bright, bright sunshiny days

Getting ready to go. Cleaning up. Packing up. Revving up. Looking forward to the days, weeks and months to come. The sense of anticipation toward the future is nothing to be taken lightly. We need a sense of expectation. We crave the excitement of a new day and all it holds. We must have hope! We need vision!

There are times though when I am on the other side of hope. When I cannot fathom putting one foot in front of the other--when I've done all I know to do, when my heart is weary and when hope feels like the last drops of water going down the drain. It's a miserable place to be. That's when there's little chance of "pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps," when we need outside encouragement from someone who understands our pain and weariness. It's when we need Jesus to remind us that despite the trouble of the moment--despite treading water in the lake of sheer misery--whether the Lord chooses to relieve us from our storm or to take us through it, we will never be left alone to weather it for ourselves!

^{2 Cor 4:7-8} We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from God, not from us.⁸ We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of living...

^5:16-18 So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.¹⁷ We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles.¹⁸ We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.

There is a better day coming. We can look ahead to better times. We are not mistaken or putting our dreams and hopes into something futile. We are trusting very God! Our Father. The one who loves us more than we love our own children--the one who IS love.

We must lift up our heads and look beyond what's in our faces saying, "There's no hope!" Look ahead to days filled with expectancy of the Lord doing a new thing in us, for us--through us. In the Lord, life is good!

Father, Thank you for a new sense of urgency and expectancy in life, in You! I'm so glad to look forward to what's planned for the coming days, should you tarry. Help us to look to you for encouragement. There's no end of hope with you. I love you so much.

Suz

idyllic places...ha ha ha!

Another good day on Thursday in Ashland even if it wasn't quite as idyllic as reported the day before! I did a few things around the house and then went to visit my friend for a while and check out their chickens. They are the ones I raised and gave to Marsha and Odis. They had nearly 30 eggs hatched and now they have a wonderful flock of beautiful Brahma chickens. There's just something special about a sweet hen...

I thought a lot about Africa today. Those are our big plans coming up--a month long mission trip to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in October. Pastor Carrol asked our team to come for a month to lay block for the Bible School we started there in 2009 and we said, "Yes!" Our longest mission trip thus far has been about 11 days and this one will be nearly 3 times that one. It's a little scary to be gone that far from home for that long but we feel as though the Lord is directing this trip and even though the assignment will be a tough one, we are eager to obey,

I often worry about all the details when we have a mission trip coming up. What should I bring? Will I have enough stuff? How can I plan and make this trip as seamless as possible for us? And that's when the trip is only a week or so. What about my energy level? Can I handle the work ahead? A month long trip really brings out the big guns of worry! I know it will all work out but until then, I stress over it, making list after list in my head. Probably ought to just write this stuff down and get it all together. I'm trusting the Lord to help me plan.

Our pup, Blue, had some kind of allergic reaction last night. I think it was my new fabric softener because of how it came about. Poor little guy was miserable; itching, running around trying to get relief, not being able to rest at bed time. Byron drove me to Piggly Wiggly to get some Benedryl for him and it eased his symptoms a little bit but only for a short time. I waited a few hours and gave him another dose and it helped a little bit again but not really well. I prayed for him and took him to bed with me. He slept for an hour and then got miserable again so I wiped him down with a cool wash cloth trying to get the softener off him and cool his hot little body and it seemed to give him a bit of relief. We went to another room and he slept the rest of the night snuggled up to me. Poor baby. He was so miserable and all he wanted was his Mama. Another dose today and he's much better. I rewashed his blankies sans fabric softener and he should be ok. I hate it when my babes suffer.

So, life isn't perfect in Ashland, AL. Fancy that! Maybe the contentment I feel when I first get here is what most people feel on vacation. I don't relax easily, so on trips, etc., I'm usually wound up, anticipating the fun ahead, or the work to come. No matter. Life isn't perfect and trouble-free anywhere in this world, but I love it here in our little house on the hill.

Thank you, Lord, for your loving care and supplying all our needs from helping me plan well for a longer mission trip to a faraway place, to calming an itchy little Chihuahua named Blue. I love you so much!

Suz

uncluttered days and contentment

I had a good day today in beautiful Alabama. It was cool this morning, hot this afternoon and cool again in the late afternoon. The woods are looking a little ragged with the Tulip Poplars' leaves already turning yellow. My plum tree's leaves are getting crunchy and they are starting to drop and with the exception of the long leaf pines brilliant new leaves, the green is starting to fade throughout the landscape. The cicadas and night bugs sing loudly as soon as the sun goes down. Summer is definitely waning, and even though I'm not pushing any season out of the way, I can almost see fall waiting in the wings ready to take its place on stage.

I cooked three meals today and I loved it. In Florida we would have a simple breakfast, a hurried sandwich for lunch and then a regular dinner. It's different here. The day seems to start earlier and last longer. There are no pressing appointments, only a few special people to visit, and life, at least for us, goes at a snail's pace while we are here. I have time to fix a simple hot lunch. Take ground beef out of the freezer for supper, let it thaw, then fix some spaghetti with meat sauce, salad and garlic bread for our evening meal.

While Byron worked on the yard and later, the mower, I finished unpacking our containers of the things I brought with us and put away all our clothes, etc. for the weeks we will be here. I made the bed, cared for the pups, including taking all three of them out umpteen times to potty. (It takes them a day or so to become readjusted to this place and the potty routine.) I also had time to read more of my book, The Help. It's one I'm really enjoying so I only read it in fits and starts. I don't want to gobble it down. It's hard but I'm trying to savor it. I called my daughter and talked with her a while and with the little bit of clean up from the meals and straightening up, I stayed mostly busy in a contented way, today.

I felt purposeful and necessary and productive. Is this what getting older is supposed to be for me? I don't know how I'm supposed to feel at nearly 59 yrs old. I don't want to be "old" before my time, and on one hand, I feel as though I should fight growing older tooth and toenail--clinging to youth, such as it is at this point, with a death grip. On the other hand, this feels so nice and satisfying. Simple, and good. Normal. I have time to enjoy the things I'm doing. My heart is peaceful.

I like it.

Working at this slower pace allows me time to think--a lot. I think about my family and how dear they are to me. I think about my grandchildren and the people they are becoming. I think about dear friends and remember the fun times we've had, and this uninterrupted time to think allows for simple prayers--you know the kind, "Lord, you know the troubles he has. Intercede for him, Jesus." "Father, she's having a tough time, give her Your strength." "Jesus, I love her so much! She makes me laugh! Thank you for her place in my life." It's spontaneous, but timely conversation with my God at an easy pace. What a treasure!

This was my uncluttered day. If you are my friend or family, I probably brought your name before the Lord today. If the Lord allows them, there are big plans in the months to come on the horizon, and I gladly anticipate them, but for this season, this time, in this place, I want to immerse myself in this day, in this moment, and experience everything the Lord has for me here. There's much to learn from even the simplest tasks and encounters. I don't want to miss anything!

I am not telling you this because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength. Phillipians 4:11-13

This is where my aspirations lay--to be content in any situation--because the Lord is my strength!

Father, Thank you for today. It was a peaceful, satisfying day all around. Help me learn to be content in all my days, even those that are not so peaceful. I love you with all my heart.

Suz