Monday, Monday...

 This morning after fitful sleep I am relieved that the Houston area was spared the effects of Hurricane Laura. Slowly but surely friends along the coast in Louisiana are checking in on FB and relieved each time I see a notification that they are safe. The news certainly is showing the destruction that happened from wind, rain and tornadoes. 

The fence people are here working on the fence and while they were doing that I was out working in the flowerbed in the front yard. The doldrums of July hit and with the exception of watering, not too much time was spent out there. I did take notes of what can be done to improve the weed situation with the cardboard. It is an on-going process learning about what does and doesn't work. I would still be out there working but the wasps were swarming and one doesn't really want to be in the midst of that. Mike the mower man has cleared a path for me in the flowerbed since my easy to thread weed eater isn't proving to be an easy to thread weed eater, well at least to me. 

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Thursday night was a very late night but for a very good reason. Man, once the sun goes down and people turn off lights and go to bed, it is pitch dark. The road work on I 26 wasn't too bad and everyone behaved and followed the signs. The flight arrived early and since airline travel isn't back at its peak, I didn't have to wait in the cell lot, they let us pull up to the curb and wait. 

Watching the ferals is certainly interesting these days. Punky's bunch are putting on weight and playing hard. They were so under-nourished when she first brought them down. Now they are interested in treats and a little interest in food. We can rescue them now and won't have to bottle feed. The fab four plus Boo do not know what to do with these little ones and many times run away if a little one shows any interest in them. Sometimes you just see flashes of color as they run around chasing one another. Mama Cat is trying to take back control of the backyard. Boo is the interesting one these days. She keeps the cat protocol and she is interested in the littles.  

Tomorrow we begin outdoor services again, until the weather turns and it becomes too cold to do so. What a sanctuary or using modern day terms, what a worship center. We are being led by a dynamic pastor and prayerful deacons while doing the new normal that comes from the virus is navigated. Everyone is considered, the old, the young and the in-between with options one can feel comfortable with and still feel a part of the church.  A story that got press early in the beginning of the year, wow, that seems so long ago, was a Methodist church in Minnesota asking those 60 and above to go to other churches because the plan was to have a younger church, the church needed to look younger. The kicker to this whole thing, while the church was not meeting for about 18 months as the church planter began to make connections in the community, they wanted the 60 somethings to maintain the grounds. Mow the grass and shovel snow. One older member of the church said, they want us to be silent partners, to financially sustain the church and then after several years, we can come back. Yes, I believe that is somewhere in the book of Acts. The Lord added daily to the church, well only if they were young and had the look. Uh, yea, you're not going to find that in the Bible. Being in that senior age group now, this is not a hill I am going to die on or stake my claim to. I like what Pastor Bradley says, the great commission still works. He doesn't focus on any age group to join because he doesn't want to limit who God wants to bring our way. I once got a close up view to a couple in ministry that were older than most of the others that they worked with in ministry. This couple worked overtime to look like they were in their thirties when their actual age was in their late fifties. Y'all, all the energy given to looking younger will just age you. Sometimes I wonder if some pastors think they want a younger looking church because it might be easier to boss them around or impress them with leadership. When I worked for the minister of married young adults, it was my observation that the MYA knew exactly what they wanted in ministry both to them and from them, they were not afraid to dog your steps, continuously asking. And us older ones should know when it is time to let go in leadership terms. I am reminded so many times that when we hang on we just might be keeping someone younger from what God has called them to do. Basically, if we all would follow I Corinthians 13, we would all be in better shape.  

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Roy is hooked on outdoor church. He loved being outside, surrounded by mountains and birds in the distance giving backup to our worship team. 

We are waiting on the refrigerator repairman. He was supposed to be here at 10:30 but he called and asked if noon would work because a call in Hendersonville is taking longer than expected. We took the truck in for an oil change and inspection at Jimmy's. Roy has been working on getting me set up for the 21st century on the computer. I have a microphone, faster internet speed, camera, speaker and light. I am getting ready for Wednesday when Community Bible Study begins. 

Inez and Cuman brought us tomatoes and dahlias yesterday afternoon. Feeling like a tomato sandwich is in the works for lunch, at least for me.