FAITH

You're such a huge God that you can create an ocean, but I don't think you can handle my problems. Help me to know what to do, Lord. Help me to know the best path to take.

I know the Lord will lead me in the right direction. He will help me to heal the hurts. He always has. Thank you Lord for always being there when there seems to be no one else.

Happenings

So much has happened since I last posted. We moved to our own place in Sept. It's a mobile home on 2 acres & we love it!!!!! We are also checking out new churches a little closer to home. Then
to top everything off we got a new little grandson Thurs! McKinley David Douglas, 6 lb, 5 oz, 20 3/4" long, & red hair! We haven't got to see him yet. With the Swine Flu precautions we weren't even allowed on the 4th floor where the kids were! It was really frustrating but we understood. We sat all day Thurs in the main lobby waiting for word. We were just about to leave to come home when Dwayne came down with the news! Such a wonderful blessing this little one is to everyone!!

Softball Games

Went yesterday to a softball tournament. Most of the guys from our church team were on it plus 2 other guys & one lady. The games were at 9am, noon, 3pm & 6pm. The ballpark is a couple of miles out of town so we spent the day in fellowship with some GREAT people! We had a grill there & had some good burgers & dogs. Before our last game it started pouring down rain & we sat in amazement at the other teams still playing while it was raining. Tho we lost all of our games but 1 we had such a wonderful time. There were some who played horseshoes. Brandon wanted to play & did a fantastic job! I think there was even a water fight between Harold & Rachel! I got to sit & visit with some people I know but don't know (know what I mean?). Betty Jones & Melinda Gerbich. Such wonderful women! We headed down for our last game which ended up starting late as the umpire wanted to get the Championship game in before it started raining again. As we were headed down the hill Libby told me to be careful & not fall. I was telling her I ought to be used to walking in the muck like that as I'd worked on 2 dairies, when down I went! She said she turned around when I started telling her that & there I was flat on my back! LOL! I think I had more mud on me than some of the players!!! It started raining again during our game but our players kept on playing too. Had a couple spills on the field that had everyone a little worried but we kept on. Even after the game was called because of the 10 rule run our guys talked the other team into finishing the game. Steve umped the last innings. He used to ump little league back home. We couldn't yell at the ump during the real game but we let this one have an 'earful' during this part of the game. All the fun! Several mentioned that we should do this more often. I agree! What an exhausting but blessed day! Thank you Lord!

McDowell

I had the great opportunity to go on a mission trip with our church to McDowell Co., West Virginia. There was a young lady going & no other women were going so they asked me to go. We left on Sunday morning July 5th at 6am. It's about a 6 hour drive & the 2 youth we had in with us slept most of the way. There were 8 of us going. This is a much smaller group than last year I understand. When we got to the 'Clubhouse' (an old 3 story home) we unloaded the trailer & headed to the grocery store for groceries for the week. That in itself was an experience! We had orientation that evening. The next morning we started roofing a house for a couple. They are both retired teachers. The wife had to have her leg amputated due to diabetes & their 25 yr old son has spinal biffita. What an inspiration the son was! He has a dog, an Irish Sitter, that stays under his wheel chair & very much is his protector. The dog doesn't like adults. I was in the house visiting with the wife & son & Molly (the dog) came up to me & put her paw out for me to shake. The couple was amazed at this.
Amy & I didn't get to do much at that house. We did toss drinks, tools, & sandwiches up to the guys (yes sandwiches! The guys wouldn't come down to even eat). We finished putting a metal roof on that house on Tues. & moved on to the Welch Fire Dept to put siding on their firehouse.
We put vinyl siding over cinder blocks (what a job!). Amy & I got to do quite a bit at this job. I even had time to test drive a pink Wrangler Jeep! LOL!!!
We went to the movies one nite (Ice Age 3) & to the county fair one nite. There isn't a lot of land there for livestock so their county fair was a LOT different than the ones in Oklahoma. There weren't any exhibits either. This is coal mining country & is a poor part of West Virginia, but you couldn't tell it by the spirits of the people living there.
After the movies we stopped by to visit a man that the group worked for last year. Those that were there last year commented on how much change there was in him. He holds several records in football for West Virginia Mountaineers. He also writes a little & I was fortunate to receive a signed poem he'd written.
One of the guys in our group said that he came on the mission trip expecting to be a blessing to those he worked for but found that they were more of a blessing to him than vice versa. I totally agree with that! The week went by way too fast for me. Hope to go again next year.

House-sitting

Steve & I have been house-sitting for some friends while they are on vacation. It's an old farm house & it's beautiful! The first morning we were here I had coffee outside on the deck. There was a gentle breeze & the music of the birds for my quiet time. How relaxing is that? I did a load of laundry & hung clothes on the line for the first time in a long time. While the clothes were on the line Steve called & said there were some pretty bad storms headed this way so I went out to get the clothes. They were almost dry thank goodness.
Today my sister called & we spent part of the day shopping, going out to eat & visiting. She's in Sheperdstown with her husband while he takes some classes. She's from Texas. We had a wonderful time!

The Future

I think You don't know me sometimes, Lord. I try to hide the fears I have & my doubts about the future, thinking all the time that no one knows. But You do. Please help me to trust You with all of me & all of my life.
I really do struggle to trust You at all times, Lord. In those hard times, I turn to You & trust, but for my whole future, it doesn't come so easily.

More frazzled female

Today's lesson was on dealing with frustrating people in your life. The Bible verse is, 'If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.' Romans 12:18
Do you know how hard this is to do? That driver who just cut me off, the telemarketer who calls during dinner, the husband who forgot to stop for milk on the way home & then didn't notice how hard I'd worked on the house all day. How can I live in peace with people like this??? The lesson says to live at peace with everyone, we must stop focusing on ourselves & start focusing on Jesus. It says when you encounter someone who frustrates you, make a point to be especially kind to that person. Perhaps that individual really needs to be shown kindness. Consider such an opportunity a gift from the Father: a chance to put self aside, practice His love, & experience His peace.
I guess I've never really considered how that driver's day has been already, or that the telemarketer has probly been cussed out quite a few times today already & the husband may have had a bad day at work & just wanted to get home to his family. Lord, thank you for opening my eyes & see what others might need instead of just myself.
Dear Father, Thank You for creating us. I'm giving You my people problems. Please help me see people through Your eyes & with Your love. You are the peace in all of my relationships. I love you.