Coffeyville, Kansas

Yesterday and today, Wednesday and Thursday, have been absolutely beautiful.  Yesterday, we drove over to Independence.  There is a really terrific park, water pad and park, train ride, playground there.  Can you believe that I did not take any pictures of this park???  Later, I promise.

I sure enjoy the countryside here, though.  The soybean fields are turning, getting ready to be harvested. These pictures all remind me of the song,

God Bless America
Written by: Irving Berlin
While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
God Bless America.
Land that I love
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America
My home sweet home.
(forgive the smudge on my window)

Today, we completed our ballots and went on a search for a Notary Public, finding one at our bank.  On the wall inside the bank is this very large pencil sketch of the first hotel in Coffeyville.  Had to take the picture at an angle to avoid glare.Outside the bank is the Coffeyville Plaza and across the plaza is the bank that the Dalton Gang robbed just before they were apprehended and killed. There's a fountain in the center of the plaza.This advertisement painted on the outside wall of the Tavern on the Plaza.  This community is very proud of their reminders of yesteryear.For lunch, Don was attracted to a sign outside the Tavern on the Plaza that read:  "Lunch Special - Prime Rib Sandwich"It seems every available wall space is used to remember a scene from the past.Very nostalgic ambience.The Tiffany style light fixture on the wall above our table.The pen the waitress brought Don had a flower *growing* out the top.The Tavern is a very popular place for the local business people and the prime rib sandwich was quite tasty.  Another outside view of the Tavern on the Plaza, Coffeyville, Kansas.I plan on getting a better picture of this home.  We were driving to the Post Office and I just happened to notice this as we were turning the corner.There are a lot of churches in the 'downtown' area of Coffeyville.  This is the Presbyterian church, I think.Next stop, the Post Office to mail our absentee ballots... $0.59/each.

Thought for today......

The Rapture could happen at any time now, maybe today.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (New Living Translation)

"...did you know that so many biblical clues have coalesced concerning end-time prophecy that not a single event needs to happen in order to begin the countdown to planet earth's final days?  The countdown will begin with the Rapture of the church -- when Jesus Christ appears in the sky to call all true believers (living and deceased) to himself (1 Thess. 4:16-17).  When that happens, the Holy Spirit will be removed from earth and the Antichrist will become publicly known (2 Thess 2:1-12 [<click to read this!]).  And then, to put it literally and biblically, all hell will break loose on the earth.

     The clues are clear:  The Rapture of the church could happen today.  I urge you not to ignore the signs God had given in abundance for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear." (quote from Dr. David Jeremiah)<<check out Dr. Jeremiah's new book:  What In The World Is Going On?  >>Excerpts from the book<<

[Dr. David Jeremiah is a pastor that Don and I respect very much.  We receive his devotional magazine monthly and listen to him on the radio/TV when we can.]

It's Sunday

Oh, yow (that's Okie for "yeah").  Our first worship service in Coffeyville, Kansas, was great! We meet at the Walter Johnson Rec Building here at the park. It's basically brand new, since it had to be remodeled after the July, 2007 flood here.  The pictures of the flood are amazing as they show how devastating the flood and the oil spill was to the east side of Coffeyville.  As we learn more and more about this community, we understand more and more why God sent us here.

The recreation building we met in this morning was under nine feet of water after the levee broke and the oil spill only complicated the damage, causing this entire side of town to be condemned.  There are many empty lots now where houses and businesses once stood.

Last evening, we attended, here at WJ Park, a hot dog social hosted by Express Pros.  Well, you can see by the picture how many workampers were there.  And this isn't everyone.

I happened to get a good picture of Bruno, the monster Doberman, after the social.  He's really old, but sweet.  I feel really bad that I chopped Joel's head off, now that I know Joel, who helped me lead singing this morning. (insert smile) OK, back to today's activities.  Here's Don in the new bright lime green room, preaching.  Donna, at the rec building desk said, "I hope this bright color doesn't keep you awake."  What?  "I hope it does!"  Oh, I forgot..  "this is church," said she.  Donna also told Don about much of the poverty in this area, and how the children here have been affected.  The 'church' here is already getting a vision for getting involved.  And the "congregation."Guess who's occupying the whole front row?  And that's Joel in the dark jacket and his sweetie in pink.  Joyce (in red vest) and Buck, couple we met our first night in the park.  Really good folks from Texas.  Isn't this a good-looking bunch?! After church, we drove over to Bartlesville, OK... 35 miles from here.  It was a nice drive.  However, it's pretty windy here. What follows are random picture in Bartlesville, OK.You bet we capped off the tank.And a couple on the drive back to Napville Coffeyville.  I love the mountains and the desert, but these green rolling flat lands are the best.  They own their own special tranquility.Two and half hours later (after the nap), we had company!  Yvonne and Dan came for a little visit.  Remember, we met them at Oak Grove in Branson.  Dan is working at Amazon.com and Yvonne will be here for two weeks until she's off to another grandson-band-event.  His band won second place in a big competition at Union High in Tulsa this weekend.

Don spent an hour on a conference call with the CRM board of directors and others tonight... giving them a Coffeyville report.

Finally!  Snookie called me tonight.  So good to hear your voice and that wonderful laugh, Snook.  Her phone went dead in mid-sentence, so we didn't get to sign off, but that's ok... we got to chat for a bit before that. 

Also, talked to Linda Poyer after church.  They are getting settled in down there in Texas.  Rudy Dee and Shelby are loving it.  Hope your migraine is gone, Linda.

I called my friend, Lucy, back in Branson, but didn't get her.  Call me, Lucy.  I miss you.

OK, I've got to stop thinking about everybody.. my heart's beginning to hurt.  That's the hardest thing about this lifestyle... missing all the good friends we meet along the way.  I have to focus on the future... like maybe our paths crossing again along the way.  And most definitely we want to see you ALL in heaven... that's a given.

Psalm 34:2-4 (KJV)

2  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.

4  I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

A few pictures, etc.

Friday morning fog in Coffeyville, Kansas. The GM plant in OKC... now closed.There's a story behind this picture.  When I was in high school (1960's), my parents went to an estate sale.  Mama bought this picture which had been stored for many years between and the edges were crumbling.  So Mama tenderly trimmed away the edges leaving as much of the gold border as she could.  Then she preserved the picture with decoupage onto this board that we antiqued.  It's really a beautiful old picture.  I wish I knew how old it is.  It's now back at mama's.  Just for Sharon and Elizabeth.The beautiful blue sky through the pecan trees beside our house.We left for Norman on Friday, returned on Monday to find this hay field had been freshly baled.  Same field in the first picture with fog.Our home at Walter Johnson Park, Coffeyville, Kansas.Baseball park across the parking lot from our house.  Maybe we will get to watch a baseball game or two.The Walter Johnson monument.

Close-ups of Walter Johnson monument.

Part of the fair grounds that is part of the park where we are parked.  Corky is our next door neighbor out our door. Corky's house buddy.There is an abundance of pets among the RV'ers here. Pam & Terry, neighbors behind us.A step back in time.     The truck is older than the gas prices... I remember gas I this price and I'm not as old as this truck.You can sure see some bizarre things on the side streets of Small Town, USA.  This strange fireplace happens to be in Dearing, Kansas. Picture taken out our dining area window... squirrel with breakfast.  They also use the top of our 5er for a race track. The weather has been beautiful here with temps in the 70's and 80's.  The people are the typical, friendly RV'ers.  There's not a lot to do here in Coffeyville, Kansas.  However, the Dalton Gang demise is due to be re-enacted here tomorrow.  And we hear that the Coffeyville Community College athletic teams are pretty salty.

We are only an hour away from daughter, Stephanie, and family.  Last night we rode over to watch young Logan make 7 of the 8 touchdowns his team scored in two games.  We're glad that it's flag football.  He's only 5, after all.  However, there was still plenty of tackling going on.  They're boys, after all. Warm up stretches.And the game is under way.  The only touchdown not made by Logan was a play designed by Coach Vaughan whereby the quarterback, Logan, receives the ball from the center and then sneaks it back around to the center and he takes off through the middle ... for happy valley.  Willie, our other neighbor, who is an adopted Shepherd-Lab mix. Willie with her "daddy," Doug. Mark Kays, Express Pros, brought the checks by this morning for me to distribute.  I am not at the Amazon.com warehouse, but I do distribute the mail and the checks here in the park to the workampers.  I'm really getting to meet a lot of the RV'ers this way... and their pets.  Here's Don and Mark chatting this morning.  This just about gets me all caught up.  Oh, yes.... there is a Wal-Mart here.

Just like God

An amazing thing happened that I have not told you about, while we were attending the chaplaincy class last week.

While we were discussing ministering to people in crisis, I remembered someone handing me a note with a scripture written on it, after my husband committed suicide in 1995.  I could not, for the life of me, remember where the scripture was located in the Bible.

However, Tuesday morning, instructor Will Bearden, wrote several scripture verses on the white board and asked for volunteers to read them out loud.  I volunteered for the third verse on the list:  Isaiah 54:4 & 5.

How surprised and thrilled I was when I opened my Bible to find that Isaiah 54:4 & 5 were the verses that I remembered being a tremendous comfort and encouragement to me during a time of crises in my life.

Isn't that just like God?  I was so blessed that, of course, I shared with the class that this was the very verse that I had been looking for but couldn't find.  I truly felt like God just said to me, "I sure do love you, LaVon, and I care about everything that's important to you."

Just had to share that blessed moment with you.  This is Baker's Blessings, after all.