Monday Monday and Tuesday 4 ~ Banana Splits

 Hello Friends in Blogland! Here it is Monday evening already, and I am just getting around to saying hello!  Mondays are usually kind of busy...a day to catch up with a few things in the morning after a busy weekend and then we have our Bible Studies at the church in the afternoon, so there isn't a lot of time for "visiting".    I am going to "split" my time here between Monday and the Tuesday 4 meme for this week, which is named "Banana Splits"!  Let's start out with that first...

Banana Splits

Amos Sewell's Banana Split

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we ask you just four questions weekly.
The painting is named Banana Splits and is by Amos Sewell. It tells a story but I think the story is left up to us to figure out.

My Thoughts:  First of all, I never heard of Amos Sewell before this! I would have thought this was a painting by Norman Rockwell! I was surprised to learn that Amos Sewell did many illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post.  So thank you, Annie, for pointing us to this very talented artist! I learned something new here today!

1. What do you think the man in the painting is thinking?  I don't think he quite approves or likes the idea of those kids eating those banana splits. It may be that he doesn't like the idea of banana splits, regardless of who is eating them!

2. In your story what kind of sandwich and beverage is he having?

I would imagine that he is drinking coffee as most men do not drink hot tea, at least not very many that I know of.  The sandwich looks like a grilled cheese sandwich to me.  Oh, wait a minute, I see a tea pot under his left arm...so I have to change my answer above...apparently this man IS drinking hot tea and has a little teapot filled with more tea.  

3. Do you think he is a stranger to the children or does he know them? Why do you think so?
I do not believe this man knows these children.  The way he is looking askance at them makes me think that he is not very familiar with the antics of young children, and probably is of the old school that says that "children should be seen and not heard"....and they certainly shouldn't be having banana splits at lunch time or supper time, or whenever this might be!

4. Do you keep ice cream at home? Banana splits usually have 3 or 4 scoops of ice cream. What flavor ice cream should be in your banana split?

Personally I cannot say that I have ever actually had a banana split.  The thought of mixing bananas with ice cream and all of those toppings just really doesn't sound good to me at all! I would prefer my ice cream sundae with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and chopped walnuts on top.  You can keep the maraschino cherry too!  We used to keep ice cream at home all the time when our son Scott still lived with us, but it seems as if since he moved out that we just weren't eating it up fast enough and it would get all frosty and freezer burned, so we have stopped buying it and only get it when we are expecting company for dinner or dessert.  I normally would keep plain vanilla around, but oftentimes would buy Neapolitan, which is strawberry, chocolate and vanilla together.  Sometimes we buy Klondike bars or Eskimo pies.

Thank  you, Annie, for hosting our weekly Tuesday 4 gathering. This one was fun and a bit different! If the rest of you would like to join in with this meme each week, you can find it HERE at https://tuesdaysplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/banana-splits.html

Now, back to today, Monday...(when I am writing this)...Let's see, what's been going on here lately?

Well, I mentioned the Bible Study earlier.    This is the new study we are doing now:

Here's a little synopsis of the study:

We just started this one last week, and so far it is really good.  For those of us who find ourselves  in God's Waiting Room often, this has some wonderful insights into that bigger picture of what God may be trying to teach us in the meantime.  Our Ladies' Bible Study group has about 10-12 ladies on most weeks, and we enjoy learning from God's Word together while we share our own life experiences of waiting on God. I'm very thankful for this group of women.

Our men also have a weekly Bible Study, and my hubby is the leader/teacher.  Currently they are studying the Book of Hebrews. They also have about 10 men who attend regularly, and I know my husband enjoys that weekly time of fellowship and study from God's Word.  It's also good for him to keep his Bible teaching skills sharpened.  He also teaches our adult Sunday School class on Sunday mornings.  We are very thankful for these opportunities to serve the Lord and also to continue learning.

We also have a lot of fun with our church family. Our Pastor is a real football fan, and he makes no apology for that. Illustrations about football sometimes even manage to creep into his sermons, but they always have a very good point.  So anyway, it was no surprise that he wanted to have a "Super Bowl Party" last night. We don't normally have a Sunday night service since our church is primarily made up of older/retired folks who don't like to drive at night.  Therefore last night was a good time to have a fun time of fellowship with whoever wanted to venture out and come to the church fellowship hall and watch the game together.  Everyone brought finger foods to share, and some even brought comfy chairs and cushions so they wouldn't get too uncomfortable sitting in the ordinary folding chairs in the fellowship hall.  One fun lady even wore her bedroom slippers!  

We are all comfy and happy and having a good time...the food was great too!

Yes, that's our "kids" Rose and Benton out in front, and our Pastor and his wife sticking her head around Benton's head behind him, and another dear friend...

A good time was had by all!  Some of us "older folks" may have left after the half to go home and get ready for bed...but we found out we missed the most exciting part of the game in the 2nd half and overtime! (actually, hubby still watched most of it while I got ready for bed and basically conked out!)

Whoa! I am writing this tonight at 7:12 p.m., and we just had a huge crack of thunder and lightning! A storm is rolling in and I guess that cold front is coming across tonight.  I hope all of you are safe wherever you are. I understand some places may be having severe storms and some will get more snow. Here in Florida it will be thunderstorms and rain, but I pray nothing too severe.

I think I will just have to close out with a few sunset pictures on Still Waters Pond from the other evening and call it a night:

God's beautiful masterpieces in the skies always make me want to stand and praise Him and sing!

Sunday morning we sang the song "Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?", and the second verse says this:

"Have you ever stood at the sunset with the sky mellowing red; Seen the cloud suspended like feathers? Then I say you’ve seen Jesus my Lord.

Chorus: Have you seen Jesus my Lord? He’s here in plain view. Take a look, open your eyes, He’ll show life to you."

And when we were singing that verse, I could "see" these beautiful sunsets in my mind and I thought to myself, "yes, I do believe I've seen Jesus my Lord...He's here in plain view...take a look, open your eyes, He'll show life to you."

HERE is a link to a post I wrote a few years ago that has a YouTube video of our choir singing this song, along with a few photos that I added to go along with each verse. You might enjoy listening to it again.

And I will close with this page for today from my devotional book, "Be Still and Know"...

I love the part that says, "But the reality is that whether the sun is shining or the rain is pouring, whether your song comes easily or your tears pour freely, He continues to be faithful..."  

Yes, Our God is always faithful, and He is always there for us. We may have to wait sometimes in God's Waiting Room to get the answers we are seeking, but He is always faithful and will answer our prayers in His time, within His perfect will for us. So don't ever give up hope!

One last note:

Gonna be a busy week...Tuesday night Choir Practice

Wednesday is Valentine's Day, Our Women in Faith monthly meeting/fellowship, Ash Wednesday evening service, which is the beginning of the Lenten Season leading up to Easter...and my hubby's birthday is on Friday (and there will be some surprises for him that day, so shhh! Don't say anything!)  Saturday morning is our church community breakfast, and then we are back to Sunday again!  Whew! I need to get to bed! 

Good Night friends!

Never Fear - UPDATED 2-6-18

2-6-18  UPDATE TO THIS STORY:  Thank you all for your words of kindness regarding the break-in at my MIL's house last night. Thankfully it appears that the robbers did not get anything from inside the house, even though they had broken down the door to the laundry room and left their crowbar inside. They did steal some items that were in the carport. It appears that they may have been scared off before they could take anything else. Praise God! And it also appears that they did not do any other damage inside the house.  My husband and I both said it is as though an angel may have guarded the interior of the home and kept them from moving forward.  We give thanks to the Lord for His protection over her home.  


I've been sitting here reading my blogging friends' various posts from today and over the weekend, and I'm thinking that I should be writing something, but it seems as though I can't get my brain in gear to say anything.  Stayed up last night and watched the Super Bowl, which is unusual for me, but hubby would have had to watch it alone if I didn't, and that didn't seem like much fun for him. Normally, or at least in times past, there would have been at least one or two of our sons here to watch with him.  But since one got married this past fall and the other works evenings on the weekend they aren't around so much to watch the games with him.  So, I actually got into it and enjoyed the game. I wasn't rooting for either team in particular, but was glad to see the Eagles win. They truly played the better game, and in my opinion, they deserved to win!

So that being said, as I was sitting here typing this, my brother in law called to tell us that he had just had a phone call that my mother-in-law's house has been broken into.  He was on his way to check it out and see what kind of damage has been done. Sadly, her house has been sitting there empty for sometime since she has been in the nursing home.  Due to circumstances beyond our control, we aren't able to sell her house yet, so this has been a major concern that vandals would discover it. We had removed most of the more valuable items from the house, but there was still quite a bit of furniture and appliances inside.  This is not good news.

Yesterday's sermon verses seem to fit here:

John 10:10

"The thief does not come except to steal, 

and to kill, and to destroy.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

II Timothy 1:7

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

I John 4:1, 4

1.  "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets 

have gone out into the world."

4.  "You are of God, little children, 

and have overcome them, because

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

(Pictures from the beautiful camellia bushes that are blooming at the church)

When fears and disappointments come our way, we have a tendency to run and hide and throw up our hands in fear and surrender to the enemy. 

(For a little comic relief, I just had to throw this picture in, which is at a three way intersection on our way to the town where the church is that we attend.  It is someone's way of getting our attention so that we don't drive straight into the woods! )

But God has come to give us a spirit of "power, and love and a sound mind."  We need to remember that our God is able to deliver us from the hands of the evil one...

We need not fear what man may do to us, for we belong to Jesus...and "Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world."  

It is sad when things that are of value to us are stolen or damaged or lost...but they are just that...things. In the grand scheme of life, those things are not what is really important.

What is truly important is our soul, mind and spirit...and when we belong to Jesus,

no man can take us away from Him.

John 10:28-29

"And I (Jesus) give them eternal life,

and they shall never perish; 

neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

My Father, who has given them to Me, 

is greater than all; 

and no one is able to snatch them out of 

My Father's hand."

You Belong to Jesus? Never Fear!

Praise God!!

The Super Bowl is On and Here I Am

Yes, the "Super Bowl" is on TV, and here I am...getting caught up on my friends' blogs, Facebook, and writing to you.  I'm not a huge football fan, but I am in the same room with the guys, so I can hear what is going on in the background...and can turn around and watch the commercials (if my hubby doesn't mute them first), and can enjoy the comradery of father and sons laughing and yelling out loud at the actions of the teams/coaches/officials, etc.  It's a great sound. Gives me a sense of comfort and peace having my men folks here enjoying this game together.  So thankful.

It's been a busy week and weekend. I really haven't had much "down time" lately, so I feel rather out of touch with my friends and family, both here in blogland and cyberspace, as well as in my inner-space. I think sometimes we get too bogged down with work and other stuff so that we begin to lose touch with reality. And reality is where life really is. The here and now...the people that we love...the life that we enjoy living...our home and family and friends...and God. Ah..yes...and GOD, most of all. When I get too bogged down with the world out there I tend to forget about the GOD in here...in my heart...in my inner-space...in my heart...in my soul...right here close and personal.

My One Word for 2015 is "Focus"  (I believe I've already told you that several times)Here, Here, Here, Here, and Here...,   and well, it looks like God just keeps reminding me to come back and refocus...draw nearer, get closer...stay focused...why?  Well, here's one good reason:

"You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You.

Trust in the Lord forever,

for in YAH, the LORD, is

everlasting strength."

Isaiah 26:3-4

When I stay focused on the Lord, I will be kept in "perfect peace"...When I trust in the Lord forever, I will find "everlasting strength".  This tells me that my focused attention on God won't be in vain. This is the way to "perfect peace" and "everlasting strength".  Now, who doesn't need a large dose of that?  I know I do, and I'll bet you do too.

So, no matter which team wins the Super Bowl tonight...no matter what challenges this old world throws at me this week, I can be "kept in perfect peace", if I will just keep my mind focused on the Lord God. I will have the strength I need to conquer any foe...not just today or tomorrow, but for EVER!  I love that!

Ok, back to the ball game...May the best team win...

While the Super Bowl is on....Something to Give Peace

I know no one will read this blog. I am writing it while the Super Bowl is playing. Everyone is watching the Super Bowl -- or at least the commercials. I just saw a couple of crazy ones.  The GoDaddy commercial was pretty gross. The Doritos ad was funny, if you like goats. Don't worry, I'm not going to comment on all of them. I'm really not into watching all this stuff.  The Coke ad wasn't too bad...better than the Pepsi ad. Ok, I'll stop. Oh, I loved the Doritos "fashionista dad" commercial...

Meanwhile, I just saw something on facebook that I really really liked.  Thought I would share it with you here:

It says, in case you can't read all of it:

"Pause, friend, and read before you enter here.

This vine-clad wall encloses holy ground.

Herein a mellowed garden dreams away the years,

Steeped in serene sweet light and muted sound.

Herein tranquility and peace abide,

For God walks here at cool of evening-tide.

Pause, friend, and strip from out your heart

All vanity, all bitterness, all hate;

Quench, for this hour, the fever of your fears,

Then, treading softly, pass within this gate,

There, where the ancient trees wait, hushed and dim,

May you find God, and walk awhile with Him."

Pearl Hiatt, Brookgreen Gardens, SC

What is it about this that has caught my eye? What touched my heart so?

This is just the kind of garden I would love to have right here in my yard. 

I love the line that says, 

"Herein tranquility and peace abide, For God walks here at cool of      even-tide."

Ahhh, to have God walk here at even-tide...yes, dear friend, come, "quench, for this hour, the fever of your fears..."

This is exactly what I've been trying to say in so many ways...I want our home and surrounding grounds, woods, forest...all to be just this kind of place...a place where 

"tranquility and peace abide..." "There, where the ancient trees wait, hushed and dim, May you find God, and walk awhile with Him."

"Pause, friend, and strip from out your heart

All vanity, all bitterness, all hate;"

Yes, I know I've been on this subject for awhile now.  Perhaps because I need it so much...and I have a feeling that YOU do too. This world tends to grate on our nerves, creating so much tension and stress.  We need this peaceful garden to rest awhile from the cares of this life.  We need to steal away from the noise and rush of the life outside the garden gate, and enter into the cool shade of His rest.

This reminds me of a precious old hymn...I'm sure you will recognize it. Sing along with me:

"I come to the garden alone,

While the dew is still on the roses;

And the voice I hear,

Falling on my ear, 

The Son of God discloses.

Chorus:

And He walks with me,

and He talks with me,

and He tells me I am His own,

And the Joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

"He speaks, and the sound of His voice

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

(Chorus)

I'd stay in the garden with Him

Tho' the night around me be falling;

But He bids me go,

thro' the voice of woe,

His voice to me is calling.

Chorus:

And He walks with me,

and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own,

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known."

"In the Garden" by C. Austin Miles, 1868-1946

I hope this has been a refreshing pause in the midst of the chaos and turmoil of your day...I know it has calmed my spirit and quieted my heart. I am at peace.

(Regardless of who wins the Superbowl)

Thank you for joining me in the garden tonight ~ at "even-tide". Won't you come again?

I felt God's PRESENCE here, how about you?

Other recent posts you might enjoy during your walk through the garden tonight:

"Clapping, Dancing, Rejoicing Trees",  "Lead Me in A Smooth Path"