Five pairs of shoes. Check. Reading glasses. Check. Breath mints. Check. Purse. Check. Hand sanitizer. Check. Pen and paper. Check. Good book. Check. Credit card. Check. Lip gloss. Check. Empty water bottle. Check. Twelve copies of Courting Morrow Little for book exchange. Check! I think I'm the only person in the world who doesn't own a cell phone so no forgetting that:)I'm not very fond of traveling, especially by air. Give me an old-fashioned train any day. But I try to make the best of it. Last trip I prayed (and I'm not making this up!), asking the Lord if he would please place me at the very back of the plane by the bathroom, aisle seat, as I always forget to ask for seat assignments in advance. And my bladder never behaves on planes!
When I got to the gate and boarded I found myself all the way to the back of the plane, aisle seat - no kidding! Not only that, before I could wonder who I was next to, a woman my age sat down fresh off the mission field in Indonesia. I have a thing for missionaries. My brother is one:) And this one really needed to talk! Suffice it to say, we skipped the small stuff and got down to real stuff on that nonstop 5 hour flight. She was a delightful traveling companion and I'm still thanking the Lord for that particular seat assignment! So who's to say what will happen between here and Monterey?
I'll be at a retreat this week, bless Books&Such Literary Agency. And in my absence I'd love to hear how the Lord is surprising you, delighting you, blessing you! So please comment and I'll be back with you soon...For You meet him with the blessings of good things. ~Psalm 21:3
May the Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another. ~Genesis 31:49
Oh, how I wish I was there with you. Next time. But that's two years! I'll be watching my FB feed for updates from you all. Have a blessed trip, Laura. Please give Judy G. a hug from me, ok? Is Lorna going to be there?
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I'll be finishing the first draft of WILLA. That's my goal for next week. Oct 30 is my self-imposed deadline. Since I only have one chapter and few bits and pieces left to write, it should be no problem. :)
I'll be thinking of you, and praying! Lord, bless Laura abundantly at this retreat, and may you give her traveling mercies, a convenient seat on the flight/flights, and good companionship at every turn. Amen!
I hope you have a wonderful time, Laura, and enjoy getting to know your agency mates better.
ReplyDeleteLaura - you and I are kindred spirits! I, too, feel much more comfortable when not suspended miles from the ground in a fast moving metal object that doesn't flap its wings!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful, wonderful time :)
Love and hugs xo
You forgot your flood book, Laura!!!! You can't bring just one book anywhere because you might finish it sooner than expected due to being caught in well...a flood...so you need another book on standby to get you through any eventuality. Though if you are going to have a book exchange I imagine you will have multiple flood books for the trip home.
ReplyDeleteAnd guess what? I don't own a cell phone either! So we're the only two people left in the world without one!!! We can keep each other company.
I love your traveling story. The Lord was really looking out for you!
The Lord is surprising and blessing me through inspirational fiction. Just finished reading A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron and I so needed some sage Amish wisdom. The grandmother in the story is a gem and sometimes I felt like she was talking to me! So God bless Christian writers who follow their calling and in the process uplift their readers.
Have a lovely time, Laura! :) I don't own a cell phone either, so no worries that you are the last one on earth. I'm right there with you. :) I look forward to hearing all about it very soon.
ReplyDeleteOh, Laura! Have a wonderful time on your retreat. Must admit I was chuckling about the seat...isn't the Lord so good though. So neat how He takes care of even the littlest details.
ReplyDeleteLike just yesterday, we were missing our friends in our old town that we used to play board games with...that day I got an email from our homeschool group that says they're setting up a game group for all ages and we will even be able to bring the kids. And the games they mentioned in the email were Chris' favorites. Anyway, that was rambling.
I can't wait to hear about the retreat. Wondering what book you brought, that's the way this girl's mind works...And hoping everyone in the house is healthy now. I'll keep you in prayer for a wonderful retreat.
We all love to pop in at your site, even when you're off gallivanting (great word) somewhere! Blessings on your time away, and may God be with your loved ones while you're apart!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Now I feel better Casey, I don't own a cell phone either, I was beginning to think I was the last one on Earth! :-P
ReplyDeleteAnywho Laura I hope you have an awesome time on your trip!
XOXO~ Renee
have a wonderful trip! It sounds amazing! Heck, I'd be excited about a bug collecting retreat, haha, sometimes a mama just needs to get away!
ReplyDeleteHope you come away inspired and refreshed! And I love when things happen just as they should!~ God obviously knew that woman needed someone to talk to, and you just needed to be by the bathroom! ;)
Oh, Laura, I pray you have an absolutely beautiful time and that the Lord will keep His hedge of protection around you as you travel there and back home. I've never been on an airplane before and I envy people who have AND who actually enjoy the experience, LOL! I love your testimony of how the Lord worked everything out for you on your last trip. The Lord always knows just what we need and how to use us to bless someone else! Bless and be blessed :) Must have been an inspiring, testimony filled 5 hours :D Praise the Lord!! And, thank you for sharing those beautiful scriptures, especially loved the one from Genesis :)
ReplyDeleteYesterday was an amazing and powerful service at my church. I'm still in awe of how the Lord moved in the hearts of the congregation and within my own heart. I've been struggling with some things lately and going through some spiritual warfare, but I truly feel the Lord met me there, and brought healing and deliverance and profoundly answered prayer! And, the best part was when my daddy sounded the shofar horn up at the altar! We're not Jewish, but we have two antelope horns and one ram's horn, and from when I was young my dad and even my brother have used them at church for special services. I can't explain it, but something beautiful washed over my soul yesterday when I heard it. Then, a dear friend of mine grabbed me up at the altar in a tight hug and prayed over me, and I felt such peace in that embrace, like the Lord used her arms to give me a hug. I could cry now just thinking of it. God is so very good!! I can't think of a better surprise, delight or blessing the Lord could have given me :)
Safe trip, my friend!!
Prayers & Blessings,
Amanda Stanley
Oh, Amanda. What you shared is so beautiful Thank you so much for sharing. God is so good.
ReplyDeleteI always stop back in to read the comments at Laura's blog and was blessed by Amanda's beautiful testimony. It reminded me of how we're told to comfort each other by remembering, "The Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God." I believe that's the shofar--reminding us that our Father is not far away and that He always comes to us in His perfect time!
ReplyDeleteMy sister attended at meeting at Monterey several years ago, and still says it's the most beautiful place she's ever seen! Have a wonderful time of refreshing, Laura! Your seat-mate was placed there just for you, wasn't she? Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI've finished my cutting, and it's in the hands of a few readers before I get up the nerve to send it on! I've been in "retreat" mode, too, but more because of computer problems than anything. But it's been a blessing. I've scaled back on my computer time, and it's helped my writing time! I guess God gets our attention any way He can, doesn't he?
Have a great time, dear friend!
Regina
I'm praying you have a blessed and fun trip! I'm new to this blog and felt the need to comment for the first time. I am feeling so blessed by God right now in my marriage. My husband and I are still technically newlyweds but we're in a really good spot right now and I just thank God for these moments to hold on to as precious treaasures to make battling life's storms a bit easier.
ReplyDeleteThanks sister bloggers for making this a fun blog to read.
Gillian! So happy to have you here! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such heartfelt comments. I can really relate to feeling blessed in your marriage. That is truly one of God's best gifts! And it does help weather the storms and struggles of life. Well said. And thanks so much for your prayers for my trip. I really need them.
ReplyDeleteI'mm praying for each of you this week, too. I'm on the road right now and only have a few minutes online but wanted to check in and tell you all how blessed I am by catching up on your comments. I hope to return with some books for you all! I'll be without my laptop the next few days so will check in here when I get back and respond to your comments.
Love and prayers till then!
I'm so glad you are getting to go away to the retreat! I'm sure it will be a true blessing. How wonderful of Books 'n Such to do that. Praying for safe travels.
ReplyDeleteI am praying for your safety as well. I hope everything goes wonderfully!
ReplyDeleteLet's see... my thoughts aren't really about this week, but maybe from what I learned last week. Last week was pretty odd. I had tons of blessings one minute and then things would just be miserably difficult the next, and unreasonably difficult at that. It was this up, down type thing, and it really made me ponder on a lesson I could learn from such, and I did learn one... a very important one. So often I try to hang onto a blessing or something or other, and I realized that none of these things could really be a steady rock. Too many things are not guaranteed and there are going to be ups and downs in life, which led me to James 1:17... a perfect gift that is unchanging. And Hebrews 13:8... something I could depend on yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Which made since when Isaiah 57:20 says,"But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still". I think it is important to keep my eyes on what is the greatest blessing that is unchanging so that I wouldn't depend on any others, and then maybe I would not be as frustrated. I might have already known this but it was really hammered in last week. :)
Julia & Renee Ann, thank you so much :) And, Renee Ann, I agree with you about the shofar. Thank you for sharing that scripture :) I've always loved the amazing, biblical sound that comes from the shofar horn. What must it have been like to have heard it used in the Old Testament during times of war or at the beginning of the new year? And what will it be like when we hear it in the very near future upon Christs' return? WOW!! What a glorious day that will be!!!
ReplyDeletePraying you ladies have a beautiful week in Jesus :)
Blessings,
Amanda Stanley
I pray your having a wonderful retreat Laura! It sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteI've laughed a little over you and the cell phone. I do have one, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only person who doesn't own a cordless phone. I've just never felt the need for one.
Did you know there's a National Missionary Convention? It's being held at Rupp Arena Nov. 18-21. Several of the session topics look very interesting. Southland's been asked to do several things at the convention, and according to the church website, we can go for free.
Our sermon, last weekend was on Job. The last 18 months have been very difficult, in that time my paternal grandfather died, my maternal grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer, lost that battle, and my maternal grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Even though, I know God has been with me every step of this journey, I think I needed the reminder that He is.