Monday Bittersweet Memories!

Soon one of our neighbors as a neighbor will be a memory--dear, thoughtful Kim. You've never met a person with more of a lust for life than Kim. I never will forget how welcome she made us feel when we moved here three years ago. Tonight we had a "going-away party" for her and John, her husband. Our cul-de-sac will not be the same without her. We will miss you so much! She's only moving three miles away, though, so hopefully we will see them often.

The picture below is my neighbor, Cynthia, who hosted the party. It was the first time I had been over since she hung the piece that she commissioned me to do for her this spring. You can barely tell, but I put a striping of red around half of the outside edge. It is a perfect match for the red buffet that she found to go under it.

Click on any of the pictures below to get an "up close and personal" look.

Below is my hubs, Larry, our neighbor, Pam, and Suzanne, the sweet California sister of Kim. She had the most infectious laugh. I could sit and listen to her laugh for hours. And believe you me, we did a lot of laughing.

In this next picture is Kim, Betty, Cynthia and Paul. What a wonderful cul-de-sac of neighbors.

After the party, we walked down to Kim's house to see her Catalina Island room. Her mom was born and raised there and they still have the beautiful, old family home. A few years ago, Larry had business in Long Beach and we ended up staying on the Queen Mary. It is docked and is a hotel now. We had an afternoon to spare and ended up on Catalina Island--one of the most awesome and romantic days of our married life. If you've never been to Catalina and get the chance, it is the most quaint, romantic, beautiful place you could ever hope to go. Click here to read more about it.

These Calla lilies are growing out in front of Kim's house that is on the market. Aren't they an incredible color?

And here is the Catalina Island room. Kim took all of these pictures. Catalina Island and its scenic beauty makes anyone look like an incredible photographer--

And this is our zestful, fun-loving Kim's whimsical picture. But, don't let the beautiful, pedicured feet lying in the pool fool you. This girl is a workhorse and is involved with the Ronald McDonald house here in our area. She has touched the lives of numerous people. She is a giver if ever I knew one.

KICKING AT THE GOADS!

Acts 26:14
Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads . NIV

Recently, a good friend asked me for my opinion about the passage from Acts above. This was my response to her.

Ps 32:8-9
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Many years ago I read this verse and the picture came to my mind of the differences between a horse who is easy to guide with a bit in his mouth and the horse with the same bit who chomps at it and rears his head right and left and the rider has to pull the reins harder and harder to get the horse to go the way he wants him to.

To me, the picture here is that God is the rider and we are the horses and the things that come into our lives are representeed by the bits. When we are compliant with the Master, he only has to barely move the rein against our neck (it is so easy that the feeling never even makes it to the mouth and the metal bit) and we turn and go the direction he wants us to go. The more we want our own way, the harder the Master has to JERK the reins to get us to turn in the direction He wants us to go.

Years ago, I TRIED to incorporate a compliant spirit with God into my daily life so that He wouldn't have to jerk so hard. I don't like to hurt. I have failed many, many times but my hearts desire is to accept with grace and trust all the things that come into my life KNOWING the Master will work all for my good and His glory.

The goads were used to move the oxen forward but too often they didn't want to go forward and ended up kicking against the goads only to their detriment, sometimes sustaining injury. My friend wanted to know if we needed to be concerned about where the "goads" were coming from--either from the Lord or from the evil one. When we sincerely ask God each day to draw us closer to Him, I don't think we need to worry about where the goads are coming from, only trusting that good or bad, God will ultimately use them to produce something beautiful in our lives. In that way, we don't use our valuable time and resources trying to figure something out that really doesn't matter anyway.

Madame Jean Guyon, a martyr in the 16th century, says in her book, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, that as we go deeper with God, we won't even notice the difference between the good and the bad that comes to us-- we will just trust Him so much and live to love Him and give Him glory. Wouldn't that be a wonderful state to get to?

I thought this was an interesting video if you've never watched anyone plowing before. I am not familiar with this many people being used to plow. I used to watch my grandfather plow his fields with mules and it was just him and the mule. These oxen seem to be compliant.

ASHTON AND NOELLE'S DANCE RECITAL!

Much to my dismay, I didn't get to attend but here are a couple of pictures from Ashton and Noelle's dance recital. Ashton had just been out of her broken foot cast for a few days when the recital took place. She was able to dance, however, with a few little limps. Build up those foot muscles, girlie, you will go on point soon, and a beautiful point at that.

MONDAY MEMORIES----STICKY PEACH JUICE!

When I was a small girl, most summers we would drive from Arkansas to Illinois to visit my aunt and uncle and their family. Along the way, we would always stop at a certain peach orchard and pick the peaches off the trees and eat them right then and there. Those are some of the "best tasting, sticky, juice running down my chin" memories of my life.

SUNDAY SING-ALONG!

To learn more about this amazing old hymn of the faith, go here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Rugged_Cross

What a coincidence! When I clicked on the above link to check out wikipedia's information about The Old Rugged Cross, I read that it was first performed on June 7, 1913. Today is June 7th--the day I posted this. How cool is that?!