Purpose

11 Mar

Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged from Rebekah Lyn Books

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of Your hands.
~Psalm 138:8

People tend to find their purpose in their jobs. This isn’t surprising since from middle school on we are told to focus on our grades, get involved in extracurricular activities to round out resumes for college applications. Then we spend our college years choosing the path we are expected to take for the rest of our lives. How many high school graduates know what they want to spend the rest of their lives doing? Things we are passionate about at that age can change dramatically by the time we are 30. 

My plan had me married to my high school sweetheart, with a glamorous job in public relations, and two adorable children. None of that worked out. It fell apart in dramatic and small ways. One dream at a time disappeared until I had to accept a new direction and purpose. I set my sights on a different job. It became the driving force in my life. When I finally had the interview, I knew all the loss had been worth it. Then the call came.

I didn’t get the job. 

I could feel my world falling apart like a house of cards. The reason I didn’t measure up sent me spiraling and shook my faith in everything. Two decades have passed, and my chest still aches when I think about it. However, I can now see God used that crushing blow to set me free from defining myself by my job. 

My first defining description is now: child of God. I go to work because I have to pay the bills, but I don’t live for it. My purpose now is to serve God. Whether that is helping in the nursery on Sunday, offering kind words to someone who is struggling, or another task put before me, I know will please God. I believe writing is also part of my purpose. 

Writing these blogs, sharing Bible verses each week, opening up about what I’m thinking and feeling are ways God can use me to reach people around the world in ways I never could in that dream job. My books take a long time to write, but they shape me as much as I shape them. I learn more about myself and God with each story I craft.

I have cried out just as David did — “Lord, don’t abandon me!” He never does. When I felt lost after my dream crashed down, I was the one who ran from God. Even then, I felt his call upon my heart. When I was ready to stop running, He was there ready to heal me and lead me on. We may never know the complete purpose God has for us, but if we will listen, He will guide us on the right path. He loves us more than we can imagine and wants the best for us. That may mean walking through dark valleys or heartbreaks, but on the other side we find a deeper relationship with God. He will not abandon the work of His hands. 

I’m a sandal-loving native Floridian, but love spending time in the mountains of North Carolina. I believe God has called me to use my writing to spread the word of His love and the gift of salvation He freely offers. So many seem to believe when a person gives their life to Christ they become infallible or perfect. I want to write stories that show we are still human and do make mistakes, but through God’s grace there is forgiveness when we truly repent.

I love cooking, especially baking, and food tends to show up in all of my books. I enjoy sharing the recipes I find along the way as well as sharing insights into the writing journey. I love to hear back from readers and would welcome the chance to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest.

You can also learn more about my books and some other Christian writers I have partnered with on my website, http://rebekahlynbooks.com

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When the Ground Shakes: How to Stand Firm When Fear Tries to Take Over

27 Feb

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles


Reblogged Friday, February 27, 2026 

I was alone, seated at the dining room table in the home hosting me during my trip to Quito, Ecuador.

The chair moved slightly.

I brushed it off as my imagination—until the table began shifting side to side.

I jumped to my feet. My heart raced.

Only eight hours earlier, a powerful earthquake—nearly a magnitude 7—had struck. It was the same strength as the quake that devastated Ecuador’s coast just a month before. As the floor beneath me moved and the room trembled, one instinct rose above all others: I called out the name of Jesus.

In that moment, it felt as though an unseen army had surrounded me—fear, anxiety, uncertainty, panic—each weapon aimed straight at my heart.

Perhaps you’ve faced something similar. Maybe your world is shaking right now—not with a physical earthquake, but with an emotional one.

A diagnosis you didn’t expect. A relationship suddenly fractured. A financial blow. A future that feels uncertain and unsteady.

What once felt solid now feels like it’s moving beneath your feet.

Yet here is the unshakable truth: God is not surprised. And He already has the answer.

  • When King Jehoshaphat stood before an overwhelming army—outnumbered, afraid, and unsure how to fight—God spoke words that still steady trembling hearts today:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15)

  • When everything around us shakes, God does not ask us to strive—He asks us to stand.

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17a)

  • And when fear whispers that we are alone, God answers with His presence:

“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged… for the Lord will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17b)

We may feel the tremors. We may hear the roar of uncertainty. But our souls remain steady when anchored to a God who never moves.

If your world is shaking today, pause and listen. What is God whispering to you in the middle of the quake?

If this message speaks to your heart, I invite you to sit quietly with God today—even for a few moments—and surrender the battle you’ve been trying to fight on your own. You don’t need to have all the answers. You only need to trust the One who does.

And if you know someone whose world feels like it’s falling apart, please share this message with them. Sometimes hope enters through the simplest invitation.

Let’s Pray

Lord,

When the ground beneath us feels unstable and fear rises like a wave, remind us that You are our firm foundation. Teach us to stand still when we want to run, to trust when we want to control, and to listen when You whisper truth over our trembling hearts. We surrender this battle to You—because it was never ours to fight. Strengthen our faith, steady our souls, and help us see Your deliverance.

In Jesus’ powerful name,

Amen.

Bonus article on today’s topic.

Janet

Would you like to invite Janet to speak at your next event? Contact her here.

To view Janet’s speaking demo video, watch here.

Check out Janet on the cover of the 2025 February issue of Woman of Faith Magazine! To read the full issue, visit their site here.

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.


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Our Grandtwins

15 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

I wrote this back in 2013, so these “grandtwins” are in their late teens now. 

In previous musings, I have mentioned our “grandtwins.”  I would like to think that I coined that phrase, since I’ve never heard anyone else use it.  But that’s probably rather vain of me to think so.  However, they are our grandchildren, and they are twins.

Our youngest daughter and her husband went through the very expensive InVitro process to have their children.  And we are thrilled with the results of that process.  Our grandtwins are delights to our lives.  There are 15 years between our older grandchildren and our grandtwins, so I’m afraid these cousins won’t be very close to each other, and that hurts our hearts.  However, our grandtwins were both in our oldest grandson’s wedding just a few short weeks ago, and they are all quite familiar with each other.

But the birth of the twins was quite an experience – for us all.  Our daughter (Janet) called to say that the twins would probably be born within a few days via C-section, as she had developed toxemia. The twins would be born about six weeks early.  Fred immediately called and made airplane reservations for us for a couple of weeks out, staying one week.

However, we had a call from our oldest daughter (Karen), that her husband insisted that someone from the family be there for the delivery, it should be at least her, as well as me.  So Fred called and changed my reservation to the following day.  It was to be a surprise to Janet.  Janet called Fred’s cell phone as he was driving me to the airport, and was surprised to hear my voice instead of his.  She seemed quite disappointed to learn that “we” wouldn’t be coming up for another week.  When I hung up, I rubbed my hands together and said, “Oh, this is going to be GOOD!”

Karen flew in first, rented a car, and picked me up at the airport.  We, of course, got lost trying to find the

Our arrival was such fun.  Karen and I had planned it all out on the way.  She would walk into the room first and greet her sister.  Then she would say, “I picked something up at the airport that I thought might make you smile.”  That was my cue to walk into the room.

Well, it worked.  However, Janet hadn’t seen her sister in over a year…..Karen had let her hair grow…..Janet was in pregnancy “fog”….. and she actually didn’t recognize Karen at first.  She said to herself, “I know this person.  Who is it?”  It wasn’t until Karen was at her bedside that she recognized her and exclaimed, “It’s Karen!!”  After they hugged, Karen said her prepared speech, and I walked in.  Opened mouth – Janet was speechless!  I had anticipated hugs and laughs, but instead got hugs and tears.  It was quite an emotional time.

Later, Janet was taken into surgery, and those two beautiful babies were born.  God is good.

God is with you in everything you do.

Genesis 21:22

 

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

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January in Central Florida: Came In Like a Lamb, Went Out Like a Lion (With Actual Flurries!)

12 Feb

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

March has a rhyme “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

In Central Florida, January came in like a lamb and went out like a raging lion. It was part of a historic cold snap described as the coldest in 16 years. Some places in Florida experienced snow flurries and even accumulation.

I generally enjoy cold weather but this cold “snap” hung around a little too long. Covering and uncovering plants got old, but thankfully many were unscathed.

The other plants and neighborhood landscaping didn’t fare as well. This may be depressing, especially to the newer Florida residents.

But don’t give up. I’ve lived in Florida for decades. The resilience of nature is inspiring. Yes, some plants will be lost but even ones that appear truly dead can survive with adequate watering and judicious pruning.

I took some pictures while walking our granddog. The Crepe Myrtles look awful now, but I am sure they will bounce back. I think the row of entrance shrubs will also be ok. I am not sure about the landscaping between the orange dividers.

The amaryllis below I call legacy bulbs. Their ancestors originally were brought to Florida from North Carolina by my mother in the 1950s. They moved with her from house to house. Eventually they ended up at our daughter’s home. I am fairly certain the bulbs will be fine. My mom would run the lawn mower over them.

We have a few of the amaryllis started at our home in the North Carolina mountains. We hope they survived.

Spring will arrive in Florida soon. I am anticipating nature’s rebirth.

Our home in North Carolina received eight and one half inches of snow. Our neighbors were housebound for several days. Glad we missed that.

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

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Uncle Jess

8 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Reblog

I wrote this back in 2013…and got a good laugh out of the story again.  I hope my readers do, as well.  Enjoy!

I have a really quirky family.  And most of them I have enjoyed through the years – or stories about them.

My Mother’s family is originally from Ireland, with a good old name of McBratney.  I don’t know a lot about the family history, but only some stories from my Great-grandfather on.  He was one of 11 children, eight of them male.  I know that they called themselves “The Boys” and got together occasionally. 

The McBratney Boys

About the time I was “aware” of life, there were only four “boys” left, my great-grandfather not being one of them.  I made a trip to Kansas once with my Aunt Jessie and Granny, and got to see them then.  However, my fondest memories are in 1958 when those four “boys” came to Albuquerque for a visit.  They were my Granny’s uncles, my Mother’s great-uncles, and so my great-great-uncles.  But they were fun and funny to be around.  

1958 – The Boys – as I remember them

While I enjoyed them all, I guess Uncle Jess was the one I remember the most.

Judy and Uncle Jess

And this story about him always delights me – and makes others laugh when I tell it.

Back in 1958, one of the favorite things to do was to grill steaks on the outside grill.  Big, thick, juicy steaks – lots of fat to flavor the meat – special seasoning to give it just the right tenderness and flavor.  You remember, right?

1967 – Fred and Judy = grilling steaks, Albuquerque, NM

Well, one of those times, after the meat had been cooked and all were seated at the table, Uncle Jess began to meticulously cut all the fat from off his steak….and then proceeded to EAT THE FAT!  My Mother exclaimed – “Uncle Jess!  The doctor told you not to eat the fat on your steaks!”  And he calmly replied, “No he didn’t.  He only told me to be sure and cut it off.”  

As I said, he was a sweetheart!

1958 – My Granny and Uncle Jess.  He always had that little stogie in his mouth!

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

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January Recap

5 Feb

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Well, here we are in February already.

Over Christmas we were blessed with a ten day visit with our daughter.We made low carb cookies and candies together. Working together in the kitchen is one of my great joys.

My mother and I did the same. In her later years mom and I would sit at the kitchen table and chop up pork for Eastern North Carolina style barbecue, peel potatoes and snap green beans together.

But I digress..

We have very poor cell service at our place in Western North Carolina. My cell phone uses wi-fi assist to make phone calls. When we tried to activate that on my husband’s phone it wasn’t there.Assuming we were simply not tech savvy enough, we went to the Verizon store for help.

Many attempts by the Verizon employee failed.

But wait! There’s more.

You guessed it. Verizon had a new and better service plan for us and would throw in a new iPhone.

After 4 hours of the salesman juggling numbers, adding and deleting phones, we left with one new phone, a new plan and exhausted. It was worse than buying a car.

Of course it didn’t end there. We spent the first part of January deciphering strange and exorbitant bills and oh, I forgot to mention, we also had to get the Verizon Visa to take advantage of $20.00 credit on bill, Like we needed or wanted another card.

Next came the big Verizon outage.We were leaving a visit to a neurosurgeon in Orlando when I noticed my phone was in SOS mode. I thought the problem was my phone and began checking all the settings.

The SOS message set off a mini PTSD moment from Hurricane Helene days.

None of the “fixes” put out by Verizon eliminated the problem. Apple tech told me the fix but said it was up to Verizon to do it. Too stressful to write about but it was finally resolved. Hours of my life gone.

Next up- The brutal winter weather in the Southeast.

The frontal rains of the first cold front was moving in the day we planned to return to Florida.

We staged our belongings at the garage door and waited for the rain to slack off. My husband was anxious to get started. As soon as the rain lightened, we threw our belongings in the truck.

We were fortunate to only travel around 100 miles before the rain stopped. When we arrived at our Air BnB we unloaded our overnight items then found a place for supper.

Meanwhile, the weather reports for the cold front in North Carolina were looking ominous. Not much snow but major ice and power outages.

We were concerned about our water pipes, but decided it was foolish to be worrying. The pipes and our house were in God/s hand.

Thankfully, there was no damage except a tree leaning toward my husbands shop at the bottom of our property

A few days later, a rare snow storm arrived. We are in a valley town and the snow tends to go around us. Not this time. Our neighbor said we received around 8 1 /2 inches. Due to the extreme cold the snow melt turned to ice. We are glad we missed that. Once again thankful that our home experienced no damage.

To our surprise the cold weather actually made its way into Florida. Some areas had snow flurries!

Yesterday was gorgeous and walking the granddad was delightful.

January wasn’t all stress, of course. But I think it is why the month seemed to fly.

The month ended with a special evening event. So much fun and the fireworks were spectacular!

Did January whiz by as fast for you as it did for me?

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother. I hadn’t practiced them for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2025 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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Kitty

25 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

My mother-in-law was a gem.  She was funny, cute, elegant, classy, down-to-earth, loved to laugh, and welcomed me into the family as a daughter.  Of course, it didn’t hurt that I married her first-born.  

Her name was Charlotte Emily, but I had never heard anyone call her anything but Kitty.  Occasionally a niece would mention “Aunt Charlotte” but that’s about it.  She rapidly became a second mother to me, and I loved her.

I was always curious as to where the nickname “Kitty” came from, and found it to be a most interesting and amusing story.  In her own words:

“…when I was in 7th or 8th grade, I was given a nick-name, Kitty!  This came about in the winter when we were skating on a small lake in Monroe, New York.  My sister Eleanor told some friends about an episode when we were living in Windham, New York.  Our Mother and her three daughters were enjoying the evening sitting on our front porch, when a small black and white animal came creeping up the front walk.  I began calling, “Kitty, kitty” and started down to pet him or her.  As I got up my Mother said, “That’s not a cat – it’s a skunk!”  Well, luckily, it turned and ran away without leaving the usual odor we associate with skunks.  That winter when we, El and I, were skating, El told this story and from then on everyone on the ice began calling “Here Kitty, Kitty!”  And I’ve been called Kitty every since!”

Mystery solved!  I’ve heard similar stories before, but not where the name stuck.

Her father was a Scottish Presbyterian minister, who immigrated to the United States from Scotland during the Potato Famine in 1910.  I remember her saying that she loved to hear the bagpipes play – it really got her blood up to a good boil!

She was devoted to her husband and their four children.  Being a U.S. Air Force wife, she moved and traveled frequently.  She had a flair for decorating, and her home was always elegant yet comfortable.  I remember the story of how, in 1947 after World War II, her husband was assigned to an installation in Italy.  He went over first, and then she made the trip with those four children in tow – ages 8, 4, and 2-year-old twins.  She was a brave woman!  They lived all over the world – many places in the United States as well as Italy, Japan, and Hawaii.

She was a great cook.  She taught me to make turkey stuffing the “New England” way – with bread rather than cornbread.  She taught me to make German Springerle Christmas cookies – the best I’ve ever eaten! 

She loved to have fun, and was a bit of a cut-up.  I will always remember her with me on the beach in northern California, dancing barefoot through the wet sand and kelp.

She left us in 2010, after about 10 years of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, and so she actually left us many years before that.  I miss her, still.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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A Small Serendipity

18 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

I wrote this post back in 2014, and in re-reading it, I enjoyed the memory of it.  I hope my readers enjoy it, as well:

I really love the serendipities that happen in our lives at times.  Some are so large they just overwhelm us when they happen.  Others are just sort-of average, but just enough different to make us sit up and take notice.  And then there are the small ones.  Those that just happen in a flash…and then are gone, leaving us to wonder how/why did that happen?

Fred and I experienced that just recently when we went to Disney’s Magic Kingdom.  Busy day – lots of high school bands around – lots of Senior Trips around – kids in the same color t-shirts.  We usually enjoy seeing these groups.  Most of them are not terribly rowdy, and are just having a great time.   Occasionally we see them doing the “flash” thing – breaking into song or the “wave” or something like that.  

We had just finished a ride and were on our way to lunch, when a young man caught up with us and said, “would you be my stand-in parents?”  We stopped and I asked why?  He said his parents had just gone on a ride but he couldn’t get on, so…..  I began laughing and ask him what we could/should do.  He hesitated a minute then said, “how about a hug?”  And so that’s what we did – a group hug for the three of us – all of us laughing at the same time.  

And then he was gone.

I told Fred he was probably dared to do that by some of his classmates, but that was okay.  It was a fun thing.

MUCH later, I told Fred we should have told this young man that we couldn’t be his stand-in parents, but would stand-in GRANDparents work?  Nothing slow about me!

Photo credit – Google search; Disney.com

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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The Sailboat

11 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

THE SAILBOAT – reblog 

Growing up in New Mexico, there wasn’t a lot of water around – no swimming pools (except at the public ones), no ponds or lakesides, no oceans, etc. So, consequently, I was not really familiar with boats of any kind. That really didn’t bother me too much as I had a lot of other interests.

Photo credit Google Search – New Mexico – Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque

If you have ever lived in government quarters – as we did on any military base where we were stationed – then you know that, when you leave that posting, you are required to have those same quarters absolutely immaculate! Better than when you moved into them! And there would be an inspection of those quarters by an official inspector. If they found anything wrong – you were required to “fix” it before you were allowed to leave the base.

We had lived in quarters on Tyndall AFB, Florida for five years.

Photo Credit Google Search – Tyndall AFB, Florida

That’s almost too long, actually. Our usual moves were about every three years. I told Fred that we needed to leave soon, because I was beginning to put down roots – in a government duplex!!

Photo credit – Judy Wills – our half of the duplex – 1974-1979

He was finally given orders to relocate. So then the work of packing up and moving out began. After the movers had taken our belongings away, we started cleaning the unit. We had always thought we could do that ourselves, rather than hire someone to come in and do it for us. So I set Fred and the girls to cleaning, and I thought I would tackle the kitchen. I had planned on the weekend to do the entire kitchen. Unfortunately, the stove was so old that, in taking it apart and cleaning it – it took the entire weekend just for the stove!

By the time we had finished, we were exhausted.

Now….you may think there is no connection to cleaning and boats…but wait….

There was a gentleman who worked in the Weather Station with Fred, who LOVED boats! And especially sailboats. Not being able to purchase one for himself, he had contracted with another gentleman from Alabama to care for his sailboat.

It was a 33-foot Hunter that would sleep six people. It had a full galley and full shower. It had a small auxiliary engine to get us in and out of port. It was set up for ocean voyages and was one-person configured. Whenever the owner wanted to “play” with it, he would call and come down and retrieve it. That usually only happened once or twice a year. The rest of the time, our friend could take it out whenever he wanted.

And that’s what happened with us. He had offered to take us out for a sail, on the last day we were in town. And so we did, along with a couple of guys from the Weather unit. I was a bit confused when we motored out of port, thinking “what does this have to do with sailboating?”

But then he cut the engine and unfurled the sail. It was the most wonderful thing – so very quiet, and peaceful, and RESTFUL…just exactly what we needed after all that cleaning.

He even let our 8-year-old handle the wheel for a while. She loved it!

Photo credit – Judy Wills – Janet at the helm!

We’ve never purchased a boat of our own – never felt the need to. But it was an experience that we savored and have remembered all these years.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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The Bearded Barbet

4 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

The Bearded Barbet – reblog

We have lived in Central Florida since 1995 – our retirement dream.  We had originally thought we would retire here and “work” at Disney, doing something mundane, so we could see the theme parks to our heart’s content.  Well, it didn’t work out quite like that.  Within four months we had found the church where we felt God wanted us to be members, and so we joined it.

Within another six months – much to my surprise! – I became the Church Secretary.  Fred wasn’t too sure about turning in my application for the vacant position, but it just “felt right” to me, so I did.  And was hired (I was Church Secretary for nearly nine years).  I think it helped that I was an older woman, and my last position had been a Financial Secretary, and had learned to keep my mouth shut.  Financial and pastoral stuff is just something one doesn’t blab about.  Within another nine months, Fred was the Church Administrator.  It was nice working together, and we made the distinction of working WITH each other – neither of us working FOR the other!  Even with our desks in the same room, we just worked together, as it should be.

In spite of all that “work” stuff, we found time to go to Disney, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios.  We especially enjoyed going to SeaWorld after a stressful day at work.

Photo credit Google Search and SeaWorld

It just seemed like it was more restful there – not as frantic a pace as at Disney or Universal.  Perhaps it was the animals…I don’t know.  I just know that we enjoyed it and felt refreshed after spending a few hours at that theme park.

After we had been going to SeaWorld for a few years, we happened to go around a corner that we didn’t usually go around – and saw a bird “cage” along side one of the buildings.  We heard a strange sound coming from there, and stopped to see.  Inside the large cage were two of the most unusual birds we had ever seen!  And the sound was a raspy croak – called a “growling scrawk”!  

Photo credit Google Search

  WOW!  What were these birds??!!  The sign said “Bearded Barbet” – have you ever heard of that?  They, along with Toucans are mainly from tropical West Africa.

I rubbed my finger along the wire mesh, and one of them hopped right over to the metal frame, and took a good look at my finger.  The mesh was tight enough that I couldn’t be bitten – and it’s a good thing!  Look at that beak!!  But it did try to “peck” at my finger.  And it scrawked at me a few times, before it flew back to it’s perch.

Photo Credit Google Search

Every time we went to SeaWorld after that, we would make sure we stopped to see the Bearded Barbet, and were thrilled each time.

Imagine our disappointment when we discovered that they weren’t there any more – and had been replaced by Australian Kookaburras.  Nothing wrong with Kookaburras, but they just weren’t the Bearded Barbet!

Ah – the wonders of God’s world.  They never cease to amaze me!

Psalm 8:1, 3, 8-9

Oh Lord, our Lord, how Majestic is Your Name in all the earth.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

 

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