A Good Sign

16 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

Frequently, I come across something that peaks my interest. I’ve shared some of those things with you who read my posts. We’ve seen “good signs” in stores and eateries, and even in the hospitals we’ve been in.

All that brings to my mind a sign we have seen in our favorite barbecue restaurant. You see….we were introduced to 4 Rivers bbq some time ago, but their restaurant was far enough away from where we live that we didn’t get there very often – only if we were in that part of town for some reason.

 

 

 

Consequently, when we discovered that a 4 Rivers restaurant was being built about 10 minutes from our house, we were over-joyed! It has become one of our favorite places to eat. Nothing “fancy” about it, but the food is terrific! In previous posts, I’ve mentioned that 4 Rivers catered the meal for the “joint replacement reunion” (please see my post of January 22, 2017).

We are also pleased that the restaurant is closed on Sundays. They believe that everyone within their employ should have the day/time to attend a worship service of their choice, and so they have a Sunday to do so.

They have several “signs” placed around the restaurant, but this one has taken my fancy! See what you think:

 

From the 4 Rivers website:

“4 Rivers had its humble beginnings. Just me, a smoker, and an age-old challenge—cooking brisket.”

John Rivers never set out to create the most successful BBQ chain in Florida. He’s not a classically trained chef or graduate of culinary school. It was in Texas that he found the two loves of his life: his wife and the delicate art of brisket. And it’s been those very two godsends that inspired 4 Rivers as we know it.

John spent 20 years in the healthcare industry before retiring as president of a billion-dollar company. During that time, he had the opportunity to travel the country, honing his taste and talent for brisket perfection. As he soaked up the flavors and practices of ‘cue fare countrywide, John’s dream of de-regionalizing BBQ was born.

 

“This was never supposed to be a restaurant. My definition of helping meant doing what felt most natural when comfort was in order—feed those in need.”

4 Rivers Smokehouse began with the launch of the “Barbecue Ministry” in 2004, when John hosted a cookout fundraiser to support a local family whose young daughter was battling cancer. This one event resulted in a passion for supporting local schools, churches, and charitable organizations, and a few years later, smoking thousands of pounds of meat out of a garage just wouldn’t cut it anymore.

 After trials, tribulations, and a whole lot of burnt ends, we finally flipped that “Hot Brisket Now” sign on in October of 2009. Within the first hour, a line had formed out the door…and then around the corner.

 Today, we have several locations across the state of Florida, with plans for continued expansion and more than 1,000 amazing folks on our 4 Rivers team. Most importantly, the Barbecue Ministry remains our foundation and focus, and will until the cows come home.

 

So the “sign” we find there goes right along with their beginnings and policies. We enjoy the food, the atmosphere…and their signs!

Also from their website:

FUN FACT:

 Why four Rivers? In short, it represents our family, John, Monica (wife), Jared (son) and Cameron (daughter). But they also appreciate the serendipitous double meaning with Genesis 2:10, where four rivers branch from that which flows out of Eden. Now you know!

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How to face painful moments. 

15 Jul

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

Was this God’s way to teach us how to face painful moments?

Hubby and I, along with our dear friends, headed to North Carolina for a fun visit.

As we crossed from one state to another, the driver took instructions from the rest who did the navigating.

“Oh, oh…I see the red line, that means traffic coming up,” my friend said. “Let’s take a different route.”

For the next few minutes alternate routes were discussed, considered and explored to avoid “the red area” because after all, that meant traffic. And we were having none of that.

But before we knew it, we reached the dreaded “red zone.” And to our relief, the slowdown was slight, so very slight. All that fretting for nothing.

That’s what we humans do all the time, don’t we? We dread the red zone of adversity, the time when we might not be able to handle life. We cringe at the thought of reaching a place where we might be stuck in helplessness or in illness or in financial trouble.

So, worried about that day, we work hard to avoid that at all costs.

But all the while God is preparing the way for us to face those painful moments. He does this through His almighty, supernatural power; He’s already present at those upcoming “red zones” of life.

And that reassurance comes in two different ways:

He established a prerequisite for us to be safe, completely protected: “’Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation’” (Psalm 91:14-16).

Since He knows the danger, keeping us safe is His promise:

“’Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze’” (Isaiah 43:2).

How lovely life becomes when we truly believe in these promises. And as we ride on the highway of life, we know God is ahead making the way, waving the green flag, and making sure that with His help, we will navigate through all the red-zones of life.

Father, guide me away from fear of the pain that tomorrow might bring. Guard me from the worry about what might happen. I invite you to be the driver of the vehicle of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What adversity are you dreading these days?

Janet

Video sneak peek: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EnobbFT3QeE

How God helps us prepare for painful moments?

Source: How to face painful moments. ~ Janet Perez Eckles

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Listening

14 Jul

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

 

 

 

People need people to validate their dreams.
No one is independent-
We all need someone, it seems.

 

A speaker needs a listener
to the language of his heart.
We all need recognition-
true listening is an art.

 

Do you truly sense the hunger
when a person speaks to you-
Or do you struggle with impatience
to express your point of view?

 

We may not all be Hemingways
or famous for our prose-
But the need for self-expression
is something everyone knows.

(Are you listening?)

 

Photo by Mike Giles on Unsplash

 

 

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My Blog Tour

13 Jul

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

Who would have thought I’d be doing a “blog tour?” Do you know what that is? I didn’t until recently. It’s where you are interviewed on blogs like this one about books you have written. The company who is managing the tour, Orchestrating  Your Blog Tour, created this graphic for the tour.

 

 

I’ve enjoyed getting ready for it. I like writing down answers to an interview rather than speaking them into a microphone with the possibility that I might have to defend something I’ve said.

I’ve had some adventures during this time of publishing Go West. We in the business of writing romances call my type Sweet Historical Romances (which means clean).

    1. I’ve met other authors on-line who write in various genres and become friends on Face Book. The group I’m interfacing with now is called, “Pioneer Hearts.” If you write historical romances, you can join too. I’ve noticed all kinds of groups on Face Book. I didn’t know how many I was beginning to accumulate. Well, really only three. I now belong to, “Pioneer Hearts,” “Christian Poets and Writers,” and “Artists Journal Workshop,” You could probably also find new friends who like what you like.
    2. I’ve been inspired to get back in touch with the Center for Journal Therapy where I learned to journal in ways that have helped me for decades. Though it is not overtly Christian, the book, “Journal to the Self,” opened up new freedoms in prayer and understanding and now I’m signed up for a class called, “Capturing Your Family Stories.” It sounds fascinating. I can hardly wait! Hey, maybe they’re on Face Book, too.
    3. I have learned how much it really means to have my books read and appreciated. I know reading Go West will be quick in comparison with writing it. Writing resembles cooking an elaborate meal that takes a long, careful time to prepare. But still, I’ll enjoy having it in print and on Kindle at Amazon and here at home. One of my childhood dreams was to have a book on a library shelf. Now three of my books live at our public library system here at home, and in the Orlando Library system, too. Dreams can be fulfilled, thanks to a tremendous amount of help from Our Lord and wonderful people like my family and friends, old and new. Bless you.

 

If you would like, head over to Rebekah Lyn Books and enter to win one of five prizes I am giving away to celebrate Go West. The art cards are a limited edition I painted just for this giveaway!

 

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Old Hat, New Look

10 Jul

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

Onisha saw my post on Facebook about my new novel, Go West and said I should use it as my post for today. I am busy this week with a virtual blog tour. More on that on Thursday or you can hop over to Rebekah Lyn Books to get in on the tour and giveaway.

 

Photo by Melody Hendrix

 

Here’s the picture on the back of my new novel, Go West.  This is Bill’s cowboy hat, everyone in the family has worn it at one time or another. In this case it represents my “sweet” Historical Western Romance. I loved writing the book. You can get it from Amazon. I hope you’ll love reading it.

 

 

 

 

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Ouch! ~Part 2

9 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

Continuing from last week:

From Fort Worth, we drove down to Austin, TX, by way of Waco. We stopped in at Baylor University, where my father had graduated in 1924. He was one of the three students in the very first graduating class in the School of Music from Baylor University.

 

Baylor University Music Program Class of 1924

 

In Austin, we met up with a cousin of mine I hadn’t seen since 2001, along with his wife and his brother. We had a great couple of days with them, as well.

 

 

From Austin we drove down to San Antonio, TX – one of our favorite cities! We had lived there for three years in the 1980’s, while Fred was an instructor at the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School.

 

Graduating class of new Air Force Officers

 

That first night, we had dinner with a German friend and her husband. We had met them in Germany in the late 1960’s. She was actually a friend of my Mother’s, before she became my friend. She had married an American military person, and they moved to the U.S. and San Antonio, in particular. We hadn’t seen them since we left Germany in 1970. Still dear friends.

After now having seen all the friends we had planned on seeing, we were free to “do” San Antonio at our leisure. We started off by going downtown. We had been members of the First Baptist Church while living in S.A., so stopped to see if anyone was there. Fred met someone, who said the church was, essentially, closed (it being Saturday). But we were welcome to park our car in their lot and do the famous “San Antonio River Walk” from there. So we did just that.

 

Credit Google search

 

At least, we started out on the River Walk. That had always been one of our favorite things to do in San Antonio. We walked along, enjoying the sights and sounds – and wonderful smells of Mexican food! It’s just a sidewalk on either side of the river. We were also enjoying watching a momma duck and 11 babies swimming furiously in the river.

 

 

And here’s a picture with a turtle near the ducks!

 

 

With some people coming toward us, Fred and I narrowed down to single-file. That’s when I stubbed my toe on an uneven piece of sidewalk concrete – and down I went! Hard! I remember hitting my right cheek with such force that I thought I had shattered my cheekbone!

OUCH!

When Fred – and the passing tourists – managed to get me on my feet, I realized that I had done something really bad to my right shoulder – something really painful! I thought perhaps I had dislocated my shoulder.

Unable to continue on with the River Walk, we headed back to the car. I knew that I had to go to the hospital, but was a little hungry. So as we headed to get something to eat, I texted our daughters, my brother, and my best friend, with the words “Altercation with sidewalk. Sidewalk won. Lunch first, then ER.”

That ER visit lasted four hours – and we were so glad we had taken the time to eat first! After some tests – including xrays, CT scan, and MRI – the conclusion was that I had a hairline fracture of my clavicle (collar bone), as well as a hairline fracture of my right eye socket. I saw four doctors, including an opthamologist, with instructions to follow-up with doctors here in Orlando.

Here is a photo of my eye as we were leaving the hospital. As you can see, my eye was already turning purple after just four hours.

 

 

And here is a picture of my eye as it was by the next morning. That lasted for about six weeks. Not a pretty sight, right?

 

 

So, my ouchies are better – healing well – and I am seeing the required doctors. But it is certainly not something I would like to repeat!

~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~

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Heartache: 7 ways to conquer it.

8 Jul

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

July 07, 2017 reblogged

Sorry, no 911 to call. No emergency assistants available. And medical facilities are nowhere around.

My brother and I snuggled next to my Mom. We rode in the back of a truck. “When will we get there?” I asked her as my 10-year old mind anticipated fun moments in the tropical area of Bolivia.

But to get there, we risked our lives as we rode on the most dangerous road in the world. Should there be a car accident on the narrow mountains bordered with huge cliffs, fatalities are unavoidable. That’s the scene outside my hometown of La Paz, Bolivia.

One such accident took place recently, leaving a young man paralyzed. His family, American missionaries, sent prayer requests through cyberspace. Walking only moments earlier, paralyzed the next.

Why is it that tragedy barges unannounced? It catches us unprepared, vulnerable to its cruel claws.

I tasted that heartache years ago when the doctor said to my family and me “He didn’t survive the stab wounds he received.”

Losing my youngest son was unthinkable. I cried out to God, “Why?”

I found that kind of pain has no reason, but also learned that God’s peace has no limit.

Friends, if you or anyone you know is in the prison of pain, here are seven vows needed to conquer heartache:

  1. We count on His help, constant and never changing because “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
  2. We silence words of self-pity or sorrow. “My lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live…” (Psalm 63:4a)
  3. We let go the grip on bitterness and instead, we reach up to Him. “In your name I will lift up my hands.” (Psalm 63:4b)
  4. Our heart may be broken, but our soul is intact. “My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” (Psalm 63:5)
  5. We thank God for the sweet sleep that will come because “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night because you are my help…” (Psalm 63:6)
  6. We claim His power, knowing where we find protection. “We sing in the shadow of your wings. Our soul clings to you…” (Psalm 63:7)
  7. We declare: Lord, we will not faint because “Our soul clings to you; your right hand upholds us.” (Psalm 63:8)

Father, I praise you for already knowing the help we would need, the comfort we would desire, and the reassurance we would call for. Thank you for going before us to prepare the healing and the restoration of our peace. I thank you in Jesus’ name, amen.

  • How long does heartache have to steal your joy?
  • What needs to change for you to accept His comfort?
  • In the silence of the night, what calms your soul?

Janet

 

Source: Heartache: 7 ways to conquer it. ~ Janet Perez Eckles

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What a Bargain!

7 Jul

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

 

 

 

 

God has not promised skies always blue,
But on His faithfulness you can depend.
He said He will never leave or forsake you.
His mercy has no end.

 

When your load is heavy
and you are feeling blue-
Look to Jesus, my friend.
There is help for you.

 

Jesus is waiting with a father’s love
His help and strength to give.
You have only to call on Him-
You will truly start to live!

 

Jesus said, “My peace I give to you”.
That is a perfect peace.
What a bargain. We give Him our burden.
He blesses as we release.

 

 

 

 

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Bargains, Blooms and Heaven Too.

6 Jul

On the Porch
Onisha Ellis

 

Have you noticed as one gets older, that days seem to speed by and you can’t really remember where the last week went? Maybe if something exciting happens I can recall that, but for the most part, days and weeks are a blur.

As a child, I couldn’t imagine enjoying heaven where each day would stretch into eternity and I would be bored to tears singing praise songs. Now my quirky mind is wondering if the sensation of time speeding up is preparation for eternity. I can easily see myself  having no clue how long I have been there, that is a good thing, but I sure hope heaven doesn’t include endless repetition of the same eight to ten words like praise songs at church. Somehow I believe the songs will be more creative and glorious.

I did have some excitement last week. Big Lots has a bread rack with reduced prices. When we made our weekly visit to check out their choices, I was thrilled to find Artisan Bread by Sara Lee. I love this bread. It is the closest to home made taste that I have found. It’s too pricey for me to have often unless I find it at Big Lots so I stocked up!

 

 

Our Hydrangea continue to bless up with abundant blooms and I am enjoying them. Yesterday my husband cut some beauties to enjoy inside. While I was stripping off the leaves, I accidentally pulled off some small blooming branches. I looked around the dining and kitchen area for a suitable vessel and spied a small blue bowl and pitcher set.  We had given to  my husband’s mom as a souvenir of one of our trips to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It depicts Clingman’s Dome. Her birthday is this month, so I decided it was a perfect way to honor her memory. She raised five boys and loved them dearly.

 

 

Our July 4th celebration was on the quiet side. Our grandson came over in the evening to have supper with us and watch our neighbor’s fireworks.  It was good to have one on one time. He is growing up to be an interesting young man. The neighbor out did his previous years efforts. Of course the one that went awry was kind of exciting. Nothing like having a ball of glowing green fire heading straight at you!

It seems fireworks can be purchased as a boxed set, just like books!

 

My cousin, Diane Murphy passed away this week. I like to think of the heavens lighting up to welcome her home. She was dearly loved.

 

At her son’s wedding

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Florida Travel~Panama City

4 Jul

A Time to Love

Melody Hendriv

 

 

 

We arrive at the Florida pan handle beaches and our hotel Osprey on the Gulf.

 

Trip Advisor attractions and activities Panama City Beach, Florida 

Walking down to the beach was heaven.

 

 

These beaches are so breathtaking with their clean white sand (most of the time) and beautiful, tropical green, crystal clear water with gentle waves that sooth the soul. It is a natural tranquilizer created by this peaceful environment.

 

 

There are many nice piers along the way. Russell – Fields Pier was just a short distance from our hotel.

 

 

It was fun exploring the public beach accesses from Panama City beach to Destin on SR 30 (Front Beach Rd) to Highway US 98 to Destin. Each access is a little different and all are stunning.

 

 

 

another beach access.

 

Continuing west, we stopped at Rosemary Beach. This mini resort town is gorgeous with it’s little shops and restaurants.

 

 

It’s worth a stroll. Then we continued sight seeing and stopping at beaches until we got to Destin.

The next day we visited St. Andrews State Park.

 

 

There are so many awesome features of this park. The dunes are spectacular.

This is a nice pier and jetties, and a perfect swimming area, concession and gift shop.

You can take a short boat tour to Shell Island State Park.  There is just majestic sand dunes and a gorgeous beach and water.

 

You have to bring food and water and a warning is the distance you have to walk uphill in the sand, no boardwalk, can be a bit challenging.

 

However to be in this gem is worth the effort.

 

 

You can see dolphins in the distance and many sea birds. You may even see some man made birds from Tyndall Air Force Base.

 

There is an amazing freshwater lake in the middle of the island.

 

It is like an oasis of a totally different fresh water environment. Nature is so amazing to have a relief for all the creatures in the harsh saltwater conditions.

As you walk along the white sand, you can see little creature tracks leading inland to the oasis.

 

 

You are restricted from some areas.

There is so much to do in the panhandle. Here is a link to find your interest here.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g1438845-Activities-Florida_Panhandle_Florida.html

Join me next week as we explore beautiful Sanibel Island.

 

 

 

 

I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
Melody

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