"Welcome Back!" said the Papa

 They were there waiting for us as we drove into the ranch. The road was muddy with ruts that almost took our SUV into a quagmire that would require a chain to pull us to the trailer.  It was phenomenal!  Glenda slapped it into first gear and put the gas peddle to the floorboard!  We wobbled and the wheels spun as the mud engulfed the car.

Gloria was on the edge of her seat gripping the handle with a steel determination.  Nancy sat quietly without emotion beside me in the back seat as I hung onto my purse.  Glenda slid and careened down the muddy road into the compound proper.  There they were.  The cattle were waiting to say hello and eat the corn that Matt had put in the road to make sure we had a reception.

It was three days of fun, food, new places and experiences.  We went to Sequin to Tavern on the Creek. It was decided before we left that we would order several items and divide them.  Some of the food was good, but the best part was returning home and watching Gloria make her famous pecan pie.  It was wonderful!

Wednesday we went to San Marcos to the Salt Grass on the college campus.  It is beside the river and as I munched on my grilled chicken and baked sweet potato, I could watch the river traffic float by.  Students lounged on the banks and reminded me of a distant time when I was younger and beginning adulthood.

For three years the four of us have come to this ranch.  We investigate the surrounding towns and enjoy the scenery and restaurants.  But the purpose of the trip is to see what God has for our future, There is such growth when there are others who are committed to helping you find your spiritual path and build that foundation you can stand on when needed.

Thank you to Gloria, Nancy and Glenda for being supportive and consistent in your love for me, your sister/friend,  Jer. 29:11

Haunted?

Clark Hall is gone now.  It was the dorm and cafeteria building for Southern Bible College, a Denominational College for The Pentecostal Church of God.  I arrived in the Fall of 1963.  I was young and excited to move out of my parents home and begin my journey into adulthood.  This would be one of the most influential seasons of my life.

I remember hearing the prayers of students as God would move in their hearts and lives all over the campus.  I loved this place and what I experienced during my time there.  It forged friendships and life lessons that have lasted.  I remember coming downstairs from my room as they were announcing the murder of John F. Kennedy.  The cafeteria was located just below my room.  My window was one of the two by the palm tree on the second floor.

This property is now a Half-way House.  Inmates from Huntsville head to 10950 Beaumont Hwy, Houston, Texas for interim housing until moving back into society.  My daughter began working at this location several years ago.  She tells this story...

Well, the residents of the facility talked about this building before it was torn down.  They said it was "haunted".

I remember the Holy Spirit moving in our lives over the years I was at SBC.  He moved in the Ad Building, the NEW cafeteria and always in the dorms. He moved especially in this dorm, as it housed so many of us as we worked our way through the curriculum that would give us the spiritual grounding to move into the future years of our lives.

Well, it was haunted.  But, it was inhabited by The Holy Spirit as He directed my life challenges, dreams and future plans.  Some things I did right.  Many times I failed.  But, this building stands as a remembrance of  those years God reached into my heart and forged a forever bond.

JOY

It was a hot summer afternoon on the West End of Galveston, Texas.  A breeze had cooled the air on the beach as the waves pushed in and out.  The water moved at a softer pace as the day wore on.  But the sheer joy of being so close to the Gulf never waned.

I sat watching Kamri watch the water.  At that moment I experienced pure joy.  I was content, happy, at peace and filled with the wonder of God's creation.  I have never felt as close to God or my family as at that dot in time.  

There are not many instances in life that one is completely content.  I can say that the majority of those ocurances, for me, have happened near the water.  There is something about the sound of the surf that relaxes my angst.  I can actually feel the tension leave my body when I drive up to the seawall.  Rolling down the windows, experiencing the breeze on my face, hearing the gulls and watching the pelicans glide overhead set everything in motion, releasing peace in my heart.

Funny, I can close my eyes and I am sitting there watching my granddaughter watch the surf.  That was several years ago, but it remains the same.  I can come to the water for healing,  Quenching my thirst for the Gulf is 15 minutes, 20 miles south for me.

In Rev, 7:16-17 Scripture speaks of never thirsting again.  There will be no scorching heat.  There will be springs of living water.  Think of it!  Eternal contentment. Eternal JOY.