Sing a song...

Sing, sing a song ... Sesame Street

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

A top of the mornin' to you!  It's a beautiful windy, chilly day in Central Texas.  I woke up this morning to bright sunshine pouring through my window ... Toby was laying on his back with the sun warming him ... Sadie was snoring, her eyes tightly closed trying to keep the sun out...  I laughed and said, "Everybody up!"  Funny how they just bounded out of bed heading for the back door.

I was singing the "Sing" song from Sesame Street when I woke.  I remembered days when my children would have breakfast with Big Bird and laugh their way into a morning.  It was also a time when I could get myself together and plan my day.  Good memories!



Memories of the aroma  of
the Smorgasbord
Glenwood Lutheran Church

 Do you like to sing?  We all learned our A, B, C's by singing.  We seem to easily memorize our numbers, alphabet, Bible verses, etc. by committing them to song.  Maybe that was the birth of Rap music as we now know it.  Just a thought.  Growing up, we sang Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Psalm 148) at church smorgasbords.  Sometimes even now when I sit down at the table the song floats through my mind as well as being able to smell the smells of those great banquets of long ago.  One of my favorite songs is The Lord's Prayer...  Ah yes, music, music, music...  Music stay with us a lifetime -- we never get too old to sing!!

I read about the Red Sea crossing this morning.  What a miracle that must have been!  The Lord led his people by a pillar of cloud during the day and by a pillar of fire at night.  When I think about it, that must of been pretty cool.  When, the people wondered about which direction to march, all they had to do was "look."  Wish it were that easy now.  Even with God leading the Israelites, when they saw Pharaoh's army chasing them, they grumbled, got scared, and complained to Moses ... "...Why did you make us leave Egypt?"~~Exodus 14:11  Wa wa wa ... blame, blame, blame.  Moses assured the people saying, "The Lord will fight for you, and you won't need to lift a finger."  You know the rest -- Moses parted the Red Sea and after God's people were across, the army of Pharaoh went after them and was swallowed up by the waters crashing down and around them.  The people sang, "The Lord is my strength and my salvation..."~~Exodus 15:2.  They sang as they walked marking this great miracle on their hearts.  Their praises were short lived though because soon afterwards, they complained about the water they had to drink.  "...Must we die of thirst?"~~Exodus 15:24.  One more time, Moses interceded on behalf of the Hebrew people and water was provided.

(Sigh)  Isn't that just like us?  We ask, God provides ... we're delivered from our maladies in life ... miracles occur around us every day.  Yet, we grumble about the next thing that comes to our mind.  What are you going to do for me now, God??  I read Billy Graham's book, Nearing Home, not too long ago.  It was a great book ... a reminder of how fleeting life is.  We are born then we die ... it all goes by so quickly.  It's all about how we spend our time in between, isn't it?

Since I have used my Daily Walk Bible since 1988, I read the notes written in the margins ... milestones, sorrows, moves, praises...  My notes have given me peace as well as a record of how far I've come in life.  I have been so blessed in so many ways ... too numerous to count.  Then, I also see how I was like the Israelites always thinking forward for God to solve my next mess.  He has been and is so very patient with me!

My neighbor, Beverly, was going to come over this afternoon for tea and cookies.  She just ran over to tell me that she had to take her husband to the doctor in Waco.  She sounded so frightened and frazzled.  I told her I would pray for them.  It must be doubly hard to handle life's unexpected interruptions depending only on the self to see oneself through.  I felt her anxiousness and pain and hoped that God would come to their aid in a way that they would know it was Him.

When I visited with Mom yesterday, I got to visit with Debbie at length (Debbie is the lady I wrote about whose husband shot their son in a hunting accident).  They are doing as well as can be expected ... they have come together in love knowing that it truly was a horrific accident.  What has been the glue?  Christ, that's who.  She is attending a Bible study using the book, Trusting God, and invited me to go.  I have been looking for a group to attend so I am looking forward to meeting new ladies in this area.  It will be quite a drive each Friday but that's okay.  I don't know why there are so very few Bible study groups that meet during the day.

We received another offer on our home in North Texas.  It's a good one all around - a win/win so I am in hopes that it comes to fruition.  I am feeling glad as well as sad if that makes sense.  Michael and I picked out our lot and built the house when we were first married and have had many memory making moments there.  I will need to spend more time there packing and trying to decide what to do with an entire house full of stuff.  Maybe I need to have someone show me how to use Craig's List or sell on Ebay.  I'm sure we have enough for an estate sale if that's the best way to go.  Kind of overwhelming, for sure.  I can't procrastinate for long on this one though.

Later:  I am listening to the clock -- tick, tock, tick, tock.  It is night and I am winding down from a busy day.  Beverly's husband was in the ER for many hours this afternoon.  The doctors couldn't find the source of his chest pain and sent him home.  That was good news.  I could hear the relief in Beverly's voice when she called to say they were back from Waco.  Our tea party has been rescheduled for tomorrow.

I did make a trip to Walmart to buy groceries today.  Their credit/debit card machines were down so after going through the checkout, I had to wait for Customer Service.  After about ten minutes, I asked if the bank in the store had an ATM.  It did ... it worked ... cost me $3.50 to get $100 to pay for my groceries which I thought was highway robbery.  Looks like I need to put a check in my wallet for such times (I am told that it happens rather frequently at that store!).  There were so many lines without credit/debit machines working that it was getting pretty loud and crazy in there.  I am learning that most folks aren't as patient as I am!  If I hadn't needed the stuff in my cart, I probably would have walked out too!

Always remember you are loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!