THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE IN SIESTA LAND

Psalm 3: 1-4
O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me "God will not deliver him." But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.

Here is my paraphrase: O Lord ,Sheryl has many troubles heaped upon her. Many are saying " I feel bad for Sheryl but nothing can be done. She just has to live with her conditions.Health and happiness are just the luck of the draw. God won't deliver Sheryl.Why should He?'

NOW for the GOOD PART: Sheryl says :But you are a shield around me, O Lord: you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.

Sheryl and her online Siestahood, as well as her family and " in person" friends have been at the throne of grace last night and this morning as Sheryl went for a procedure. We cried aloud and God answered from his holy hill. Sheryl's dizziness subsided enough for the procedure to be done and the procedure for tomorrow has been cancelled because it is no longer necessary.
Sheryl still has to wait for the biopsy results but I speak for all my Siestas when I say : THANK YOU GOD FOR HEARING OUR PRAYERS FOR SHERYL AND WRAPPING YOUR ARMS AROUND HER TODAY AND EVERYDAY. ALL THE GLORY IS YOURS. AMEN

OCTOBER AND ANNIVERSARIES ( Third and Final Part)

One year ago today I started blogging. My daughter Brittany had been in a terrible car crash that should have seriously injured her... or worse. BUT she walked away. I needed a place to publicly recount this MIRACLE so I learned how to blog and was even able to post a picture of a church Brittany sang in on a trip to Italy five months prior to the wreck.

Little did I know the far reaching consequences that BLOGGING would have.

I am privileged to call several women my close friends, even though we have never met in person. They are my SIESTAS in CHRIST. Thanks to one of my friends, Sheryl, my blog has a new look in my favorite colors, and even includes a few more photos. All of us have been able to share our joys, sorrows, and faith journeys by reading each others blogs and by keeping in touch on our forum Siestas for Him. If any Siesta out there wants to get me an anniversary present I NEED TYPING LESSONS!!!

My parents and several of my friends also read my BLOG and my mother and my friend Dulaney even leave comments regularly.

Thank you to all who read, comment, and guide me on this journey.
As PK says, " I love you to the stars and back".

Philippians 1:3 LINDA

OCTOBER AND ANNIVERSARIES ( PART 2)

Today is an anniversary of a different kind. It is the anniversary of my husband's birth. (I know it is really his BIRTHDAY but I have a theme going here). Ernie was born in Lexington Ky. 57 years ago today. His parents already had three girls when Ernie was born so I imagine they were excited to have a BOY. One younger sister completed the Peel household.

Being surrounded with women had its good points and its bad. One memory that Ernie has is when his family drove to Florida for a vacation. This was in the days before air conditioned cars. Ernie and three of his sisters were in the back seat and another sister was in the front seat with his parents. Because the girls did not want the wind to mess up their hair, they drove with the windows rolled up! This is summer!! On the way to Florida!!! This would be one of the BAD points!!!!!

One of the good points about being surrounded by women was that it made my wonderful husband feel very comfortable sharing his feelings. This is often not typical of men. I am grateful for the feminine influence in this aspect of Ernie's personality.

Tonight we celebrated after choir practice with a cake and fellowship. Tomorrow at 5:30 AM, his running "harem" will celebrate with a birthday run which I think will involve GLOW IN THE DARK PAINT and GLOW STICKS ( according to e mails I have received), more cake, and "Ernie Stories". Tomorrow night Brittany and I will take Ernie out to dinner. I am blessed to be married to such a wonderful man.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October and Anniversaries (PART 1)

On October 1 , 2008 my parents celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. They met at Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church in youth group and their first date was to a UL Homecoming dance.(I truly am a CARDINAL by birth). I have never doubted my parents love for each other or for me. They are truly an example of what it means to love unconditionally. All that I am is because of their love and support. They encouraged me to follow my dreams and made me think anything was possible.

Get to know them a little through this creative writing assignment that my mother wrote on 9/30/08.

IT WAS A SUNDAY I WILL NEVER FORGET

February 17, 1952 was a Sunday I will always remember.

Charlie and I were about to experience a new period in our married life. It was exciting to be expecting a baby. However, in 1951 our lives seemed to go on as usual.

We lived a happy life with loving support from our families. This would be the first grandchild and niece/nephew for our sisters.

I quit working at Reynolds Metals Company in November 1951 and on my last working day ( for a salary) , caught a bus downtown to Shackleton's. It was payday and I purchased an RCA TV without consulting Charlie. I chose an impressive piece of furniture with doors that closed so you would not see a blank screen. I was quite proud of my decision.

November and December of 1951 and January of 1952 were filled with ordinary events. There was Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas shopping and presents, and U of L basketball games to attend.

We had no automobile and went most places on the bus or in my parents' car.

Becoming parents was always something that was going to happen in the upcoming months, but it was impossible to visualize our "baby".

I was suddenly awakened at 4:00 a.m. Sunday with the knowledge it was time to leave for the hospital. As i had done many times in the past when we needed them, I dialed my parents' home.

"Daddy, it's time to go to Norton's ".

Outside snow had started falling, but the car interior was toasty warm. A beautiful night for a new birth. Charlie and I sat in the back seat, each with our private thoughts.

Was it going to hurt?
Will our child be healthy?
Will we be good parents? We have no experience, just a Dr. Spock book.
Are we almost there?

Our daughter was born at 9:00 a.m. and we named her Linda Sue (and, of course, she was the most beautiful girl in the nursery).

I do not remember physical pain, just the realization that from February 17, 1952, we would be changed from Joyce and Charlie to mama and daddy.

What a blessing. It was a Sunday I would never forget.

There is an old poem beginning with "Monday's child is fair of face and continuing through the days of the week, concluding with The child born on the Sabbath Day is fair and wise and good and gay".

Another red letter Sunday in our lives was September 23, 1984 when our baby had a baby. We became grandma and grandpa to Brittany Lynn Peel ( and she was the most beautiful girl in the nursery).

What a blessing. I like Sundays.

Written by Joyce P. Wilmoth

JOY

Today I experienced great joy in the same sanctuary where I experienced sadness yesterday.

God's presence was felt in our worship service this morning. From the children leading in liturgy this children's sabbath, to the AMEN and applause response to our choir anthem "Rejoice, the Lord is King", to the first in a sermon series on 100 years in our present sanctuary focusing today on the holiness of God, the service was ABOUT God . We truly worshipped today.

Our problems are far from over. But today I have the hope and assurance that Christ will be victorious in our midst. Thank you for your continued prayers that God's will be done in our body of believers.

SADNESS

I have just returned from a called church conference at my church for the purpose of replacing vacancies on the Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) and electing lay leadership positions. The meeting was chaired by our District Superintendent (DS), Paige Williams . After opening the meeting with prayer, Paige made it clear that this vote was the only item on the agenda . Our selections would be made by written ballot.

We had only 30 minutes to use the sanctuary for our meeting because a wedding was to take place there later in the evening. Almost immediately an individual made a motion from the floor to replace the entire SPRC comittee. The DS told him he was out of order but he would not be silenced. He had another agenda and was disruptive enough that Paige adjourned the meeting.

If you have been reading my blog, you know that we have recently had a difficult and devisive situation at First United Methodist Church involving our downtown music ministry.

Beth Moore's words in my Bible study today were so appropriate. This is what I read prior to going to the meeting today.
" ...when there is a power struggle, the most important question seems to become, 'Whose side are you on?'. Every person seems to look out for his own neck and attempts to pitch his tent in the camp of the one who can do him the most good. Remember, GOD never comes to take sides. He comes to take over."

I will continue to sing in our church choir, NOT because I am choosing sides but because our purpose on this earth is to worship and glorify God.

Today, my sadness comes from those of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who seem to have forgotten that purpose.