The Gift of the Magi

Magi......Wise Men....followers of our LORD....travelers from afar....bringing the first Christmas gifts. Gifts given from their hearts in God's perfect timing...... Gifts that would be God's provision for His Son and those called to care for Him as they traveled to safety far from their home.........

What a surprise on Thanksgiving morning to walk out my front door and find a package on the front porch. I had more than my share of bittersweet memories going on in my head as I walked out to get the morning paper. Such a quiet and beautiful morning....totally peaceful and still.....so very unlike Thanksivings of the past....

What perfect timing.....A gift from two of my own beloved magi....God's gracious provision.....
A reminder of God's entering the most humble of circumstances with His love and presence...and a call to keep following His Star.....

Thank you, Lynn and Aubria....
We will treasure your gift for many years (and generations) to come, if our LORD delays His coming....
I love you both!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas

Christmas is coming.....and so is NEIL!!!!! This granny is one excited lady! Becca and I have begun decorating our little home in anticipation! Being semi-retired is such a blessing.... I've already done most of my Christmas shopping, have been planning meals, and we're off to get a tree this afternoon!
By the way, daughters, sons, and Dad and Bea.....we're glad you are coming, as well:) Love you!

Porter Pickles

There are certain families who touch our lives forever. The Porters are one of those families for me. I remember well the first time I met them.....coming into the old Alamo Elementary School. Bradley, and Jennifer, and later their cousin Chase....and then along came Daniel. I smile upon each of these names. Each child was so full of life....and enough mischief to make that life very interesting indeed. David and Sabrina were the "parents in charge" of that lively brood...... and what precious parents they were....always involved, always fully immersed in "family"! I could count on them to be at every parent event, to volunteer their time and energy, and to be totally supportive of their children...and of Alamo School, as well! This was the kind of family that made teaching "worth it all"!

Well, one of my greatest joys of Christmas while living in Baytown was receiving my annual jar of "Porter Pickles" for my Christmas dinner. The Porters would actually raise these cucumbers in their backyard garden and then David would make them from his own secret recipe. I'm not kidding when I say that they were the best pickles I've ever tasted! They always had a place of honor on our Christmas table.

Today was one of those days when my heart was so homesick for Baytown friends that I found my eyes tearing up a bit.....
I decided to "cope" by going to check my mail. When I opened my box I found a key to the parcel post boxes. I could not believe my eyes.....There, sitting so proudly in my box, was a package. When I saw the return address, I started laughing out loud for pure joy! It was a package from the Porters!!!! Inside.....not only one....but THREE jars of delicious, crisp, homemade.....PORTER PICKLES!! My heart is so full right now....and so excited to know that these will, once again, have their place on my Christmas table! Thank you all for making this senior citizen from the Georgia Mountains so very happy.....happy to have a true taste of home....and so happy to remember with love one of the most beautiful families I've ever known! I love you guys!!!

Red Sky in the Morning...a Sign of a Coming Storm

Our morning news program just announced that Hurricane Ida will be headed here late tonight and will bring flooding to our area tomorrow. I never would have thought that I'd ever experience a hurricane again....much less in November....and on top of my little mountain.... Storms of life do surprise me, but I'm seeing that God does warn me many times of their coming...and calls me to rest in Him to fortify myself before their arrival.
God has sent such a breathtaking sunrise this morning in preparation for the coming storm.... How like Him..... filling our souls and eyes and minds with assurances of His presence before allowing tumultuous times into our lives....
May I take time to notice His cues and be strengthened by His presence before heading into any sort of hardship or battle.... This is a time of quiet peace before the storm... It is also a time of gaining strength and putting on the armor of faith and of sharpening the sword of His Word.

The Perfect Ending to a Beautiful Day

Thanks so much, guys, for an absolutely wonderful time! I'll cherish the memories of today for many years to come! I love you!

More Pictures of Little River Falls

Little River Canyon on a Sunday Afternoon

Thank you so much, Paul and Elizabeth! This was such a "glorious day"!
I feel so totally blessed to live so close to Paul and Liz. We are able to meet after church to hike at places like this! We all met "halfway" at Little River Canyon. Becca and I had never been there until today. Were we ever delighted! The scenes were just gorgeous! And then, to be able to share this with at least part of my family was such an added blessing! I realize that this is such a special place for you two, and your willingness to let us enjoy this with you will always mean so much to me......
Anna and Philip, I missed you both so much today....and I look forward to sharing my world with you some day, as well! Neil, your Granny Bishop is really looking forward to hiking with you, too! I love all of you so very much!

Life's Daily Splendor

May I never grow so accustomed to Your world's beauty, Lord, that I fail to stand in awe of Your creativity.... Each leaf that You create is in itself a work of art.... And then an entire tree..... And hills and mountains covered with these trees.....Oh Lord, you ARE so lavish in Your gifts, Your priceless treasures that You so freely share with us......

The Dawning of a Brand New Day

To be able to begin my day with the setting of the moon behind the mountains....and then have these gorgeous leaves to accompany me throughout the rest of the morning.... Lord, Your mercies are new every morning.....Great is Your Faithfulness and Loving Kindness

Memories

I tried to find a picture of my mother today. This would have been her 91st birthday. I did have the joy of talking to Mother's twin, Lila, though, this afternoon, and it was a delightful conversation. (Aunt Lila's mind is just as alert as ever, and she still has the Stokes wit and optimism:)! She was really enjoying her day, filled with family and love.....
How I would have loved to be able to peel back Heaven's cloak, just for a few minutes today, to be able to visit with Mother for a few minutes and to be able to give her a birthday hug!.....
Judi, my cousin, called this morning to say that she was in our family cemetery plot, and that she had placed autumn flowers on Mother's grave. It's odd, the only regret I really have about moving here is that I'm not there to do such things by way of respect and remembrance for my mom. Judi even took the time to walk around the landscape and relay her sights and sounds of the morning. It was the next best thing to being there. Thank you so much, Judi!
Today, especially, I miss Mother's voice and laugh; I miss her knarled but, oh so lady-like hands; I miss her wit and her dry humor; I miss her off-key, but from the heart singing in church; I miss our long talks about life, and the girls, and our Lord; I miss her clean fresh smells of hand lotion, and Estee Lauder, or White Shoulders; I miss her twinkly eyes and her ready smile for those of us who knew her best; I miss her steadfast prayers..... But Mother is remembered most by her family for her true unconditional love for each of us. How much she loved her husband, and children and grandchildren, and what a wonderful wife and mother she was! I cannot think of a better legacy for any woman..... She'll always be an inspiration to me!
Happy Birtday, Elaine! We all love you forever!

Final Blessings of a Beautiful October

Paul and his nephew Justin came by last night en route to Seneca, SC, for a Clemson football game this afternoon. God has so richly blessed us by sending wonderful guests throughout this month. We've always wanted our home to be used for our friends and family. We are so thankful to have shared this place with those we love so dearly....

Pictures of an Autumn Afternoon

My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit will rejoice in God, my Savior, for He who is mighty has done great things, and Holy is His Name.....
I lift up my eyes to the hills...
This is indeed a time of harvest....of seeds sown in tears that are now reaped in joy!

Autumn Leaves on Ft. Mountain

There is a Season....

And a time for every purpose under Heaven.....

Some autumn quotes for a rainy day's musings....

"Come to us, Lord of Harvest and teach us to be thankful for the gifts you bring us...."

"You can't hide your true colours as you approach the autumn of your life."

Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits." Samuel Butler

"October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter" Nova Bair

These were sights that accompanied me on my school visits Friday. I ended up near Eton and couldn't resist the call of the mountains. As my day ended, I drove to the top of Ft. Mountain.... The leaves were flaming and the quiet stillness that surrounded me once again sang praises to my God.... My heart and soul are quiet and at peace.....

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

Beauty from Ashes

Thank you, Elizabeth, for taking us to this special, holy place. Brother Joseph Zoettl's work speaks so beautifully to my heart that NO ONE is beyond God's redemption. Brother Joseph spent his life creating beauty from the ash heaps of what man had used or broken and thrown away. What a fitting picture of salvation!

And from these gardens I also saw with new eyes the fact that no THING is beyond His redemption, as well. So many moments of my own life, that I would now so readily discard, have been saved and USED by my loving God for His higher plan. I see more every day that salvation is not merely about going to heaven some day but about the redeeming of TIME -- the moments and hours and days of a broken life--even time so regretfully squandered or spoiled or thrown away. God will, I am totally convinced, use ALL of my own spoiled lifetime....some how, some way....for His glory. My responsibility today is to place all of the broken pieces and moments into His hands and His care.

The Ava Maria Grotto

"The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Earth shows forth His handiwork...."
My favorite Saints of the Church have to include St. Therese and St. Francis. How at home they would have felt at the Benedictine Monastery's Ava Maria Grotto in Alabama! Elizabeth was excited about showing us the beautiful and tranquil place. My heart was so much at peace there.

St. Francis, with his uncluttered life of devotion and his love of God's creatures, has always inspired me. The gardens around his statue reflected his character. The ordered and simple beauty of the landscape created a setting that was both soothing and uplifting.

I thought it beautiful, also, that so many flowers surrounded the statue of the Little Flower herself (St. Therese) and that a solitary pink rose, in my eyes the single most beautiful flower in the entire monastery, grew next to her statue. My heart smiled when remembering her appreciation of the minute handiwork of our Heavenly Father and her total dedication to Him in the most simple of earthly tasks.

May I be reminded by this time of quiet reflection to constantly guard my own heart and to realize anew the necessity of setting apart times of solitude and stillness in this mad, mad world. May I be grounded in what is truly essential. May I run with patience the race that is set before me, "setting aside the sin and the weights that so easily ensnare" me. May I rid my heart, not only of its sinful leanings, but of its propensity to be weighted down by whatever would take my eyes off His face.....

I think of The Little Prince's reflection, "It only with the heart that one can see rightly....for the things which are essential are invisible to the eye." How much easier it was to truly "see with my heart" in this lovely, God-blessed place.

Refiner of Gold

Oh Lord, may You use whatever pain or loss or separation or trial or any means necessary, to comform me to Your image. May all dross be cleared away so that my humble life may indeed show the reflection of Your love and grace and joy..... May my life become as gold refined in the crucible that becomes your mirror....and as water, still and quiet, that reflects Your face.....

Malachi 3:2-4 (New International Version)
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.

Autumn Splendor

My soul will never tire of this place. What a loving and merciful gift from a loving Heavenly Father. What a gift, as well, to have been able to share these hills that are now "home" with friends and family from places now far away.

Dad and Bea's Visit

What a wonderful weekend with my dad and his wife! It was such a joy to share our world with them. Bea really appreciates nature and was so upbeat and positive about our treks through the mountains, and Dad seemed to love sharing the mountains with all of us, as well. They were a blessing to my heart!

Lynn and Aubria's Visit

What a delightful time with dear friends!
One of my favorite verses declares that "God sets the lonely in families".....and the Sanders are just that to our little clan. Lynn has been such a faithful mentor and friend since the death of my mother, and has remained faithful and supportive through so many difficult stretches of life's highways during the last seven years. I understand from such a deeper viewpoint just why my mother loved her so....
Aubria has been on the sidelines as a strong prayer supporter of us and has voiced sage and encouraging words so many times during this phase of our life's marathon.
The past week has been such a beautiful respite for us. During the past few days, we were able to fellowship with these dear friends on a whole new level.... To be able to laugh and cry, to truly communicate from the heart and mind, to share our very world and souls, and to realize acutely that the Lord Himself is the basis for our friendship.....This is indeed the stuff of which heaven is made. And this visit was a taste of what awaits us all some day...
"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you...."
We love you, Lynn and Aubria!

I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy!

To quote Nellie Forbush in South Pacific:

Loudly I'll sing about flowers in spring,

Flatly I'll stand on my flat feet and say

Love is a grand and a beautiful thing!

I'm not ashamed to reveal

The world famous feelin' I feel.

I'm in love with a wonderful guy!

I am in a conventional dither,

With a conventional star in my eye.

And you will note there's a lump in my throat

When I speak of that wonderful guy!

I'm as corny as Kansas in August,

High as a flag on the Fourth of July!

If you'll excuse an expression I use,

I'm in love, I'm in love

I'm in love, I'm in love,

I'm in love with a wonderful guy!

Baby, Just Look at You Now

I know heaven will be better than this....intellectually......
But my heart simply cannot fathom it.
What absolute bliss! A whole weekend with little Neil! (and of course A and P, too:) This has honestly been one of the happiest moments of my life! Thanks to each of you for the memories that will flood my heart forever! I love you guys!

Somewhere over the Rainbow

I'm learning more every day that God plans and uses mightily the detours He sends into our lives. Yesterday was a case in point. I was headed home after my visit with the Martins. My heart was full from the special time with old friends. Autumn in the mountains surrounded me. I found myself mesmerized by the beauty of God's creation. Trees were just beginning to change their hues from greens to the colorful splendor that will put Joseph's coat to shame. Every direction filled my eyes with God's artistry. I was playing a favorite artist's cd as I rode in my new little auto and I was one, blissfully contented, lady:).....
And then I realized .... I was headed in the wrong direction.....(which is not easily remedied when one is driving on a narrow and winding mountain backroad)......
Yet, through God's grace, the past few years are teaching me to "live in the present", "forget past mistakes", and "press on" to find and follow God's footprints and to trust Him to be my Way, Truth, and Life:)........ The scenes above were the results of a "wrong" path! ........Or was it wrong, after all ?
He is teaching me that there are NO events in this believer's life that He has not ordained.... to mold me and bless me and conform me to be more like Himself. (And, boy, do I have a long way ahead of me!) I truly believe that my primary calling, as the Lord's child, is to keep my eyes on Him and to gratefully embrace ALL that He sends my way. I KNOW that ALL things, whether good or evil, will bring about the HIGHEST GOOD for God's child.....

On this day, a road headed directly OPPOSITE my own plans yielded this heaven-sent view. As I was forced to stop in order to turn around, I was able to get out and truly see God's world anew. Off the beaten path, I was able to literally walk UNDER a waterfall and, in the process, journey OVER the rainbow. Neither blessing would have been part of my experience had I continued traveling along my own chosen path. God had a higher road for me to travel....and His plans were to bless me, and to give me hope........ and a future that is filled, not only with joy,....but with breathtaking surprizes!

Pat, Bill, and Luna

What a delightful way to begin the autumn season! I was blessed to spend Sunday evening and Monday morning in Highlands, NC, with dear friends and mentors from my childhood--the Martins. It was so wonderful to visit with Pat and Bill again this year, remembering days gone by, catching up on lives woven together from eternity past, and learning more about these dear people who so influenced my life. (And, of course, a highlight was antiquing with the expert!)
Pat introduced me to Winnie the Pooh, refinishing furniture, sewing, and Cocker Spaniels when I was a child. All became part of me....She's a gracious Southern lady--wise and witty and the perfect hostess. (My dear mother called her "Friend". Pat was one with whom she was free to share her heart.) And Bill is a tender-hearted and hospitable Southern gentleman with a ready smile and a warm greeting. Like my dad, he is the quintessential Exxon engineer. Both Martins are civic minded, people-oriented, and generous. Once again, I was refreshed, inspired, and uplifted by being with them.
Thank you both for a lovely visit! ( I will think of you both each time I use the beautiful toast rack!)