The Year of No Regrets

I hope my blog readers haven't given on me. It seems like it's been a busy couple of months.

I'm planning on getting back to writing my blog. It is good therapy for me.

I've been traveling. I always wonder how many more miles my car has on it. Have you ever watched old westerns where they ride that poor old horse until it just collapses with foam running out of its mouth and dies.

That is going to be my car. One day I'll get to where I'm going and the tires will just collapse right there in the road with foam coming out of my radiator. But I'll have no complaints because it has been a great car and we've been on many adventures together.

When I left Greenville, instead of driving straight through to Indiana, I decided to stop a few places along the way. I always say I'm going to stop here or stop there, but I never do. This time I decided I was going to stop.

I drove through the Smoky Mountains. They are so beautiful. When I see the mountains, it makes me see the mighty power of God.

Only if you have been in the deepest valley,

can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.

Richard M. Nixon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for more pictures of my great adventure.



A Lesson on "Goose Sense"

"You don't have the sense that God gave a goose?"

Has anyone ever said that to you or have you said that to someone?

 The truth is - geese are really very smart.

When geese fly, they fly in formation. In a group, helping and supporting one another.

And the uplift from their wings help the ones behind them to fly and not get tired. By flying as a group they can fly 70% farther.

THEY SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.

Also they honk to encourage one another.  We should be encouragers. Sometimes peoples just need a kind word. “I’m praying for you”, I’m here if you need to talk.”

“God loves you.” Encourage one another to go on.

THEY ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER.

Geese stand by one another. When a goose is sick or hurt in a formation and cannot fly any longer, two other geese stay with it to protect it until it dies or is well enough to fly again.

We should stand by one another. Be there for other people. Stand up for other people in the good and the bad.

THEY STAND BY ONE ANOTHER.

 Geese mate for life. They live and travel together and have babies until one of them dies.

The geese really have more sense than most people.

THEY STAY THE COURSE.

In a nutshell, what does GOOSE SENSE have to say to believers?
Love one another. Pray for one another. Encourage one another. Stand by one another. Lift one another up. Help one another up and out. Stand up with and for one another. Stay the course. Love one another. (I know, I said that one already, but it needs saying twice, doesn't it?)

Do you have the sense that God gave a goose?

How I Spent Spring Break

Another GOAL marked off my list. I always wanted to go zip lining. It was great. I would do it again. Everyone should try it once. 

My son Scott and Lisa, his girlfriend, took me to Myrtle Beach with them. It was great spending time with them. It was a beautiful week.  A little on the chilly side, but we still got to enjoy the ocean and making some memories.  

I also went up on the Sky Wheel. It is 187 feet tall - the second tallest Ferris Wheel in North America.

Life is good.  I am blessed by so much. I'm so thankful for the wonderful family and friends I have.

As I walked along the ocean and listened to the waves as they came rolling in, I am always amazed by God's wonderful creation. What a mighty God we serve.

My Most Excellent Adventure

What a beautiful day. I decided I needed to go on an adventure. I have lived here in Greenville almost 7 years now. I have never been to the daffodil patch in Winterville and so I decided today would be the day. It was wonderful. I have never seen so many daffodils in one place.

Fall is always my favorite time of the year, but I think Spring has to be my favorite this year. Spring always means new beginnings and new hope.

It was a most excellent adventure - enjoying a little bit of spring.

 

After the Rain

"Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its color appear."

 

Today was a rainy day in Greenville, NC, but finally out came the sun. I had been in the house all day and I had to do something. I'm thankful for my home and thankful for all the many blessings I receive every day from God.

I have to admit, sometimes I feel like I live in a box. My back yard is a patio with a 8 ft. high wooden fence. 

 

I loved the rain, but as soon as it stopped, I decided to go walking. The air seems so fresh after a rain. Plus you know spring is in the air. There were buds on the trees, I sighted a robin walking in a field, and you could hear birds singing after the rain. It was a beautiful early evening walk.

The Magical Snowfall

It's snowing!!!!!  Yeah!!!!

I love the snow. There has always been something magical about it. Today I turned off all the noise in the house and opened my sliding door and just listened.

For the most part - snow is silent. But then you hear the wonderful sound of children playing in the snow, no matter how deep. Even a half inch to them is like the most snow in the world, especially in North Carolina where snowfalls are far and in between and tend to melt sometimes the very next day.

In other words - enjoy the snow while you can.

I grew up in Southern Indiana. We would get a lot of snow when I was growing up. I loved playing in the snow. We use to wear these ugly black boots called golashes.

 They were so ugly and only came in black. They were made of rubber and they would fit over your other shoes.

We lived in a row of houses out in the country. When it snowed, all of the kids that lived on our street would get together and sled, build snowmen or build snow forts and have snowball fights. We would play most of the day until we were frozen and our parents called us to come in.

Well one snowy day I decided I wasn't going to wear my ugly old black golashes. I was trying to impress the boy down the street named Jerry Rice. Instead I wore my white canvas tennis shoes with two pairs of socks. We went sledding all day and I didn't think about my shoes getting wet and soaking through.

My toes froze. I didn't think they would ever thaw out. Oh well, you have to look stylish. After we were married, my husband would still tease me about wearing tennis shoes in the snow.

And I loved it when my sons were home from school on snowy days. They would come in from playing in the snow and leave piles of snowy, wet clothing all over the floor and puddles of snow and ice. I didn't care. 

Then we would drink hot chocolate, eat snow cream, and enjoy making memories together.

In fact, right now I have a bowl of snow outside that I'm fixing to bring in and make some delicious snow cream.

Enjoy the snow!!! 

My Delicious Bowl of Snow Cream

Three Golden Apples

I John 2:16

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, 

is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 

My husband use to preach a sermon in children’s church called "The Three Golden Apples."

The three apples represented the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the lust of the world (pride of life).

He would tell the story about a beautiful princess. Her father wanted to marry her off, but she did not want to get married. Finally she agreed to marry, but under the condition that the man that she married had to beat her in a footrace.

If they did not win the race, they would be put to death. The princess could run extremely fast, so all of the men who ran against her would die.

One day a young man figured out a way to defeat the princess. He got three golden apples and while they were racing, he would drop an apple one at a time to distract the princess. She would quit running long enough to retrieve each apple. It took all three apples and all of his speed, but finally he won the race and married the beautiful princess.

Our lives are like a race. We are running to receive the prize, but along the way we are so many times tempted by the things of the world.

I know what I want in my life and I know who I am. I know someday I will win this race here on earth. But it is so easy to get distracted along the way. 

I know I want to be a good Christian who is an encourager and a help to other Christians, I want to have a good testimony. I want to live my life so that others may see Christ in me. 

Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,