Welcome to Friday May 23 2016

Moses said, "Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart." Deuteronomy 6:6

Welcome to Friday

May the God of love and compassion,

the One who brings eternal comfort and everlasting peace,

be with you and bless you.  May the King Eternal -

 give you a great and awesome blessing. 

May the Father of all comfort, the Counselor,

bring you comfort in your time of need, 

strength and courage to be awesome,

and the hope to believe in the truth

and power of His promises.

So, how are you doing?  How are things going with you and your family?  How did you week go?  I just wanted to touch base with you and see how things were going with you and just say hello.

I had an interesting week.  It started out with a great weekend.  I managed some time in the yard.  We added a new bird feeder, cleaned up some dead limbs and got ready to try to plant the garden.  We had a good family dinner on Sunday and the week kicked off on a high note.  But, something went left on Tuesday.  I ended up being sick on Tuesday, managing to make it through work but crashing by 7:45.  I didn't really wake up until Wednesday morning, and although I made it to work on Wednesday and Thursday, I didn't stop hurting until Thursday night.  It may have been some type of food illness. 

The kids did much better last week.  Paige enjoyed a field trip and field day with her big sister assisting.  Ava had field day and her last official day of pre-K.  What a journey!  Paige and Cassarra had lots of stories about field day, Paige's classmates and the games and experiences from two perspectives.  Ava's eyes were so huge as she told about her first ever field day and even as she remembered her splash day the week before.  Gabbi celebrated her major milestone birthday.  Although she still hasn't finished the celebrations, I think she had a really good time.  Emma has been enjoying Cassarra's senior schedule.  She has been Cassarra's new shadow on many days, and her biggest customer (Cassarra's eatery).

Trish is doing well.  We had a good time on our date over the weekend.  We enjoyed Old Chicago again.  She had pizza, and I had a really great burger.  The best part was laughing and talking with each other.   Trish was an absolute blessing as usual while I wasn't feeling well.  Unfortunately, I think it wore her down by Friday.   In addition to helping me get over whatever it was, she was working on new photos and albums, helped the girls as usual, and planning upcoming celebration events.  Now that the birthday planning is done, I hope she can get rest and recover.  Now that I'm feeling better I will dive in too.

I hope you are doing well.  I hope that you have had a great week and that things went well for you.  I pray that you will get rest and refreshment over the weekend and that your upcoming week will be blessed and filled with favor.  As always, blessings and...

Welcome to Friday!

I'm thankful for many blessings and highest and most prominent on my list are:

• health and recovery from being ill
  
• pain relief
• love of family and friends
  
• Trish
• help
• love
• friendship
• cooking
• compassion
  
• time w/ the girls
• dinner
• Ava finishing her first year of school
• date night and dinner
• coffee

 

Welcome to Friday (Saturday night edition)

For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand  Psalm 95:7

Welcome to Friday (Saturday nigh edition)!

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endures for ever.  Psalm 118:1

Thursday night we were driving back from picking up some dessert and decaf coffee.  As we looked up to the sky, it was simply marvelous.  The afternoon sky, which should have been gray and dim was a beautiful blue.  But then quickly, without warning a patch of beautifully dark blues drifted quickly across the road from right to left.  The patch stood out against the baby blues as it moved across and in front of where we were driving.  Then it suddenly stood still!  After stopping, the patch of blue began to burst with splashes of vibrant reds, strokes of violet, and perfectly complimentary, yet bodacious orange slices.  I told Trish that for a moment it reminded me of a volcano with lava, but then I realized that would be selling it short.  Needless to say, it was a gorgeous site.  It was just another reminder that the Master Artist, the great Creator is full of beauty - things we can barely imagine and even when we see them, we find no words to describe their splendor.

So, how are you doing?  How was your week?  Did you get a chance to catch a sunset and have your breath taken away?  If not a sunset, did you get a chance to see the way the sunrises in splendor and majesty?  What else from the hand of the creator took your breath away, or left you speechless?  What other great things took place in your life this week?  How did everything go with you and your family?  I hope that you are doing well and that you had a great week. 

We had a really fantastic week and weekend.  Our week kicked off with Gabbi's dance recital.  It was a two hour dance show featuring several classes of students and the SHHS dance company.  Unlike a few previous shows, this show as really tasteful, well organized, and had a consistent flow.  Best of all, in this show Gabbi had her own dance that she choreographed and stared in.  It was one of the best shows of the night in my opinion.  Gabbi says it was second best, but I think it could have been the best on Friday night.  Okay, so I'm biased!  Gabbi did really well in her other two performance appearances and she seems to really enjoy the dancing, and especially the spot light.  I was very proud of her once again.  Sandwiched between her Friday night and Saturday night performances Trish and I went out on a fantastic date.  We went to one of my new favorite places Red Robin.  It is on my top list right now, second to Kiki's.  We enjoyed time together and some really good conversation. 

On Monday Ava and I had one of the best days ever!  Yep!  I got to spend the whole morning as a chaperone for Ava's pre-K class on a field trip.  Ava's class took a trip to a farm to pick strawberries and see the animals.  She was so excited when I showed up to her class, and even more excited that we got to sit together on the big school bus.  She rode side by side with me on the bus until we got to the farm.  Once on the farm the class split up to learn about farming, strawberries, and farm animals.  Then we went on a hay ride up to the field.  Ava told me that farmer Cease had a tractor just like her granddaddy.  She enjoyed the hay ride and remember when her granddaddy took her on his tractor too.  When we got in the field we were each handed a container to fill with ripe strawberries.  I figured I'd help her some, and then pick my own.  But, that didn't really happen.  Instead, once Ava learned how to pick the strawberries she went to town.  She went to town picking every ripe strawberry she could find.  And whenever she couldn't find one and she saw that I was about to pick one, she ran over and swooped on it.  It was funny.  When we filled both containers we rode back to see the animals (cows, goats and a donkey), learn about agri-tourism, read more about strawberries, have lunch, and prepare to leave.  Aside from the port-a-potty experience, it was a great trip and really neat farm.

The rest of the week went very well.  The older girls have started their exams and our senior is counting down.  She has now decided to attend Clemson instead of Anderson University.  She is excited about the switch and she is excited about the nearing end of the school year.  Everyone else is doing well also.  Paige and Sydney are getting ready for their fun days, exam days, and last days of school.  Trish is also doing well.  She did some amazing decorating in our room and printed out some of her prints of the family photos.  All in all a good week.

Well, I hope that you are doing very well and that you are enjoying an absolutely wonderful weekend.  I pray that all is well with you and your family and that the covering of God remains over you to bless, protect and prosper you greatly.  May you enjoy your weekend and as always,

Welcome to Friday (even on Saturday!)

I am so thankful for:

• peanut butter M&Ms
• date day
• time alone with Trish
• fun on the field trip with Ava
• knowing that Ava enjoyed our time and she enjoyed her own farm memories
• Trish and the girls
• my family and friends
• safe travels to work and home
• fun at basketball on Friday
• getting time off from work to be a chaperone
• finding a new opportunity at work to learn some new things
• lots of laughter with the girls
• Thursday night dinner with Trish and the girls
• Bible Study time
• Thursday at lunch with Yuhui
• Wednesday morning with Stephone
• coffee date w/ Trish
• Fasting and praying together on Tuesday
• hearing good news from friends
• feasting on some good encouragement from family
• Sunday morning worship service
• watching a few highlights from the week in sports
• sleeping in late Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and still getting to work on time
• working out at the Y

The Lord, the Shepherd of lost sheep watch over you and bless you always!

--

Cassius