The Remedy for Cabin Fever

After being snowbound since Friday afternoon, I was so thankful to be out and about this afternoon. The roads had thawed so that we felt safe to drive down our little mountain once again. (It had taken Becca almost three hours to get home Friday afternoon because the roads were so icy. We had also cancelled our trip to Macon for Dad's birthday because it was just too dangerous to get out....) We noticed a dusting of snow still remaining on Fort Mountain, and it seemed to call us to explore it a little closer. This was the beginning of such a beautiful afternoon...... We had just started our drive to Ft. Mountain State Park.

Snowfall in the Foothills

View from my back window.....
We've snowbound for two days. Nothing better than to look out upon this view while sipping a cup of coffee and reading a good book ( in this case Chuck Colson's "The Good Life"....).
I'm realizing more and more that Dalton has become my home. What a gift from God Himself....

Winter Sunrise from My Terrace

How I look forward to the dawning of each new day. God's faithfulness surrounds me in this little corner of His world. Simple and uncluttered, the beauty of the place where I have been planted supplies a backdrop for humble worship and true appreciation of His creation.

Dear Old Friends

Time it was and what a time it was

A time of innocence, a time of confidences

Long ago it must be, I have a photograph

Preserve your memories. They're all that's left you

Old friends, old friends sat on the park bench like bookends

Old friends, winter companions

Can you imagine us years from today, sharing a park bench quietly

How terribly strange to be sixty......

(A loose adaption from two Simon and Garfunkle songs. Both kept ringing in my ears on my return trip from Atlanta, where I was blessed to spend the afternoon with college friends from long ago. Judy and Johnny now living almost half a world away.....And Lynn now living within driving distance from my new home.....)

Today was a priceless gift from my God..... Forty plus years have passed since I've been together with them.

Forty years of life-building for all of us. Lives filled with love, laughter, tears, hard work...and great pain. But, oh, the lessons God has been imparting to us all. And how priceless to share stories of His, oh so sufficient, grace.....

Lynn, Judy, and Johnny, how much I respect each of you. I come away a better person by simply being in your presence. It's always been this way. Your deep and unfaltering faith, your simple way of living, your steadfast character, and your true humility have not changed except to have grown even richer and deeper. Your lives speak so gently and clearly of God's love and acceptance and grace.

I love you all so very much.

Joy to the World!

Memories of Sugar Plums Dance in My Head

Our last guest drove off this afternoon. The house is quiet and still. The rooms seem so spacious.......and empty. But my heart is full, so very full...... of love, and memories, and gratitude. This Christmas will reside in my heart for the rest of my life. Neil's first. Neil, our own cherub who seemed to fly down from heaven on his God-given mission to bless us and to fill our home with laughter, and wonder, and abundant joy once again by his presence. The family was together for the first time in, oh, so many years. Little Neil was joined by Rebecca, Elizabeth and Paul, Anna and Philip, Dad and Bea.....and even Uncle Tim joined in via SKYPE. Father, thank You for graciously giving us Your Son....and all these many moments to enjoy. What a blessed Christmas indeed!

December Sunrises

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Thirty-one years......It just doesn't seem possible that you came into my world that many years ago. In so many ways, it seems like only a short while ago, Elizabeth...
You have become such a lovely, gentle, and kind lady. I count myself so blessed to have you as my daughter! And what a beautiful young woman you have become! I am so very proud of you.......I know you make the Lord Himself smile.....
May you continue to seek our Lord and His righteousness above all else, Liz. He, indeed, is adding "all these things" to your life! I love you so very much!
mom

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.