READ, READ, READ....REPEAT

Morning, noon, and night reading is a BIG part of Lucy's day.

 READ, READ, READ....REPEAT

Read, eat, read, beach, eat, library trip, read, cook dinner, read bedtime stories from Tuck-Me-In Tales. Repeat Daily: Read. Eat. Beach. Read. Eat. read. Sleep.

 

"Thank you, God" prayers and a goodnight kiss. AND--- Yes, Lucy we will read another chapter in Gooney Bird Greene tomorrow. That is "absolutely true."

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you O Lord make me dwell in safety.”(Psalm 4:8)

TEMPERING OUR TASTE BUDS

Taste buds number 4 if you just count sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Nowadays, others add a 5th tastebud--umami. Umami, discovered by a Japanese soup lover, it has a characteristic savory flavor of soy, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and Marmite.

My first experience with that Brit loving spread, convinced me I'll never  use Marmite to explore the 5th taste bud.

Researchers say there are 10,000 hairs on our tongue which make up our tastebuds. A hairy mouth seems a YUKY thought, even if they are microscopic. TMI, right?

All this to say, sweet and salty are my fave buds. Just like in my spiritual life, I'm one who prefers the sweetness of God's word as well as wanting to be salt and light in the world. Sour moments in life and the bitterness of hope deferred (Proverbs 13:12) can make me "sick" at my stomach.

On this "pondering my palate day" I realize that bitterness is distasteful and sometimes I try to "stuff it" or just leave it simmering on a back burner. But bitterness can spill over and ruin the taste of everything if one doesn't deal with it. (Hebrews 12:15) A good reminder for those seeking to deal with bitterness---"taste your words before you spit them out!"

Disappointment or discouragement from pity, unfulfilled expectations and self-imposed comparisons with others can lead to bitterness. Bitterness that alters the sweet taste of today's relationships and fellowship. All bitterness...... must be put away from you. (Ephesians 4:31)


Even the literary world from the Bible to O'Connor and Shakespeare are aware of this.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. (Psalm 62:5)

To expect too much is to have a sentimental view of life and this is a softness that ends in bitterness. (Flannery O'Connor)

But O' how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes. (Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing Act 5 scene 2) 

Chew on these literary quotes. May the understanding they give be your "Pepto" today for overeating those thoughts and words bitter to your taste.
Worry. Comparison. Why Me?
Even Marmite tastes better than those!

HOPE NOTES

Hope fulfilled shows in one's countenance. (Psalm 15:13)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick. (Proverbs 13:12)

Who is your hope? What do you hope? Why do you hope? 

Therefore, consider what you hope for and put your trust in the One who is your eternal hope, regardless of the current outcome!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

JULY 4th! To begin such a day with family and to end it with the Temptations performing at our nation's capitol is a GOOD day for this gal.

Part of  the celebration was the singing of Russian immigrant, Irving Berlin's, GOD BLESS AMERICA'---now 100 years old. Berlin wrote it while serving in World War I.

The lyrics would be a worthy prayer for this day for all Americans.

God bless America Land that I love Stand beside her And guide her (emphasis mine) 

Through the night with the light from above From the mountains To the prairies To the oceans White with foam

God bless America My home sweet home

Guide us O Lord. (Isaiah 58:11) Guide us into all truth. (John 16:13) Guide our feet into paths of peace. (Luke 1:79) May we be humble before you Lord, that you will guide us in what is right and teach us your way. (Psalm 25:9)

I can't think of a better birthday present for, our country, America, than for this prayer to be fervently prayed by all of God's children.

FRIDAY FUNERAL

Funerals can be a celebration of a life well-lived. 

Such was today's funeral of 88 year old Lilly Laughlin!

Lilly, a woman whom I have called friend for 50 years, showed me throughout all those years that God was her refuge. Nearness "to her Lord" was evident to all who knew her as she told of His works and lived a life of faith and fun! 

"Her flesh and her heart may have failed but God was the strength of her heart and portion" up until she took her final breath and God received her in to glory. (Psalm 73:24, 26, 28) 

Lilly holding hydrangeas, from my daughter Molly's yard, is one of my favorite pictures. Plus, it's in a "Dotsy" frame.

Lilly did not hide her love of the Lord from her descendants; she told her girls and grands and most of us in attendance, many of whom have told their next generation (grands and great grands) of the "praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done," as it says in Psalm 78:4.

This "Friday Funeral" for one of God's faithful was indeed a celebration!

Our loss of sweet Lilly is heaven's gain! Glory be to God.

Bitty Baby = BIG BLESSING!!

The good news we hoped for was "exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or even imagine!"(Ephesians 3:20)
We came. We saw. We fell in love.....with all 4 pounds of him.

Owen's Baby Brother

"...To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, A-men." (Ephesians 3:21)

MOUNTAINTOP WEDDING!

Today began with prayers for the bride and groom and their families!

Having prayed for this beautiful young woman for many years, as her Godmother, I'm looking forward to all that the Lord is going to do in their lives.
As Meg walked to the altar in this magnificent mountain sanctuary, I lifted up mine eyes unto the hills and prayed from Psalm 121. "May the Lord be their keeper---keeping them throughout life and being their keeper as they go out and come in from this time forth and even forever more." 

As the bride's father said in His toast, "May God lead them in their new life together."

A new life of hope begins as the sun sets in the mountains on this special day. (2 Timothy 1:12b)
May God bless Meg and Tim today and always!

6/22/2018–O WHAT A DAY!

HAPPY "48" BIRTHDAY, BUDDY.
News came from home via speakerphone while we were atop Grandfather ‘s Mountain in  North Carolina that will be a blessing to us forever!

GUESS WHO IS 92?

HAPPY "92" BIRTHDAY, JEAN! Psalm 92 vrses for your 92nd birthday!

 

Psalm 92:12-14 (my paraphrase) says the "righteous flourish and grow, firmly planted in the house of the Lord, flourishing in God's courts and "bearing fruit in old age; ever full of sap and green."
Those verses are a depiction of Jean Hoppe's life as I have known her. Just a week ago, she was cutting and pasting for the VBS hallways at church and attends a couple of summer refreshments, one of which was "My One Word," where her chosen word was pray.

Verse 15 goes one to speak of the very essence of Jean's soul to me. As she continues to declare that the Lord is her rock and He is upright, with no unrighteousness within Him.

What a testimony her life is to all whose paths she crosses. As one who has chosen to "number her days" and celebrate each of life's moments, God has given her a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12) She chose "pray" for her word. For the rest of us the joy deep in her soul and the resulting smile, makes us all smile as well!

CONSIDERING CHARACTER: REMEMBERING DADDY!

Clifton Thacker Adams. Daddy. The kindest man I ever knew!

Dance w/ Daddy my 45th class reunion

• A faithful husband. 
• My dancing Daddy. I learned to dance standing on his feet & looking up to him. He taught me not to look at my feet because that could cause me to stumble. A biblical analogy I adhere to even today, knowing not to look down on my circumstances (or I might lose my way/footing) but to look up and focus on the face of my dance partner, my heavenly Father, who will lead me.
• A loyal friend. Daddy would always fill-up at Rudy's Texaco even if it had the highest prices in town because Rudy was his friend. It helped that the attendants pumped the gas because Daddy never pumped his own gas.

• A man of courage who fought for his country in WWII & was wounded in the isle of Leyte in the Philippines, though he rarely talked about it. 
• A man with a great work ethic, regardless of the pay. His first job paid $19 a week. Daddy worked until September 2010, retiring at age 87.
• A man of consistency. His methodical routine defined him. We all knew his schedule. Post off ice at 10 am. At 11am he would be "walking for exercise" (at the mall in his later years) at 3 pm he would be standing on the porch of Hopkinsville Livestock waiting for the school bus to drive by so that he could wave at his granddaughters, Polly & Allyson, and at 9 pm he would be peeling his nightly orange. On Sundays he would be at the First Methodist Church sitting in the pew---back row of front center section on  right hand side.
• A man of few words. A wise man. A man of understanding. Did he know his character reflected scripture? A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. (Proverbs 17:27)

• A quiet, gentle man. I never heard him raise his voice.

• A "gentleman" as well. In his final weeks, he wore a monitor so that he wouldn't stand alone and lose his balance. In the dining room the monitor alarm sounded constantly as Daddy stood every time a lady came to his table.

Daddy died 7 years ago today.

My older brother, Buddy said it well in this morning's text.

"Daddy never said anything bad about anyone and no one said anything bad about him."

His character is etched on my heart. My hope is that the next generations, his grandchildren  and "great grands" will consider the character of their Grandaddy Brud and emulate it as they remember him.

Disclaimer---I am my brother's favorite sister, I just happen to be his only sister.