Good Wednesday Morning Everyone!! I hope you are having a lovely morning wherever you may be!
It's a crisp 45 degrees here in north central Florida this morning! Time to put on the flannel shirts and light up the fire...
Bake a batch of Blueberry Bran Muffins (or whatever other kind you might like...probably pumpkin would be better this time of year, but this is what I have...so I hope you enjoy it)
I am grateful for the delightful aroma of fresh baked muffins...
And for a hot cup of tea while I write to you...
This should be about Tuesday's treasures...Yesterday morning we had to leave early to go to the doctor's office for my hubby to have fasting lab work done before breakfast...I could see a beautiful sunrise appearing in my side view mirror of the car, and I hoped it would still be there when I could get out and see it for real instead of in reverse...
Sure enough, when we got to the Doctor's office parking lot...there it was in all its beauty and glory:
We were early for the appointment...the office hadn't even opened their doors yet, so I just stood outside and enjoyed God's glory in the heavens...
Even the clouds couldn't mar its beauty:
After the lab work was done we headed over to Nanna's Country Cafe' for breakfast before going to Dixie Cottage for the morning. I didn't take any pictures of our breakfast...I guess I was too busy enjoying eating it! But that was yesterday...
So now here it is Wednesday afternoon and I still haven't finished this post! I got interrupted this morning by the clock ticking the time away. We ate our blueberry bran muffins after reading our morning devotions. Then we got ready and headed over to Dixie Cottage again for the morning. That is our "normal" routine these days for most weekdays. We try to get there before 9:30 a.m. to get things ready to open the store at 10:00 a.m. Then we stay until usually around 11:30-12:00, when our son comes in to take over for the afternoon. That works out perfectly for us. We can come home, get some lunch, take a nap, and then finish whatever else needs to be done...like this POST that I started writing at 6:30 a.m. today when it was 45 degrees. Now it is up to 62 degrees at 3:00 p.m.!! A very chilly fall day for us here in this part of the country! Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder in the morning! I know for most of you who live north of us this is nothing...but consider where we are and remember that for us this would be more like one of our winter days!
So what else is new? Let's see...Oh, I'll share a couple of Dixie Cottage pictures with you to keep you up to date on what's happening there:
Several months ago we found this game table at the local flea market, and picked it up for Benton. It needed to be refinished as it was kind of old and beat up looking, but it was still functional. So this past week he finally got around to pulling it out of his storage shed and decided to bring it to the store to sell. I am sorry we didn't take any "before" pictures of the table. It was a typical light golden oak color. These four chairs are not the ones that came with it, but these were some he had that needed to be sold. I suggested that he paint the table something "fun" instead of a traditional table color. So after some discussion we decided on this pretty kind of a colonial blue color.
The checkerboard piece fits on top of the backgammon piece, and can also be turned over for a solid colored side and be used as a regular table. I forgot to get a picture of that.
Anyway, he barely got finished putting the second coat of paint on this table before a lady walked in and said she wanted it!
So that was a happy ending to that story!
Then this morning while we were there a gentleman called on the phone and asked if we still had that little Secretary desk that he saw on our Facebook Page. I told him yes, and he asked for dimensions and more information, and then said he'd be right down to get it!
Sure enough, after we left for lunch, he showed up and purchased the desk as promised!
He also wanted to buy this antique oak dresser, but alas! The lady who purchased the game table also bought this dresser and was on her way to pick it up! So sometimes it pays to speak up quickly, because if you "snooze, you lose!"
Meanwhile, some other interesting things going on...
A couple of weeks ago a very interesting lady came into the store looking around and ended up buying several of our more inspirational items and signs. She said she had just moved to our community and was establishing a small "chapel" on her property...a "House of Prayer", for those in need of a place to pray and be prayed for.
She saw that our son creates custom signs and asked if he could make a couple of signs for her to put in her special chapel. These (above and below) are the signs she wanted, and she came to pick them up today, but sadly we had already left for the day so I missed seeing her again. I would love to have seen her because when she was there before we had such a beautiful time talking to each other. She is of Puerto Rican descent and wanted to pray for us. She prayed a most wonderful prayer in Spanish. I couldn't understand all that she was saying, but I know God understood her perfectly, and it was a time of blessing and joy for us to meet together. I hope I will get to see her again sometime.
I think this is a good place to stop for today. I hope to be a little more punctual in writing and reading your posts as the days go by, but it seems as though we are being kept very busy, which is actually a very good thing. I do enjoy your comments so much and read every one, even if I don't always reply.
We are very thankful for the ways in which God is blessing us and also our family's store. I would ask you to pray, however, because the small store space next to us is now vacant. It was a beauty/barber shop, but they have moved on. Our landlady is looking for new tenants for the space and there are many people who want to lease it. We are praying that God will lead just the right kind of people there, and that our landlady will not allow "greed" to cause her to put someone in there who may be able to pay her more money in rent, but not be something that will be good for our community....there is such a possibility on the table, and we are very concerned about what her decision will be. Please pray for this situation. It has been causing us a little bit of tension, but we are placing it in God's hands and trusting Him to work it out for the best for all concerned. He knows our needs and we are trusting Him to work it out...but more prayers can't hurt...
Matthew 21:12-13
12 And Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He *said to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
Isaiah 56:7
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Thank you again for being such special friends!
God bless you all, and have a wonderful rest of your week.
