Summer's Bounty

Our yard is a riot of color, so many different types of flowers all blooming at once!
It makes me think of the extravagant love of our creative God to see the bright orange tiger lilies bobbing in the breeze next to the fluorescent pink phlox. Under the pine trees are light pink calla lilies and also surprise lilies and dark purple candles of flowers from the giant hostas under the deck. Over by our stone cottage guest house are blue hydrangeas and lemon yellow day lilies with a sweet fragrance that wafts towards the cherry and large tomatoes in our raised bed of homegrown vegetables.
We relished BLT sandwiches for lunch today, only we had homegrown tomatoes and spinach with our bacon, so it should be BST's!
Yum,yum!
And one of these days we'll have rhubarb pie. Stop by anytime.

A Cove in the Mountains

The Young Life Camp called Windy Gap is SPECTACULAR! Henry and I made a spur of the moment decision to drive over to visit Eric. It was a good move. We were stunned with the beauty of the mountains at the end of Coles Cove Road north of Weaverville, North Carolina. The camp is first rate in every way. When we arrived Eric took us on a tour of the amazing facilities...but more important was the upbeat, positive attitude with 200 high school campers as they did relay races, the laughter and welcoming,encouraging words from the staff. The pool, water slide, soccer field,mountain bikes,ropes course, zip line, horses and numerous other activities for having summer fun were mind boggoling! And a beautiful, rustic chalet with great kitchen where Eric and other food staff are busy preparing nutricious and low fat meals for campers and lots of other staffers.
What a blessing to sit by a mountain stream and observe the camp in operation!

Cooking at Windy Gap

A phone call last night from our younger son, Eric brought good news! He is on staff at Windy Gap, a Young Life Camp north of Asheville, North Carolina and is enjoying cooking for a large group! And what great experience to put on his resume! And meeting lots of enthusiastic, Christian young people! Summer in the mountains, under a Carolina blue sky!

Fireworks on High

As we sing America the Beautiful, watch fireworks and remember the blessings of our liberty on this 4th of July, let us remember our Heavenly Father who made the first and most spectacular display in creation.

THE SPACIOUS FIRMAMENT ON HIGH

"The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heav'ns, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
Th'unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's pow'r display,
And publishes to ev'ry land
The work of an almighty hand.

Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly, to the listening earth,
Repeats the story of her birth;
While all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.

What tho' in solemn silence all,
Move round the dark terrestrial ball?
What tho' no real voice nor sound
Amid the radiant orbs be found?
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice;
Forever singing as they shine,
"The hand that made us is divine!"
hymn by Joseph Addison

A Cruising Great Grandma

The matriarch of the Johnson clan is headed up North today! Our family vacations were always "up North". Only then it meant packing up the Buick with some food and the family and driving to a lake north of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul). We would spend the week in a cabin and either fish in a rowboat or swim in the lake. It was fun but not spectacular.
Now Grandma is going for SPECTACULAR! She just turned 90, so I guess it's about time that she REALLY head UP NORTH...NORTH TO ALASKA! She will be travelling with my sister and her husaband who just turned 65! Juno, Alaska seems like a great place to celebrate two milestone birthdays!And especially when you are traveling in style on a huge cruise ship named Celebrity!
My advice to the travelers, "Keep warm, put your feet up, get out the binoculars, enjoy the fantastic views and just RELAX!"
And my prayer is "Please give our loved ones traveling mercies as they head up North and bring them back soon. Amen."

Love Lifted Me

Walking up the country lane with the horses grazing in the nearby pasture we could see the people gathering for the 10 o'clock service at the Little Brown Church. Singing the old hymns lifts the spirit, but Henry and I did feel a little blue to think his mother had been with us last time we were up on Signal Mountain. Now she has graduated to heaven and we were missing her a lot.
Who sat down next to us was a cousin who kindly introduced herself, we see each other every summer but it's hard to keep all the cousins straight. She told us that when she was a young widow with 3 small children that Henry's mother, Jane, had encouraged and helped her through the first months alone since she had faced the same trial many years before. (Henry was only 7 years old when his father, Pat died.)
The collection was taken up and the dogs were acknowledged as they roamed up the center aisle of the old wooden church. As we sang the next hymn,"Love Lifted Me", I could sense the comfort of our Heavenly Father.
It was not an accident, but a providential appointment that we sat on the same row with this very special cousin who loved Aunt Jane like we did. Thank you, Lord for reminded us of the many that loved and missed Granny B.
"All my heart to Him I give,
Ever to Him I'll cling,
In His blessed presence live,
Ever His praises sing.
Love so mighty and so true
Merits my soul's best songs;
Faithful, loving service too,
To Him belongs.

Love lifted me! even me!
Love lifted me! even me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me.

Surprising Response

Standing at a reception the other night I met a new woman and introduced myself as an author. It was providential! The woman responded, "What did you write?" and "I READ IT!!!" when I responded "EMPTY ARMS".
Later on, my husband, Henry, was called to the hospital. I lingered, speaking to a friend about painting watercolors. As I was about to leave the woman approached me again, because now we were alone and not in a large group. "I'm so glad you haven't left, so I can tell you how much your book meant to me! A neighbor gave it to me to read and I read it in TWO hours! It really helped me to heal, because I had an abortion!"
Ann Caldwell and I dreamed of this day, when we would know the fruit of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God and the many testimonies of those who regret their abortions. And this week I have had the privilege of meeting three such women. Ann and I rejoiced for the lives who have been set free from the burden of that guilt, now resting at the foot of the Cross.