Aug. 1 - 7, 2010

Sunday - A young couple from church, Mitchell and Ashley, came over after church and brought the main course, chicken enchiladas. My daughter and I threw together a salad and a dish of corn (with lots of butter), some chips and salsa. It was a nice treat not having to cook the whole meal and still having company. We have them over to eat most every Sunday since they don't have family around, so she decided to treat us today. Very much appreciated!

Monday - I went and helped out at a friend of mine at her in home preschool from 8:30-1:30, so she could have some time off to run errands (I agreed to help a few days this week).
After I left, I went by Faye's (an older lady from church) to pick up some rabbits she had for me that she had butchered a couple of days ago. She's never in a hurry when I go over there, and we sat and talked for quiet a while before she got up and got them for me. I had to tell myself that I was in no hurry, that anything I needed to do could wait a while, while we visited. She lives in town, but has lived there long enough to be able to have chickens, and rabbits and doves in her back yard that she raises to eat. She shared with me ways that she preserves food, and cooks on very little. Since people know that she does this, they are always bringing her their excess fruit, vegetables, and somestimes a deer or hog. When she has a lot of meat, like a deer or hog, or a lot of rabbits that she's butchered at once, she cooks it all and cans it. She said this way, when she has company come unexpectedly, she can have a complete meal on the table in 30 min or less. Another tip she gave me when I said that I didn't like to fry chicken because it was too messy. She said she keeps a tub of dry mixture of pancake mix, cornbread mix, and a little instant potatoes, seasoned with salt & pepper, in her refrigerator and anytime she wants to fry something, she just wets it, rolls it in there, and fries it. When her dry mixture gets low, she just adds to it. I love getting these kind of tips from other people, and I really appreciate that she had the time to sit and share her time and wisdom. It makes me want to do the same for others.
Annnd, while I was there I happened to mention that I needed a deep freeze so that I would have room to put back more food in the freezer. She said that she had a friend who had one that was moving, and she would call and see if she had got rid of it yet. She called me later that evening and said her husband was supposed to meet the lady with his pick up to get it and bring it to my house. I sent my son-in-law over to help him (he is in his 80's) and now I have a deep freeze!
Tuesday - This morning after hubby left, I got caught up on my blogging. Then, I went to the nursing home for our Tuesday morning ministry there. Then to Wal-Mart for a potty chair for Nolan, my grandson and a new water sprinkler for the grass we're trying to get growing in our front yard. In the afternoon, I sliced and breaded okra for freezing, and peeled, seeded and cubed cucumbers and put them in some salt water to soak in the fridge overnight for canning tomorrow. Leftovers for supper, yeah! I ran to the library after supper for a book on canning that I wanted a recipe out of for cinnamon cucumber pickles. I've been searching the ones on the internet this evening, but they all look too complicated. I tried the one in the book before and it was really easy, but had too much vinegar and not enough cinnamon. So, tomorrow I'm going to try it again, but modify it and see if I can get it the way I like them.

July 26 - Aug 1, 2010

Monday evening I received a text asking for prayer for a young lady, Liz, who had just committed suicide and was on life support. I didn't know this girl, but she had just graduated from our churches high school. I started praying and passed the msg. along. Tuesday morning, I went to Nursing Home ministry and then I met with a couple of ladies from church (Kathleen and Lucia) and we went to the hospital to pray for this girl and her family. When we arrived, they told us that the mother was in the bed with her saying her goodbyes, and that they were about to take her off of life support and harvest her organs. The family had all been called in. Kathleen, Lucia and I started praying for Liz. We prayed life into her. We prayed that she would wake up. Well, to be honest I was a little hesitant to pray this, and was praying very quietly so that the family would not hear and think we were crazy. Kathleen and Lucia's faith was a lot stronger than mine, but I continued to agree with them, because I kept remembering the message our pastor had just preached about how believers were supposed to be going about doing good and healing the sick, and then sharing the message of the gospel (Luke 10:9). Kathleen shared some scripture and we prayed with one of the family members in the chapel, who I know is not a believer, so I thank God for this opportunity. We left the hospital, but stayed in the parking lot praying for awhile. (The thought came to me, as we prayed there in the parking lot that if Christians were standing on every street corner of the city praying, the world would not be able to ignore the fact that the Church is in the world and alive and there for them.) I went home and told my family that she had passed away. Wed. night in service a man stood up and said that when they took the life support off of her Tues. morning, she started breathing on her own. Wow, was I surprised! Maybe God did hear and answer our prayers! It was then reported that Wed. afternoon she took a turn for the worse again. Wed evening. a group of teens got together and had a prayer vigil for her. As they prayed, she started getting better again! Well, sadly, Thursday afternoon, she passed away. But it makes me think and wonder. There was obviously a battle going on for her life. And, if the church of God had prayed continuously as seriously as they did during those times of praying together, would she still be alive? Only God knows. But, through this , my faith has increased, because I really feel like God heard our prayers and answered. Maybe, during that time of breathing on her own, she had a chance to cry out to God in repentance and died in peace and not in despair.