Abba's Girl

My blogging sister Annette wrote about her daughter and the annual Watermelon Thump in Luling Texas which got me to thinking, we have many festivals and events we take for granted which may seem odd to people from other states and countries. A few are: The Mosquito Festival The Rattle Snake Round Up (Never been, never will attend) The ELECTRA GOAT BBQ COOK-OFF The Crepe Myrtle Festival (Maybe I could have one of these in my own yard.) The Dove Festival The Chappell Hill Lavender Festival (I may go to this one.) The Hogeye Festival The KOLACHE - KLOBASE FESTIVAL The Poteet Strawberry Fest The Pearsall Potato Fest The BOIS D’ARC BASH Prazka Pout Delta County Chiggerfest & 5K Run/Walk Czhilispiel XXXVI I shudder thinking about the Rattlesnake Round Up and I itch thinking about the Chiggerfest . I thought about how odd Christianity can look in the world today, how to many there is no relevance in the God of the Bible and no need for a Lord & Savior. Many think Christians ...

I know I am yoked to Jesus my Lord and Savior, but some days it feels as if weights are loaded on my shoulder and I alone am carrying them. Of course that is a ridiculous thought. I feel weighed down with fatigue, I am literally weighed down because I am overweight, and occasionally I receive so many prayer requests for critically ill people that I am exhausted with warfare type prayer. However, all this being said, I am yoked to the Lord. As an Episcopalian for many decades I heard the following comfortable words each Sunday during church: (I decided to go way way way back to the 1928 prayer book, because I found it online 1st.) Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all who truly turn to him. COME unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. St. Matt. xi. 28. So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. St. John iii. 16. Hear also what ...

The Chair not to be confused with the old George Strait song that was popular when my husband and I frequented bars and went dancing every weekend in the early 1980's, but the hospital chair. What is it with hospitals and the chair they have for visitors to sit in??? (My jr high English teacher is fanning herself because I ended a sentence with a preposition.) I woke up this morning fairly refreshed, but as I stood up I realized my body still feels as if it is in the sitting position and not any sitting position, but the position from the chair in dad's room. He has been in 5 hospital facilities this year, each room has a chair, they may not look alike, but they feel alike. I think we sometimes feel stuck in a position regarding sin. We repent and truly repent, we are forgiven, but we still feel like we are in the middle of the sin. Stuck in that position. Just as satan wants us, feeling like dirt, not living as forgiven, blood bought, children of the Most High God. Intellec...

My father is doing much better, still confused because of morphine...he asked them not to give it to him on Thursday night, the dr said dad's pain level was too high and he wanted dad to rest and have relief from pain. The men in my dad's family all have a thing about taking narcotics (I will now admit I asked for a non narcotic pain reliever after surgery and only took 2 out of 90 pills.) and any medication which might be addictive. We still have great hope he will be home Tuesday or Wednesday. I am posting one of dad's favorite songs as a link because for some reason I cannot get it to post as a regular video. I would like to say Youtube is having technical difficulties, but I think I am the one with the problem. Join me in singing... How Great Is Our God... Thanks to all of ya'll who have held us up in prayer, know we worship with you in our hearts tomorrow.

Saturday afternoon, he is resting comfortably, still a little confused as to what year it is due to the medication. Apparently fluid build up had a lot to do with the collapse and respiratory distress yesterday. My mother is doing pretty well. We are grateful dad is receiving excellent care in Richmond and has not had to be transferred to St Luke's. We are also grateful for the prayers! May the Lord bless each one of you who has ever uttered a prayer for us. Saturday morning...He's stable and not so confused this morning. The hospital is full and as a result he had a roommate Thurs and Fri, the man was 90 and deaf so he was loud, couldn't help it. The dr decided dad needed quiet and moved him to a room on the cardiac floor. He rested much better. 6:45pm Update - He is better, a little loopy from medication. The battle was one the minute 1 precious drop of our Lord and Savior's blood was shed! He had a sudden downturn moments ago, if you read this and have time please pr...

Last night my father had a terrible night due to reaction to medication. This morning he had a dramatic turn around. He can drink water now and begin eating soft food later today. he should be released from the hospital on Monday or Tuesday. I thank our Heavenly Father. If you are so inclined join me in praising Him!

Yesterday, I thought of the song - This is the day, this is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it, rejoice and be glad in it several times yesterday. My father has an obstructed bowel and was taken to the local hospital. They determined there was no perforation. (This is similar to why I took him to the ER in January and he was not home again until May.) He remains in our local hospital, the doctor thinks he can be treated without surgery. We are praying. Again I say rejoice, easy to say but sometimes hard to do. I was so staggered by this yesterday and so deflated, I found at times I could barely pray and I could not think. I didn't even watch all the live, team coverage of hurricane Dolly on the news through out the day and roll my eyes at the reporters and their antics. The joy of the Lord is my strength. Dad is in great spirits, wants to be healed without surgery, preferably today by the merciful hand of God. He wants to go home and do his exercises. He wants to ...

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain, compliments of hurricane Dolly. It's a wonderful sound. I will check the news and see when and where landfall is expected. Pray for the people in her path, even though it's a small storm, flooding and tornadoes can be a problem. As I listened to the rain, I was impressed to read Proverbs 9 over and over until I got up and read it. I will mediate on it more this morning before work. I definitely want to accept wisdom's invitation and decline folly's. Here are the 1st few verses from Pro 9: 1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. 2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. 4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment. 5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of und...

I think the Lord answers so many prayers and we are not aware of it. We may have moved on to the next prayer. Sometimes it's only when a biggie is answered, we are still and think wow - He answered this prayer and this prayer - wow, I didn't even realized this one was answered. On the other side of the scale we may think He never answers prayer. We think about our child dying or the death of a spouse or friend, the loss of a job, etc. I personally think God answers all prayer and to put it simply - the answer is yes, no, or wait. A few weeks ago, I posted a prayer to pray against drug cartels and their destruction in Mexico. Saturday I was reading the newspaper and there was an article about the Mexican Navy arresting the crew of a submarine headed toward Mexico. The submarine was loaded with cocaine which was to be distributed through out the USA via Mexico. 2000 people have been killed this year in Mexico due to warfare between the cartels in Mexico. Most of the 2000 people a...

I am feeling very well today, will be back at work. I read more of The Shack. I am on page 170. Maybe I can finish it today. I think I read Adolf Hitler Volumes I & II quicker than I have read 170 pages of The Shack. Have a blessed day. I will post something tomorrow. Be blessed with Psalm 103: 1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our s...

I am reading The Shack, I have read about 150 pages. I have been told "everyone" is reading it and it is a 21st Century Pilgrim's Progress and I will simply love The Shack. Pilgrim's Progress was my 5 th grade reader, I read it...from Sept 1971 to May 1972 and remember little of it. I am not sure what I think of The Shack. I was too tired to read today, I was sick in bed all day and did very little. 2 nd time this year I have been sick. Prayed a lot in the wee hours of the morning, so I was productive as I was being sick. My husband hired a yard man to help me next week, I am excited about it, though I generally like to do yard work, the heat has gotten me this year a couple of times. I guess because I was indoors most of winter and all of spring visiting my dad in the hospital, I just never acclimated to the heat this year. My dad is having the same problem with the heat. He loves to sit on his patio and read in the mornings but has not done that this year. I think...

I was up earlier than normal this morning thanks to a neighbor's barking dog. She (the dog not the neighbor) is still at it 1 1/2 hours later. I wonder if my neighbors are out of town, their dog rarely barks. She (again the dog) may have treed a squirrel or possum. As a result of the barking, I did not have to rely on the alarm going off at 5:15a.m. I was up earlier and have spent some time in the Word and will be in prayer shortly. A thought crossed my mind this morning as I was pouring a cup of coffee. When we realize the freedom we have in Christ and that we are yoked to Him, it makes it easier to toss idols out of our lives but not necessarily to keep them out of our lives. Galations 5 says: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselfs be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. This tells me that satan will most likely wait a while and then try the same old thing again to entrap us and make us miserable. Like a former smoker who li...

It's Wed. and I have put off going to the Galleria until tomorrow, after all tomorrow is another day. That is my best Scarlett O'Hara imitation. I procrastinate occasionally and am usually sorry I did after it's all said and done. I got to thinking about what if Christ procrastinated. What if He told people, well I am not tuned into my Father for healing today, come back tomorrow. Prayer - I'll do it tomorrow, I think I will do a little recreational fishing instead today. It's hard to pray and be in the Word daily, but I think it's harder not to be in the long run. The Bible says to be an imitator of Christ. No matter how busy He was while on earth, He sought out His Father daily. I pray daily, but it's not the quality prayer life I have had before and I want again. It means setting the alarm a little earlier and getting out of bed when it goes off in the morning. It means reading the newspaper at lunch. And it means - listening to God, not just talking to ...

Well we have arrived at another Monday, I am not sure I am ready for another work week, but it does not really matter because it is here. I am looking forward to Bible Study tomorrow night. I am not looking forward to taking my father’s watch to the shop for repairs Wed. or Thurs. I have to go to the Galleria in Houston. I have a few basic problems with the Galleria: Traffic I will walk by the Gucci Store (and then I will think of all the money I used to spend in there and at the NYC store on purses and luggage when I was loaded in my 20’s). Since I am at the Galleria I will stop and buy foundation and might fall for whatever spot or wrinkle cream they suggest for people my age. Usually I have sales resistance, but it’s hard at the cosmetics counter under those lights! I will leave the Galleria and resist the Container Store as I flee it at 3 mph in traffic (I always want items from this particular store). The Bible tells us if we resist the devil he will flee. He assaults us so often,...

I am trying to work my nerve up to go for a walk. I really blew the healthy eating Thursday and Friday. I will be back on track today. My husband is in Matagorda working at the little RV park we own this weekend, I am home contemplating - should I clean out a closet or 2 or should I clean out some of our kitchen cabinets. I don't know what happened, but we suddenly have a lot of stuff! If we feed our soul and spirit a lot of the things this world has to offer, we will be filled with junk. We are what we eat - spiritually and physically. Let's make sure the fallow ground has been plowed up and we are good soil feeding on what is good in the Lord's sight. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Finally, brothers...

I talked to my aunt yesterday; it was wonderful to speak with her. She lives England. I really miss seeing her in person, but e-mail is better than nothing! I told her I would post a picture of her taken at work, it’s awful. Her grandson took it, something is wrong with the colour. Her hair looks really yellow. She said my hair is not that colour, I said I know because no one would pay money for that colour. So I will be nice and not post the picture, but you can find it on www.c4w.org , she is an elder of the church, Ginny Reid. My cousin Virginia and her husband Robert pastor the church. It’s a wonderful church. I just listened to Robert’s latest Sunday morning sermon, he talked about what our homes are supposed to be. If you are doing the No Other Gods study, have you been convicted by what you let in your home because of any false god which may be in your life? We talked about what we let into our homes via the TV and secular music during Bible study the other night. We must be ca...

1. I was born in Houston, TX 2. I am American by birth, Texan by the grace of God. 3. Annette is my middle name 4. I am an only child 5. I have lived in the greater Houston area my entire life. 6. I love dogs. 7. I hate to cook. 8. I began taking ballet lessons at 3. 9. I graduated in 1979 from St Thomas’ Episcopal School, still have many friends from those days. 10. My father was a policeman. My mother was a nurse. They met in the ER. 11. M cousin Wayne & I spent much time conspiring against the other cousins. 12. I have come to really love blogging. 13. I will meet many of my Siestas on golden streets one day. 14. I am presently fat, but will be thin again. 15. I would love to have a massage. 16. My husband & I met in 1981 and married in 1985. 17. I miss working for my father’s company, we worked hard, but had a great working atmosphere. 18. I love classical music and ballet. 19. I love Texas Aggie football. 20. Sometimes I love the Astros. 21. I love rodeo. (I know that frea...

Sadly, I am at the age in which I need reading glasses. I picked some up at Target the other day. A 3 pack, economical way to buy them. I put a pair on, looked at the book and thought whoa…I cannot see well. My vision is a little blurry. So I switched to an old pair which is bent, because my dog Midnight slept on them the other night. I fell asleep reading and removed them at some point and placed them on the bed and she curled up right on top of them. Today I tried out 1 of the new pairs, still quite blurry, I looked at them again and realized there were plastic stickers on the lens to keep them from becoming scratched in the package. When we look at the people or situations without the eyes of Jesus; our vision is blurry. When we read the Bible without the help of the Holy Spirit, our vision is blurry. We want perfect vision; we want the eyes of Jesus which is the Holy Spirit. We want to see people with His eyes; we want to read the Word with His eyes. Jesus said, “If you love me, yo...

Do you have good ethics in all areas of your life or have you let some things slide? I know I had a bad situation with a business partner who is a Christian. Because of my fear which is a sin and the fact he is Christian, I let it go on too long and it really came back to slap me in the face last Thursday afternoon. The Lord worked out a big part of the problem for me Monday afternoon. I still need wisdom and clarity on what to do with the rest of it. I know my husband is frequently asked by Christians for a reduced rate or to cut costs and not do a job to code which is not a good Christian witness. 25 years ago, I worked with someone who felt justified in taking all kinds of office supplies home because he thought he deserved more pay, though he had agreed to his salary. I know someone who for years routinely wore nice clothes to an event and returned them. Somehow she returned a rabbit fur coat worn by child A for a year; and then her child B when child A outgrew it. Since she bought...

I went to our beach shack Friday to celebrate the 4 th of July. It is a shack on stilts. My husband bought it because his 80 yr old aunt lived next door at the time and needed some help around the house and yard. She is almost 90 now and he is her legal guardian. I don't go down there too often during the summer, I no longer go out in the Gulf of Mexico to fish (too old for the that much sun) and it has become a fishing frat house on the weekends. Men sleeping all over the place between the day fishing in boats and kayaks and the night fishing in the surf or from our pier. I prayed on the way down there for the night to be pleasant and that people at the celebration would not drink too much. Since I was not there on Thursday, I was voted head of pyrotechnics. All this means is I had a large lighter (those things for fireplaces) and lit lots of fuses. I lit big fireworks which rivaled the display put on by the town at the harbour. Our show lasted longer too. My brother in law owns...

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the freedom we have in America to worship You. I pray Americans do not take freedom for granted as our liberties are slowly eroding. I pray my country returns to You, we invite You into the courts and schools. I thank You for the natural resources You have given us. I pray we our good stewards of all you have given us as well as good stewards of the environment. Lord, I pray for revival - true revival even bigger than the Wales and the Azusa Street revival to come to America. I pray sports stadiums will be filled with people worshiping You. I praise You and thank You that I can freely proclaim Your Son's name. Please continue to protect our country and interests from another terror attack Please protect our allies as well. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Ever had a day you just didn't feel quite right? I had a day like that a few weeks ago. My clothes did not even fit right. Of course after I had time to go to the ladies room about 10:30am I discovered my pants were on backwards. (I had dressed in the dark so my husband could sleep because I was going to the office earlier than normal.) This can happen with side zipper pants and elastic waist pants...If it happens with front zipper pants, call your pastor, you need help. Just kidding. It was pitch black this morning as I was going out to feed the birds, my feet felt weird, I looked down I had on a shoe from each pair of my house shoes. What are the odds, I walk to my closet and in the dark, find the pink right shoe and the left grey shoe? I think our Christian walk can be like wearing mismatched shoes. We want to grow in the Lord and truly serve Him with our whole heart, but cares of the world and or idols are calling. Some cares call loudly in the form of a toddler, idols are more...

No Other Gods Bible Study This is the 1st introspective study I have done in a while and boy do I need it. Nothing like a few passages of Scripture and pointed questions to make you take an honest look at yourself.. I met with friends from elementary/junior high/high school for dinner Sunday night. As we laughed and discussed the state of the world, I joked I could bring up repressed memories from our days at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School. All I had to say was milk room and Henri Irvington, for a moment they felt nauseous because the milk room always smelled like sour milk and then they laughed because Mr. Irvington was 1 strict math teacher who had a penchant for catching freshmen girls reading romance novels in his class instead of working quadratic equations. He would sneak up and snatch the book out or your hands and turn to the last page and read it out loud. We would be red with embarrassment. He returned the book at the end of the school year. (I always wondered if he read them.)...