Peace

 

This is a portion of the beautiful stained glass window in the sanctuary of my church, Peace Presbyterian Church (PCA).
I love the colors & the design.
It is a gift of beauty (by an unknown artist) I enjoy every time I see it:)
God is the Artist who inspires all artists.
I think all too often we take beautiful pictures, beautiful artwork, beautiful architecture, beautiful landscapes, beautiful sunsets, etc., for granted.
The LORD shines through all that gives us joy:)

Pastor Andy's Blog On How To Spend Your Summer

A summer suggestion list from our dear Rev:)
He's a wise fella, don't you agree?:)

1.Read a book aloud as a couple or to your kids.
2. Memorize Psalm 19.
3. When you are away from home on a Sunday, visit a church wherever you are and afterwards say something encouraging to the pastor. Let him know that his labors are not in vain!
4. Get to know a neighbor on a first-name basis.
5. One Sunday morning at church, invite a visitor or newcomer over for lunch that very day.
6. Offer free childcare to parents of young children so that they can go out on the town one night.
7. Pick a missionary to pray for and write to over the course of the summer.
8. Buy needed goods for a local rescue mission and take your kids with you to deliver them.
9. Pick one night of the week for you and your wife (and/or family) to eat out every week of the summer at a locally owned restaurant. Go to the same restaurant on the same night as many weeks as possible with a goal of knowing a hostess, waiter, or manager by name, as well as being known by name.
10. If married, allow your wife to go five nights straight without having to prepare a meal.
11. Read God’s Long Summer by Charles Marsh.
12. Put a bottle of water in your mailbox with a thank you card for your postal worker and/or something similar for sanitation workers.
13. Share the gospel at least once.
14. Spend at least one hour everyday outside.

Psalm 19

This summer our inspiring Pastor Andy has recommended, among many interesting possibilities, learning this Psalm.
Great homework for those of us who don't think beyond "will we get away for a vacation this summer---that is the burning question" mindset.
Setting goals for filling our mind with "things from above" is a high aim.
One of my best 'buds' has already memorized it:)
Amazing to me, one who dreads memorization, and I'm proud of her:)
Go Kathy!
Can I do it??


The Law of the Lord Is Perfect
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above [1] proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice [2] goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, [3]
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules [4] of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

A Precious Refuge

 

The A's peaceful mountain refuge they so graciously share.
Such a blessing!
Such a sweet retreat!
A little Heaven on Earth:)

A Sweet Postscript

 

As of this morning Skye has been assigned a dorm at Appalachian State University!
I am breathing a sigh of relief & am feeling quite grateful.

I must say at midnight last night she & I both were pretty down.
She called to say she checked her App email this weekend & found App had, via email, offered her a dorm sometime the first of last week, with June 18th being the deadline to accept.
She wasn't able to check her email till Sat./Sunday, the 21st/22nd.
Immediately upon reading the note she wrote a reply to App Housing, telling of her situation.
At about 10am this morning, with a heavy weight lifted, Skye called me at Hallmark to say the Housing Director had given her a room:)
WHOA!
After getting off the phone and going to the back of the store I simply cried.

God IS faithful
He IS the Great Provider.
Why do I fear?
Why do I worry?

App This Fall?

 
Last weekend Keith, Skye & I attended Appalachian State's Orientation for Skye's fall semester.
It was a day of promise, of finding out if Skye would get a dorm room & a time to organize and get help from her advisor with her schedule. A day of gathering material and getting things together.

The first thing we found out was that there were no dorm's available for transfer students, period. The freshman class is the largest ever. Now we knew that might happen, but Skye had gotten her deposit for a dorm in asap and we thought her chances were maybe 75% to get a room. The tough part was that by the end of the day we found out App had known this for 2 months but didn't communicate that to the transfer students--UGH!

Also, Skye's App Studies advisor didn't show & couldn't be reached:( The English advisor helped as much as she could.
People were kind but the promising weekend was turning into a nightmare.

By 3pm, when all the Orientation stuff was finished, the 3 of us rushed to the library to grab a computer & start calling Realty companies. Now I had asked a friend for use of her mt. cottage for two nights in case this might happen, little knowing the rental companies close at 5pm Friday--another UGH moment:(
Holten Realty thought they had something. We dashed over to find the room had been taken:(
They were sympathetic and kind and encouraging.
We put Skye's name on a list.

We felt beaten to a pulp:(
But--we had done all we could.
Skye & I needed a little Mast General Store time but I must say our hearts weren't in it.
At the end of the day the one good thing; ending up at the Aasland's dear cottage near West Jefferson. One of the most peaceful places imaginable. We escaped for a while.

The tough thing about this search is that Skye is in the wilds of Ridge Haven Camp & does not have computer time during the week. And she'll be there most of the summer. Grabbing weekend computer time will be crutial.

So, the search for Skye's room or apt. or roommate with apt. in Boone goes on---- from Brevard & Apex.

Some Camp Time

 

Last weekend Keith & I went up to Ridge Haven Retreat & Conference Center near Brevard, NC. This is where Skye is living and working this summer. It's a beautiful area, next door to Gorges State Park, NC's newest state park. Gorges S.P. & Ridge Haven are in 'waterfall' country.
Spectacular scenery and amazing hiking terrain.

Wanted to share this photo of some of the Ridge Haven campers having a sweet time in the mud! Counselors and campers are intertwined here--brave folks:)
We asked that they didn't come too close:)
We waved from a safe distance:)

This week Skye had her first group of campers so it will be neat to hear how that went:)
We heard she was pretty tired. Imagine that!

The 2 Redheaded Girls:)

 

I truly enjoy this fun college duo:) They are 2 of the 3 of our redheaded Hallmark girls (Anna, our red-headed teacher/my hero, is missing here).

We are saying goodbye to Erin on the left and I'm pretty sad about that:(
She's going to Wilmington to pursue her education at Cape Fear Community College.

Kendra will be with us through the summer--hurray:)
During the fall/winter/spring she attends UNC-Wilmington:)

Y'all are such cuties, Erin & Kendra:)!!
Luv ya:)

Yea Yvonne

 
This is my sweetheart of a manager, Yvonne:)
I love my job at Hallmark because of this lady & her devotion to God, her husband Jimmy & her two sons and daughters in law & extended family, the owners of our Hallmark store, & the staff she hires, nurtures, takes 'great' patience with, and cares for.

She's a NC girl like me:) We grew up in similar settings with the same values--and we're the same age. Now that means a lot:)

Soon she'll be known as "Nana Vonne" because her son Ashley & daughter in law Ali are expecting her (& Jimmy's) first grandchild! (I'm worried she may skip town forever after this long-awaited precious little one arrives; Ash & Ali live far away in Charlotte)

Working for/with Yvonne is one of the most enjoyable things of my life.
I am blessed:
Yea for Yvonne!)!

My New Toy

 
For Father's Day, Keith gave me a sweet Trek Navigator bike:)
(I think he said that because now he'll have company on his trek's around town:))
It's a dark maroon color, with stylized flowers splashed here & there:)

On this extremely warm June evening, with Keith on his Duke blue Electra Townie, I took my maroon Navigator Trek for it's 'maiden vogage' to Lake Pine. Befitting the occasion I wore my new pink/black/white racing helmet--whoa, what a sight!
And on the way home we stopped by Micky D's for a bite of supper, a rare happening for us anymore.

Bike riding is such a pleasant way spend time outdoors.
It feels so freeing to me.
And coasting in the breeze is icing on the cake, especially in weather like this!
Come join us!