My TWO Octobers

       October in Texas is often amazing. It is delightfully cool and gives me energy to do outlandish things such as prepare the soil for its winter rest, wash windows, and clean out closets. The best part of October in Texas is taking long walks under skies as blue as my grandson’s eyes.

      With those things in mind, our local writers group, Hill Country Women of Words, chose to write about OCTOBER for our meeting this week. I’m posting here the words that flowed from my heart through my fingers yesterday afternoon just before meeting time. While the words surprised me, I am encouraged to renew my reach to answer His call on my life. Most of my readers are many years younger than I am and may not quite understand the larger picture here so please do not read gloom, doom, or sadness. Pause a minute in your own whirlwind life to find the joy, excitement, and awe in the calling of Jesus Christ.

October. Autumn. The 10^th month of the year.

The land is tired and ready for its winter rest but first there is much to be done.

On All Saints Day we officially and communally pause to look back, to remember our ancestors, friends, and loved ones who beat us to the finish line. It is good to consider that instead of gloating and forgetting us altogether, those saints are surrounding the very Throne of God, praying for us who still struggle in this life. This year, our local Methodist church will dedicate the new Columbarium on All Saints Day. A very good thing.

In the cold of November, golden coverings fall from the trees, leaving them bare. Yet, the crops are safely gathered in so we come as thankful people, raise the song of harvest, ask the Lord’s blessing, and thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices. Thanksgiving: family gathers; a very good thing.

Then the best season is last when our earthly calendar ends with the Joy of Christmas and is complete with chorus, bells, and happy song. It is fitting that man created a calendar ending with a birth that gives Life forever. Christmas: celebrate Jesus, celebrate family, celebrate life; a very good thing.

And, so it is.

October. Autumn. The last seasons of my life.

It is about time for my winter rest and from my October vantage point, the calendar of my life is---

Dotted with both storms of sorrow and amazing, heavy showers of joy. I can now look back and see long periods of growth - - -

- - - and empty years of stagnation.

I am fascinated to witness how the seasons of my life connected and how

old things became new, increase replaced loss, and trust overcame fear.

So, at 74 ¾ years of age, I can see almost clearly how Christ worked it all together. I smile in gratitude. It is a very good thing.

Now, with only two seasons left - - -  there are still celebrations and MUCH to do.

More than ever, I must be about my Father’s business.

J I must remember that those who are younger do not have the advantage of my amazing wisdom and grace and … well… I must be more patient. J

Therefore…..

I will continue to diligently study the woman of Proverbs…

          As I fold my hands in prayer, and as I knit, wash dishes, make beds, wrap gifts, wipe brows, and type words… please bless the product of my hands. . .

          As I love and attempt to guide and bless and nurture please help me to look well to the ways of my household and may the teaching of kindness be on my tongue. . .

          As I rise up and face each day… please let strength and dignity be my clothing. . .

          Especially, may I smile at the future.

In the cold of the November of my life, as I slow more and more, I will give thanks for those crops I gathered throughout my seasons and I will raise the song of harvest; I will ask the Lord’s blessing on the meager gifts I’ve offered Him; and I will delight in praising Him with all my heart—even if my hands grow feeble and my voice dims.

Then at the Christmas of my own December, I will celebrate my real beginning.

Claim with me Paul’s admonition in Romans 11:36:

          For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

Love and hugs and blessings !!

Liz

Giving Thanks in Texas

RAIN.
Real rain wet rain much rain steady rain.

Water falling from God's Hands onto our dry, parched, thirsty land.

No, the drought is not over but our dirt got a BIG drink tonight.

Yes, it came with a bang. Lab Ava and I jumped five inches at the first out-of-nowhere-house-shaking-soul-straightening bang. But the water was wet.

Twelve hours earlier, the bride was radiant, the groom adoring and the families hugged and laughed, danced, cheered, and gorged on father of the bride Jimbo's remarkably luscious home made barbeque and the absolute best-in-Texas Italian Cream wedding cake. Drove safely through minor storms there and back. Stayed up late visiting, knitting, and listening to the rain that was predicted to end by 1 a.m.

Wooooo-hooooooo here it is five a.m. and the rain continues to fall.

Yes my restless legs roused me out of a much-needed and oh-so-restful sleep.
But I can type praises.
Because.
There is RAIN in Texas.

RAIN poured onto a sinful people from the loving hands of the One Triune God who is merciful and forgiving.

Thank You, Holy Father.

One of your grateful children,
Liz

Welcome Autumn

Unbelievable. Another season has arrived in Texas. And it is an unusual autumn for us - -  dull, brown, and dried up.

Thankfully, my world is made so small and I'm brought into reality by my blogging friends who are amazing.

          Dawn posted about devastating floods from Pennsylvania where she volunteered with the Red Cross and shared God’s love.

          Beth posted from here in our hometown about rushing to Bastrop, Texas to help victims of raging fires there. And, withOUT her permission, I quote Beth’s closing statement in her amazing post of September 13: The effects of this fire will be long-lasting and long felt. I am so sorry for the lives lost. I am so thankful that a community of people in the midst of a huge tragedy can be the hands and feet of God.

          Both the floods ‘up north’ and the fires ‘down the road’ were no respecter of persons and angrily consumed homes, some lives, and memories and refrigerators and photographs and livelihoods.

          Ohio, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania pray that the rain will cease, for a while.

          All of Texas prays for rain to fall to feed and bless and protect our land.

And there I was, spending most of the summer complaining—loudly at home and widely on blogs—just because I was temporarily sick.

Forgive me, Holy Father; forgive me friends and neighbors who have lost everything.

Megan at Sabbath Says reminded me, so today, I went back to my already worn out copy of Ann Voskamp’s A Thousand Gifts and began recounting my own blessings. Makes me ‘shamed to have complained.

          I left off around July 20^th with something about: My office is clean.

That was THEN.

THIS is now J

214.    Chicken thawing for a healthy and hardy supper tonight.

215.    Sleep. Any time it comes.

216.    Life in a small town and getting phone call 8 a.m. to share news of an injured biker …    “just because it’s a neighbor and you might need to know.”

217.    Laundry finished – dried, folded, put away.

218.    Dishwasher quietly cleaning and sanitizing my dishes, pots, and pans while I write.

219.    A great-niece who loves to stop by and who will spend time with Daughter while Dear Heart and I take a day off to celebrate nine years of marriage.

220.    Nine years of marriage !!! Thank you, Holy Father, for a loving man, companionship,    and  family.
221.    For fire fighters across Texas who stand at the ready for another Red Alert this weekend – high temperatures and high winds. Bless and protect them, Holy Father.

222.    For good friends who stand by and insist that I get out of the house for lunch, fellowship, and laughter.

223.     For following a nagging in my heart when I took time to dial a friend in New York. We haven’t talked in months and months and haven’t seen each other in over four years. But her laughter, our private jokes, our memories, and our concerns picked up across the miles with no interruption. Tea and whispers, Mary calls it!

224.    For the safe birth of another baby boy—a great, great nephew. Now Dear Heart and I each have  a Mason among our nephews. J

And, dear readers, as the Apostle Paul taught us in his epistles, I offer to you:

          Grace to you and peace … I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus.

Liz

Summer Goes On. And On.

It has been a long, dry spell.

v In Texas

v In my soul

v In my words

Other friends and places are washed away by floods and high water.

Who said, "Feast or fammine" ????

As I hand-watered  one of our hundred-plus year old oak trees, I admitted to God that we are a selfish people who want it all and who turn from Him. And I begged forgiveness.

Maybe you know about the dry times.

No medications. High winds. Daughter’s headaches. Angst about Texas friends who helplessly watched every THING go up in flames. Then back on medications. SLEEP. REST. DREAMS.

Through these long days and longer nights, I’ve needed healing words written by my writer friends, by my cyber friends, by my family. ALAS. I’ve read few words written by anyone…. just from exhaustion.

Guess what???? There IS good news. God knew what He was doing from the beginning…..

            “And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He RESTED on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He RESTED from all His work…” (Surprises you? Yeah, right! )

Sleep. Rest.

Before the sleep came, I could not concentrate on blogs, on fiction, on history. For weeks on end I could not sit at my computer. Drought was  v e r y  dry.

HOWEVER. I did read many words in Holy Scripture. Some words sink in and bless and encourage. Other words are blown away like leaves driven by that recent summer north wind in Texas that stirred up fires and dust-devils in the pastures and in my mind. But I read again. And again. God’s Word.

So, in my own drought, here is how God held onto me and blessed me—in spite of myself and the evil restless legs……

©     I actually attended Sunday School class a couple of times and Teacher Tom is teaching on Saul/Paul. Isn’t it amazing how God works? Over the days I could not think straight and skipped Sunday classes, I was drawn into a new, exciting insight into the New Testament.

©     This very OLD Christian, deeply steeped in God’s Holy Word, has greedily taken huge gulps of the first Christians building churches and holding onto their faith and teaching one another. Like I never saw it before.

©     Later I’ll write more about my New Testament journey.

©     Even though our local chamber reports on 99° EVERY DAY… here's a glance from our south (the cool side in Texas), shady, front porch on most days of July, August and so far into September. Just sayin.



Honest picture. Honest.



©     Then, I made the monumental effort (applause is humbly appreciated) to start Daughter and me back to water workouts in our local indoor pool. *yuk; up early; drive to the pool; etc. shampoo; and etc. yuk* HOWEVER the water workouts—led by Daughter’s wicked-trainer-mother—work wonders for Daughter’s balance and mental wellbeing. Also helps her mean, old mom!!

©     Family and I drove to San Antonio to celebrate the 25^th birthday of first-born’s first born.  Oh my--- I have a birth grandson who is a quarter of a century old. OLD.  Well. I’m glad God gave him to us!!!

The OLD one is John, far right, white shirt. :-)

©     Family and I joined the celebration of the marriage of Dear Heart’s baby sister. She turned 85 in May and became a second time bride in July. Don’t even TRY to tell ME about serving a God of second chances. J We witnessed, again, two, huge families blending and bonding beautifully last Saturday.

©     Family and I attended our community 9-11 memorial last Sunday. Moving. Appropriate. Good.

Fredericksburg High School Naval Jr. ROTC

©     Faithful friends bless me as they continue to care, encourage, and cheer me on through my bleak days by knowing just when to INSIST we gather for lunch. It’s like a drink from a clear, sparkling pool.

©     Today I discovered who will receive my current prayer scarf. This one is yet another red, white and blue and even my orthopedic doctor said, “It is BEAUTIFUL.” His brother was a 25-year Marine, so he might be prejudiced. Over the last month, the scarf has grown and changed into my most unique—though imperfect—knitted offering. It is important to remind Phillip’s mom that her son did not die in vain, that we care; that we remember.

©     And one last note. Today, at the very last minute of the absolute deadline, I submitted a short story to a contest. The only important thing is that I wrote and wrote and edited and read instructions and edited and pressed the SEND button.

So, dear friends. This has been a long list of thanksgivings. If you’ll hang with me, I’ll try to write more often and offer shorter epistles. Each of you is special and dear and precious to me and to our Heavenly Father who knows you better and loves you greater than I do.

As my cyber friend, Dawn, says... let us covet only the Living Water.

Genesis 2:2, 3

    Liz

Summer & Grass Burrs in Texas: A Last Word

 - - - or a few thousand words..... a picture being worth so many.... 
<> 

The drought goes on. And on.
To the point we let the grass go, even around the house.
Our prayer is that we can save some of our old trees around the house.





In the back yard, Cocoa & Ava innocently search for gopher holes





Unaware the still green "sticker patch" lurks under their noses



While just one step over is a brittle, brown, dagger just brown and ripe enough to strike.

BUT !!! Ah-ha !! The just-four-months-in-the-ground Sage blooms away !

So. When Summer gives dry, parched days with unbearable temperatures and

 GRASS BURRS . . .

. . . I just go inside, bake Apple-WholeWheat-Honey Muffins

...and continue praying for rain.

Living Well in God’s Mercy

Liz

P.S. Thank you, Sally, for your awesome proofing. Guess what.... Encarta Dictionary really guesses about those stickers we lovingly refer to as burrs. :-)