B-B-B-B-B-B-Beach Bounty

So much to share---a week of B's at Blue Mountain Beach.
"Blessing upon Blessing."
Blackboard verses "bank" the chapel pews. (1Corinthians 13)....
& Bible verse (12) awaits at the altar (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Here comes the beautiful bride & her best man.....

the "bow-tie clad bearer of the ring and baby boy, Rory....and

...bye bye in style

Biker ides, blue skies, and boogie boards in br-r-r- water, and followed by beaucoup beach adventures.

Butterfly "flutter-bys"---Monarchs and viceroys and more....

Berry bushes with bumblebees, which buzzed loudly as I closed in & then I bolted!

Birding Buddies

Even eating is an adventure at the beach---tho only room for a few pix.
Breakfast begins the day---with buns from the best bakery, La Loba.

or blueberry baby (Dutch Baby) in a black iron skillet at "The Perfect Pig," and on to...

....Bait shop, ala Stinky's, for shrimp po-boys on homemade bread at lunch and on to...

...dinners (without pix) at our best bargains yet & ole faves ---George's at Alyce Beach, where they will "split" seafood combo for us and Cafe Thirty-A with BOGO between 5pm & 6pm.
BULLETIN! BULLETIN! After a little over a year, Seagrove Market Cafeis re-opening in 2 days 11/19/16) to continue serving "deep fried love." (just 2 doors north of original address on Hwy 395)
....and a breezy balcony dinner at sunset with my "Baby Honey" of 47 years at Bud and Alley's at

Seaside on 30A with the rest of the Wright/Ritenour wedding bunch!
Bountiful blessings, indeed!

DISCOVERING DIVINE DESIGNS

Compulsive. Idiosyncratic. Strange. Weird. That's me.
But God.....tends to honor my uniqueness.
Today's quiet time was a real "heads up" as I saw my W "caricature creation" in My Utmost for His Highest devotional journal. From today's entry I could tell that I had been embellishing Ws in both my Bible and MUHH at least since 2009.
WOW--I noticed the entry title, "Discovering Divine Designs." Oh my, that's exactly what I've been doing all these years with Ws!
My own "unusual way of "highlighting" worship as I read---and sometimes with an "eye" for worship reminders in my surroundings.

This week's "Walk of Worship" (WOW walks) on the beach was not to intentionally see Ws everywhere but to see God's perfect design in creation and to praise & thank Him for the privilege of "seeing" it!
But God....showed me a W in the wings of a bird in flight as well as webbed footprints in the sand!

Even as we returned to the condo last night from Cafe Thirty-A, I saw an arrow pointing to a glowing W. It was for a road warning....but I saw it as one more reminder to thank the Lord for the day's blessings.

Ws are everywhere---when one starts looking! Little "God Winks" to remind one of His Presence and to "worship the King!".

Heart of Worship

Because you asked---link to hear me teaching, "The 3 Rs of Worship in the spirit of Hezekiah"
Be forewarned there are lots of Rs but the main three are Return, Restore & Rejoice."

http://firstevan.org/media#!/swx/pp/media_archives/127169/episode/65279?play=1
or this link if that one falters
https://soundcloud.com/user-338572722
Maybe the PP outline w/ verse citations will aid in note-taking,

1. HEART of WORSHIP pic

2. heart of worship lyrics

I'm coming back to the heart of worship

And it's all about you,

It's all about you, Jesus

I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it

When it's all about you,

It's all about you, Jesus

3.            TITLE  HEZEKIAH
3 Rs of Worship

4.             3 Rs of Worship to Revive a Heart….
in the spirit of Hezekiah

•RETURN

•RESTORE

•REJOICE 

5.            RETURN…..TO THE LORD                        2 Chronicles 29

•Repent                         2 Chronicles 29:3-5a

•Remove the Rubbish    2 Chronicles 29:5b-

•Refocus                        2 Chronicles 29:6-10

6.Principle:                        Return to the Lord

When the Lord’s people refocus, repent and return to Him, He is ready to receive them.

7.   RESTORE…..A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP

•Revere the Lord                                     2 Kings 18:3-5

•Rev up your prayer life                         2 Kings 19:14-19, Isaiah 37:15-20

•Rely on the Lord                                     2 Kings 18:6

8. Principle: Restore a Right Relationship

•When one reveres the Lord through a rejuvenated prayer life and complete reliance on Him, the Lord, Jehovah Raphah will heal and restore that right relationship.

8. REJOICE…..INDEPENDENTLY & CORPORATELY 

•Respond                                     2 Chronicles 29:30 - 30:19

•Refresh…worship anew                         Isaiah 38:9-20

•Revive….with singleness of heart                          2 Chronicles 30:12 & 26 

•Principle: Rejoice Again & Again!

•Responding in worship as God leads, enables one to rejoice afresh with a revived undivided heart! 

ELECTION DAY 2016

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE.......BUT REMEMBER....THIS SIGN! (John 1:29)

'NUFF SAID! (Revelation 7:14)

NEST & REST

Explanation to follow---

REFOCUS NEEDED

My heart hurts! Not necessarily for me, but especially for others. 

The last two weeks have been filled with tragedy for many in my "friendship circle" and in the household of faith. Physical pain. Emotional pain. Fear. Grief.

Sudden death of a grandson of a Pi  Phi sister, unexpected death of 39 year old girl racquetball champ from hubby's team, deaths of 2 mothers of Bible study chums & a high school chum, death of a younger brother of former Houston High teacher, painful treatments for multiple myeloma of a dear friend with a stem cell transplant looming, lung cancer of friends brother, neighbor's daughter facing surgery, and a less than perfect diagnosis for my MAC cancer mentor, Michèle.

What is one to do? Continue to pray comfort and strength for those with such great loss and Romans 12:12 for those in midst of struggles that they will remain joyful in hope, patient in affliction and fervent in prayer. Prayer might not sound like much "doing" but it's the best thing to "do" during those dark times---offer prayer..

Refocus & Recall... Michèle's Words

"Uncertain of the future, but sure of the One who holds it"

Food, Frolicking & Fun: Ageless Traditions

Somethings just say Halloween---

for our house it's a big pot of chili simmering....
(just as it is in in Prospect Place)

and our porch light turned to "ON."

It's also a clear glass pumpkin of candy corn

and this year .....

a jar of goodies from"Boo Boo" was added.

Trick or treating continues for our family from Harry Potters at our church

"Fall Fests"..... 

........trunk & treating in Richland Acres, .......

to a "Trick or Treating Lady Butterfly" to stores in Brooklyn

......to Summerfield subdivision in Allen, Texas..... 

1 bushman, 2 ghosts and 1 "old" Tony Romo

Our neighbor hood doesn't have so many trick or treaters anymore---most are  legally "too old" to trick or treat, but one (aka M&M) discovered he's never to old to have a little fun....

even though his "plug" fell off & deflated him a bit. It was all worth the laugh!

FUN is AGELESS!!

"Out, Out"...Inadequacy BLOT

Mental BLOTS are dark and they can stain one's psyche----the center of his thoughts & feelings.

I have a blot of inadequacy that tends to blotch my confidence when it comes to "publicly" teaching spiritual things that seem "too hard for me."

I know "nothing is too hard for God"(Jeremiah 32:27) so why don't I refocus and "look up" as soon as the blot appears! Before it completely smudges my thinking!

I need to "move" those scriptures, which I know to be truth, from my head to my heart.

For nothing will be impossible with God. ~ Luke 1:37

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ~ Philippians 4:13

My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me....2 Corinthians 12:9-10

How can one feel inadequate when her adequacy is in Him. Grateful for the quote from, 100 Things God Loves About You, a recent birthday gift from Buddy & Charlotte, because #6 in the book reminded me to, 'throw your hands up to Him and say, "I can't do this by myself!' Because when you reach up, He loves to reach down, lift you up, and carry you close to His heart. (Isaiah 40:11)

That  "reach up" pithy grabber coupled with 1 Timothy 1:12 erased my inadequacy blot and replaced it with a clear sense of thankfulness knowing the the Lord Jesus Christ is the One who gives me strength "because He judged me faithful appointing me to His service."
As His appointee, He will make me adequate, equipped for every good work of His. (2 Timothy 3:17)

INTERCESSORY PRAYER

Heading back to prayer chair for friends--as NEEDS of others have been so great the last few weeks.

Many are surgeries & CANCER related---bone cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, but loss of a mother, loss of a grandchild, loss of hope for a return to the "norm" for caregivers as dementia steals the mind of their loved one. 

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone--especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Friends Sam and Suzie traveled to Uganda to "do good" in Uganda, Lori went to Turkey, Michele went to Thailand, Crickett, Mary and Kellye to Nepal and JoAnn to inner city Memphis. All traveled to "do good" for others taking my prayers with them as they went.

Today, for me, "my doing good" only requires me to "travel" to my prayer chair. 

Intercessory Prayer. What a privilege both at home and abroad.

✔ List = a Check in One's Spirit

My morning checklist seemed reasonably "painless." It was made in order of emails (not visible in pic) phone calls, &  errands---which were in directional order for ease and less gas consumption.
I am a frugal lady.

I have to admit I wondered which would be more painful---the 2nd pneumonia shot or waiting in a long line to vote----in what has been a less than honorable election campaign.

Pretty quickly, I had a check in my spirit because I KNOW how blessed I am to live in a country where voting is a privilege. Plus, I knew I could throw a book in my bag and a USA Today crossword I would be set regardless of the wait time.

Before I even made it to the polls, it became very evident to me that the SHOT was much more painful than the voting dilemma. It did not physically hurt, BUT I felt as if I had been "tricked" by Medicare. That was not only an emotional hurt  but a financial hurt as well.

Last year my internist suggested I receive the Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccination for adults over 65. Certainly TV adds have recently been loudly proclaiming the need for this immunization.

The polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) is  given in two doses. I received my first dose, per my doc's rec,  on October 25 last year. Being a diligent rule follower, I waited the year requirement for my 2nd dose----the one with the 23 strains to fight pneumonia. BUT Medicare denied it, as reasons still unclear to me. They said they had already paid "once" & yet my "complete" dosage was to include 2 inoculations. The "system" would not budge....and frugal Dotsy had to cough up $109.99, which did not seem right.
But God quickly reminded me, via a check in my spirit, to be thankful that I could pay the $, though I still felt conned.

So I began to pray for a solution for elderly folks who could not afford it and for a repeal of the Mylan's astronomic prices (quintupled by Ms Bresch & Co.) for EpiPens, especially those needed by children.
I ripped up my entire checklist and laid all my anger before Him. Hopefully it was righteous anger spurred by a check in my spirit.