forward to "plugging-in" and going to work for the Kingdom in their new community.]

Praise the Lord.

We are so blessed.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Wow, that was a storm!!

We rode it out, though.  And we're so thankful that all the damage we got was one small hole in the vent cover on top.  Hail traveling at 50-65 MPH packs quite a punch....uh, oh - hail moving at 65 MPH knocked a hole in our potty room skylite ... that's why we can not believe there are no dents on our truck or the "Q"!!  Only leaves stuck all over.no damage outside, just leaves stuck all over These wooden glider-type swings are upside down all over the park.100_1809Limbs laying all over.100_1811100_1812100_1813100_1814100_1815100_1816100_1817Big cottonwood tree gave up a couple of limbs.  Thankfully, they didn't land on a RV.100_1819100_1820100_1821And then... there's the awning.  Why would anyone park in Oklahoma and leave their awning out at night?100_1822100_1824100_1825100_1826100_1828Same RV, different angle.100_1833This is the window in our bedroom....100_1838... in that window are four little air vent slots that don't normally allow rain to enter, but at 50-65 MPH, it just pours through onto my dresser top.  Towels did the job.100_1840Rick and Wendy's 5'er receive no damage, either.100_1843100_1844Park owners, Donna and Ted, started clean-up early.  Donna is very handy with a chainsaw.100_1849100_1850See all the turned over gliders?100_1848

Yes, the "Q" rocked and the hail sounded horrific and I prayed a lot and God answered and we were spared harm or damage.  Thank You, Lord.

Well, that was our night last night.

Today, I took Mama Trudy to pick up her new glasses.  The rest of the day, was restful.  We did go to the local Mazzio's for lunch... I had salad and it was very good.  We were both impressed with this restaurant... fairly new and very clean.

Tonight, it is raining again and I have towels down in the potty room to catch any rain that gets through the hole in the skylight/vent cover.  I'm praying that we do not have a repeat of last night or anything worse.

We are so blessed.