New-Found Friends and Old Found Friends

I got to experience my first Homecoming at Newfound Baptist Church yesterday. Last year I was out of town. You see a lot of Homecomings announced on church signs. Since we don't have those in Houston, I was looking forward to the service. During the Sunday School hour a light brunch was served in the newly renovated parsonage and then dedicated by prayer. I had a decision to make I could do that or sing in choir. Choir won out. I made the right decision because yesterday was a humid, muggy and warm day and several were affected by the heat nevertheless, the parsonage was prayed over and ready to be used. We had a guest speaker from the North Carolina Baptist Association in the service and we saw a moving video about three new members that chose to be baptised in a river...which getting to involves about two hours of hiking to get where they had chosen. Not a dry eye in the house. We also saw a slide show about 2015 ministry and outreach at church. 

Sitting in a choir loft gives a great view of the congregation. At HFBC Peggy and I would do things from the loft to make Marge Caldwell laugh. Of course somehow Peggy and I believed that only Marge could see what we were doing. Yesterday, I looked across the congregation and worked very hard on not shedding tears. It seems my emotions have been running on overtime...in a good way...in a sentimental way. Two years ago I didn't know any of these friends. Well, Bill, but just in setting up renting the cottage for the month of August... Once again God has proven Himself faithful by gifting me such wonderful friends like He has done since the age of 16. And now I don't know what I would do without any of these friends. Maybe my Saturday night phone fest with a couple of friends from Houston set the stage for the sudden wave of sentimentality. I talked longer on the phone Saturday night than I have in a long time. This does not include the butt call/facetime call made by Peggy but Peggy and I did talk the old fashioned not video phone way. Dena and I also talked Saturday night nailing down dates when she will be visiting. Lisa and I were texting all day. 

I am so thankful for Newfound. Makes it easy to be thankful for New-Found Friends. Yes, you knew I would take it there. 

 I love the picnic shelter on top of the hill overlooking the church. Most churches up here have picnic shelters that are used quite a bit in the warmer months. No one really would want to me meet when it is cold and icy. The trip up would be scary and the trip down would be scarier. There at the end of the road going up to the shelter, you have a choice, to the left shelter and to the right the cemetery. If you chose to go straight and drop off the side of the mountain, you will eventually land in the same destination like you had turned right.

On Memorial Day Roy took lots of pictures at the cookout and while he waited for me in choir rehearsal.

The day held two surprises for me. Farm fresh eggs from Vivian and Bill. I just had some scrambled eggs for dinner and a friend from softball days, Gayla called me out of the blue. Oh my goodness, we talked for almost an hour and a half. Such fun catching up with her on the phone even though we are Facebook friends.