Monday, August 1
The last days of July were rough since we all had to say our final good-byes to Addie. Linda and Jack needed to recoup a little so they stayed over a couple of days. With John and Wanda, we all went to Lip Smackers for lunch before Jim and I went by to check on Jenny.
Since we had had a hefty lunch, we voted not to eat at AJ's for supper; but we did want to support our pastor Craig as he was a server for a fundraiser for the Wood County Child Protective Services...so, we made a donation and took pics...
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Tuesday, August 2
A fond farewell gathering as Jack and Linda prepare to return to South Carolina.
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Wednesday, August 3-Saturday, August 6
The rest of the week was spent catching up on chores, attending our first town hall meeting, where Jim presented a plea to U,S. Representative Jeb Hensarling to assist with killing an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorizations Act that would greatly reduce the mission of military bands Following that meeting, we ate out with family and friends, browsed through the Mineola Farmers Market, and last; but certainly not least, took a ride on Taz...not a bad life.
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Sunday, August 7
Busy morning at church as Jim played the special music and both of us presented our children's sermon on Colossians 3:23...
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Monday, August 8-Saturday, August 13
The week began with a trip to Sulfur Springs to see our friend Marilyn who is in an assisted living home after having lunch with Jerry and Diane at the Yantis Senior Center.
A Taz ride and lunch with Gene and Michelle at the Mineola Pizza Hut with haircuts at 4:00 and dinner to the Durigs after that brought Tuesday to a close.
Friday was a fun day of cooking and preparing for a night with friends. 99 has become
our game of choice since so many people are able to play it.
The week was rounded out with a fun time and dinner at Gene and Michelle's.
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Sunday, August 14
Children's sermon today was...
Then after church, Andy and Heather brought Alex and Abby to us. We got to hang with them until Wednesday.
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Monday, August 15-Wednesday, August 17
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Wednesday, August 17
Since granddaughter Randi and her fella, Nick were returning from Vegas, the kids, Jim, and I met them at On the Border in DeSoto. Leah and Kaiden met us, too; so Jim and I were delighted to have a meal with so many of our grandchildren at the same time. Next stop was Dallas where we returned the kids to their parents...
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Thursday, August 18-Saturday, August 20
Raindrops, teacher appreciation at the church, and a dinner in Canton at Jalapeno Tree with friends, Carol and Sonny from San Antonio, were on the agenda. Ending the week with a great Gospel Sing with Jerry and Diane reminded us just how blessed we are with our life.
While we were at the Gospel Sing, we saw some friends who at this point are going to remain anonymous. The story begins like this...I (Barbara) was taking pics of all of us when someone said, "Barbara, there are people out there that I don't want to know I'm here!" I was horrified and quickly deleted all that they were in. Nothing else was said. Will pick this story up tomorrow for the ending.
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Sunday, August 21
When we arrived at church today, Charlie T. told me he was expecting to see his and Charlotte's picture at the Gospel Sing on facebook; but all he found was us with Jerry and Diane. When I told him what Charlotte had said last night, he started laughing. Then, later Charlotte told me she was just joking last night! She couldn't believe that I had deleted all of the pictures of Charlie and her! But, she couldn't contain her laughter! So...after church, I made sure I got the last laugh!
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Thursday, August 25
Jim and I rode over to Lindale to the Scooter Shed to check out the new patches Norma was showing there. We were supposed to meet Heidi there so I could hang with her while Jim went to band rehearsal. However, Heidi missed the Scooter Shed and wound up in Mineola; so we hopped on Taz and met her there! Then she and I drove off into the sunset as Jim headed to practice. I don't get to see Heidi enough! But, we made up for lost time.
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Sunday, August 28
It was such a beautiful morning that we had no choice but to ride Taz to church!
Our children's sermon was on courage...we put 5 smooth stones in a small container...We called it our David's box and each stone was labelled with a word...(forgot to take a pic so am including part of our lesson.)
Barbara: You
and I may never face a giant such as Goliath, but we face giants of another
kind in our daily life. We face giants such as fear, insecurity, loneliness,
and failure. How can we overcome those giants that want to defeat us? These
five stones can help us to remember the story of how David defeated the giant
he faced. They also help us to know how we can defeat the giants which we face.
• The first stone represents COURAGE…Mr. Little tell us
about courage –
Jim: Courage
may be about standing up and doing something that you know is right, even if
others may laugh at you or turn their backs on you. Courage isn’t about not being afraid…it is
doing the right thing even when you are afraid of how something might turn out
for you personally.
• Barbara: The next
stone represents CONFIDENCE...
Jim: Confidence
comes from knowing that you are doing the right thing and that God will guide
you if you are working in His will.
• Barbara: This
stone represents PREPARATION...
Jim: It is
important for you to do everything possible to be certain you are prepared to
face the challenges which you will meet in your daily life. You can prepare for the challenges by growing
in the Word of God and knowing that you are doing the right thing.
• Barbara: The
fourth stone represents TRUST...
Jim: When
you face problems, put your trust in God, not in your own ability. You may not know the outcome of your
challenge, but you can trust God to lead you if you are properly prepared.
• Barbara: The
last stone represents VICTORY...
Jim: When
the giants in life come up against you, put your faith and trust in God, stand
up for what is right, and He will lead you to victory over them.
Barbara: So,
the next time you are facing a giant in your life, remember the story of David
and Goliath --and five smooth stones; and, Joshua 1:6, “Be strong and
courageous
Jim: Dear Father, just as
you gave David the victory in his battle with Goliath, we know that when we put
our trust in you, you will give us the victory over the giants we face in our
daily life. Amen
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Wednesday, August 31
Jim and I made up our minds that even riding Taz, we were going to make it from Mineola to
Gene and Michelle's in Plevna, Kansas. The day was long; but we were successful!
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When fear knocks, answer it with faith!
With Gene and Michelle Young on their farm in Plevna, Kansas,
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsy
