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Hold On

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A few weeks ago, Rusty and I drove to the top of Mt. Nebo to watch the sunset. It had been a very hot day but there was a nice evening breeze on the mountain and we had the perfect bench seat to take in the view. Many others had also gathered at Sunset Point to watch the majestic orange sphere move through the sky. There were some low lying clouds that evening that began to block the sun as it moved closer to the horizon. M any people thought the show was over and left the area. Rusty and I were still enjoying the view and the breeze, so we stayed seated for a while and kept taking photos. It wasn't long before we noticed a small sliver making an appearance below the clouds. The sun was once again visible for a short time. It wasn't quite as bright this time, but it made for a beautiful landscape scene. If we would have left when everyone else did, we would have missed it.  In Genesis, we read where God promised Abraham a son. His wife, Sarah, was old in age and became impatien...
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Third Time's the Charm?

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This morning, we sit in the hospital for the third time since April. Rusty’s wound still hadn’t healed and needed more surgery. The infection had made it to the bone.  The surgeon cleared the abscess and drilled the infection from the inside of the bone. He’s been on steady IV antibiotics and has received his picc line so that we can give them at home as well. We’ve been here since Thursday and hope to go home today but it depends on when the final susceptibility tests from the cultures are complete.  We know that God is all powerful and could heal without delay.  One might wonder why it would take three hospital visits to accomplish.  When I think of the significance of the number three, I realize how many times throughout the Bible the number three is mentioned. Some say it has special meaning and signifies completion.  Whether we believe the number itself has meaning or not, we know that God allows it for a reason.  Jonah may have wondered why he had to ...
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Consistent Christianity

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  Every Thursday morning, just like clockwork, a lady from church brings a Sonic Lemonberry Slush to my office. She calls it "Thankful Thursday". If she knows that I'm going to be off or if she won't be able to make it that day, she brings it the day before. For a few months, she was staying with her daughter in another state and although she couldn't send a slush, she would send a text to remind me that it was still Thankful Thursday. As much as I appreciate being appreciated, what sticks out to me the most is how faithful and consistent she is in her effort. It has now been noticed by several others as well and when she enters the door is often greeted with... "There she is!"   In the Bible we're given examples of God's consistency.  Malachi and Psalm  say that He remains the same and does not change and Hebrews says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  But what does that mean for us?   Many times, life presents challen...
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The Mystery that Matters

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Years ago, Rusty was fishing in Big Shoal Creek in one of our kayaks.  He called and said he was ready to leave but couldn't find his keys.  He looked in the kayak, the truck, and on the ground before determining that he had dropped them in the creek. He needed me to bring his spare truck key.  Since it's only a couple of miles from the house, this wouldn't have been too big of an issue, if my car would have been at home. With no other way to go, I hopped on the four-wheeler and rode it down the shoulder of the highway making my way to Shoal Creek. He assured me that he had looked everywhere, and the keys had to be at the bottom of the stream.   We recently decided to sell two of our kayaks that had not been used in quite a while. I pulled them from the back yard to wash them up before taking pictures to list them. I was frustrated when I realized that keeping them propped against a tree may not have been the best idea as a squirrel had chewed a hole on the rear top ...
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A Slice of Heaven

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My Mamaw Pine lived to the age of 97. She spent the last couple of years of her life in the Nursing Home where she had a habit of trying to get up in the middle of the night and risk falling. The family was concerned for her safety but didn't want her to be restrained. So, they arranged to have someone stay overnight in the room with her. For a while, I was privileged to stay a couple of nights each week.  During this time, I heard many stories of family members I had never met and tales of her younger days.  As much as I enjoyed the time I was able to spend with her in her latter years, I'll always be the most fond of the memories I have of visiting her as a child. Mamaw  was always excited when Wonder Jo (Wanda Jo) and the girls came to visit. She loved to cook vegetables from the garden and the fact that Amy and I didn't turn our nose up at the okrie and squarsh , as she called it. We would finish the meal off with candy from the cupboard. I specifically remember th...
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No Friends of Mine

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We have an Issue with spiderwebs on our front porch. I’m not afraid of spiders but I’ve told Rusty several times that I wanted to spray for them because I’m tired of dealing with their webs. He says to leave them alone  because they help with bugs. One day, I was completely frustrated when I walked out the door, down the ramp, and right into a thin spiderweb. As I picked the web out of my hair, I told Rusty… “Those spiders have to go. They may be your little friends, but they’re no friends of mine.” He thought it was funny and said… “At least it blends in with your gray hair.”  Does anyone need a husband? All jokes aside, it’s easy for us to sometimes get caught up in things that we should stay out of. How we handle sticky situations is a direct reflection of our Christian walk and is especially important when it pertains to the church body. In Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul wrote about this to the church in Ephesus.   He not only gave instructions for Christian living but...
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Saddle Up Your Horses

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Root Beer giving rides at VBS Courtesy of The Church in the Dirt It warmed my heart last weekend to see old Root Beer lined up with the ponies' giving rides to the kids for opening night of VBS. As I watched the kids climb into the saddles, I was reminded of a trail ride from many years ago.    I had considered getting a horse but had never really ridden one before. My friend Sonya's brother-in-law had a couple of gentle ones that his family would ride on a dead-end gravel road near his home. He told Sonya that we could come over and ride one day so that I could get a feel for it. He saddled them up for us, gave a few instructions and directions, but said that the horses were used to the frequent trips and would know where to go.  We mounted the large animals, and they began to gently walk out of the yard and alongside the paved road making their way to the nearby gravel one. Just as he had told us, they knew exactly where they were going. All we had to do was hold t...
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