Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving ... a phrase I heard and said many times the last few days. It has become so familiar, I don't even think about what it means. Maybe if I switch the words around .... giving thanks happily... now that sounds refreshing. I can give thanks happily. I am thankful for life. I am happy that I don't have to depend on my own logic or the logic of people to guide me on this journey of life, but I have a wise God that is always available. I am thankful for family and friends. I am thankful for two legs and feet to walk on. I am happy that God doesn't expect perfection. I am happy that I have a warm house to be in. I am thankful for warm blankets. I am thankful for people that have devoted their lives to making life better for others. I am thankful for good coffee, chocolate and wine.

Have a great weekend and give thanks happily!

Life can be like a game ...

Life can be like a game, with many voices coming at us. People in the stands yelling, screaming and pointing in the direction they want us to go. They are not all pointing in the same directions or yelling the same instructions, so we twist and turn to try and please them all. But there is one who sees the whole game and who has and will give us the correct instructions for the play at hand. In the midst of the game, may we have our ear turned to hear the coach’s voice. May we tune out others for a time and focus on the voice of the ‘coach’. His voice is the one that will give us the guidance and direction we need.

-written by Janet from a story told by Melissa Taylor

Happiness keeps you sweet

Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failure keeps you Humble,
Success keeps you Glowing,
Only God keeps you Growing.
- Anonymous

The Content Tree

I like this tree ... it is just a few miles from my house. Years ago I had worked with the guy that lives at the house where the tree is. I ran into him at the local grocery store recently and I told him I admire the tree and he was happy to let me come by and take pictures of it. (though I'm sure he was thinking, all that morphine did affect this woman)

Though the trees behind it are changing, it is still green. It is calm and serene, it is not 'huffing and puffing' to become something that it is not yet. It is simply being content soaking up the beautiful afternoon sun and then again taking in the cool night air and in a few days or weeks the process of color change will happen naturally. I am also impressed with the relative small size of the trunk compared to the massive spread of the branches. The trunk can support the size of it only because the unseen roots underground are spread in all directions as far as the branches above. The roots supply the water and nutrients needed to keep the trunk strong and upright so it can continue to hold up the tree for all to see.

Fall Colors

I love the colors of the leaves in the fall. The ones in this area are just starting to change colors. This a picture taken down the road from my house.


When we moved here last year this garden was already established. This spring Joseph and I planted (well, I sat on the bench and told Joseph where to plant :) a few more flowers. It has done well this year despite our lack of care. I enjoy spending time here reading, talking or doing nothing. Beinging outdoors is calming and peaceful to me. As the saying goes ... a person is closer to God in a garden than anywhere else on earth.

40 is exhausting!

Thanks to Jerry and my friends and family, I celebrated my 40th birthday

this weekend in a wonderful way. Now, I need a nap :)

The Maple Tree

Rome wasn't built in a day ... good things take time ... eventually, even the snail reached the ark ... one step at a time ... the mighty oak didn't grow in a day ... slowly, but surely. All sayings we have said or heard many times ... much easier to say than to live.

This fine red maple tree is in our front year. I like the color and the shape of this tree. I like the calm, steady presence it has. This tree did not just start growing here in the past year that I have lived in this house. It has been here for about 25 years. It did not produce these hundreds of beautiful leaves in a day. They slowly appeared last spring over a few weeks time. It takes one day at a time and any growth it experiences happens slowly and naturally with the elements presented with time.

A Person of Strength

"A strong person knows they have strength enough for the journey, but a person of strength knows it is in the journey that they will become strong."

Extreme Soul Makeover

Melissa(speaker) Linda (pastor's wife) myself and Bev

This past weekend I went on a 'Extreme Makeover' Ladies Retreat ... the soul edition, not the home edition, so Ty Pennington was not there :( though we did have a wonderful young lady named 'Sky' show up from time to time to teach us about all kinds of makeovers :) There where 65 women there along with Melissa Taylor, a wonderful, authentic, honest woman from North Carolina, who came to share with us and teach us from her experiences in life.

During our free time on Saturday afternoon, a few of us took Melissa for some refreshment and renewal in the form of a carriage ride around Historic Philadelphia. Fast-talking Dennis was a great carriage driver ... he took us to the Betsy Ross house. Though we missed half of his conversation, we still had a good time!

Of course, the focus of the weekend was to have an interior makeover that will last. Exterior makeovers, whether it be hair color, manicures or new clothes are nice, but they only last for a while. Our souls last forever and this was a weekend to focus on renewing our souls. Melissa is a busy wife and mother of four and she is allowing God to use her experiences in life, both negative and positive, to help others on this journey around the sun. The theme for the weekend was a verse from Ephesians 4:23-24 ..."to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." I read that verse and my first reaction is to feel overwhelmed, because I think I need to make myself 'new'. I can't make myself new, Lord knows, I have tried. Only my creator can make me new ... I just need to stay in touch with Him through prayer, thoughts and reading His Word. That is so much easier said than done. Also, I think a big part of the equation is to connect with others that are activity pursuing a makeover with Jesus as their guide.

Jerry came home on Saturday ... not the greatest timing, since I was at the retreat. (I came home on Sunday afternoon.) He had a good experience while down there ... but we have been having a bumpy time of it since. Actually, tonight all the boys have plans, so him and I are going on a date. We need the time to focus on 'us.'

Jerry, Alabama and me

Jerry's first week in Alabama has been good. He is exhausted in the evenings when he calls. He has been cutting up trees that were blown over, fixing roofs and cleaning up houses that were flooded. He is working with four other men for MDS, a disaster relief organization headquartered in Akron, PA. At this time, they are making the connections for jobs with one of the local churches of that area. They are staying in an apartment at the church.
http://www.mds.mennonite.net/Home

He is now working in the area south of Mobile, between the city and the gulf. Next week they head farther south to the town of Bayou la Batre, AL. It is located along the gulf and has suffered severe damage. The challenges for the MDS officials is picking an area to setup in and then locating housing for volunteers. Because housing is short, they may end up renovating existing space or pulling in temporary housing units. They want to be able to have groups of volunteers come for a week at a time.

I am doing okay with him gone. I'm taking one day at a time. Three weeks looks overwhelming, but one day does not. Actually, our schedule is more relaxed ... he better be careful, I could get used to this :) just kidding. I will be thrilled to have him back.