Riverbend Ramblings

Thanksgiving Song This is the day the Lord hath made; Be glad, give thanks, rejoice; Stand in His presence, unafraid, In praise lift up your voice. All perfect gifts are from above, And all our blessings show The amplitude of God's dear love Which every heart may know. The Lord will hear before we call, And every need supply; Good things are freely given to all Who on His word rely. We come today to bring Him praise, Not for such gifts alone, But for the higher, deeper ways In which His love is shown. For sin destroyed, for sorrow healed, For health and peace restored; For Life and Love by Truth revealed, We thank and bless the Lord. This is the day the Lord hath made, In praise lift up your voice. In shining robes of joy arrayed, Be glad, give thanks, rejoice. ~Laura Lee Randall

Labels: Poems, Special Days

I took Toby to a new groomer this morning. It only took her an hour to groom him. He's wearing a pumpkin bandana, and he's as soft and fluffy as can be. :)While I was taking an early morning walk I spotted a large box full of cookbooks that had been put out for the garbage man by one of my neighbors. The two on top just happened to be Gooseberry cookbooks. I couldn't resist rescuing them from the box and bringing them home with me.We received an unexpected gift card in a Thanksgiving card from a church family. What a blessing! It's just enough to cover all of the drinks I am supposed to supply for our Thanksgiving meal.My "secret encourager" at school gave me this lovely basket of goodies. My house is smelling very "pumpkin-y" right now. What things are making you smile today?

Labels: Favorite Things

Happy Monday! I slept in this morning for the first time in months, and it felt wonderful!! The kids and I have the whole week off from school, and we're going to enjoy having an empty calendar. I have a whole stack of books waiting for me in my reading basket. I already read two this weekend. :) Yesterday we had a great day at our church. Evangelist Mark Rogers and his family were with us. We were able to fellowship with them at a restaurant after the evening service. I really enjoy being around these folks because they are *real*. :) Today I've been puttering around the house, catching up on some blog-reading, perusing a few favorite magazines, doing some laundry, and just "unwinding". Tomorrow Toby has an appointment with a new groomer, and then on Thursday we'll be traveling to my dad's house to celebrate Thanksgiving with extended family. All I have to do is take a cooler of cold drinks; I can handle that! :) I hope you all have a wonderful week. I'll be popping back here as time allows. I have really missed having the time to fellowship with my bloggy-friends! :)

Labels: Daily Life

Labels: Special Days, The Kiddos

Last week my hubby and I had a chance to get away together for a few days. The grandmas were kind enough to take the kids for us, and Toby spent his vacation at the kennel. Poor doggy! I really needed this time away, but I didn't realize how exhausted I was until the third day of our trip. It has been a real adjustment going back to work after being home full-time for the last nine years. And my job, although it has some wonderful, fulfilling moments, is not the easiest one out there. Students love their principal; parents are sometimes another story. It's a huge responsibility knowing that children, parents, teachers, and staff are counting on me to make right decisions and lead the school down the path God has for us. I have to admit, at times I feel overwhelmed. This trip could not have come at a better time. I was ready for a break, and this year I've really been missing the atmosphere that autumn in the mountains brings. Remember, in Florida there are only two seasons: hot and hotter! :) We were able to fellowship with friends on this trip and just take our time doing what we wanted to do. We had so much fun in the mountains and spent one afternoon hiking up Amicalola Falls. It was truly breathtaking! Here a few pictures we snapped along the way. We had some bitter-sweet moments on our trip, too. One of the men from our church in Georgia, Bro. Cameron, was in a horrible accident the week of our trip. An electrical transformer he was working on exploded in a fireball. Bro. Cameron received 3rd degree burns all over his upper body. He is still in a coma and in critical condition in the burn unit in Atlanta. He turned 80 last week. He and his wife Fay are two of the godliest people I've ever met. Bro. Cameron is a man who has truly walked with God and has served him faithfully for many, many years. For those of you familiar with Bro. Lester Roloff and the Roloff homes in Texas, Bro. Cameron worked there for many years and was the pastor of the church there after Bro. Roloff went to heaven. Please pray for Bro. Cameron and his family during this difficult time. They are still taking things hour by hour. We were able to visit the hospital a couple of times and share some sweet moments with Mrs. Cameron and the family and some of our Georgia church family as well. Our hearts are just aching for all of them, but we know that God's grace is sufficient even when we don't understand.

Labels: Family Life, Outdoor Life, Special Days

Steven and I are in the mountains...ALONE...and loving every minute spent together admiring God's beautiful creation! :)

Labels: Family Life, Outdoor Life

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." Ps. 103:2 Whatever you are facing today, remember that God loves you! His grace is sufficient for your every need. Praise Him today for His goodness and mercy. image credit

Labels: My Thoughts