Simple Saturday

It's  Saturday. 

August 1st

It's the very last marker , in a year that marked everything...

A year ago today

Was Donald's celebration of life service.

After today there will be no more first holidays or events - no more weekly markers...

It's odd to think a year has passed. 

It's amazing the grace that has carried me.

The lessons I've learned and the Truth that I've held tightly when things seem to unravel.

A year of learning , the steady truth, that God is good. 

Yesterday, however , was not good. 

There was a water pipe that  was broken...

Locating a plumber and then a main busting that involved a geyser spraying into the air for forty-five minutes and my whole subdivision being without water. 

And there was early morning eye appointments with dilated eyes...

And there was me:

Standing in my kitchen crying over Roddy Piper dying-

Or more aptly that news giving me a reason to release the full to overflowing cup I'd carried all day...

And there was me yelling like a banshee and my kids thinking," dear little baby Jesus, get that woman some meds" ha!

Yesterday was not my best day. 

I've had a year marked, a life marked with days when I've fallen just short...

But I awoke this morning

And the day is brand new

There are errands to run

And camp supplies to buy (two kiddos leave Monday)

A menu to plan and groceries to buy .

A day where I let my heart park on the truth that Jesus was and is, that He knew me before I was formed and placed a divine design on my life. 

A life filled with grace-

That (re) starts today. 

What a marker.

P.S. I am so loving the #first5 app and the study of John. 

That's what I love about a Sunday...

I was thinking on something this morning...

during a worship service that looked almost nothing like the worship services in which I grew up...

because see, I grew up in the South...
across the South...
my formative and high school years  in the red clay of Georgia...
elementary in the bayous of Mississippi...
and a few years in Alabama...

and there are a few things, in the South , that there are a lot of:
Dollar Generals
Waffle Houses
and
Baptist churches

Southern Baptist Churches

Sunday clothes
panty hose
choir robes
potlucks
sunday school

churches

and I love them.

And for a long time, that was my comfort zone, my normal...my way to worship.

So to find myself
in a building with folding chairs...
and a stage...
and (gasp) lights and a band
and a pastor sans a tie
and
no
sunday
school
(what? surely goodness and mercy...how are these kids going know the five finger facts or the books of the bible or  the ... oh... wait)

see,
I grew up in an area where everybody goes to church...
and even if you don't go to church you've gone to church..
or you go to VBS
or you go to Easter and Christmas...
or you know someone who goes and you've gone with them...
and you know
about church
because
well, they are , everywhere...
it's part of the culture , practically...

So when we moved here in 2013 and visited our current church...
maybe you'd find it odd...
that the first Sunday-Donald and I both knew-it was ''our'' church...

A church where the pastor pours himself out through three sermons each Sunday...
and a worship team leads before each...
where a whole wing is dedicated to kids-and filled with people passionate about them knowing Jesus...
where small groups meet throughout the week-and the work of the church is done...
where on Fridays Pastor Mike hosts one of the largest Celebrate Recovery programs ...
where you are welcome , in your brokenness ...in your addiction...in your weight of life...
to come a meet a Man that was broken for you...
A church where there is coffee and cake in the back...
and you come just as you are...

a church that is everything I believed the church shouldn't be...

My pastor is a bible believing, compassionate, ,God fearing and following, leader...
and he preaches truth...
and stands for Christ...
and honors Him with his life and in his example...

But my church exist...
because there are so many people-hurting, lost and in need of a Savior...
and the traditional church...
well,
they don't want their kind.
but my pastor has a heart for those people...
and because He wants them to know
there is more...
there is better...
there is hope...
there is Jesus....

I sat this morning, hands raised, singing the words...

"at the cross , at the cross, I surrender my life...
I owe all to you, I owe all to you"

and I looked around at a building full of people,
that came because:

"at BCF we exist to invite those who don't usually go to church and to help them become fully transformed followers of Christ."

and I was thankful...

Cough, cough, sputter, wheeze...

Good lands

::blows dust::

it's been a minute since I've posted , huh?

I didn't even realize how long, until I got the idea to update the blog...and to... blog.

It's been over a year.

I've had another birthday.

I've walked through the death of my husband...
and almost a year later...
I'm wanting to write...

and here is the thing...

it's going to be honest.
it's going to be my life.

I cook a lot.
I take pictures of the food I cook.

I get hooked on Netflix or Amazon shows and binge watch them.

I am Southern.
and not bothered by that.
I love the South.
I love the food of the South.
I love moss in trees...
humidity that's thick
and little country churches with red back hymnals.

I love college football.
SEC football.
but I watch it all.
All day long on Saturdays in the fall...

Coffee is my favorite food group.

Sometimes I ponder and think and words spill out...
and sometimes I rant about somebody talking too long to order their breakfast taco.

I lived through 2014...
I can handle most anything...

and I want to get back to blogging...
to simply sharing my days...
because there are some really good days ahead.

He promised...

I hope you'll hang around. :)