Nearing the End of Summer

It is close to the end of Summer 2011. Well, for my daughter, it's already ended as she returned to school this week! She's in 8th grade now and is taking a few high school classes. I hope she is able to handle them. She loves her Spanish class. Everyday this week, she's come home with new words to share. :)

My son and his family came up last weekend to get their things out of storage to take back to the base. They found a house to rent and they're so excited. Hopefully, we can visit in December. And I'm sure hoping they're able to come home for Thanksgiving!!

Zach gave his little girl a ride on the 4-wheeler. She cried when she had to get off.

Here is my daughter with Kaylee. I know she tired of me telling her to be careful, but grandma can't help it!

I had the day off today - just an R&R day. I finished this 550-piece puzzle. Isn't it cute?!

We had a 5.9 earthquake yesterday with the epicenter in Mineral, VA. I went into the office yesterday morning and the earthquake occurred as I was driving on my way home during my lunch hour. I didn't feel it, but when I signed back on at home, a co-worker of mine called in a panic. She said her house shook for 20-25 seconds. The people at the office said the office building shook pretty bad too and knocked everyone offline for a few minutes. My cell phone wasn't working for 15-20 minutes afterward. It was a bit surreal. We're not used to earthquakes here in Virginia! Praise the Lord no one was hurt.

As a Bible prophecy student, this scripture came to mind:

Mark 13:8 - For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrow.

I fear for America in the coming months as there will be a vote in the U.N. in September to take land away from Israel. God promised that land to Abraham and his descendents. He said He would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel.

Joel 3:1,2 - For behold, in those days and at that time, when I shall reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and I will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat and there will I deal with and execute judgment upon them for their treatment of My people and My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and because they have divided My land.

I try not to worry about it. I know these things must happen before the return of my King. But it is a disconcerting thought indeed to think about God's wrath being poured out on America.

Psalm 121:1,2 - I lift mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

Amen. So grateful for His love and care and that our redemption draweth ever closer.

My 40th Birthday and What I'm Now Reading

So I turned 40 this week. Eeek! I can hardly believe it! No, it doesn't feel any different, but I see a lot more gray hairs than I did just 2 years ago. I now have to have my glasses on to read...didn't used to not too long ago. I guess this is the age when the first signs of "aging" creep in for most of us. There are some lucky ones out there who are blessed with looking and feeling youthful longer. But no matter...I'm still very blessed and have much to be thankful to God for!

Above is (what's left) of an icecream cake my sweet mom made me. It was GOOD! :)

This is a pocketbook my sister got me. I love owls.

I started reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett this week. It's a very good read so far. I found myself laughing outloud at some points. At the same time, it highlights the very real struggles that African-Americans endured in this country during segregation. It's hard to understand the mistreatment and prejudice. :(

The next book I plan on reading is Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. I want to read it before going to see the movie. The reviews I've read so far are good.

Well, I have blueberry cookies in the oven I have to tend to. They smell good too.

God Bless,

Lorrie

August Already?

I cannot believe that August has arrived already! My daughter is now busy at Marching Band Camp. She opted to play an instrument this year instead of try out for color guard. She plays the flute in concert band, but her band director asked her to play the piccolo in the marching band. She said the music is difficult, but a challenge never hurt anyone, right? :)

My son had his 20th birthday while he was away in boot camp. We treated him to dinner when he came home on leave. He and his family have already arrived at their new base and I miss them so very much!

Here are some of the homegrown tomatoes out of our garden. We will be doing some canning. I think I may make some salsa.

Lastly, here is a cute salt and pepper shaker I purchase in West Virginia. Haha. I found it at a gas station, no less.

Well, work is calling my name....

Blessings,

Lorrie

Peace and His Return

Why? I find myself asking God this question so often lately. No doubt He hears this word from His children more than any other.

I feel so exasperated these days, like I am devoid of peace. As a Child of God, this should not be. I pray for peace that passes understanding, but it somehow seems to elude me. I'm thinking that maybe I am a type of Martha when I should be a type of Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus and just listening to Him. I am so busy. We all are. There's so little time to listen and learn from Him. This causes me to be riddled with anxiety and stress. But I think about my life and what I have to do, my responsibilities, my multiple roles as wife, mom, employee, mother-in-law, sister, daughter, grandma....How can one avoid being a Martha in today's world?

The picture above depicts the "woman at the well". Now I'm not sure that she sat down and listened to Him talk about the Living Water that He offered. No doubt His knowledge of her past life and recognizing that He was the Messiah had her so giddy with excitement that she just couldn't wait to go and tell others Who she had met. But I like this picture nonetheless. Sometimes I imagine sitting with Jesus and talking to Him. Thing is, I can't imagine what He'd say to me. I can't imagine what He'd say to most of us. We have to be the saddest bunch of Christians in the church history. Indeed, the Church of Laodicea, which I believe represents today's church, is pathetic, lukewarm and in dire need of chastisement. We also, by and large, have our priorities out of order. The Great Commission seems to have gone by the wayside. The search for individual significance trumps the search for truth. We're purpose-driven and seeker-sensitive with a selfish me-mentality. Yes - I am guilty of some of this. Is it any wonder that we are in the pitiful state that we're in?

I am so glad that one day, I believe it to be sooner rather than later, born-again believers in Jesus will be snatched away and taken into His presence for eternity. I won't apologize for having an escapist attitude. What does this world have to offer me really? I am not of this world. No, I wouldn't advocate selling all of your possessions and waiting on a hilltop somewhere for His return. He will come like a thief in the night and we are to occupy until He does come. But I so look forward to it. Seeing my Savior face-to-face one day and cloaked with His robe of righteousness - it will be an amazing day.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Road Trip

We took a long road trip this past week to see my son graduate from boot camp and AIT training. I was so, so excited!! :) It was a long 16-hour drive and we made it to our destination around midnight.

I love traveling...going new places and seeing new sights. I took an extra few days off of work so we could take our time, sightsee and just enjoy ourselves. It's been a stressful year, after all. We stopped for supper at this Amish Buffet in Indiana. It was quite good! Their cherry cobbler was amazing.

I was super excited to visit Mansfield, MO. This is where Laura Ingalls Wilder and her husband, Almanzo, moved in the 1890's. She wrote the Little House books here and they are also buried here. I'm a fan of the Little House television series. I was, after all, a child of the 70's. She had the most wonderful stories of American pioneer life.

Here is the house they lived in. I absolutely loved the inside of this house. I wish I was able to take pictures, but we were not allowed. The old furniture, some custom-built by Almanzo himself, were wonderful to see. There was an amazingly adorable woodstove in the kitchen. The calendar that was hanging on the wall in the kitchen when Laura died in 1957 is still there. I also loved the picture window in the living room. Indeed, it looked just like a picture as the beauty of the outdoors was brought indoors.

This is called the "Rock House" and it's on the same property as the white house. Their daughter, Rose, was an independent spirit and a success in her own right. She was a world traveler and was also an author. She had this house built for her parents. It was more modern. Laura and Almanzo lived there for 8 years, but moved back into the white house because they felt the rock house never felt like home. This house is also lovely on the inside and it's in a beautiful spot on the property. But I have to say that I liked the white house better too.

Here is their tombstone.

We also visited the Gateway Arch in St Louis, MO. It is 630 feet tall. I had no idea how big this was! My daughter and daughter-in-law rode the tram to the top. Me and hubby stayed below with our granddaughter. I wasn't sure how I'd fare going up this high. Haha. It was sweltering hot too. There is a museum under the arch - the Museum of Westward Expansion. I love going through museums and learning new things.

Obviously, the highlight of this trip was our son's graduation! It was so wonderful to see him for the first time in 5 months. He had lost 30 lbs. and looked so very handsome in his dress blues! My heart was busting with pride, I have to say.

Nearing the end of the graduation ceremony, the soldiers stood and quoted the Soldier's Creed. I'll admit it choked me up listening to it. Here it is:

I am an American soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained

and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of

the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER.

I have to say - I am so grateful for the American soldier, past and present.

My soldier boy...

We stopped by Denny's on the way home for breakfast and enjoyed these "Hawaiian Pancake Puppies". Dipped them in syrup and they were really good!

I want to praise the LORD for His mercy. We arrived back home around 1:00am Saturday morning. Around noon on Saturday, we picked our dog up from where she was boarding, and a tire on the truck blew. To be blunt, we nearly averted almost certain tragedy because of God's loving care. Amen. The speed limit on the interstate was 70mph. I remember asking God to surround our vehicle with His guardian angels....and He did. This verse comes to mind:

Psalm 91:11 - For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Praying for the Norwegians in the wake of the recent, senseless massacre.

Blessings,

Lorrie

At The Park

We attended a family get-together last weekend at a local park. It was a lovely day! I just love watching children play on a playground - so contented, not a care in the world...I wish life was more like a day in the park. But alas, reality is often quite the opposite. But we can savor those happy moments of togetherness with family - even if it's just a trip to the park.

Here is my granddaughter. My, I'm going to miss her when she moves with my son and daughter-in-law to their new base out-of-state! I know the LORD has wonderful plans for them though. So I try not to be selfish in my thoughts and allow Him to take them where He sees fit.

It's amazing how children have little to no fear, isn't it? I found myself instinctively reaching out to her, afraid that she was going to fall.

She's starting her mountain-climbing practice early in life. :)

Here is my mom and 2 of my pretty nieces.

Kaylee just had to get into the bag of balloons.

And she's off...

We went to the mall later in the day and Kaylee loved this "truck" in the middle of the mall. Unfortunately, it ate our $1.00 and didn't give her the ride it was supposed to. Oh well...cute picture anyway. :)

I am so excited as my son's graduation is fast approaching! I so look forward to seeing him again.

One day, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching. - Unknown

Blessings,

Lorrie

Happy Independence Day 2011

Today, we visited Red Hill, Patrick Henry's last home and his burial site. What a great American patriot he was! Every year, Red Hill has a 4th of July celebration. This place is so beautiful! If you ever make it to Central Virginia, I'd encourage you to come here for a visit.

Today was overcast most of the day. There was light rain some of the time we were there. I was grateful. It cooled things off quite a bit. The evening was downright pleasant.

I so love American history. Our founding fathers were such wise, God-fearing men. In the beginning, we feared and respected the Almighty. Sadly, I believe our nation is now ripe for judgment. His mercy and, I believe, the fervent prayers of His saints, have kept us under God's protection. This is one of the things that has been causing me such great anxiety over the last few weeks. I pray to God that He sees fit to stay His hand of protection on the USA until Jesus comes to take us home. I know it shouldn't weigh me down so, but my heart is breaking for America.

In the meantime, I'll celebrate what she once stood for. I'll celebrate our freedoms. I'll celebrate that, for now at least, we can say "one nation under God" and "In God we trust".

My daughter's artwork on her hand - fireworks. :)

This is some "thistle" flower that was on the Red Hill property. I've never seen anything like it.

My granddaughter thoroughly enjoyed herself.

My daughter and granddaughter en route to Henry's last home.

Daughter, granddaughter and daughter-in-law having a good time!

It's truly a lovely place to visit.

Husband and Kaylee sharing a funnel cake.

Here is Patrick Henry's gravesite. Buried beside him is his last wife, Dorothea Dandridge.

A truly great American patriot!!

Waiting for the fireworks!

Kaylee's snacking while she's waiting....

Husband waiting patiently too...

At last...unfortunately, my camera doesn't take the best pictures at night.

A great way to end the day!

II Corinthians 3:17 - ...where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Blessings,

Lorrie