Anniversary Day Recap

Hello Friends!! I hope you've all had a wonderful day today! We certainly did, and I promised you, if you read my last post HERE on the Tuesday 4 post, that I would tell you all about today whenever I was able.  (and thank you to all of you who wrote such wonderful words of congratulations and best wishes in your comments! I appreciate every one of you!) As many of you know, today was our 53rd anniversary, but we spent the day working at Dixie Cottage so our "kids" could get some other projects done.

Well, here's one of their projects that needed to get done:

The original sign, although it was nice and "cottage-y", just wasn't big and bold enough to be seen from the road, and people had mentioned to us that we really needed to get a better sign that could be seen. And so it was done:

Benton and Rose sure make a good team!!

 Their landlady has been very busy in improving the looks of the building ever since she knew they were moving in.   Here's the "before" photo:

And here's how the front of Dixie Cottage looks now: 

I'd say that's a big improvement, wouldn't you?  God has truly blessed them with this sweet landlady. She's so excited to have their store here in our little town, and she has bent over backwards (almost literally), to improve the looks of this building. We are all very thankful for the wonderful ways that God has been blessing this venture from day one.

And so John and I spent the day at the store and had a very pleasant day. It was kind of slow, but Tuesdays generally are a little slower...that's why we wanted to work on this day.  However, we did have a fairly steady stream of customers in and out all day...just not a lot of big "spenders"...but some really good "talkers".  LOL.  That's okay. Most everyone says they will be back, especially as we get closer to the holidays as they can see there are lots of great gift items they would like to buy.  So that's good news.

When 4:00 finally rolled around, the kids came and picked us up and we headed up the road to Keystone Heights for supper.  They took us to this BBQ place called "Johnny's BBQ".  

And here we are, for our annual anniversary photo:

And here's Rose and Benton, our sweet kids. Our son Scott was unable to come since he now works and lives out of town a ways, but he did call and wish us a Happy Anniversary and that was like the icing on the cake for us!

Of course, no meal would be complete without some pictures.  With all of the great and wonderful choices on the menu, wouldn't you know my hubby would choose his old favorite, beans and wienies! Some things just never change...LOL.

Here's Rose taking a picture of her plate, smoked 1/2 chicken, curly fries and coleslaw. (I think Benton ate some of her chicken too).

And here's Benton digging into his dinner, BBQ brisket, green beans and coleslaw:

And last but not least, my plate of BBQ brisket, baked sweet potato and coleslaw and cornbread.

It was all very very good, and a very nice gift from our sweet kids.

When we got back home we had some special visitors...The Sand Hill Crane Family dropped in to say hello. This is "Colt", the "Baby"...remember him?  Well, he finally has developed his red topknot on his head! And he is definitely as big as his parents now.

Here they are in the pond...(what's left of it). If we don't start getting more rain, Still Waters Pond is going to just be "still no more waters".

It has become so shallow the cranes were able to walk across to the island:

It was fun to see them again, and I do hope they will come back soon. I've missed watching them.

And now the sun is setting in the west on this lovely anniversary day...

Not really anything super spectacular, but lovely all the same.  No two sunsets are ever alike.

God is our Master Designer and sustainer of all that exists...

On this, the closing of our special day...53 years of marriage...we are still amazed at all the ways God has blessed us and cared for us all these years.  It is difficult for us to realize that so many years could have passed already...and when we look ahead into the future, if it weren't for the knowledge that our God is in control, it could be a bit daunting.

But here's a few verses that came to mind as I was writing this, and even though they were written thousands of years ago to the children of Israel, I can see a personal message here for us and for our country as well:

Portions from Isaiah 46:

3“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,

all the remnant of the people of Israel,

you whom I have upheld since your birth,

and have carried since you were born.

4 Even to your old age and gray hairs

I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

8“Remember this, keep it in mind,

take it to heart, you rebels.

9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;

I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me.

10 I make known the end from the beginning,

from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say, ‘My purpose will stand,

and I will do all that I please.’

11 From the east I summon a bird of prey;

from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that I will bring about;

what I have planned, that I will do.

12 Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted,

you who are now far from my righteousness.

13 I am bringing my righteousness near,

it is not far away;

and my salvation will not be delayed.

I will grant salvation to Zion,

my splendor to Israel."

I find comfort in these words...especially knowing that God will continue to sustain us and even carry us even when we are old and gray-haired! (Oh, that's quite close!)  We do not need to fear the future...our lives are in God's hands, no matter what may befall this old earth.  And with that I will say good-night. Tomorrow begins a new adventure into a new year for us. We face the future with confidence...God is with us...and He will carry us  and sustain us no matter what.  Praise God!
 

"Thus Far The Lord Has Helped Us" ~ Last Friday Foto Friends for 2016!

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between 

Mizpah and Shen, 

and called its name Ebenezer, saying, 

'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'"  

I Samuel 7:12

As we come to the end of another year, can we look back and say with Samuel, "Thus far the Lord has helped us?"  I don't know what you've been through during the past year...perhaps there has been  sickness, sorrow, disappointment...or maybe you've actually been blessed with good news...happy occasions and times of great joy.  Most likely, if we would be honest with ourselves, we've probably had some of each...the good times, and the bad times.  But can we see the hand of the Lord in the midst of it all?  Have you felt His Presence beside you, undergirding you, giving you strength for the tasks ahead?

The picture below was taken one morning this week as my hubby and I took our early morning walk...in the fog on this particular day.

As I looked to the east I could see the sun trying to break through the fog...but as I looked ahead it appeared that we were walking deeper into the mist...into the unknown...

And it occurred to me that this is where we are on these last days of 2016...walking into the unknown days ahead of 2017.  The current events of the world are enough to cause us to pause and wonder just what truly may lie ahead.  Kind of a "Closed Doors-Open Window" event, huh? 

The Old King James version of I Samuel 7:12 uses the word "hitherto" in place of "thus far".  When we say "hitherto", we most likely think of the past experiences only.  But "hitherto", or "thus far" is not the end.  It merely means that we've come this far...but we are still moving forward.  

In the little daily devotional book, Streams In The Desert, by Mrs. Chas. E. Cowman, it is stated in the reading for December 31st the following:

"For when a man gets up to a certain mark, and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end; there are still distances to be traversed.  More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death.

Is it over now? No! There is more yet-awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fullness of eternity, the infinity of bliss.  Oh, be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for,

      "He who hath helped thee hitherto will help thee all thy journey through."

According to this same little devotional, it is stated that

"The Alpine shepherds have a beautiful custom of ending the day by singing to one another an evening farewell.  The air is so crystalline that the song will carry long distances.  As the dusk begins to fall, they gather their flocks and begin to lead them down the mountain paths, singing,

 "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.  Let us praise His name!"

"And at last with a sweet courtesy, they sing to one another the friendly farewell: 'Goodnight! Goodnight!'  The words are taken up by the echoes, and from side to side the song goes reverberating sweetly and softly until the music dies away in the distance." 

Beautiful Sunset on Christmas Day

As we approach the final hours of 2016, can we sing and echo across the miles to one another:

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. 

Let us praise His name!" 

"Goodnight! Goodnight!"

And may our song reverberate around the world and into the New Year...encouraging us as we face the unknown future ahead of us...and give us 

Hope ornament from my Christmas tree

Let us now mark this moment in time with our "Ebenezer", a stone of remembrance commemorating that "Thus far the Lord has helped us", and look forward with great hope...that as surely as God was with us in the past, He will go forward with us into our future.

Happy New Year!! 

Linking up today with Deb and our friends for Friday Foto Friends.  Click HERE to visit with others to see what special fotos  and messages they may be sharing today.