Posts Categorized: Faithfulness

Is It Really July Now?

| Faithfulness, Joy, Love, Patience

 

Wasn’t it just March a couple of weeks ago? I suppose, because most days seem quite a bit the same just now, even though things are “opening up” and slowly getting to a more normal routine, it’s still not quite normal. Not just yet.

But, it is July. We’re still getting more rain than is normal, but some plants I bought back in the balmy days of March are showing their discontent with the summer heat. After all these years, I still make mistakes about what to buy, where to plant it, and how long will it really last.

I went to get Peter last Friday, and quickly did a little shopping before time to pick him up. I ate lunch with Kevin and April and Peter, and then Peter and I visited a nursery I like. He helped me make some botanical decisions, and then we headed back down to Waco. We had a few busy few days.

 

 

We went to the local library. Peter and I both got books, and, in the kids’ section, Peter saw a boy playing a video game. It was like a kid magnet. Peter went over and watched. He asked some questions, gave some advice. We’d chosen some books, and checked them out to take home. The next day, I wanted a book I’d forgotten about. We arrived right at opening time, and the computers in the kids’ section were all available. Whew! He played quite a while. The next day, I needed to return some books, so we went back. And he could play again. Then, later in the day, I saw that a book I’d put on hold was now available, so we went back to the library a second time, where Peter was able to play again.  What a great day!

Then, that evening, we all had to go to bed early. When we’d first made this plan, Kevin had forgotten about a dentist’s appointment for Peter. It was at 9:00 a.m. which meant Peter needed to be back at home by 8:30 a.m. which meant a very early morning for us. It’s an hour-and-a-half trip. And, I recalled a trip I’d made when Peter was a very young baby, because April had an early medical appointment, and I was going to stay with Baby Peter. We’d meant for me to be there at 8:00 a.m., but the incoming morning traffic jam caused me to be late. So, I asked Kevin if, this time, we needed to leave earlier. And he thought yes, which meant our leaving at 6:30 a.m. which meant getting up at about 5:30 a.m., at least for me. Clothes had been washed, the suitcase had been packed, the book bag had been packed. I made Peter a scrambled egg and we took a couple of pieces of cinnamon toast along, too. Everything worked well and we were on the road just when we needed to be.

As we approached Fort Worth, the traffic got a little more crowded. But, it was nothing as congested as as the last time I’d made this early morning trip, and we sailed into town easily and arrived at their house at 8:00 a.m. Plenty of time for visiting and recapping all the Waco adventures. They left for the dentist, and then I went for adventures of my own.

Last week, I’d not had time to visit another nursery that I like. So, that was my first stop before setting out for Waco.

Then, I went back to the nursery I’d visited last week, because I was in sort of a hurry then, and wanted to go back and take more time.

 

 

Here’s why I like to go to nurseries, even if I’m not planning on purchasing anything. I enjoy seeing the plants. I like thinking about what sorts of plants might look good (and live) in the yard, for next time, or next year. And, I like to watch the bees. See him, on the left-hand side of that orange flower. And, sometimes, there are butterflies, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord’s mercy is on those who fear him. His righteousness belongs to their children and grandchildren,

Psalm 103:17 (God’s Word Translation)

 

This is a noisy, squawky mockingbird that spends a lot of time, way up in our pecan tree every evening. And, I think he riles up the other birds. At least, it seems like they’re squawking back at him. Earlier, I had taken a video of his noisyness and sent it to Peter. When he was here, I was able to show him the squawky bird for himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over, Over, Overalls

| Faithfulness, Patience, Peace

I’ve written before about overalls.  For several years, I had a great pair. Then, I got another great pair. I pretty much wore out those overalls a few years ago. When I began to need a new pair, I discovered that overalls had become a fashion statement. A sort of teen-age statement. But, still.

I saw some overalls at Target. I got the largest size they had, and worked in them, quite happily, for some time, in my yard. Those were long overalls, and I appreciated their fall and early spring warmth. When summer came, I was thinking that I’d need to cut them off, or . . . And, yes, indeed, there were short overalls on the racks at Target. I bought some. However, I did see that there were some issues with the newer overalls on the racks. They were, in the style of the time, rather, um, pre-used, They had the “fashionable” rips in them. Every kind of overall had some sort of “used,” “well-used,” or “quite used” look. I bought them anyway. It’s not like I’m going out shopping in them. Even to a nursery, where, I guess, I could have smeared mud and grass stains on them, and rushed into the nursery and said, “I need plants! And I need them right now!” (Gardeners may do that, I suppose.)

Also, I learned to check the pockets. When I’m outside working, I have my phone with me. Some of the trendy overalls have the tiniest pockets. When I’m overall shopping, I always make sure that my hands go ‘way down in the pockets. I don’t want my phone plopping down into some muddy patch of dirt.

Some of the short overalls are pretty short. I let the straps down as long as they’ll go; the crotch is then farther down, which, frankly makes sitting down to do the yard work more comfortable, and that makes the overalls a bit longer. In a good and comfortable way.

 

 

These overalls had a QUITE large area of just horizontal strings. And maybe I will get around to adding some extra length to them, also

Because the overalls I buy at Target are really for teen-agers, I have done a little adapting. Often the overalls have pre-distressed elements, like rips and areas of just strings, instead of complete areas of fabric. I solved that problem by sewing pieces of this plaid fabric underneath the string areas, and then cutting the strings away. And, on these overalls, I also added some of that plaid fabric to lengthen the legs a bit.

 

Here’s the whole complement of overalls. Three pairs of shorts and two pairs of longs. The long pair at the top left has a lot of stringy patches. When the weather cools down next fall, I’ll probably find a way (plaid?) to make them adaptable to yard work in the chillier (but sunny) days.

For now, I’ve done about all I can do in the yard, beyond keeping things watered. Here in Central Texas, and, frankly, for most of Texas, at this point we’re just trying to keep things alive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus taught them this parable: “How can I describe God’s kingdom? God’s kingdom is like the smallest seed that one might plant in a garden. When it grows, it becomes a huge tree, with so many spreading branches that various birds make nests there.”

Luke 13:18-19 (The Passion Translation)

 

I’ve planted seeds. I’ve planted plants. I haven’t actually planted anything that’s grown up to be a large tree. But, I am keeping the existing trees and shrubs alive and green. And, if you come to visit, I’ll give you some thyme. Come on over!

Back to Normal, Sort of

| Faithfulness, Patience

It’s June. We’re still getting quite a bit of rain. And, when it’s not raining, the skies are mostly cloudy, so there aren’t any sweltering hot days. Yet. It’ll happen. I think all the yard work that’s going to get done, has pretty much been done. So when I put on my overalls and went outside a couple of days ago, there wasn’t much I needed to do, except basic stuff, and I turned my sights to the patio itself. There are many lovely plants there, but, the place where I work on the patio, was looking sort of . . . drab.

Several years ago, when we lived in our other house, where the boys grew up, I was out doing something in the yard, pulling weeds or planting something, and I didn’t have a nice, organized place to work. Jeremy was at home, identified the dilemma, and made a plan. He gathered some wood pieces that we had. Then, he went on a hunt down our alley, and found some more wood pieces, which he used, with the others, and created a table sort of thing where I could store my garden tools and work on potting plants. That structure eventually prompted the rest of the family to realize that I was serious about gardening and maybe I should have a sturdier structure.

They purchased, and put together, a real professionally designed space where I could work and store tools and keep potting soil. It was great. When we moved from that house to where we live now, the bench got relocated to our patio. I’ve been using it ever since, and added some small metal shelves that hold containers of plant food, more soil, some sand, trash bags, and pots.

After working so much in the yard this spring, I’ve just about planted, pruned, trimmed, and edged everything. Earlier this week, I looked around and thought, hmmmm, when was the last time I took care of the potting bench. Ever? Never? I went to the garage and, oh, yes, there was a big can of Thompson’s Water Seal, which I carried outside, along with a brush and a pan. I took everything off the bench and got to work.

 

It’s as sturdy now as it ever was, and, with it being newly water-sealed, it should be good for many, many more seasons.

I keep on purchasing thyme plants, but I think I may have reached my peak. I have done lots of trimming in the space, cutting back lots of plants and drying them out to send to Jeremy and Sarah and to my sister in Seattle.

Here’s the final result. Nicely defined spaces. I did quite a bit of pruning. When I first made the garden, all the thyme plants were small and compact.  A space for every kind, and every kind in its space. Several of the varieties had, over months and years, really outgrew their spaces. The large area at the front, that curves around, is Creeping Mother of Thyme. The large growth of thyme toward the rear of the area is Foxley Thyme. These are two of the varieties that I planted first. See what happens if you don’t keep on eye on your thyme.

If you’re a serious cook, baker, chef, do let me know if you need a sprig or two of fresh thyme. And, based on recipes I read, a sprig or two of thyme is all that’s called for

 

 

 

 

Celebrate and sing! Play your harps for the Lord our God.
He fills the sky with clouds and sends rain to the earth, so that the hills will be green with grass.

Psalm 147: 7,8 (Contemporary English Version)

 

We are grateful for the rain. Our lake is full, which means we’ll have water for our homes and water for our plants. As Peter and I were coming into Waco last weekend, and nearing our house, I said that I wanted to go the longer way to our house (a minute or so longer) because it’s a prettier drive. Peter said, “I’ll look at the lake. Yes, it’s fuller now.” I found that credible.

The Good, The Bad, The Snowy

| Faithfulness, Joy, Patience, Peace, Self-Control

“We’ll just have to wait and see.” That’s what the state’s chief horticulturist says. In his weekly newspaper column and the weekly e-mails he sends out, he answers questions about plants and landscaping and garden care. What he says in, at least one of those outlets each week, is that “we’ll just have to wait and see,” how the perennial/annual plants and trees and lawns will come back (or not) in our landscapes.

My next door neighbor has two epic Live Oak trees. The horticulturist has said, after that giant sleet, snow, and ice storm we had, we should give our Live Oaks the time they need to heal. We don’t have Live Oak trees. We have a big crepe myrtle, and a pecan that’s lost as many small limbs as those crepe myrtles. Both of those trees are probably able to regroup and live!

“We will just have to wait and see.”

 

Meanwhile, we have some other kinds of plants, and almost all of them have rebounded. Like these:

I can see the still somewhat small, but older, living plants, and then the lower plants which aren’t even trying to make it. (And, don’t be fooled by all the green, green, healthy plants. Those are daisies.)

These plants are a little hard to see well. There are three that are growing back, green and full. Then, in between those good plants, there are some broken down-to-sticks plants. The broken down ones have died off completely, even though the living plants have become found. They are Turk’s Caps. I was at a lovely nursery recently, and an employee has been explaining the growing habits of these plants. I found a pink variety of them, but, couldn’t purchase them, because I’m not sure which ones I’d planted. I know there were three red ones and three pink ones. And, apparently, one kind is much more winter tolerant than the other.

Check later, to see which ones really are winter tolerant.

 

 

 

 

 

 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5 (Revised Standard Version)

 

I have said to David that he should NOT buy me any birthday gifts, or Mother’s Day gifts. I have spent quite a lot on plants. And potting soil. And plant food. I should start thinking more carefully about perennials instead of annuals.

 

Springtime! Been Looking Forward to It!

| Faithfulness, Joy, Patience

I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Here is that rainbow I’ve been praying for.
It’s gonna be a bright
Bright sunshiny day.

(Song by Jimmy Cliff)

Although I’m not at all ready for all the rain to disappear (here in most of Texas, we’ll be desperate for rain when July comes), there’s been quite a bit of blue sky and moderate temperatures. I made several trips to a nursery or two, or four, or so. I’ve washed almost all of the pots. I’ve cut down all the dead ferns, and new ones are popping up.

The dead leaves from the oak trees in the front yard have fallen, and I’ve raked them all up and am in the process of getting them in the green bins to be carted off by the lawn/leaf/etc. trucks that come by every other week.

These are two different leaves, and I’m surprised, and a little bit impressed, by their being able to drift down, down, down, and to fall exactly into  cracks in the driveway. One is from the white oak (rounder edges), and the other is from the red oak (more pointy edges).

 

I was concerned, after the giant snow and ice and below-freezing temperatures in February, that we’d lose lots of plants. On Tuesday, I raked away all the fallen leaves that had accumulated in the front bed. These two rose bushes have leafed out strongly. I don’t know what the rose production will be, but at least they’re alive! The yellow flowers at the front of the bed are yellow pansies, which will fade away when the weather turns hot. A few years ago, I bought some sturdy yellow flowered plants that reseeded each year and came back, all strong and lovely. There is no sign of them. At all. And there were three, cute, feathery plants with tiny yellow flowers. They lasted three winters, I think. They do not, apparently, thrive when the temperature’s negative one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought this “Wolverine” Hosta rather late last summer. I think it might have been on sale. It has come back full and sturdy. I was planning for a nice array of different Hosta plants. The tiny guy on the right-hand side is also a Hosta. I’m not sure what kind it is, but I appreciate its bravery. It certainly looks healthy.

 

 

 

 

I bought a couple of new plants to add to the thyme garden (Magic Carpet Thyme and White Creeping Thyme). I bought a dozen Impatiens for a hanging arrangement. There are some succulents, and some pretty purple and lavender flowers that Peter chose when we went to a greenhouse when he was here last week.

 

 

Let’s do our best  to know the Lord. His coming is as certain as the morning sun; he will refresh us like rain renewing the earth in the springtime.

Hosea 6:3 (Contemporary English Version)

 

 

 

The weather says “Friday-high of 80° and 6 percent change of rain. Sounds like a great day for gardening!

 

Old Habits Are Difficult to Break

| Faithfulness, Love, Patience, Peace

I mentioned, a few weeks ago, that I’ve “retired” from teaching preschoolers at church. And, since we’ve not yet had a routine sort of schedule for Sundays, I haven’t yet had an opportunity to find a new niche for myself on Sunday mornings. I’ve absolutely determined to stay out of the preschool realm, and am completely confident in the capabilities of the people who are going to be the Sunday School teachers, at whatever time Sunday School starts up again.

However, I do find myself falling into some previous shopping habits. I’ve caught myself, when shopping, distracted by the sorts of things I used to purchase for church.

And then there is this old friend.

Right before Thanksgiving, in 1979, a friend called me. She was the Preschool Minister at a large church in Waco. They had a weekday program, and one of her teachers had abruptly quit. She was desperate. Was I interested in taking the job? I said, no, I really couldn’t take the full time job, but I could help her out, in the mornings, for December and January, and give her time to find a new teacher.

As I tried to get organized, which included getting breakfast done, lunches packed, and two-year-old Jeremy to a friend’s house, I realized I needed some additional resources. I bought this canvas bag to have a place to put things like books, games, and other supplies, so that I could just pick it up on my way out of the house.

After my time at that church, this bag became my “church” bag. It gave me a place to drop in, during the week, items that I wanted to use at church that Sunday. It has been incredibly sturdy! It has been laundered a few times over the years, after one thing or the other has been spilled or squashed down in the bottom. I’ve replaced the handles at least twice.  You can see the tattered upper edge on the right side. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it now. I might frame it: “Best bag ever!”

 

 

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

1 Corinthians 3:6 (New Revised Standard Version)

The Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands (Isaiah 55:12)

| Faithfulness, Patience

I’ve been spending lots of time outside. I like to work in the yard, and I certainly need to keep active. I might spend three or four hours a day at yard work. Of course, a much younger woman might be able to do what I get done, in an hour, or less.

A few weeks ago, I spent several hours cleaning up the space at the back of the yard where the compost bins are. There were still some of the leaves I’d raked up last fall, in addition to leaves from other trees in the area that had fallen and blown in. It’s pretty boggy back there. Also, I found something a little startling.

 

At first glance, I thought it was a toy. I don’t know exactly who lives behind me, on the other side of the wooden fence, but I guessed kids might have been playing and were tossing things around, and this ended up on my side of the fence.

Then, I put my glasses on and looked a little more closely. You can tell by the nearby leaves that it’s pretty small. And, as you might have guessed, it’s a little bitty mushroom. I don’t know what has caused the black spots, but I took the photo to send to Peter, because I thought it was looked like a Star Wars character. He thought so, too.

 

These are the compost bins. I take out the kitchen vegetable waste and tea bags when the countertop bin is full. Right now, that goes into the left-hand bin.  After dumping in the contents, I add a layer of leaves. The right-hand bin’s contents are decaying, at this point. I put the rocks on the top to remind me not to put new stuff in that one. When the left bin gets full, I’ll move the rocks over, and it will be time to empty the other bin, which should have some nice compost that I can put on the garden.

 

I learned a few years ago that the pecan leaves aren’t the best choice for making compost. I use the oak leaves from a tree in the front yard. Those are leaves. The pecan tree has leaflets. The pecan leaflets have a heavier central stem and there are leaves all along that stem. When the oak leaves decay away, they decay pretty completely. When the pecan leaflets decay, there are those heavy stems left. They don’t make very good compost.

I’ve spent lots of time the past few days, raking up all the oak leaves and carting them, in a yard waste bin, to the back of the yard. I swept up the leaves that had fallen over the curb. I raked the leaves, from my tree, from my next-door neighbor’s yard. (She does not at all complain about the leaves in her yard. She’s a lovely neighbor. I just want all those leaves.)

 

Now I have a wonderful, if gargantuan, pile of nice oak leaves, all ready to add to the bin.

 

I also raked up lots and lots of pecan leaves. That tree is in the back yard, and has been dropping leaves for a while, but it’s not done. I’ve put those leaves in our green recycle bins. We have a large bin and a small bin. As of this afternoon, they are both full to the brim. Monday is our trash pickup day. But, this coming Monday, it’s blue bin day (recycling). Our green bins won’t be emptied until the next Monday.

I’ve looked up into the pecan tree, and there seems to be quite a few leaves up there, still. I’ve got a couple of bins where I can temporarily keep leaves, but I’m not sure they’re big enough for what’s left on the tree. And, they always seem to take up more space that I thought they would.

The oak tree that’s shed its leaves is at the front of the side yard. In the center of the front yard, there’s a red oak tree that has just barely begin to drop leaves. The year we moved into this house, in the fall, that tree still had its leaves, and kept most of them, through the winter. I was afraid the tree had died. But, in the early spring, it dropped the leaves and quickly began to put out new ones. That was more than ten years ago. It’s still strong and sturdy. It’s dropped a few leaves, but it’s certainly not done.

 

Bring your melody, O mountains and hills; trees of the forest and field, harmonize your praise!

Psalm 148:9 (The Passion Translation)

 

I like to think about my trees working together, harmonizing.

I Said I Didn’t Want It, But No One Paid Any Attention

| Faithfulness, Kindness, Love, Patience, Self-Control

I’ve been doing stuff with kids at church for quite some time: Children’s Choir, Preschool Choir, Wednesday night activities, and, finally, Preschool Sunday School.

I’ve had different configurations of groups. At the beginning, it was 4-year-olds. Then, we grouped Threes into the mix. Then, it was just Threes. Then it just varied for a few years, based on how many kids and how many adults and what sorts of spaces. For the last several years, it’s been Three-year-olds, Pre-Ks, and Kindergartners. A few years ago, I thought: “I’ll keep teaching Sunday School as long as I have Peter in my room.”

Fall, a year ago, Peter, as a first-grader, moved up to the Younger Elementary class. But, I had looked at the incoming Threes, and they were so very cute that I thought, “Okay. One more year. And THAT’S ALL!” They were just as charming as they were cute, and things went along quite nicely until mid-March, when everything came to a halt.

Each week, I would mail them the pages that they would have taken home from church, along with a note, or a game, or some cookies, or some crayons, or some stickers. At some point, I told the Children’s Minister that I would be done at the end of August. “Every part of me hurts,” I said. “My hands hurt. My knees hurt.” And, truly, I felt like I would soon be a liability instead of an asset. I also said that I didn’t want a deal, or a thing, or anything or the sort. I would just be done. She thought that the members of the Children’s committee should know, and I thought that they really didn’t. Because, I didn’t want a deal or a thing. And I thought that was that.

That was NOT that.

I got an e-mailed Agenda for an upcoming ZOOM Children’s Committee meeting which included an item “Gayle’s Announcement.” So, not exactly a private thing any more.

Someone at the meeting thought I needed a deal. The first thing that popped up was a post on Facebook, with a rather LARGE photo of me and the line “Shhhh. Don’t tell! We want to thank Gayle Lintz for 42 years of teaching Preschool Sunday School, by writing her letters, which we will give her later.” (Or something like that)

I e-mailed the Children’s Minister and said, “I AM on Facebook. FYI.”

My nice book of appreciation.

So, it wasn’t quite so secret after all. Then, the next plan was that the letters would be received and collected and given to me. The Children’s Minister recently contacted me and said that they’d like to give those to me during an upcoming worship service. At this point we’ve not been having worship services with a congregation. The staff comes and opens up the place on Sunday morning. There are instrumentalists (piano, organ, guitar, drums/percussion, and horn). There are four choir members who sing (all masked up) from the sanctuary platform while we participate from home via video. There are Scripture readings and a sermon and announcements and prayers. Last Sunday, we went, too. Kevin and April and Peter came for the weekend, also. We sat on one row, towards the front, all masked up. At the end of the service, I went up front and got a lovely book that had all the kind things that people had written for me.

 

 

 

 

And then . . .  I got this. And, for real, I was horrified. Because, over the years, various people have lobbied for just such a thing for one nursery teacher or elementary teacher or preschool teacher or another, and the general attitude as been that there have been many competent, capable, loving teachers through the years and we just cannot cover the walls with all of their names. So, I’m setting a precedent? I believe my response, when they picked it up to show me, was NOOOOOOOO. They were unmoved.

They said it went through the Children’s Committee and the Coordinating Council and I don’t know who all else. And it is a done deal.

 

 

I had insisted, when they said they wanted me to show up (to get those letters), that I wanted to speak. And, boy, did I speak. I talked about how, just because I’ve done the same thing for so many years, it doesn’t seem extraordinary, because so many people in the church have done a variety of things for many years, the sum total of which are just as significant as doing one thing for years. “Everybody does something,” I said. And I gave examples of the sorts of things that members of our church family have done, such as serving on committees, being deacons, being part of the choir (which means Wednesday night rehearsals and Sunday morning anthems), giving financially, praying diligently, and more. “Everybody does something,” I said. “EVERYBODY does something.” And I meant it.

 

 

 

 

Kevin took this photo, after everything was finished, to send to Jeremy, to show him how I feel about this. It’s so large I don’t know exactly where they plan to put it. Maybe they didn’t get that far in their thinking.

As we were leaving, Kevin pointed out the plaque that is on the organ, that honors a long-time organist. (You can actually see the edge of it in the photo above.) Then, in the hallway, he also reminded me of the photo hanging there, that recognizes a church member who, for many, many years, would cheerfully greet everyone who walked into the church and give them a hug.

Across the hallway from that photo, there’s a large plaque honoring the church’s first pastor. And, down in the Fellowship Hall, another portrait honoring a man who donated the money to renovate the that space. And, a large photo recognizing a beloved Minister of Education is upstairs in a meeting room.

So, while it does feel rather awkward, really awkward, I’m trying to become accustomed to the idea.

 

“Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant … Come and share in my happiness!”

from Matthew 25:21 (Contemporary English Version)

 

In an interesting, and amusing, mixup, three or four weeks ago, at the end of the video worship service, the Associate Pastor reminded people to send their letters to the church to be gathered to give me in a few weeks. And, again, I thought that they’ve just completely given up on any idea of those being a surprise. This past Sunday, he told me (in case I hadn’t heard it for myself) about that gaffe. He said that after the video streaming was shut off, other staff members came up to him, wide-eyed, to ask why he’d made that announcement, reminding him that is was supposed to be a surprise. He reminded them that there had been announcements and reminders in the church’s e-mailed newsletter for several weeks. Unbeknownst to him, the office staff had been creating special, sans-surprise, newsletters to be e-mailed to both me and David. And I, as always, very much enjoy a good, funny story. So, it all worked out.

I Am NOT a Shoplifter!

| Faithfulness, Self-Control

I’m really not, at all, a shoplifter. I just thought, for a short while, that I might be. Inadvertently, but still, maybe.

After using a particular brand of skin care and makeup for many, many years, I changed brands. I’d talked with my sister about what I was using now. I’d purchased the cleanser and moisturizer, and that sort of thing, but I’d not been able to find the makeup. I asked what she’d used and what color worked best for her, and I got helpful advice. I had looked for the makeup at a few stores, but without success. And I thought it might be a product that had to be ordered, instead of just picked up in the cosmetic aisle.

A few days ago, while doing shopping for arriving company, I turned the corner at my grocery store, and TA-DAH! There was a stocked supply of the brand I was searching for and a variety of hues of makeup. I spent several minutes looking at the bottles, comparing colors, putting bottles next to the inside of my wrist (which is how and where one is supposed to do that sort of thing). I finally chose the one I thought was best. The bottle was slender, and I was careful about where to put it in the basket, lest it roll around and possibly slip through the spaces of the cart and get lost.

“Maybe I should put it in my purse until I get to the checkout,” I thought. (Foreshadowing? Possibly.)

I did a bit more shopping, then waited, at a six-foot distance, for my turn at the checkout, and unloaded my groceries onto the conveyor belt. I helped bag up my groceries, plopped them back into the cart, and wheeled them out to my car. I unloaded the cart and drove back home. I’d made several stops during the morning and needed several trips into the house to empty the car. I was weary and only removed the cold and frozen stuff from the bags, to put away. Everything else could wait until later, to be stored on cabinet and pantry shelves.

The next morning, I cleaned and freshened up my face, ready to apply that brand-new makeup.  I went back to the kitchen and began digging in the bags that hadn’t yet been unloaded. No makeup.

“Nooooo,” I thought. Had I, after all, put the makeup in my purse to stay safe, and forgotten to remove it and have it scanned? I retrieved the receipt for my shopping trip. Oh, no. There was no makeup on the list.

“I’m going to have to go back to HEB and confess my problem and pay for it,” I thought. I would need to go back as soon as possible, in the event that there were cameras (and, surely, there are cameras). I dug, carefully and diligently, through my purse. Hmmmm. No makeup.

So, if I hadn’t put it in my purse, and I hadn’t taken it from the cart, then where was the makeup? Either I hadn’t noticed it in the cart and neglected to remove it, or it had actually done as I feared, and fallen out of the cart, after all. Whichever was the case, I was not a shoplifter, accidentally or purposefully.

But, I was going to need to go back to the store and get that makeup that I wanted to use. And, of course, there were a few things that I’d thought of that I should get, too.

 

No! For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

Luke 16:10 (The Living Bible Translation)

 

 

And I object to folks who walk through the produce department and pull a few grapes from their stems and walk away, munching on them.

The New(er) Routine

| Faithfulness, Joy, Kindness

For many, many years, my Sunday morning routine would be to get up at a reasonable time, get ready for church, pick up my church bag, and leave the house by 8:00 a.m. or so, maybe as early as 7:30, depending on how much I would need to do to get the Sunday School room ready for preschoolers.

Sometimes, I might need to laminate pictures for a game (requiring turning the laminating machine on and waiting for it to heat up). I would probably need to return the past week’s puzzles to the resource room and pick up some different ones, instead. I would put away materials from the previous Sunday and put out new items. Just business as usual.

Our play dough might be getting stiff; we would need to make a new batch, so I’d need to get out the ingredients, measuring utensils, and the electric skillet. And a wooden spoon. Kids really enjoy stirring the play dough ingredients in the skillet. Sometimes I have to remind them that it will never be play dough if they don’t stop stirring and let me move the skillet to the counter where I can cook it.

These days, I’ve lolled myself into a new, lazy routine. Now, our church service begins, online, Sunday morning at 10:45. I don’t have to gather up stuff; I don’t have to tote anything to a different location; I don’t have to drive anywhere. I do get dressed, but, really, I could be attending church in my nightgown every Sunday morning.

It’s calm. It’s restful. But, it’s not as much fun as spending the Sunday School hour with a bunch of little kids. And, who knows when we’ll be back to a usual routine. In the meantime . . .

Here’s what I’m doing. I have the take-home pupil leaflets for each Sunday School lesson. From the beginning of “not going to church on Sunday,” I’ve mailed those leaflets to the kids, along with a little “I miss being with you” note. After a couple of weeks, I sent other things, too.

 

 

One of my favorite enclosures was a blank 4×6 index card. On one side, I had my mailing address, my return address label, and a postcard stamp. I suggested that the kids draw a picture for me and then mail it to me. Several children did that. Then, I took photos of myself, holding each individual child’s drawing, and I e-mailed them a thank-you note.

 

Getting mail is fun for them, and getting mail is fun for me, too.

 

 

Peter was here last weekend. On Sunday morning, we watched a video Sunday School lesson presented by his Sunday School teacher at his church. And, we watched an extra lesson recorded by his mom, who is the church’s Children’s Minister. Then, Peter watched the Facebook worship presentation from our church. And, later, at 1:00, he participated in the 1st-3rd grade Zoom Sunday School from our church. They had suggested that all the kids bring something from their kitchen. Peter took a large pot.

The Bible story was Jesus’ teaching from Matthew 25: “When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.” The Sunday School teacher explained that doing kind and helpful things for others is like doing kind and helpful things for Jesus.

Then she asked what kind and helpful things the children could do for other people. She waited for a moment, giving the kids time to think and answer. And, Peter said (without prompting), “Tomorrow, my grandmother and I are going shopping to buy things for, um, (prompt from me) the Family Pantry.”

That was, indeed, the plan we had made. Our church is partnering with several other churches around town and a couple of local helping agencies to provide a place where people who have lost jobs and have great needs and little income can get food and other supplies for their families.

(The kitchen items they brought to Zoom Sunday School were also a prompt for talking about ways to help people who are hungry.)

And, Monday morning, before Peter went back to Fort Worth, we made a trip to Dollar Tree. The helping agencies make a list each week of the needed items, and people from the churches shop for those things, as much as they’re able to provide. We then deliver them to a local church that has made its Fellowship Hall into a store for these families. (It’s a ring-our-bell-and-we’ll-come-out-and-get-your-stuff arrangement, so that no one’s too close, and we’re all masked up.)

 

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord.”

Psalm 122:1 (Christian Standard Bible)

For now, the house of the Lord is my office space, where I attend worship service at Calvary Baptist Church of Waco each Sunday morning. I do put on clothes, and don’t stay in my nightgown all morning. Our service is live, and not a recorded video. Announcements, music, everything is live. Peter’s church’s service is recorded (which has its benefits, as church members can view it any time that’s convenient for them). Our service looks different, because it’s not taking place in the church’s sanctuary. Our preacher preaches from the living room, or even the patio (which Peter found amazing), now that the weather is warmer. I must admit, that, now that I’m at home . . .

I can knit while I’m at worship service.