IT'S FALL, Y'ALL!

Or at least, it's SUPPOSED to be.  Too bad the temperatures don't reflect the season.  If you blog readers don't know by now, I'm very much a non-hot weather person so I'm ready for cool.

This weekend, however, the heat did not deter fall fun.  I thought you all might like a break from the regular commentary and enjoy some photos.  Also, you can see how The Grandbaby has grown!

Of course, the fall weekend begins with football!  The Grandbaby and crew supported a young friend in a high school homecoming event.  While he didn't "win" the title of Homecoming King, he garnered the loudest cheers from his band and ROTC friends!

The Husband took a Saturday fishing trip.  He only caught one fish.  Duh.

While The Husband was fishing, I joined The Girl, The Son-In-Law, and The Grandbaby for a festival.  I didn't stay very long because I became sick, but I did get to see the fun of a first pony ride.  Maybe The Grandbaby will become a cowgirl?

There was pumpkin painting....

...and a petting zoo.  Yes, she loved those animals also.

After the festival, there was another festival involving tractors.  Maybe The Grandbaby will become a cowgirl who drives a tractor?

The next day brought the annual church picnic....this year at Vogel State Park.  What a wonderful day!  Only a hint of fall in the air, but not too hot.  There were friends.....

...food....

...a playground....

...water breaks....

...and creek wading.  Barefoot.  On the rocks.  She does not get toughness of feet from her Neema.

The Adults enjoyed a boat ride....

and there was some posing.

Now, bring on some cool weather!

DISCOVERED HOPE

I grew up a Southern Gospel girl.  Yes, I know all the words and the Church Hymnal page numbers to those wonderful songs like "I'll Fly Away", "Gettin' Ready to Leave this World", "He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me", and others such as these.  I may not remember why I went into a room on certain days, but I remember every word to these old songs.

In the past couple of years, though, I will say that my radio has been tuned to our local contemporary Christian station and I have listened to some contemporary songs.  Many just breeze on through my mind and don't sink in my heart.  However, one seems to crop up every single time I'm searching for answers to serious questions.  Every. Single. Time. Without. Fail.  It has become one of my very favorites.

The night before last, I even heard it in a church service sang as a duet and it was beautiful.  Not only that, it touched me deep in my heart.  Again.

So I thought would share the lyrics with you, my faithful blog readers.  You probably know it, too.  It's titled "In Christ Alone", is written by Keith and Kristyn Getty, and goes like this:

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
'Til on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the pow'r of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

My HOPE.  Consider.......

A FOLLOWER

I just got in from a nightly walk.  The whole time I walked up and down my driveway, a mama deer and her three young ones grazed in my yard.  So close to me and unafraid.  We have had deer in our yard so much and I think they realize we like them...except when they eat my blueberries but I get over it.

I've felt a prompting of a blog post all day long.  Today was my day to babysit The Grandbaby.  Might I say here that it was a wonderful, wonderful day!  I did hear questions fairly often....What's that, Neema?......Why?.....What are you eating, Neema?.....Why?....Can we go outshide, Neema?....Why?   Oh, the questions.  But if there were no questions, how would youngsters and adults continue to learn?  I had to even hold back my tears when for the first time, The Grandbaby looked at me and said unprompted, "I wuv 'ou, Neema."  Ah....catch my heart as it pitter patters all over that carpet.

Before lunch and after playing outshide on the porch, we came inshide and played The Grandbaby's favorite thing....Play Doh.  Does that girl love Play Doh?  Do birds fly?  As we had both played a bit and she was quite busy with her blue (her current favorite color), I just sat there and watched and allowed her to play alone.  She played a bit, then she backed up her chair and began to fuss with her hands.  I was about to ask what she was doing when I noticed that her eyes were on MY hands.  My hands were on the tops of my legs as I had my leg crossed as I sat and watched.  She would glance at my hands, then try to fix hers the same--being sure she had hers crossed on the tops of her legs too.  Amazing?  For sure.   As I watched, she tried to cross her leg.  She never could master that, so I just uncrossed mine and crossed my ankles.  She looked down at her feet and crossed her own ankles.   I never said a word but got a bit teary-eyed as I thought of her trying to do like me.  And we think the little ones don't watch.

It seems that I began to realize yet again how important it is to let a life reflect your values.  My values are rooted in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Maybe you blog readers tire of that but it's just how it is.  I want my life to give the Christian example to others so that they, if they don't know my Jesus, will want to.  I've learned that I need to take every opportunity I can to share Him.  I've got more life behind me now than I do before me so I need to share all the time.

I can be so grateful that there is a little girl watching me and that I am her Neema.  I pray that one day she will want to be really acquainted with my Jesus.  I believe she will.

So pay attention.  Someone may be "following" you....just when you least expect it.  Consider....

A PRAYER OF FAITH

So it looks like I have faith on the mind and heart, huh?  This thought has been tossing around and around in my brain for a couple of weeks.

For you who read my blog regularly, you will remember three or so weeks ago I blogged that I was sick.  Again.  Ah.  I do grow weary of these things but realize there are worse things.

This time it was not appendicitis even though my doctor assured me the signs were typical appendicitis.  She, who is rarely wrong, gave me a large antibiotic shot directly in the vein (ouch), told me to not eat or drink in preparation for a possible emergency appendectomy and sent sent me directly for a CT scan.  After all that preparation, the CT scan was quickly reported to show everything normal.  Normal.  I can say the big shot did as my doctor said it would--"calmed things down".  I already had an appointment with my surgeon the next morning since my track record merits that.  He agreed there was something going on so ordered me a diagnostic laparoscopy to clip adhesions that were surely there and to take out my appendix so we would never wonder if it was that again.  The laparoscopy was planned for five days later.  That gave me little time to prep.  Granted, worrying and cooking and preparing for a surgery and recovery is not necessarily my friend but I do enjoy having a clean house beforehand.

I did find a little humor (or not) in the fact that when the anesthesia girl came in to talk prior to my surgery, she remarked that my husband looked so familiar...and that I did as well.  Well, she didn't look familiar to either of us.  She just continued on that we were SO familiar.  After exhausting all the possibilities, we all decided that we had twins everywhere.  It was when I was on the OR table feeling the effects of the fine medicine to make me sleep and she was upside down at my head as I looked up at her that she said, "I know where it was!  Here!  At your last surgery!"  I guess it was that fetching chapeau OR hat I was wearing that brought it to her remembrance.  Scary that she remembered and scary that it had only been a short time.

Fast forward to now, two weeks post op.  The surgeon said there were just as many adhesions to clip as last year and my appendix was layered with them so the surgery was the right choice.  My restriction period was officially over yesterday, however, I was told if I did anything that hurt to stop doing it.  Honestly, I have done things that hurt and I stopped so I'm not totally where I need to be yet.  The wise surgeon told me that with every surgery as I age, the bounce back is not nearly as quick and high as when one was younger.  That's totally the truth.  Take it from me.  And this was my third surgery with him in a year and a half so we have become friends.  He's a keeper....so smart and caring so if you need a good surgeon, call me.

As in the past, I mentally struggled.  Why do I do this?  The only thing I can think is that by golly, I'm just human.  It's hard to get my "human" out of the way of my faith some days.  I hate that.  I know God supplies.  I testify to that all the time but yet, I struggle.  I imagine God gets more weary of it than I do.

What I wanted to say, though, is this time when I finally got to the place where I could pray and BELIEVE that no matter what happened, God was working for my good and whatever happened, it would be fine, I had peace.  Peace.  As I was rolled into the operating room, I felt a calmness and knew it was a prayer of faith that had gotten that for me.  Turning everything over to the one who controls it all is all it takes....in sickness, in health, in trouble, in joy....you get it.  I got it, too.

Yes, it had only been a little over a year since my last surgery for this same condition and I will most likely have another.  Maybe it will be years down the road, maybe it will be next year.  Either way, I hope that I can remember to pray always that prayer of faith.  Maybe if I practice daily, that prayer will become easier for me.  Turning it ALL over to the one who can handle it....

Consider.....

BUT WHAT IF....

So this post title might seem familiar to my faithful blog readers.  It is not really a repeat of a prior one but one with a different "twist".

This afternoon The Girl send me a link to hear a song she heard that reminded her of thoughts I would like.  She was right.  I listened and related.  Big time.  The song was titled, "What If?" and the gist of it was what would we see if we only REALLY believed in the Lord and what He could, would, and will do.  It led me to this scripture.  Notice the mustard seed in the picture and how small it is....just sayin'.    It speaks volumes so I decided to share.

NOTHING shall be impossible unto you.  Consider.......

SLOW DOWN!

Can time please slow down?  Last week was The Grandbaby's first week of preschool.  Where did that little baby go?

Needless to say, she enjoyed every minute of preschool.  She shed no tears (can't say the same for The Girl), had no frowns as she headed in the first day, and is filled with anticipation of more school to come.

I thought you, my faithful blog readers, would enjoy some pictures documenting that day.

Mercy...how time flies!

TWO SO TRUE

This week I have spent a lot of time in medical facilities.  I won't go into the details but will say it's not been fun.

My doctor's office always has a free publication that is shared there.  It is published by someone local and has a few ads but a lot of fun "stories"-- some funny stories mixed with some inspiration.  I love it so much that I might call the number on it and commend the person who does the wonderful deed.

In this week's publication there were two things I thought my blog readers might enjoy.  One is funny but true.  The other is one that spoke to me in my situation right now.  We'll do the funny but true one first.

"You take away the looks, money, intelligence, charm and success and really, there's no real difference between me and George Clooney."     😀😀😀

"God manages perfectly, day and night, year in and year out, the movements of the stars, the wheeling of the planets, the staggering coordination of events that goes on the molecular level in order to hold things together.  There is no doubt that He can manage the timing of my days and weeks."  --Elisabeth Elliot       ☀☁☂🌓🌈


Consider.......

CONSTANTS

Webster's defines my noun usage of "constant" as "a situation or state of affairs that do not change".  Obviously as in most of my blog posts, I've had this on my mind lately.

Every time The Grandbaby comes to visit, you can be sure she will say immediately:

1.  Pway Pway Doh?   (Freshly made play doh with vintage cookie cutters.)

2.  Peppa Pig socks?  (I have them here and they have the rubber grippers on bottom.)

3.  Water?  (She only drinks meelk and water.  Imagine.)

4.  And of course, "Poppa"?  (Do you doubt it?  One of her best buddies for sure.)

As I was headed to Sunday School yesterday, my stomach began to hurt pretty badly.  Of course, with the slight pain in my lower right quadrant along with this pain, my thoughts went to the dreaded faulty intestines that I own and I began praying that this would not turn into yet another hospital event.  After the Sunday School assembly, I headed back home for some medicine then went back to church.  By the end of church I wasn't feeling so perky, but you regular blog readers know that my tolerance for pain is VERY high.  I did spent the afternoon in the recliner in pajamas, paying attention lest I would need the ER.  Thankfully for my pocketbook and my time, I did not.  The popular question is if I still have my appendix.  I do.  Of my dozen plus surgeries and after the one that was practical to take my appendix, the doctor said he did not take it.  His reason was that I had "one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel" and he had to be in and out very fast.  I actually thought that was a pretty good reason.  This morning finds me somewhat better in case you wondered.  It could have even been a dreaded kidney stone.  So many options.   Unfortunately, my ailments will remain constants.  

After church before we headed home, The Husband and I attended a funeral home visitation for a sweet mother who had become widowed at an early age in her marriage and left with three young children.  That was years ago and those young children are not so young anymore.  What a successful mother she was!  I had always remembered her son who had been in the teenage Sunday School class I taught....yes, when I was young.  That tells you how long ago that was.  He is now in his mid-40's.  I can't tell you the blessing I received as we talked there and he proudly introduced me to his family.  I was so happy to see his success as a family man and in his career.  I remembered him as one who was always happy and while I tried to never have "pets" in my classes, he always made my heart soft and mushy just for being the young man he was.  I got the idea that after growing up and making a life, that young man as I knew him was still there.   A constant.  Yes, I was blessed.  

I began to think about other things that were "constants" in my own life.  I have a husband who loves me and cares for me, especially with my faulty intestine moments and all those other hard physical ailment moments.  I have a daughter, son-in-law, and grand baby who give me joy ongoing.  I am blessed with an extended family, a church family, and friends.  

The most wonderful constant in my life, though, remains my love for and relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Golly, where would I be without HIM?  He provides everything I need just in the nick of time and I am assured that He will continue to do so.  He allows the sun to rise each morning and set each night.  He gives me comfort when I'm sad and give me peace when I am fearful.  Most of all, He loves me in spite of my faults and so many failures.  Yes, HE is my true constant above all the others.  He NEVER changes!

It seems that each blog post lately is filled with gratitude.  This one is no exception.  For all the blessings, I say "thanks" a million times over and over again.  And then some more.

Consider......

A NIGHT IN THE "LELLOW" BED

On occasion, insomnia gets me.  On a regular basis, I wake up two or three times a night but am usually able to return to my sleep pretty quickly.  But not always.

A couple of nights ago, The Husband and I had a sleepover and our guest was the teewwoo year old grand baby.  When she is our overnight guest, she and I sleep in the "lellow" bed, meaning the guest room with the bed with yellow sheets and comforter.   Hence the "lellow" bed.  Forget the toddler bed with the handmade Winnie the Pooh sheet.  She prefers the big "lellow" bed.  So, of course, I don't argue with her over that.  I've learned you choose your battles so we sleep.  Or one of us does.

On this particular night, she moved all over that lellow bed.  I rediscovered her need to be close to the other person in the bed.  Right up next to me.  Security.   She would go from vertical to horizontal back to vertical but always close...you get the picture.  Let me tell you, though, as I was awake a lot of the night with all this moving and shaking, I was blessed to listen to the breathing of that little one as, though moving and shaking a lot, she was very peaceful and contented.

As I found myself awake with the night light dimly lighting that room, I began to think of life.  I obviously do that often during the daylight hours as well.  I found myself thinking of friends who were going through tough times.  I found myself thinking of all the times I had gone through rough times and overcome.  Before I knew it, a tear seemed to drop from the corner of my eye and right there at 3 a.m. in that lellow bed, I became overwhelmed that I have a heavenly Father who loves HIS children.  I gave absolute true thanks to my heavenly Father.  Thanks for always being there to let me snuggle close so I can rest my spiritual soul.  Thanks for being a heavenly Father that I can pray to on behalf of those I love and care about and for those who just might have said, "Remember me when you pray".  Thanks that people actually can say, "Remember me when you pray".  Thanks for the sweet breathing of that moving and shaking angel beside me and the safety of a home where there is love.  My single tear became many as I was blessed in that hour and the ones that followed as I counted my oh, so many blessings.

Several years ago a friend gifted me with a wooden lamb that says, "Don't count sheep.  Talk to the Shepherd."  It applied to me the other night.

Sometimes it's not how much sleep you get, it's how much thanks you find.  Praise the Lord, I found it the other night there in that lellow bed.

I will close from a verse from one of my favorite scripture chapters:

Psalm 91:2......."I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:  my God, in him will I trust."

Consider.......

AFTER THE STORM

Last week while The Husband was out of town, I was awakened from my late morning sleep at 6 a.m. (Yes, you know my normal time is 4:30-4:45 a.m.) to a loud sound of thunder almost shaking the house.  I watched as the lightning lit up the dark room and listened as a couple of minutes later, massive rain began to hit the roof.  A loud, loud massive rain to join the thunder and the lightning.

One thing about storms is that there's not a single thing a human can do to stop them.  It's important to be sure one is in a safe place when they come and just "ride them out".  Some of my most helpless and my most fearful times have been during storms.  I recall many years ago on a weekday afternoon when The Girl was much younger.  Tornado warnings were called in our area.  I can remember sitting in the hallway with The Girl so I could see out the bedroom window.  The winds were fierce, blowing from one direction to the other in all directions and limbs and other debris were blowing in that wind as I looked out the window.  I'm not gonna lie.  I was scared but could do nothing but sit there with my battery radio, my pillows, and my girl.  After that particular storm was over, there was very much damage as the tornado had touched down a few miles away.  No lives were lost but much property was ruined.

On last week's particular morning, I waited until the storm was over, then got up for the day.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the blinds and saw a bright sunshine with a beautiful blue sky and a clean looking world.  Wow.

It was at that point that I realized storms are a lot like life.  I was again reminded of this just this morning as I read a text from a good friend whose husband experienced a heart attack a couple of weeks ago.  The news yesterday was not the news that they hoped to hear with heart function not ideal and outlook meriting massive life changes.  What a storm for their family!  We all experience storms of life in various ways, some very damaging, others minor, but storms all the same.  If you haven't experienced a life storm, look out because no one is exempt from them.  I've experience plenty and don't have the time today to list them all, nor do you want to hear them all.

My thoughts go to a storm the disciples experienced on that boat one day when Jesus said, "Peace be still."  (Mark 4:39)  As I tried to encouragingly respond to my friend, my thoughts went to the scripture in that "weeping" book of the Bible, Lamentations.  It is one of my favorite scriptures and says, "His mercies are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness."  (Lamentations 3:23)  That mercy and faithfulness are like that blue sky and sunshine after last week's storm, giving our spiritual hearts the safety and assurance for which it longs.  Because of that faithfulness, I can face the storms of life with HIS help.  That is only one of the things for which I am so very grateful.

Consider.........