In December when Winter Soltice occurs we experience the least amount of daylight in the year.  But the next day I begin to think to myself, “Today is longer than yesterday and that means summer is on it’s way!” I am not kidding!  I look forward to summer all year long.  

So, when it get’s here I try to make the most of it, and have found that you really can make summer fuller.  It happens when you do something each day that is a summertime activity! Even this past week we’ve enjoyed breakfast and lunch out on the deck, watched a movie one evening on our laptop out on our porch swing, and enjoyed a late night smoothie at a cool little coffee shop.  Try it!  You’ll get to the end of August and have tons of great summertime memories!

• Go to a baseball game
• Go to the lake and watch the boats – even just at lunchtime
• Eat a popsicle
• Go swimming or wading
• Attend an outdoor concert
• Build a fire and roast marshmallows (or have S’mores)
• Eat watermelon
• Go to an outdoor drama
• Make homemade ice cream
• Go berry picking
• Make jam
• Buy a shaved ice at your local stand
• Go window shopping downtown after the stores are closed and enjoy the night air
• Eat breakfast outside before it’s too hot
• Go to VBS (BCBC is having it every Wednesday through July!)
• Have a family over after Prayer meeting – the kids don’t have to be in bed early!

There are some ideas for you to get you started.  How do you enjoy summertime? 

Love,



The Sea of Galilee



There are already several blessings about this trip.  One is that I really had never desired to go to the Holy Land before this year.  However, I did a Bible study in the early spring of this year in Mark and John about Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee.  As I was studying this I met a friend who had been to Israel.  She explained the geography of the area and why storms would sweep down on the waters so quickly.  I went to my computer and watched videos of the sea and my heart began to wonder what it would be like to get to travel there and see it all myself.  My heart had connected with this place in a way I’ve never experienced before.  I had NO IDEA that the Lord was going to move in the hearts of our church to send us on this trip.  I see now that He was preparing me.

I had the privilege to go to Spain in 2008.  I loved the trip, but I didn’t enjoy the flight so much.  As a matter of a fact, the tight quarters on the air bus really worked me over.  I’ve claimed to be claustrophobic in the past and it seems to have gotten worse.  However, I’ve been reading God is More Than Enough recently and the Lord has brought to my heart that He is more than enough for my “phobia”.  When did He bring this to my mind?  Before we learned we were being sent to Israel.  Again, I know that He is preparing me. 

God is so good, providing in His grace what I do not deserve.  I truly do not deserve this blessing bestowed on us by our church, but I know that this is His will and that He will use this in our personal lives and our ministry.  I’m excited!  I’m going to be praying about how the Lord would have my heart prepared before I go.  What should I study?  What passages would He have me memorize?  What do I need to brush up on before learning all our guide will tell us?  Will you be praying with me about these things?  I know that He will be more than enough!

If you’re a member of BCBC, let me say thank you for this investment.  My husband and I pray that the Lord will bless our church abundantly for their kindness to us.  We love each of you!

Because of His grace,

A weekend like July 4th calls for some good ol’ American favorites.  Down South one of those favorites is barbequed anything!  I got a package of pork ribs on sale at Ingles this week, so I put them in the crock pot for Sunday dinner.  I found a new sauce to try, so I made that and poured it over top of the meat, turned it on low and left for church.  They were too done for my liking, but as long as they were covered with the sauce they were okay. It’s not the fault of the sauce as much as it was my timing the meat in the slow cooker.  It cooks faster than I’m used to, and I still haven’t figured it out! 

I served couscous as a side dish instead of potatoes or rice.  We really like it; it’s a nice change!  I added almonds instead of the pine nuts that the recipe calls for.  I halved the recipe and it still made more than we needed, so I’ve frozen it for future use!  My new favorite thing is corn on the cob with Parmesan cheese.  It is sooooo good!

My table wasn’t patriotic, because my husband had brought home the beautiful bouquet pictured above on Saturday (he’s so sweet), and it had  lavendar and pink flowers, so I stuck with that color theme on the table.  But my shelf pictured above is red, white and blue, so we had the flavor of the holiday in the room! 

I added a little sprig of Thyme inside the fold of the cloth napkin.  I’d seen a picture in a magazine with mint tied onto a napkin and thought it looked so fresh and summery.  I have several pots of thyme, and love the smell, so I simply folded the top layer of the napkin up to create a pocket, and tucked the herb inside.

Summertime and ants.  They’re synonymous, arent’ they?  I heard someone say recently, “I can’t rid of these pests!  They keep coming into my kitchen!” 

The Lord talk about ants, but it’s really not in a negative way.  Here’s what He has to say about them:

• Prepare now for eternity!  Today is the day of salvation.  Joy and peace are ours when we’re secure of a home in heaven.
• Plan and prioritize my day listing the things that need to be done.  Nothing will be forgotten if it’s written down!
• Prepare desserts, frozen salads, breads and main dishes and put them in the freezer.  They’ll be ready for guests I may have, or to share with someone who needs a meal.
• Look ahead for birthdays and anniversary cards.  This will mean no more late greetings! 
• Buy ahead for Christmas.  My budget will be lower when I buy things on sale throughout the year.
• Prepare ahead for Sunday school.  A calmer weekend and a happy Sunday school class will result!
• Plan ahead for ladies’ ministry events.  More people can be involved in helping and attending if they know what’s coming up.
• Using the summer fruits and vegetables God provides for me, can or freeze for the winter months.  This will give us summer fruits and veggies even in the wintertime!

See you in church Sunday!

With love,