???Wedding Questions???

8/11/12

The answer to ALL their questions …..“I do” or “I will”.

Is there anything sweeter than couples standing at the altar declaring their love and lifelong commitment? 
From....

the flowers...

to the awaiting groom...

the smiling bride....

the attentive nephews...

the solemn vows.....

the mother of the bride

the luscious cake

the dance....

the kiss.....

the toasts.......

the laughs.....

....and the keepsakes,

Wesley and Michael had it all!!!

Two are better than one,
 because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
 But how can one keep warm alone? 

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

How blessed this young couple is to have Christ as the center strand of their cord.

CONGRATULATIONS WESLEY & MICHAEL

Home Again, Home Again

8/10/12….The  minute I typed the title, this entry took a different turn. Echoes of the “olde”nursery rhyme filled my head.

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

Not counting my 2 early summer glorious trips to North Carolina and 10 days in Ukraine, I have trekked with hubby through 11 states since July 28. The latest trek was 2,468.7 miles. So…. home felt good. But…..the trip was also good----did I mention not one single bad meal along the way! From fancy to hearty. Even the Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds and Beechwood Cheese Co.’s Moraine Muenster on wonderful crispy crackers hit the spot for our “car” lunch. Of course we topped off all that salty with a little chocolate cheese fudge.

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil (Ecclesiastes 2:24)

Work became toil, and life offered drudgery and frustration after the fall, but to those who please God, He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy (2:26). for God’s glory brings joyful satisfaction and fulfillment.

In my rationalization, those verses in Ecclesiastes came to mind. But God……reminded me that indeed He does provide good things for us to enjoy. I not only had gastronomic feasts on this trip, I had visual feast from God’s creation as well.

Now I have the “fat pig” syndrome of 5 extra pounds. (That would be on top of other recently acquired poundage.) So....... now that I’m home again I’m going to have to dance a few jigs to slow down all that “jiggety flesh” that was a result of a GREAT trip!

ANNIVERSARY ANGST, once again

8/9/12 Married for 43 years! An event worth celebrating. Certainly a time for a "worthy" gift.  Something he would like. Not extravagant. Bought earlier this summer. From a pragmatic point of view, that was a biggie because I knew we would be "on the road" a lot, even on our anniversary day. But God......had me take the gift to Ukraine for one of our missionaries----at hubby's insistence, I might add.
But Dotsy....forgot to replace it. I even forgot I had given it away. Failing to find it prior to anniversary dinner, a smiling hubby reminded me of what I had done. Acceptance. That was the best gift he could have given me. Plus, tonight he will read Matthew 16 to me as part of Allen Bible Church's NT2012 reading.
Happy anniversary, dear! Thank you for loving and accepting me as I am.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, (Ephesians 5:25-26)

Wednesday 8/8/12---GO TEAM GO!

8/8/12 Busch Stadium. Home of the St. Louis Cardinals. A sea of red! There’s nothing quite like rooting for the home team. It’s easy to get caught up in the hoopla as strains of "Take me out to the ballgame" fill the air. Opening pitches from “adorable bald children who are battling cancer, trivia prompts and even Kiss Cam. (not to mention the hot dogs, peanuts, nachos & $$ cokes) and lower temps all added to the fervor.

We weren’t FANS as such. Fans, certainly, but such fervor was incredible even for hubby, who has followed Cards since childhood and keeps up with stats and such. We were there hoping that Matt Cain (former HHS baseball player) would pitch for the SF Giants or at least friends Michael and Lane’s son-in-law, Jason Motte would pitch for the Cards. Neither happened so we were disappointed. Yet game experience was fun anyway. I just tend to get more caught up in the people aspect rather than in the score. Which is a good thing because the Cards lost 15-0.

Isn’t it great that one can enjoy life even without a check in the “win” column?

HEART REFRESHMENT

8/7/12

"God-Speak"

8/6/12 Are you knackered? That was the question Al Roker posed this morning on “The Today Show.” It was another of his examples of “British-speak” which the 2012 Olympic attendees are encountering throughout London. He also asked about a loud hailer. (megaphone)

It gave me pause as I thought of God’s loud hailer. His Word hails me everytime I open my Bible with an open heart. It’s as if He is loudly declaring what I need to hear.

Is His word calling out loudly to you?

Having spent time these last few days basking in the glory of His handiwork, I heard “loud and clear”, as nature became His megaphone. The grandeur and diversity of creation shouted of the splendor of the Creator Himself.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. (Psalm 134:2)

Are your hands lifted?

Mine were. His “God-speak “ from His word and His creative genius surrounded me.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: MACKINAC MOMENTS

8/5/12 Not enough oomph to load pix....but so worth it for my memory bank. Will load when I return to Memphis. So fun to see the "parking lots at the church this morn....all bicycles. There are absolutely NO motorized vehicles here. Horses and bikes. That's it. BTW---horses ALWAYS have the right of way.

♪♪ Music of Faith ♪♪

 8/4/12 Strolling the streets of St. Ignace (Ig-nis) last night, I noticed several musicians were “out and about,” ranging from Native American to gospel duos. All had an instrument case open. It’s the American way.

Though all were enjoyable, it was the familiar tunes that ”stuck” in my head. Too often it’s other things that get "stuck" in my head. Those fearful whirring thoughts that can predominate my thought life.

To combat this, I've loaded favorite hymns and praise and worship songs on my iPod and my iPad and chosen to "listen" and to be attuned to spiritual music on a more regular basis. It seems to keep me more attuned to Him.

How about you? Are you attuned to Him through music? Is music of faith filling your mind?

TWO-WAY PRAYERS

8/2/12 For an unfamiliar town with lots of one-way streets, it’s nice to see “two-way traffic” signage. Trip to Upper Peninsula thus far; Nashville, TN, Louisville, KY, Columbus, IN (adorable) and Nashville, IN.

Life lesson learned. Intercessory prayer travels well. You can just pack it up and take it with you. Added benefit---it’s two-way. I took my prayers for others and I am traveling with others’ prayers for me.” Two-way prayers”. Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it!!

GRACE INDEED

7/31/12 “Suffering is inevitable but misery is optional.” Old adage. Still true. Easier to read about than to practice. But God…..has given His grace to aid us in this choosing. I witnessed such grace last week on the way to Florida. I met Carolyn---Carolyn who has all the physical reasons to complain---3 years of undiagnosed severe headache-type pain. Chronic comes to mind. Persistent, continual, unending pain. No relief in sight. 

Recently doctors in Birmingham said her issues were “beyond them”---a phrase I am very familiar with. So in 3 weeks she heads to the Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute in Ann Arbor for evaluation and 7-10 days in the hospital for testing. Diminished pain, resolution and relief---my prayer for her. She prays for the Lord to be glorified.

Use it to shine through every moment of every situation.  Use it so that others will know that You are God and there is no other.  Use it, Lord, use it all... and, by Your grace, Lord, use me as Your instrument amidst it all. (By His Grace, 7/29/12)

She suffers. But she chooses grace, not misery. Others complain, but God……has been her all sufficient One. She lives day-by-day trusting in His goodness. She lives a grace-filled life. The title of her blog says it all, “By His Grace.” 

Grace, indeed. His grace.