What a beautiful Sunday. It began rather foggy but the rest of the day has had intermittent overcast skies with bright sunshine. We did not make a firm decision of where we would go to church this morning, so as is the case without firm decisions, we stayed home. We were leaning toward The Loop only because we wanted to go to Fresh Market after the service. Going back to Redeemer Community Church was in the running but being indecisive we really didn't want to go two weeks in a row and look serious about a change. Cypress was on the list too but like I have written, this morning at 6:30 am, it was easy to just turn over and go back to sleep. But, once we both were up and had our quiet times, we were ready to hit brunch time at Las Alamade's. We went to Books a Million afterwards with a 20% off coupon in our hands....well, actually it was in my purse. BAM has such interesting non book junk and we were going to peruse that because Lord knows we don't need anymore books. Apparently, I was wrong because we came home with two books. One will be a great read for vacation and the other one was so deeply discounted it was difficult not to pick it up. Previously, I had considered the book but dang, when it is marked down to $3.97.... with a 20% discount and the regular 10% that comes with a BAM membership....it was a deal I couldn't refuse.
Yesterday was our neighborhoods second annual Mardi Gras parade and gumbo celebration. Last year we already had plans so we were happy to attend this year. We had planned to take some crawfish tamales but Good Ol' Boys had run out, so we went with plan B which was boudin kolaches. The parade was so much fun, lots of pick up trucks and golf carts but the best were the homemade floats of bicycles and battery operated cars. Everyone had beads, Mardi Gras coins and all kinds of stuffed animals and footballs. The little ones tried so hard to throw things from their tricycles but mainly the trinkets landed right at their feet. The trucks and golf carts made one more round and then it was time to get serious and dig into jambalaya and gumbo. There were King Cakes and cookies for dessert. It is difficult to meet people in our neighborhood because we don't have kids, but this was a good way to meet neighbors down the street. Several came over to meet us only because we brought boudin kolaches and wanted to know if we made them or from where we got them. So happy to send business to Southern Maid. We also experienced the kindness of God. We had set up our chairs and cooler in the park on the edge of the parade route just down from several families. A couple about our age came toward us with their chairs and goodies and sat next to us. We began the dance of conversation, trying to find what we had in common. I casually brought in Community Bible Study to the conversation and much delight to the four of us, we were brothers and sisters in Christ. They are members at Kingsland Baptist. As we have been doing our community church search, we always seem to forget Kingsland. They invited us to come and also go to their Sunday School class or whatever Kingsland calls it and I think we are going to take them up on their offer. As the conversation continued we learned that their son goes to Baylor and that they know Bill and Peggy through the incoming student parties they host in August of the year for those who are going to Baylor. Robin said they help with those parties now after their son attended several years ago. Here we thought we were going to get some great gumbo because many south Louisianan's live in our neighborhood but God knew there was a greater treat in meeting another couple, believers in Christ and we chose the same floor plan with the only difference that they went with the four bedrooms. We went with a larger study and laundry room instead of the fourth bedroom. We stayed longer than we had anticipated and came home with lots of trinkets that I didn't have to raise up my shirt to get. The SEC was well represented. Lots of LSU shirts, a smattering of Ole Miss, A&M represented and the one lone Alabama fan. We need to work on getting a couple of Auburn families to move in.
We officially celebrated the beginning of spring by cooking out on the grill this evening. Whole Foods had a great deal on sliders. So after months of non-use, the grill fired up quite nicely and thus we had a delicious dinner.
The homework this week for Genesis continues to be interesting. As I finished up a days homework last night, I could not help but read ahead. Hopefully we don't spend a lot of time on the descendants of Esau. We are soon to be in the story of Joseph. Today at brunch I brought up what I have been learning it seems for the first time although I've read and studied Genesis many times. It might also be the situation we find ourselves in with a loved one whom I have always thought of as a Jacob type but in reality they are more like Laban because Jacob changes and grows into walking with God. Laban stays on the same course. Last week we were in the chapter, 31, where Laban and Jacob have their big word duel and accusations. Laban never stopped looking at his daughters, grandchildren and flocks that Jacob had served for as his. These were his possessions and he intended for Jacob to leave the way he came, empty handed. This came even though Laban was blessed by God because of Jacob. As I thought and prayed for this loved one who clearly is deceived and dug in with their thoughts, I realized that their view was similar to Laban's. I had remained in their thoughts still as their possession to demand and control. Even though I am uh hem....older and married for thirty seven years, in their eyes I was still theirs. I think it might be due to the fact that we were never able to have children, so my role and place never changed in their minds. There were years long after being married for quite some time that a call would come demanding I stop everything and do their bidding. Many times the demands and commands came as a result of this persons own procrastination. I was told by a relative many years ago that this person planned for me to never marry or have a family. The thought would be I wouldn't be able to exist on my own because of the tracks that were laid from the time I was a child that I would never be able to hold any kind of job other than ice tea lady at cafeterias or a nanny. Laban continued in treating family as nothing more than servants to meet his need. There doesn't seem to be much love there for them other than when it is convenient to use them to look like the caring, loving and dedicated person he was not. Jacob, even with his upcoming mistakes and lack of concern and procrastination, he grows and has a genuine transformation from his encounters with The Lord.
I cannot believe that tonight is the last installment of this season's Downton Abbey. It has gone by too quickly and the wait for new episodes will seem forever long.
No comments:
Post a Comment