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