Sweet Shot Tuesday

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy , it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres....And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor. 13:4-7, 13.


Some of you know that a few weeks ago--the same day that my sweet friend Kristi was in that car accident, I was photographing a wedding. This was the wedding of my "BFF's" daughter that happens to be my cousin. Here is one of my favorite pics of the happy couple! They are just too cute!

If you want to see more photographs, join me over at Sweet Shot Tuesdays. I just love to visit there and enjoy the wonderful pictures.

Please join me in prayer for my sweet friend Elaine who will be having surgery tomorrow at 1:00. I encourage you to read her post today. This community of bloggyland friends are some mighty prayer warriors. I feel very blessed to be a part of this amazing group.

Sweet blessings,

Sabbath Peace

Hubby took this photo last week with his phone of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains while he and another buddy rode bikes to the top of Mt. Mitchell. They truly are that blue! No photoshop--I promise!

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,

Your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.

Psalm 36 :5-6

It's been a hard week. Not one, but two friends have been diagnosed with cancer. I was so ready to worship today, to hear a Word from the Lord. And, I did! Praise Him! It was Communion Sunday at our church. The bread and the wine(grape juice in the Methodist church!) filled me with His Presence. I was reminded of His faithfulness and His love through His great sacrifice. Interesting how we all need those reminders even though we know....

Praying that your Sabbath has been a blessing from the Lord. Rejoice! He is in control!

Sweet blessings,
Susan

Pray Without Ceasing

Hey, bloggy friends! One of the neatest things about blogland are the friends that you meet. Sometimes you only get to meet them via cyberspace this side of Heaven. Other times, you are blessed to meet them face to face. This is about one of those face to face friends, a true one of a kind friend, one who tells it like it is friend, an "Elaine friend!"

Last summer, I had the pleasure of spending a few days with Elaine and her precious family in NC. She was in the process of writing her first book. It's a wonderful one too! When you visit her website, you'll see the link to it.

We talked--a lot, laughed--a lot, ate--a WHOLE lot!, ran in the rain, celebrated her son's birthday, had a luncheon with her "ancients," shopped, explored really neat places for photographs in her book, and just loved on each other as new friends. She is such a blessing to all who know her.

Well, her post yesterday and her facebook this morning have put Runner Mom into a new mode...pray without ceasing. (1 Thess.). Y'all, Elaine received news that no woman ever wants to hear. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer. This news has touched the very depths of those of us who dearly love this wonderful sister in Christ.

BUT...we serve a God who is the Great Physician, the Healer of all. He is bigger than any disease out there! I truly believe in miracles, and I am asking God to heal Elaine completely. I would love for you to join me in praying for her! Please link up with her website and leave her a comment. I know that she would so appreciate it. And, so would I!

Sweet blessings,

Sweet Shot Tuesday

This is sister number one. Flower girl number one! She is totally focused on the event at hand!

This is flower girl number 2---flower girl number one's sister. She had fun at the wedding, but her attention to special moments and my attention were one in the same! And look, she has a Nikon hanging around her neck! It's a mini-me! Except I'm a Canon girl!!

I have had two opportunities to photograph weddings in the past few weeks. They were both small and outdoors. God took me WAaaayyyy out of my comfort zone from shooting kids and families! I enjoyed them, but was totally worn out--and dehydrated afterwards! I have said that there will be no more. A friend of mine said to wait and see what God says first! Hmmm....

Join me over at Darcy's for Sweet Shot Tuesdays for more adorable pictures!

Sweet blessings,

Waiting.....

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on my friend, Kristi. They are in "wait" mode at the hospital. Waiting for the paperwork for her to leave. Waiting for the nurse to unhook the IV. Waiting for their new normal to begin. And we all thank you for your prayers! She will be having skin graft surgery next week. I'll keep you posted.

I have been a LONG time fan of Steven Curtis Chapman. I probably have some of his first CD's! Each time he has toured Greenville, we've been to his concerts. And, since the loss of his daughter, Maria, I've wondered how they as a family were doing.

His wife, Mary Beth, is a wonderful writer. The other day while in a local Christian bookstore, I saw where they were preselling copies of her book, Choosing to SEE. Being the patient person that I am, I rushed home to check out Amazon and see if they had the book yet! Yes, m'am...they did! Quickly I pressed the "add to cart" button and sent them my handy dandy credit card number. Then, the wait began!

When it arrived, I had another book that I was working on ( I have 2-4 going at one time!). It's Magnifcent Obsession by Anne Graham Lotz and it's fabulous! I wanted to let that one digest before I began Mary Beth's. I've had a lot of waiting time this week, so I started Choosing to See on Monday. As I waited for child #2 to finish oral surgery at the dentist this morning, I also finished the book. I was laughing one minute and crying the next!I was hoping that I wouldn't read a crying part while in the waiting room!

One quote that I want to share with y'all just really touched my heart this morning. Mary Beth writes, "And even when we feel our God being silent in the pain...that is where the truest sense of faith must come into play." Think about that for a minute. We are in times of pain, and we are reaching out to God. But, we don't hear Him, see Him, or feel His presence. It happens. Most of us have been in a place like that. Then, faith, maybe as small as a mustard seed, that has been planted in our hearts begins to grow. Not quickly, but over time new growth occurs. The wait is over...faith has arrived.

Sweet Blessings,

Grace and Prayers

Remember this picture from a post I did a few weeks ago? My sweet friend, Kristi, is chowing down on some yummy dessert and loving every bite of it! Well, Kristi, was finally allowed to "chow down" on some Italian ice yesterday morning in the hospital. Her first "food" in about 24 hours.

Saturday mornings, in her household and mine, are made for long runs or long bike rides. My hubby rides with her, her husband, Dwayne, and other friends. I choose to run! ( Kristi is a great runner, btw--one of the fastest women in SC!) Hubby, Kristi, Dwayne, and Phil--another precious friend, had decided to do an easy 50 mile bike ride in the mountains ( yes, I'm kidding about the word "easy!"). They had finished riding, changed clothes, and were on their way back into town to eat lunch. They were in two cars. Hubby and Phil were ahead, and Kristi and Dwayne were just a few cars back. Hubby got to chick-fil-a and called to see where they were. No answer. A few minutes later, Dwayne called on Kristi's phone and said that they had been in a car accident and to come back. By the time Hubby and Phil arrived, so had the ambulance, police and firetrucks...amazing. Hubby and Phil were shocked at the Dwayne's forerunner. Upside down and in a stranger's yard...bike stuff strewn all over. We still have not found Dwayne's cell phone. He located Kristi's in the yard...and her battery a few feet away. He had to use it to call.

Another car came from a side road and broadsided Dwayne on the driver's side. He swerved to try to miss her and his car flipped and slid across the road. He crawled out through his window and a woman was standing there. She asked if there were any children in the car. He said no. Then she said, "I didn't see you. I am so sorry." Dwayne was more concerned about getting Kristi out of the car at that time than the woman. He had to crawl back into the driver's side--her side was crushed--undo her safety belt--she's STILL upside down!!! Then, he dragged her out. They were sore and had cuts and scrapes, but they were alive. That in itself is a miracle.

And where was Runner Mom in all of this?? Two hours away at my cousin's wedding! Kristi didn't want me to know until I got home...but I found out and got to the hospital as soon as possible. Mercy!

Y'all, her arm has a large and deep cut. This morning, the surgeons will operate again. There may have to be more surgeries if it doesn't heal on its own. It's not pretty. I watched my friend suffer on Saturday. I had the privilege of holding her hand in the ER while the doctors pulled off nasty, sticky gauze that had been on an open wound for hours. I could love on her and pray for her and pull more grass and glass out of her hair. I got her some food--just crackers--but the pain meds made her feel sick, so she couldn't eat. After almost 6 hours in the hallway in the ER, she was admitted to a room. The last thing that she told me was to keep praying--which I have been. And, this little gal with the big heart also said to pray for the woman who had hit them, and then left the scene of the accident. Kristi forgives her. This is all about grace.

I just ask the same. That you please pray for Kristi's healing and for this woman who made a huge mistake on Saturday morning. This is something that she will always have to live with. But with God, there is forgiveness and grace.

Sweet blessings,

Mary, Martha, and fruit kabobs

Guess what I did last weekend?? Couldn't make it to She Speaks in NC, but I did make it to our women's planning retreat at the lake! Mercy, we had fun! Here is a group picture with some of the gals--not everyone could make it, and we truly missed them!

Our focus was on Luke 10:42. Jesus is at the home of Martha and Mary. Martha is scurrying around cleaning and cooking and waiting on her guests. We know of at least 13 visitors(Jesus and his 12 disciples). There could have been more followers of Christ just wanting to hear Him speak. Can you imagine 13 plus guests coming over for supper?? That's a lot of cleaning and a ton of cooking, people! But then, there was Martha. Bless her heart!

Sister Mary was no where to be found to help with the baking of the bread or washing the cups for drinks. No, Mary had found a comfy little spot...right near Jesus. She simply sat and listened to His Words. And, Martha didn't like it one bit!

This weekend, we focused on being still...just like Mary and listening to the Word of God. We were not Marthas! That was kind of cool too! When was the last time that you let your Mary spirit overtake your Martha one? Hmmm??? Jesus even told Martha that Mary had chosen what was better to do. Sit, listen and pray. Without distractions. Intentially putting away "stuff" to spend time with the Lord. Period. How refreshing it was to sit at the feet of Christ.

Now, we did do some eating! Don't get me wrong! Most of it was prepared prior to the retreat. On Friday, we had BBQ sandwiches, pasta salad, tomato pie and lots of desserts. Saturday morning, we were greeted to the aroma of breakfast casserole and these yummy fruit kabobs! Y'all, I am struggling with blogger and my photos a lot lately! Trying to enlarge them AND move them around to fit my posts is not happening. So, that's why the fruit pic is WAY up there! Sorry!

Pull out those wooden skewers you have in the back of your kitchen drawers and slice some fruit. Place on the skewers and the final touch---sprinkle lightly with some powdered sugar! Yum! Your kids will think you hung the moon!

I encourage you to find a quiet place today. Sit at the feet of God and just soak in His Presence.

Sweet Blessings!