Good Morning ... Rise & Shine It's Morning!

GOOD MORNING SONG!! WILL GET YOUR BLOOD PUMPING!!

Good Morning, Readers!  Come on over to my friendship wall and let's chat awhile...  I'm feeling really chipper this morning after my day of rest yesterday!  Maybe it's the cool fresh air that is invigorating me?!

Funny how something so simple as a wall of rocks could have had such a profound impression on me.  My childhood friends and I jumped on these rocks; whispered secrets on these rocks; and, as I said before, I sat on this wall of rocks every day after school waving to my friends who rode the bus.  You've heard of the show If Walls Could Talk ... well, if only this wall could talk!!

Although yesterday was a day primarily of rest, I decided to take a trip to Starbuck.  It's where I was born and I have many many good memories there.

I stopped at the Morning Glory Gardens and walked the water soaked grounds.  There is a little chapel there and I sat down on the steps and surveyed the beauty before me.  Most of the dock had been washed out but I hopped over to take a couple photos of a picturesque tree.  Nature at it's best

When I visited my mother, we ALWAYS took a drive around the lake and stopped at the Dairy Queen in Starbuck which was about the half way point.  I did that as well enjoying a nice creamy cone.  Cone in hand, I visited Hobo Park then traveled on to Inherred Lutheran Church ... a church founded mostly by Norwegian immigrants to the area.  I wandered around and found my Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Rudy's graves as well as their son Karl who died at birth.  I sat down beside the graves and thanked them for their kindness to me growing up and told them that I looked forward to seeing them in Heaven.  Inherred Church made it easy for me to locate family ... they had a list posted of everyone who has been buried there.  Wish they had that at the Lutheran Cemetery in Glenwood.  Would make my searches easier!

The farmers have started burning their piles of trees and the smell of smoke and wood filled the air as I ventured back to my car.  My first reaction was concern because I am so used to the burn ban in Texas.  It smelled like Fall releasing other memories of jumping in leaves.  I had to make my way back to Glenwood and photographed the house where I used to go to roll in their piles of Autumn leaves!



The halls of
Glenwood High School!

 You know ... we often times fill our minds and hearts with so much turmoil and icky stuff that we lose sight of all the good.  One of my therapists told me that it was important to replace old nasty tapes with good ones.  Maybe that is the purpose of my trip ... I sure am doing lots of smiling at the memories of yesteryear!!

My walk through the Bible continues and I started the book of Daniel today.  As a child, the story of Daniel in the lion's den was one of my "flannel board" favorites.  When Daniel and his friends found themselves literally in the "frying pan," they discovered that the promises of God stood up well in the crucible of  life!  I'm sure you've heard the saying, "I never knew Jesus was all I needed ... until He was all I had."  I thought about that again today in the sense of what our country is going through as well as us citizens.  We may find this to be a fact of life.  Are you ready?  I've experienced this so many times before and I know without a doubt that He has carried me through every storm and I've weathered them well.

If you've never done a Beth Moore Bible Study, I would whole heartedly recommend doing so.  My study of John is opening my eyes to another side of Jesus.  Today's lesson was on the first miracle that Jesus did ... turning the water into wine at a wedding.  Beth says, "The one reason people drink too much wine is because it changes the way they feel and the way they behave.  The "new wine" of Christ does the same thing, but His effects are always good.  Jesus came to bring the new wine of the Spirit!"  The fruit of the Spirit?  How about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior, our lives change ... we take off our old selves ... our old ways of thinking and doing and want to be more like Him.  Yea!  Step by step ... slowly ... He changed my life and my outlook.  He took away my pain and sorrow and filled me with the joy of living and gave me new purpose!!

Elaine & Maggie

My gal pal Elaine just called and invited me to go with her and some friends to supper tonight.  That will be fun ... who knows what else will transpire between now and then??!!

Until tomorrow ... I sincerely hope that you have the most wonderful day ever and that your adventures would be happy ones!  Always remember you and loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!!