August 30, 2015

Sunday Showers

August 30, 2015

Young White-winged Dove in the rain

 

The morning started out with scattered clouds and blue sky, but didn't stay that way.  We were up early as Ron reviewed the Sunday School lesson and gathered his notes, etc.  I worked on cleaning clutter off my chest of drawers and then we both got ready for Sunday School and Worship Service.  We love our group of friends in Sunday School.  We had a full house yesterday as all were present except for 2.  One works most Sundays and the other is new in the class and we don't know why he was not there.  This group is very faithful, but I think the study in Revelation that we are currently finishing up was one reason for the good attendance.

White-winged Dove in the rain

Usually I leave class early to go get my mom for church.  It is nice that she lives very close to the church.  I can always ask the teacher (my husband) what I missed in class.  Mom was ready and I let her out close to the auditorium and went to park.  As I started to walk from the car to the building, it started to sprinkle.  There was a good shower during the service. 

Buff-bellied Hummingbird - appears to be very young

Team two from our church had returned from Nepal, where they were helping earthquake victims, and two of them gave a report about what they had been working on while over there.  They encountered lots of rain and consequently lots of mudslides as they climbed the mountains for hours and miles to reach distant villages.  Villagers said it had been months since they had seen anyone from the outside world in their isolated area.

 Buff-bellied Hummingbird

 
Pastor Steve finished the sermon he started last week and it was a very helpful one about dealing with temptations.  We had prayer for Team three which will start their journey to Nepal Monday evening.  Each team has stayed for about two weeks.  Teams have had assorted tasks.  Some have construction background and survey damaged buildings for structural stability.  Others spend time constructing shelters, while others work with families, letting them know that someone cares and that the outside world does know what they are suffering.  One man they had helped this last time was in his 70s and had no family to help him create a new living space following the earthquake which had taken his home.

For lunch we fixed tacos and they were great.  We enjoyed eating and watching the heavy rain out the windows.  The White-winged Dove at the top of this page was huddled in a tree, using his wings to try to shelter himself from the blowing rain (or he was letting it wash under his wings).  It was a good soaking rain and so relaxing. 

First sign he hung.  It says:  

"Faith, hope and love.  The greatest is love. 

 I Corinthians 13: 13

After lunch Ron hung a few items in the kitchen for me.  This first one was a gift from friends for our anniversary.  The screws along the top are to balance it since the hole in the back was a little off center.  That is temporary until I get the stuff to fix it.  Silly guy!  The one below here is a tile from a friend a while back, and he had just not gotten hung for me.  In case you can't read it, along the bottom is a part of the musical score for His Eye is On the Sparrow, and it says, "I know He watches me."

This was a gift from one of my quilting friends.

 

Then the next one he hung is all about him! 

 He said, "OK, I hung it."

 

Again, in case you can't read it, it says, "Caffeine maintains my Sunny personality!"  If you know my husband, you know that is not the normal way he is described.  I just tell people, imagine what he would be like without his caffeine!

Ron's caffeine of choice is coffee; mine is Dr. Pepper.

This other sign has been in the kitchen for a long time and was from Jeff and Barb as a tribute to my love of baking cookies (and eating them).  Our kitchen signs do reflect a lot about us. 

A Balanced Diet is a Cookie in Each Hand

I guess I should include the other kitchen items on the walls.  We do enjoy these items and treasure the ones that are gifts.  The following two are from friends who are now in Heaven and their gifts are extra special.

This one was made for me by my friend Gloria Smith who has been

 gone for almost 20 years.  I love the message.

I still miss her.

This was painted by a friend, Mattie Taylor. 

 I love blue bonnets and my state of Texas.  

Mattie was a talented artist in paints and quilts. 

 She was a precious lady.

The last of the wall items is one Ron brought back from his trip to Israel over 20 years ago.  Every Texan understands.

Now that you have toured my kitchen (except for a few dirty dishes), back to my day.  I spent the afternoon at the sewing machine and cutting board.  I got 24 blocks made for a new quilt project.  It is going well.  I have not decided on the final size.  It will probably be a couch throw.  I will share pictures later. We had a light supper and I kept sewing until about midnight.

A little about my hearing.  I plugged in my little radio that transmits the worship service, early in the service.  We had one baptism and I wanted to be sure to hear all of that.  The youngster being baptized is the son of one of our Sunday School class members.  What a precious time.  I did well with hearing individuals speaking, but not the music.  The microphone on the music minister was either not on or very soft.  Then when I unhooked it at the end of the service, I had trouble hearing anyone.  The amount of my hair that gets between the magnet on the coil and my scalp can be the problem, so I guess when I put it back on after disconnecting the radio, I must not have positioned it well.