Some Thankful Musings

First of all, let me say that we are praying for folks everywhere in the path of Hurricane Michael. It is still in progress as I write, wreaking havoc on the northern panhandle/Gulf coast of Florida and beyond. Thankfully, our home is situated pretty far south and east of this storm, but even so we have had a few wind gusts and spotty rain showers. Our county is under a tornado watch now, but all in all we are very thankful that we are safely away from the "eye of the storm".  May God spare those who remain in this storm and keep them safe from harm.

 This Red Shouldered Hawk was keeping a Hawk's eye on the eye of the storm...

 Next, I would like to thank all those who prayed for our daughter in law Rose, who had some serious surgery on her foot yesterday.  I may not have mentioned it here in the blog, but did share with our Facebook friends.  She came through the surgery just fine, and is resting and recuperating at home. She will have to be totally off her foot for at least six weeks, which will be challenging for this active young lady. But thankfully, our son works from home and is able to be there to help her.

More good news! I heard today that my brother Russell is in remission from his leukemia, and that he may be looking toward a bone marrow transplant in the future if things continue to do so well.  Each of us siblings were tested to see who would be a good match for him, and my other brother Clifford happens to be a perfect match! So we praise God for this news, and are thankful for the hope that should a bone marrow transplant be needed, a match has already been provided! God is so good. By the way, my brother Russell just celebrated his 75th birthday this past weekend, and my brother Cliff is celebrating his 74th birthday today!!

This picture was taken about 4 years ago, my siblings left to right: Russell, Cliff, Doris, and me. Isn't it funny that the guys are dressed in similar colors, and my sister and I are also dressed in the same color? We didn't plan that, I promise you...I guess that is why it was so easy for them to find a "perfect match" for my brother's bone marrow!

On another note, I told you HERE last week that we had listed our house for sale...well, I wish I could say we've already had lots of people looking and interested...but no one at all so far...however, hubby and I found it interesting that since we have put this sign in our yard...

several people in our neighborhood have stopped to ask us where we are going who have never spoken to us the whole time we've been here...total strangers have stopped their car alongside us as we walked to ask us where we're moving to, and to say that they'll miss us!  We just had to laugh! We've lived here seven years, and mostly we've had to dodge these people in their cars as they drive down the road to keep from getting run over (or choked to death in the road dust)...and have never seen their faces outside of their cars, and now they notice we are moving and say they will miss us! Maybe they will miss us being an obstacle in the road for them to maneuver around?  Not sure...but even though we have always tried to be friendly and courteous and waved at people as they flew by, we've never had the chance to find out just who these people are!  Our house is the first one that everyone passes on their way to their homes. There is not another house on our road for over two miles...just woods and lots of curves and a long, dusty, wildlife- filled - road. So these people are not exactly "neighbors"...they live about 2 miles away...but pass our house every day.

Well, it's nice to know that we'll be missed...but it would have been nice to know who they were and to have maybe even been friends!   However, I will say that when we've had bad storms in the past and trees were blown down in the road near our house, many of the neighbors from down the road came with chain saws to cut up the trees and get them out of the way.  We had brief encounters as we helped clear the road together, so that they could get in and out and on their way to work or home again.  We are hoping that in our next neighborhood we will actually get to know a few more people. I know it takes an effort on our part to do that, and so we will perhaps have to try a little harder.

Here's some thoughts from God's Word on this subject:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

"Two are better than one,

because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls,

for he has no one to help him up."

Proverbs 17:17

"A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity."

John 15:13

"Greater love has no one than this,

than to lay down one's life for his friends."

(This wind spinner was blowing fiercely in the wind during the passing of the hurricane...

it was a gift given to me by my sister Doris in memory of our son Matthew after he passed away in 2014)

Again, we pray for those who may be still in the path of Hurricane Michael. May God watch over you and yours, 

and may we always be able to give thanks to the Lord, even in the midst of the storms of life.