D.S. al Coda: Go to the Sign of the Cross, Then proceed to the End

Let me share with you something that happened to me last week.  Thursday I had to go pick up a lawnmower in Neeses to mow my parents' property in Cordova.  When I got to the pick-up site something caught my eye in the middle of this large yard.  It was a mayonnaise jar moving through the grass!  That will get your attention.  Then I noticed that something was sticking out the back of it propelling it along.  My first thought was that it was a raccoon or possum because it was sort of brown and furry, but I quickly realized that it was a young cat with his head stuck in this jar!  No telling how long it had been in this predicament, but I quickly reached down and tried to gently twist and pull the jar off of this poor cat.  Finally, I got his head out and it was covered with the oily, pasty residue of old mayonnaise, something reddish, and some ants.  I felt such a relief for this little critter.  The cat looked up at me as if to say, "Thanks!"  And then he took off running

Here's the view from where I am sitting at 7:00 AM on Friday mo rning, July 13, the last day of vacation here in Chery Grove.  It has been a great week of both rest and productivity, each day thoroughly enjoyable and not a single day wasted.  We are heading home today ready to start taking on the tasks of ministry with renewed sense of confidence that God is working out His purposes for the days ahead in and through me. But this morning I am looking back over this week and thanking God for all that He has allowed me to do: Fished in the surf - caught 7 Wrote 2 songs! Read a book by Stephen Ben DeNoon, "Yam Suf" (Hebrew for "Red Sea" or "Reed Sea") Played tennis with my brothers-in-law Watched Wimbledon tennis Watched Chery Grove Pier fireworks on the 4th Watched a good movie called "I Am David" Rode the golf cart and scooters with Julie everyday Prayer-walked the beach with Julie Attended a prayer-gathering with some friends on

It has been a full 5 months since my last blog I wrote following my mother's death in November.  I just have not had the time to sit down and do this!  In January we came home to a broken water pipe and about $10,000 worth of damage, my father then passed away the end of January.  I conducted 9 funerals in February, March and April, taught a 7-week Discipleship class on Death, became the PR for my dad's estate, placed my parent's home in Cordova on the market, still working to repair the damage from a tree falling on my backyard gazebo and chicken coop, along with the normal load of Sr. Adult and Congregational Care ministry at LBC plus my wonderful "L Group", Friday morning prayer group, the Legacy Choir, Called Quartet, Singing Churchmen, Joyful Noise Handbells, and a weekly home Torah Study every Saturday!  (whew!)  BUT.... God has been so good and faithful through it all.  Everything that needed to be accomplished has been done according to God's plan and