Category Archives: Celebrating

Listen To The Music

31 Tuesday Dec 2019

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One hour and 15 minutes remain of 2019. Gary has turned the Dish to Country Gold music and I am hearing music from too long ago to say.  I’m sure when we were listening to this music as new music, we thought the years would be pretty much one the same as another, lazily rolling by, time to do so many things and time to leave much undone as well. To my surprise, terror and delight, those years rushed like rapids over the falls and have held anything but mundane. Every corner we’ve turned caught us off guard with accomplishments as well as disappointments. I think they call it life. The music as well has changed with time; it’s been years since I enjoyed country music. Tonight I am being reminded how I used to like it. Dan Seals’  Baby’s still Got Good Timing, and Patsy Cline’s still Crazy, but I feel like my time has crazy vanished. John Conlee sings it doesn’t matter “As Long As I’m Rockin’ With You” and that really is I think the crux of world problems; and that’s that people used to matter more than stuff. If the Louisiana Woman and Mississippi Man could get along, have hearts big enough to span gaps, why can’t we in this madly convenient world manage to get along?

I’ve left the Christmas tree lights on for tonight, maybe just trying to stretch another year out a little bit longer. I feel like I need more time to do the things I meant to do, say the things I wanted to say,  help more folks do life a bit easier, listen a great deal more to the words of God – really listen with my heart as my eyes read it. I’ve wasted my share of time; I plan to fix that if I ever find the receipt to buy it back.  In the meantime, it would be best to cherish every day and make it matter to someone; just a day at a time, a hand held, a dollar given, a shoulder lent or an ear bent. Mostly I want to become a better listener. I’ve wanted to be an encourager for a long time, even named my FB page after Barnabas the encourager, but I can do a better job of that if I learn to listen first. Yes. That’s my effort toward a new year of this vanishing gold called ‘time’.

Listening to music from the past, I find I want to hear the people of my past who are no longer here. I want to hear an echo of whatever good intentions I must have had even though they didn’t pan out. I want to hear what history would warn us to watch for to save our country. I want to hear God’s direction loud and clear. And I want to hear YOU, you – are more important than stuff.

Tonight I’ll close my eyes and pray my gratitude for God’s unspeakable riches and mercy. He listens. He teaches. He forgives. In a way, He gives refunds daily, no receipt necessary. In fact, He loves it when we bring back the empty months to exchange for a brand new start. I absolutely love Him!

Happy New Year in ten minutes friends, family, world. This is Where The Cowboy Rides Away, right George?

Saying Goodbye to Ewing Stubblefield

27 Sunday Oct 2019

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Any day I get to see my dear friend is a happy day, but today was a happy and sad  occasion to see her. Linda Pugh and her family were here for her father’s funeral, and I knew before they concluded the touching service that this would be an evening of writing for me.

Listening to Ronny Stubblefield deliver a portion of his dad’s eulogy, I felt unexpected tears begin to gather; not sad tears, but sympathetic ones for a family saying farewell to their daddy, and from a sort of recognition that I didn’t anticipate. I say unexpected because this was the celebration of a life well lived; 90 years of life and those years lived with full expectation of eternal life with his Lord hereafter. Also, I thought I really didn’t know Ewing Stubblefield very well, even though his daughter is one of my dearest friends. Linda and I were roommates at Freed-Hardeman College our first semester away from home. I began to know her family through her voice, and today as the three children and several grandchildren conducted Mr. Stubblefield’s funeral, I realized that I did know him better than I thought.

I knew something of Ewing Stubblefield for one thing, through the strength he passed on to his daughter. His quiet and gentle spirit as well, lives in his children. Also, because of the dedicated way he had worked to be sure his children attended college, I knew him as a lover of education and reading even before his sons Terry and Ronny spoke of that today.  Their college degrees fulfilled the dream of a hard working farmer/factory-worker/preacher who never had the opportunity himself to go beyond high school.  Every time I visited his assisted living apartment, he had an open book in his hands, pictures of family everywhere, and even with dementia setting in, he was the most courteous gentleman! So, I knew of his love and respect for family and friends. Many moons ago I had attended church services with Linda, and her daddy was the preacher; I knew he loved the word of God. I also knew that he had a distaste for denim overalls – now I know that included jeans as well. It’s a generational thing I think.

As I looked over the family area of benches today, there were many brown eyes, dark hair, and tall ‘straight’ statures, (as my Grandma used to say of those with good posture), all carrying the genetic traits of Ewing Stubblefield. I have a feeling that what mattered more to Mr Stubblefield though, was that he passed to his descendants the torch for God’s word; that they were continuing his legacy of strong but gentle people, proponents of education, and loving family in their own way. Terry mentioned that his dad didn’t express love and affection so much; men of his generation generally didn’t, but oh my how he lived it! If a kid from Lynn Grove could visit New Providence a few times, go to school with the man’s daughter, and observe from outside his circle that he was a strong, dedicated man full of love and devotion, then he absolutely lived it.

What a blessing when a family can be gathered around their father and watch as he breathes his last breath from that tired and temporal body, being transformed as Paul states in Philippians chapter 3:

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (NKJV)

Whether you read this as being in His glorious body, the church, or as becoming a glorious spiritual body as Christ is now, there is clearly the thrilling knowledge that for God’s children, leaving this earth is the beginning of a wonderfulness we can only imagine. Oh happy day!

NICE DAY Part III: I Wanna Go Home!

22 Monday Apr 2019

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As spring break was nearing its soggy end, the few nice days on the beach more than filled three-year old Grayson’s bucket. He had it all, yet he was fed up. Boy do I ever identify with that!

I hope you have had a beautiful Easter weekend, full of the hope and love that Christ poured into us those many years ago. Isn’t it great to know that He never changes; unlike we ourselves, who change our minds and attitudes even in the course of a few days. As promised, this week’s post is another inspiration from the mouth of babes. I do apologize for not having it ready this morning, but I, too, enjoyed the weekend, traveling to our daughter’s

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At Steffy’s, Easter 2019

yesterday after a fun Saturday evening at my sister’s, where we ate a scrumptious meal, loved on the littles,

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Great nieces and nephews

and praised God for His constant blessings and that ultimate HOPE, the resurrection! Now that will be a most welcome change for those who die IN Christ; “in the twinkling of an eye” (I Corinthians 15:52) we shall be like HIM! [see how those words in bold make their own statement 🙂 ]

“This World is Not My Home” is an old spiritual song that most of us probably know. Let me first say, I actually love my life here – in spite of the wrong turns, rough spots and cloud bursts, it’s been a great journey so far. But for the very young, as well as the aging, this world can be foreign soil at times. The older I get, the more I understand that song, and the desire little children have to be at  home. As I was saying, my great-nephew was taken to the beach with grandparents, parents and baby brother. Now how does a three-year old get spring break – he has teacher parents. NICE! One thing however was different this year – a baby brother. That five month old just may have stolen a bit of Grayson’s spotlight, as well as some golden silence…but I’m not saying where I heard that! Haha!

The day before going home time, Grayson looked up at his grownups and said, “I’m ready to go home now”, and just to be sure they didn’t mistake that for wanting to retreat from the beach into the condo, he added, “I mean MY home, I don’t belong here”. Oh my, bless his little heart! He was fed up. He was tired. Too much had changed, and he had filled his sand bucket and dug all the holes he needed to. He knew where peace and solace were.

I’m so grateful that my nephew and his wife have made a home that their little one loves and longs for. How about us? Have we looked into our Father’s design enough to know what home he has prepared for us? It is overwhelming for me to think about eternity. But because I believe the bible as God’s inspired word, I do believe there is a place that is perfect, without change, awaiting the children of God. The more things change here, the more I want to go home. Reading about it in the never-changing word of God, I know it’s where I belong. I am enjoying this great trip He has given me, but I know I’m going to enjoy going home even more.

Finding the glimpses of God and His design within nature is what motivates me from one day to the next. As that natural beauty becomes slathered over in asphalt and shadowed by tall buildings I have to look harder to find it. Thank you God for little children who often bring it right to us. As long as He wants me here, I’ll keep filling sand pails, so to speak, and sharing inspiration, but oh, won’t it be good to go home!

Please share your “littles’ expressions” here! Out of the mouth of babes….you know.

 

 

IT’S OVER

28 Friday Dec 2018

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2018

When is Christmas over for you? I’ve heard several say it’s as soon as December 25 darkens, when the tree and trimmings come down. Others, like myself, enjoy the wake of it all by keeping the tree lights aglow until the New Year’s celebration is over. Even though I relish the reminiscing, the warm glow of the dust settling, and all the left over goodies, I’ll have to say Christmas is over when the kids go home. That’s what it’s been about, celebrating the Son of God, by having our son and daughter with us more than usual. That sounds selfish after I’ve said it, but it is the truth. As I sit here in the early morning dark, our daughter is now on the road home, having had nearly a week with us. Tight hugs, laughter and gratitude, and a bag of homemade goodies accompanied her departure. Her fur baby was SO  excited to be loading the car that he didn’t even look back to say ‘bye’ and just escaped my touch as I reached out to give him a tootle-loo pat. He was headed home!

A quick devotional with our cup of peppermint mocha before our girl took off, was from “Mornings With the Holy Spirit”, day December 28. Titled ‘Be the Friend that I am to You’, it was a good send off for her because she really is a wonderful friend. Not only to us, but also to her friends, and those she serves in her role in human resources as well. Her desire to make us feel loved and appreciated is matched by her warmth and humor to extended family. Loyal to her friends and work, even the four a.m. phone call during the weekend was taken with an ‘all in the job’ attitude, and no complaining. (A friend loves at all times, Proverbs 17:17 NKJV) How wonderful to have had her hanging with the folks in her vacation time! And how wonderful that God provides an even greater friend to all! The Holy Spirit is that comforter whom Jesus left with His followers. In God we have a Father, a brother in Jesus Christ, and a friend who sticks closer than a brother in Holy Spirit. What a wonderful thing to know. When all the world is down on life; when a friend betrays you; when the cut-throat society steps on you; all is well, because we have a friend like no other, who will never betray nor fail us. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16).

So, after our generous-hearted son spent the day with us yesterday, and our loving daughter hit the road today, it is over. Time to clean, organize, and get back to work. What a joy to be able to pause in whatever span of time you have, with good friends, and say goodbye to a year of blessings as we look forward to a new one. May your new year be full of joy, peace that passes all understanding, and the love of great friends!  Especially the friend Jesus. Happy New Year friends! “Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel” (Proverbs 27:9).

Eternally His, Trisha

 

Age, You Do Not Scare Me!

09 Thursday Aug 2018

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First week of August: It’s hard to be mad at the grass growing in the flower beds when theres a hummingbird sipping on the blue salvia and a bluebird on tbe clothesline pole. Finches are flitting through the blackeyed susans, and a bobwhite calls from the fields. Too much good to dwell on the ungood.
I turn 65 this month, seems like I should be saying that about my parents, not me. But the year of birth verifies it. Its really me. Sitting here on the patio as the sun finds a place to rest, I am overwhelmed with God’s grace. I’ve done nothing to deserve this peace.
Jesus said He gives us peace. Not as the world gives, does He give. And it IS a whole different peace. Though several circumstances could be rewritten if my world were ideal, its that peace that passes all understanding that comes with being in Christ, in spite of the less than idealic. The hummingbird can’t receive life sustenance by being nearby the salvia and feeders, admiring them, talking about them; but must contact that necter, get into it. Well, neither can we receive the peace and grace of Christ”s without contacting Him thru His life giving blood. On the outside looking in just isn’t where He wants us to be. I hear Him beckoning, “Come nearer to me, lean in, feel the peace and protection I promised when you became my child”. Age does not scare me.