Chapel Choir at First Baptist Plainview in the early seventies found me making Clinton's performance vest for him. Maybe my mother helped. Yes! That's it!!!
No matter, he looked awesome!
Fresh Find: A strapless visor seems like a good deal. They give me a headache!
Five friends fun happened this weekend. It had been too long! Love these ladies!!! There was tons of laughter, Bible study, thought questions and catching up. God has surely blessed us!
Fresh Find: I think these "Alexa" controlled plugs look mighty sweet!
When God allowed me my revelation song in understanding my wiring of Aspergers, I thought I would have this wonderful ministry to share awareness and educate others on the importance of tolerance found in differences. God said, "No." What has been reinforced in my life is that my faith is my drug of choice. It sustains me. It is in this continuous relationship that I hear the call to share. Just like when I take pictures, he leads. When I share my journey, he sets it all up and I show up.
Today, I had a deeply spiritual visit with a Sister in Christ about Aspergers and her life. She was very kind and encouraging to me, but the truth is that her sweet spirit has always blessed me. Neither of us had any idea of the other's life and what challenges we faced. She was a teacher. I was a student. She wasn't my teacher, but to hear my words she suddenly understood students that no one understood.
Aspergers does not define me. It is who I am, but God wired me and he alone knows my journey. I trust fully in that.
This week in a conversation I was told that if I went to a particular place that they would send me back. I have dealt with words like these my whole life. No matter how many times I hear them, or I am told, "Oh, they are just teasing," I see into their hearts and know they aren't. What this does to an individual is determined by their heart. It hurts, always. It is my choice to honor Him and it is my intention to honor him in all that I am. I take it and it builds within my soul a passion to move forward with the mantra of tolerance through the understanding of identity, diversity, justice, and action according to the Word of God.
Father forgive us isn't enough unless we are willing to change.
Colossians 3:13-17
This is what our son would look like if he shaved. I've always thought he looked like his great-grandfather, Hugh Robert Etter, "Bo" as we called him and the namesake for our son's youngest daughter. This is a picture of him with his daughter, Lorena Zoe Etter Dayton, my mother and Adelyn, Jonci, Dylan & Bo's great-grandmother as a one-year-old.
Fresh Find: Panono. Yes!
Today I was sitting with the butterflies. I love when they come and share their time with us each year. Two verses come to mind:
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
and...
Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Be still and know...
Fresh Find: A fun book, Wonky Donkey!
As I finished up my picture taking cruise today, I decided to drive by the Wayland baseball field on the off chance that their mascot, Parrot Pete, might step out of the nest and talk to me.
Fresh Find: I always hate heating up the oven for a simple grilled cheese sandwich. I came across these toaster pouches and decided to try them. LOVE them!!! Reusable.
It's why we do what we do...for the future of our community. This picture sums up our purpose.
Travis Trussell Pond Plainview, Texas
Fresh Find: Y'All, there is a spot in Plainview that carries the coolest stuff for the hunter & fisher folk. Look...
They have clothing, gifts, toys, books, & lots more! Click Fresh Find for a link to the FaceBook page!!!
A friend posted a great picture today. I knew when I saw it that there was a story there. I did not know what the story would be, but I felt it.
In reading about western shirts, there are three key components of a true western shirt. The small yoke on the front and back top of the shirt, the long tail designed to stay tucked in when riding and the pearl snaps.
Over the years, the Western shirt has evolved and in the twenties shifted in fabric more than style. Always, the western shirt has been associated with the working man, mostly on the range, the cowboy as we know them.
Skins were sewn together in the earliest days, and then denim/cotton took over and is still the foundation for most western shirts.
Hollywood created the most change in the shirt through fabric variety in style and color and the bling of genuine mother of pearl snaps. The working cowboy could not afford the Hollywood price for their western shirt, but they could get their wives to sew equally fine shirts that even sported pearl snaps.
The buttons were replaced with snaps for ease of shirt removal should the cowboy get caught up in fencing or the Hollywood leading lady needed to get the cowboy's shirt off with ease.
Ask a cowboy/girl about their shirts and durability and comfort are what they reach for to work. Going dancing? Color and fabric become important. When they are feeling nostalgic and want to feel good, they know the pearl snaps will do the trick.
Now, I shared that brief history, but what I want to say is this. And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. Romans 8:28 When I saw these shirts, and how they had their varied shades and markings, the one thing they had in common was their pearl snaps. Each one of us is different. We have holes, we are worn, we are different shades of working for Godchildren, but we have pearl snaps that represent what holds us together, Jesus Christ. Westward Ho!
Fresh Find: A western shirt trending.
Long, long ago, in a far away time, there were two little girls who committed a crime. They had no idea the day so fun would end up in flames they could not outrun. It started with a climb to the top of the shop, over beams and boxes filled with shredded paper and what not. There were outdated legs hanging so high, oh, I forgot to mention that Grandfather Bo, had no legs, for he lost them in a blizzard from his knees to his toes. It was odd, and I can't remember why, but there was a book of matches for us to find. Find we did as we set on the edge, feet dangling down, as matches we struck, blew them out and placed on the ledge. We were certainly surprised to see such smoke rise from the shredded paper on which we sat; a little red flame was smoldering fast. Hurry, scurry down the ladder we ran to the wash-house to get cups of water in each hand. Hurry back up the ladder and pour, two trips, three and four more. Then all of a sudden Bo calls out, Suzy, Pete, what's that all about? We admitted there was a fire, red flames growing higher. On his kneepads, he runs as fast as he can for the garden hose as he yelled, Lucy May call the fire department, HELP! In just a minute and a watery mess, Bo had the fire out, and the fire department could rest. Two little girls had no idea of the crime that playing with matches would ignite, but they learned that day that fire grows faster than little legs can go; it is big, it is dark, and they were lucky it was controlled!
Don't drop your smokes, don't play with matches, because bad things can happen.
Fresh Find: A foldable handmade seagrass basket. So many uses!!!
Do we ever stop to think about the moon and how God created it full of power?
When we look up it is possible that the moon is just at 240,000 miles above us; the humans residing here on the planet earth. It travels a speed of 2,300 mph and is 2,160 miles thick which is about from California to Ohio, give or take a city or two. It weighs in at 81 quintillion tons. It has mountain peaks that rival Mt. Everest and has empty seas that measure 750 miles from shore to shore. The craters we have heard about since we first started learning about the moon can measure in at 146 miles wide and 20,000 feet deep. On one side we would burn and the other side we would freeze. God created it as one of the two great lights. In Genesis 1:16 the Word says, And God made the two great lights~the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night~and the stars.
Do we ever just stand in awe? The power of the moon is unimaginable. The Glory of God IS!
Fresh Find: Fun rolling pin for fun dough rolling!