Hello Friends!
It's November already! Wow! October sure flew right by us like a rocket ship out of control.
Even Halloween kind of caught us off guard, because our town told the kids to go trick or treating on Saturday night, Oct. 30th, instead of Sunday. Unfortunately, no one told me!
However, with "Lily Grace's" help, we got the little packages of candy ready to pass out as quickly as we could and had a great time watching the children parade up and down in front of our house...
Yes, Lily was a great helper. She wore her Brownie Scout uniform for her costume, mainly because Mommie never got around to making anything else for her, but it served the purpose and she was quite happy all the same...
She had some assistance from Mr. Jack O'Lantern:
I wish I had thought to take more pictures of the cute little trick or treaters who came to our door, but I was so busy passing out candy I forgot, except for this one interesting dune buggy thing that kept changing light colors...
I thought that was pretty cool, but prayed the kids on the back of it didn't fall off...
Some of you may have already seen this great discovery on my Facebook page. From a distance I thought it was some kind of Halloween decoration beside the road, but as we got closer to it I realized it was only the "Ghost of Christmas Past."
Yes, I passed up on this great "bargain", which was left there for the garbage collectors.
Ha Ha Ha.
So, I wanted to thank you all for your kind words and prayers for me on my last post. Praise God I am feeling so much better, and was even able to go to church on Sunday. I especially wanted to go because it was Pastor Appreciation Sunday and we had a pot luck dinner after church.
Here is our wonderful pastor and his wife. Very special people that we love dearly. His wife Carol is also our worship leader/choir director...a very busy and talented lady, and a good friend.
I love this plaque that our UMW ladies gave to the Pastor:
I was so happy to be able to attend the dinner, although I am still having some difficulty with swallowing and it was a bit frustrating to see so much wonderful food and not be able to fully enjoy it, but I needed the fellowship more than the food.
Here I am on the right, and my good friend, the "other Pamela" is in the middle, and another dear friend, Lisa, on the left.
My kids Benton and Rose were also at our table, as was my hubby, but he was busy being the photographer in place of me, so he didn't make it into any of the pictures!
Here are just a random sampling of some of the pictures of our dear church family, enjoying this special time of fellowship and TOO MUCH food together!
Always a joy and blessing to spend this time of fellowship together
We are blessed with some of the sweetest and best...
And the most fun too...
It was a great way to honor our pastor
As an added blessing, the church presented my hubby with this very nice card, as a way of honoring him for his many years of service in the pastoral ministry. He was truly surprised and blessed, as was I. We were not expecting this, and it was very humbling and so nice to be thought of in this way.
Wow! That truly brought some tears to my eyes. So glad I persevered and made it to church!!
Also, in case you are interested and want to follow along with Sunday's message from Colossians 4, here is the video:
Back to the present:
This morning I had a follow up visit with my Primary Care physician, and everything was declared to be looking good. I am feeling a bit better every day, and my appetite is getting better too as my throat heals and I am able to swallow better. I was shocked, however, that the scales did not show that I had lost any weight over the last week...I wonder what they put in that Titanium brace installed in my neck? Maybe it was really made of lead...oh, I hope not...that would not be good. LOL.
I think this picture from my November "Country Seasons" calendar (by John Sloane), is a fitting way to close out today's post...
Psalm 42:1
"As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God."
I am very very thankful for how far the Lord has brought me in this healing process, and I just want to give Him praise! And thank you all again for your kind words and prayers.
I am still trying to stay caught up with you all, but as soon as I think I've read them all, there's another whole bunch of new posts to read! You are a wonderful, but prolific group of writers! LOL.
Love you all!!
Happy November!!
So very glad your body is healing and you are in a wonderful headspace. Wishing you continued progress!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne. Yes, each day is better than the day before. God is so good.
DeleteWhat a happy post, Pam! Church potlucks are always fun and this one appears to be no exception. All your church family (as well as Benton and Rose) look wonderful. You look so good, too. That card they gave to John is soo thoughtful. I loved this post.
ReplyDeleteOh and Lily Grace -- isn't she cute in her Brownie uniform?!!!!!
Thank you, Barbara. Yes, we did enjoy the potluck. Always too much food, but oh so good! And thank you for your kind words. Yes, John was especially touched by the thoughtfulness of the card, and there was such a sweet inscription written inside as well. It really meant a lot to him. And yes, Lily Grace is such a good little Brownie Scout! I was very pleased to have her assistance! She is very good at greeting people!! (((hugs))) to you dear friend.
DeleteSo overjoyed that you are continuing to heal, Pamela, and that the swallowing is getting easier by the day. Prayers are being answered, aren't they? And that pot-luck/tribute to your pastor was amazing. And I was touched, too, that John was remembered during this time. You have a caring, loving church community, indeed!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of prayers, thanks for yours for my gum surgery. Once the initial pain pill I had to take before the procedure, I never had to take another one, and my mouth is already feeling much more normal. Prayers do work, and I am so blessed by friends like you.
That is such amazing news, Martha! I am SO happy to hear that you are not in a lot of pain and that your mouth is already feeling better. What an answer to prayer for sure! Praise God!!
DeleteWhy, Brownie Lily Grace looks smashing at the treats' table! I'll bet she was a big hit with the wee ghosts and goblins. I'm loving these images of you and your friends at the pot-luck. All that blessed camaraderie ... I'm a bit envious. (*grin*) Mostly, I'm thrilled about the good report from your continued healing. And just in time for the holiday table!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Myra, and Lily Grace sends you her love. Her "mommie" hasn't been up to many extra adventures lately, so she's just having to jump in wherever she can to get a little attention. LOL. She did have a good time on Halloween. And yes, we are blessed here at our little church. We know how to love one another and also how to enjoy good food and fellowship. This was actually our first all church pot luck in almost two years, and it was great to see everyone loving it. And yes, I am praying I'll be ready for that wonderful turkey dinner in a few weeks! One day at a time...and thankfully, yes, God is healing me day by day. Have a blessed week.
DeletePam, I am so happy to know you are feeling better each day. You look great! Our church hasn't started our potlucks yet but hopefully soon. I miss them. I gave our pastor and his wife a gift card for a local restaurant (same as last year). They texted me a picture from the restaurant thanking me for their "date night". Love them both! It is great that you and your hubby were also recognized! Keep healing! You remain in my prayers! xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Terri. I am making daily progress and am so thankful. Maybe by Thanksgiving I will be ready for a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings! That was so sweet to bless your pastor and wife with that gift card for dinner...that truly was a very nice idea, and I know they loved it. I remember back when we were in the ministry and people went out of their way to do something a little extra for us like that, and it truly meant so much. We were never really in a church that paid all that well, and so the little extras were hard to come by, especially while raising our three sons. So the extra little gifts on the side were always a blessing and a joy. Thank you for doing that. God bless you and take care. I know you are looking forward to your weekend!!
DeleteSo glad to hear you are doing better. That verse is truly one of my favorites. It is always great to let our pastors know how important they are.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandy. Yes, day by day is showing marked improvement, and I am so very glad. And yes, our Pastors do need encouragement and recognition for the selfless sacrifices they make on our behalf every day. Having been there and done that I know all too well what the life of a pastor and his family can be, and a little pat on the back and positive reinforcement can go a long way in making his face a little brighter and his steps a bit lighter! Hope you are doing well. I am still trying to play catch up!
DeleteWhat a fun, sweet church family! I see twinkling eyes, open smiles, and the love of our Lord shared so freely! It is so nice when someone's hard work is recognized and cherished, so kudos to your hubby! I am so glad you got to go, although sorry your swallowing is still doing poorly and that there you were, among all those delightful dishes, and unable to do them justice! Please don't hesitate to tell your medical providers if you need pain relief! The healing can sometimes lag behind the pain a bit. But as you said, day by day it will improve! But in the meantime, it can be a trial!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning My friend Holly! So wonderful to be greeted by you this morning. You are such a dear and an inspiration to me! Yes, I am improving day by day, and even the swallowing is getting better. I'm sure I'll be back to normal just in time for Thanksgiving dinner! That's my goal, anyway! Don't want to miss any of THAT! But even if I did, I'd still be thankful just to be alive and well and so very blessed. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I hope you are having a wonderful week. Anything new on the job front? Still praying for you. Be blessed, my friend.
DeleteIsn't it wonderful to get together with those you love and love you and break bread!? Nothing like it. I have no earthly family but my spiritual one is the BEST! Thank you Lord for this blessing.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. You look good. I hope you've healed up nicely with no more pain or discomfort. Still praying.
Blessings. xx
Yes, we love being with our spiritual family. We always have a wonderful time of just being blessed to be together. God is good to place us in His wonderful family. Thank you for saying I look good. You are most kind. My hair is starting to create issues and I guess I need to go get it cut or something. Yes, I am feeling much better this week, but still have some aches and pains. Nothing like it was, however, Praise God! Getting better every day. So very thankful. Hope you are having a lovely day. It is beautiful here. I love this time of year.
DeletePam: I am thankful that you are feeling better. I had a busy day yesterday. The first week of the month is usually busy for me, before COVID. I am sleeping better at night and that seems to make the difference. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cecelia...yes, I am starting to feel much better day by day. So very thankful. I am glad to hear you are sleeping better at night. That does make a huge difference! Yes, I am sleeping better too, not needing as much pain medication anymore, which I am only taking extra strength tylenol anyway. Just not as much as before. So that is good news. Have a blessed and beautiful week! Please take care.
DeleteSo glad that you are healing nicely. I love the deer picture on your calendar. Glad you got to go to church and looks like you all had a great time honoring your pastor and fellowshipping. Mercy, I have no clue when is the last time we had any kind of dinner at church. Even before covid it seemed people lost interest. We have so many young families which I am thankful for but just seems they do not take interest in the good old days of pot luck. And we have a large church so that too might be another reason...cost of things such as cleanup's, electricity, and manpower seem to play a huge role in a lot of churches today. Kinda sad though Pam. I miss those days of sweet fellowship. Praying for a total healing sweet Pam. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cindy. Maybe you could have some smaller group potlucks. We have a group that just meets once a month on a Saturday for a potluck, and they call it the "Agape Dinner". They don't really have any program, just a devotional, prayer and fellowship. Usually about 25-35 people. Sometimes just getting together in smaller groups is better than trying to do a big group anyway. And it is always a sweet time. Just a thought. Thank you for your prayers. God is so good and I am feeling better day by day.
DeleteI'm glad you were able to be at church and enjoy the fellowship. Those church potlucks are the best.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ruth. Yes, it was a great day of fellowship. I love our little church family. Sometimes the church family can be stronger than the "blood family". But then again, we are also connected by the "blood", of our Savior Jesus Christ. So that is the best connection of all.
DeleteI am so thankful for the very fact you are up and about, my friend. I hope you have a beautiful rest of the week, smiles.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda. I am getting better day by day, Praise God! He is my Healer, and I am so thankful. Yes, I am having a beautiful week...it's absolutely gorgeous here right now...oh, there I go again! LOL. You're gonna tell me to hush up one of these days. LOL. Love ya.
DeleteI can't believe it is November already. I didn't hand out candy this year. Hopefully next year I will more motivated. I am happy to hear that you are feeling better and attended that dinner. Take care and God Bless.
ReplyDeleteYes November is here and I can already tell it is going to fly by. I can't keep up, lol. It's nice to see you getting out again. I'm glad to hear you are healing well and enjoying fellowship.
ReplyDelete