Friday Foto Friends-A Very Present Help

Dear Friday Foto Friends...
As most of you are aware this is a very busy week for our family...and we've had lots of things going on in addition to what was planned.  First of all, I want to say THANK YOU to friends for your thoughts and prayers...as well as a big Praise the LORD for His healing and strength.  I started the week out with a tummy virus which rather knocked me for a loop for a couple of days. Our son, the bridegroom, also had a "bug" and had to spend a day at home resting.  We are so very thankful that no one else has gotten "the bug", and the wedding is set to take place this Saturday as planned.  I will be posting more about that next week I am certain.

For now I will just post a few pictures of things that I've been doing this week in addition to recuperating.  I don't have a picture of this, but in addition to the "bug", somehow our car had a very flat tire...actually a big gash in it, rendering it totally unfixable. So, on that particular day (Monday), we were forced to stay home and rest and recuperate and wait for our son to come home from work to help us get the flat tire off and take it 25 miles away to be replaced. I want to give our youngest son a BIG THANK YOU for doing exactly that after working hard all day; he never stopped to eat supper or anything. He just took care of that tire and had it back home and back on the car (in the dark) in a couple of hours...and then he was able to eat, take a shower and "crash" for the night. Praise God for our wonderful children.

 Now I feel like this bee...busily gathering and preparing food for our family and for the wedding rehearsal dinner/wedding reception.  The wedding is not going to be really large (about 60 people), but to keep costs down for the bride and groom both families are contributing/preparing the food for the luncheon reception.

 I've been busily making my lists and checking them twice to be sure nothing important is being left out...

Oh, another praise...as I mentioned last week (HERE), my computer had died, and I thought I had lost everything in it.  We ordered a new (refurbished) computer online, which thankfully arrived earlier than expected.  It took me the better part of a day to get everything set up and running. We also ordered a special cable adapter that is used to transfer data from the old hard drive to the new, as long as the old hard drive wasn't corrupted by virus, etc. That arrived a few days later, and I was able to transfer all of our documents and pictures that were on the old computer, including my Picasa photo editing program! So now I can continue editing my pictures in the manner in which I am accustomed.  I give credit and thanks to my hubby for learning about this adapter in a YouTube video online.  It only cost us about $10.00, and it saved us a bundle!  It pays to "google" these things and learn how to do stuff!  (I can tell you one thing...my brain hasn't had this big of a workout since I retired exactly two years ago.  So thankful to know that it still works...)

Yesterday was my day to iron the wedding shirts for the men of the household.  My hubby will be co-officiating, our younger son and our grandson will be groomsmen...and actually, our grandson, who is flying in all the way from Maine, is going to be the Best Man. He is standing in for his daddy, who would have been the Best Man had God not needed him in heaven already...so that will be a poignant moment to see our fine, tall, handsome 18 year old grandson doing the honors that his father would have done. I know his daddy will be watching and smiling down from heaven.

 As I ironed my son's shirt (The Groom), I prayed with every motion across the bright white fabric.  I prayed that the Lord would be with him and bless him and his sweet little bride with many years of happiness, health and joy.  While ironing the sleeves I asked the Lord to wrap His loving arms around him to protect, strengthen and provide in the good times and the difficult.

That was a precious time of prayer and communing with the Lord, which made the task of ironing go much sweeter and smoother.

Early this morning at the crack of dawn I looked out the front window and saw this deer enjoying her breakfast on our lawn.  The picture is a little fuzzy because there was so little daylight.

 She stood there quietly eating for quite a few minutes, totally unaware of my watching (from inside the house).

 Then she walked across the driveway and yard and on down the road...

Isn't she lovely?  What a peaceful, beautiful way to start my busy day of cooking and ironing and checking things off my lists...

How fitting that the scripture passage we read this morning in  our devotions was from Psalm 46...

1.  "God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble..."

7.  "The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge."

10.  "Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

11.  "The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge."

I love how the Psalmist repeats the phrase "The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge."  How comforting it is to know that no matter what we are going through, whether it be sickness, a busy schedule with limited strength, broken equipment and vehicles, preparing for a big change in our lives (even when it is a happy change...it is still a major adjustment), conflicting emotions...the bittersweet reminders with the joyous answers to prayer..."The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge."  Praise God for this refuge...and for His strength and very present help in all circumstances!  I am thankful that He caused me to "Be still, and know that I am God"...for just a few moments before starting a very busy day.

Now let us glide over to Deb's place at Breathing in Grace and see what our other Friday Foto Friends have been up to this week! Have a blessed and glorious weekend...take some time to "Be still, and know" the Presence of God in your midst!!