Purposes

    In the flower bed, in our side yard, the colors of the summer flowers are nothing but a memory. The ground seemed a little forlorn. Then we noticed some color. A visit to the area revealed some Surprise Lilies, perhaps so named because, when all the summer flowers wither and die, surprise! 

                                                                       Here they come

   When all seems to be turning bleak, these flowers bring back life to the garden and kitchen table.

   Just as a surprise bit of living color reminds us of the truth of our perspective, often we need a different way of analyzing what is going on around us.

   Let me take you on a different path:

   A few months back, an email popped up, unbidden I might add, on my screen. It pointed my attention to a short video entitled World in 3. This was a 3 minute video giving a quick view of world news. 

   I began watching each morning, getting a summary, and then moving on to my day. 

   The narrator always ended the program with these words:

   "Whatever the News, The Purpose of The Lord will Stand"   

   I liked that statement. To me it could be paraphrased:

   'Regardless of how bad the news sounded, behind the headlines there lurked a truth that should not be missed'.

   Father Tim, in the Mitford books by Jan Karon, is reminded by his new wife that he should always pray the prayer that never fails:

   "Thy Will Be Done"

   The ultimate truth of what will happen this day, or any day in the future, is what was, and is, God's Will. In the past, the present, and the future, events have happened, are happening, and will happen as He directs, and as He purposes.

   Psalm 33:10-11 states:

10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

   Sometimes I may question the motives and wonder why events occurred, but I should not question the goodness of God's heart. 

   It should be enough to affirm that He is in control of all, and He has the best in mind for those who love Him.

   When I pray "Thy Will Be Done", it isn't, or should not be, with a sense of resignation, but a wanting to be a part of His Plan, of His Will.

   With that, I am acknowledging that His Purposes Will Stand.

   What is my responsibility? 

      Love God with everything

      Love my Neighbor

   Pretty easy to type this out on the computer, but living it?

   The Purpose of the Lord will Stand

   where do you and I?

It's A Small World

   You could call it the "it's a small world" concept.

   Or you could ask "what are the chances for this?"

   Back in the days when Mayre Lou and I lived in Chattanooga with our 3 kids, we used to take vacation trips in the summer. Now this is not unusual, but when the kids were pretty small, we sometimes took a babysitter along with us. It was a win/win situation, both for the parents and kids, but also for the teenager whose wages included two weeks in a different section of the country. 

   Fast forward to the present:

   On a recent Pickleball morning, I noticed a new player had joined our group. I even played a couple of games with this man. Not knowing his real name, I just called him Moose as some of the other players referred to him.

   Now, since our group from the BX is playing outside these days because of the virus, there are games going on most days of the week except for Sundays. I usually play on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but others play on MWF and even Saturday. Everyone does not play every day.

   So my path, and Moose's, did not cross for a few sessions, till one day we both showed up. As I was leaving the court, Moose told me that his wife used to be our babysitter in those long ago days. I asked her name, to which he replied "Kim". 

   "Kim Jackson?" I asked.

   "Yep"

   After chatting a few minutes, I left and drove home, thinking all the way how funny it was that this meeting had occurred.

   A half century or so had gone by, and here we were, Moose with his new wife, our babysitter, and me with Carolyn, playing pickleball together, a game we did not even know existed till 18 month's ago, on a converted tennis court in East Ridge.

   Go Figure!

   It is indeed a small world...

Visitation

    Looking out the kitchen window, not long after the sunrise, some movement on the ground in the back yard near the fence.

   Then the questions:

      What is it?

      Where did it come from?

      What is wrong with it?

   Our first guess was a coyote, but it was hard to tell with it lying down. Then as it moved a bit, there was discussion of a fox.

   When we finally found someone to talk to about it, a man from Tennessee Wildlife, he described what we should be looking for: grey on the back, white on the belly and neck, bushy tail, black tip on the tail.

   In short, it looked as if we had a coyote.

   The coyote began to move around, but with a decided limp from the right leg. From the way it put weight on the leg, it looked like the animal might have suffered an injury, possibly from a vehicle.

   Where it came from was anybody's guess, but probably out of the area of woods behind the fence in the back.

   Do we call it a "she", a "he" or an "it"?

   As the morning progressed, the coyote began to limp around, visiting the people next door on the north, but eventually coming back to settle in our back yard.

   What to do, or who to call?

   We had to go out and pick up some stuff, so we called our neighbor up the street, and Sue said she would look for some solutions to our problem. 

   Arriving back home, Sue showed up along with a man who rescued possums. 

   But now we had another problem: Where was the coyote? We had watched from the side porch as it relocated behind the area of our garden house, next to the fence on the south side of the property. When our group began to look for it, it was nowhere to be found.

   We found a hole in the wire mesh fence where it might have escaped, but no animal.

   Nothing to do but set up the trap and hope the critter might return. Our "possum" man baited the trap with dog food, and we waited to see. He wanted to take the coyote to Knoxville and leave it with a lady who worked with coyotes, especially those that had medical issues.

   We checked the trap at daybreak today, no critter, so the questions began again:

      Where did it go?

      Did it feel better?

      Was this a one-time visit?

      Did it not like that brand of dog food?

   I guess we will never know unless the coyote returns, or is sighted somewhere else, or is found in a ditch.

   He/She or It is definitely not under our control.

   

You Can't Stay Home Forever

   Well, maybe you can, but March, April, May, June, and July is long enough, already.

   Senior Adults need to get out and see people and things.

   But how to do it and stay safe from our "friend", Covid-19?

   Why not just enjoy the simple pleasures of home? After all the morning glories are blooming..

   Planning is important in these times, and we wanted to stay safe. So...

   We wanted to get to Blacksburg to see our kids, and there were some guidelines we needed to follow. 

      1. Don't eat out in strange places.

      2. Use a mask when out in public.

   Who was that masked woman?

      3. Use clean, less crowded rest rooms.

   Now you may think that this is kinda self-serving, being how I like to visit courthouses, especially those in small, out of the way places, but remembering how we used the restrooms while traveling, they seemed an available, and perfect, option. They were kept up well, never anybody else waiting or using, and seemed the perfect place to keep safety in the forefront. So we visited small county seats, especially in towns off the beaten track and kept clear of crowds in restrooms on the interstate highways. 

Cocke County, Newport, TN

Greene County, Greeneville, TN

Jefferson County, Dandridge, TN

Smyth County, Marion, VA

Washington County, Jonesborough, TN

   It is not hard to stay out of eating venues if you pack your own lunch and snacks. On a 6 hour drive, only one meal is needed each way, and that was always ready. The problem was where to eat. We solved this on the way north by finding a church parking lot, with shade and a picnic table.

Baileyton, TN UMC Church 

   The only person around was the lawn mower guy. He saw what we were doing and just waved as he mowed, ending with a salute as he drove off when finished.

   On the return trip from Blacksburg, we found a small rest area on I-81 and stayed away from the rest rooms, and other people.

   Another advantage of courthouse visits was the mandatory use of the face masks in those courthouse buildings. In Tennessee it must have been an important day for car tags as there were lines (spaced appropriately of course) in several places.

   The purpose of our trip was to visit with family, and we did for a couple of days before heading home. Our primary activity, besides eating, was Pickleball. We took our paddles and balls, chalk for marking lines on the tennis court, and played many games.

   It was more instruction in rules at first, but as that family caught hold of the concepts, some real lively games ensued. Pictured are Caroline and Carolyn in the forecourt with Drew and David in the back. PS: the photographer is standing in the shade on a hot day.

   There is a certain type of anticipation that takes place as you begin a backroad oddesey. You know you will get scenery, history, and adventure, but you just never know what interesting places you will find.

   Like a big dike holding back the waters of Douglas Lake at Dandridge..

   Like a Revolutionary War Graveyard, also in Dandridge..

   Also in Dandridge where Tennessee seemed to be hanging on by a thread..

   In Newport where a 1920s Clinic and Hotel had been redone for Senior Housing, on the highway behind the Courthouse.

   In Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee, we found a picturesque town, that was home to a national storytelling theatre..We want to come back and stay one day.

   And in the parking lot behind the Washington County Courthouse, a car with a John Wayne quote. 

   "Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway"

   Appropriate for the settlers who came to these sections of East Tennessee and SW Virginia.

   It did not take a lot of courage for us to make this trip, but we found people and places where courage was put on display for all to see, and enjoy.

History in the Flower Patch

   LILIES Flourish in the Garden at Woodlane.

   And each time, Carolyn and I take a stroll to survey that plant paradise, I get a lesson in History. Not the kind of lesson taught in school and recorded in textbooks, but a personal flower story.

   "This plant or cutting was given to me by ...... way back in the 80s", and the pedigree comes out as we admire the color and shape of the flower. 

   Let me illustrate with a real life example (above). "This day lily tuber was passed along to me (Carolyn) by Jean Thigpen, but I believe she got it from Carolyn Floyd. It is called Midnight Magic."

   One day a man who worked for a neighbor, Portries, appeared at the front door with a clump of bulbs, and planted them for me in the garden. These are not days lilies, but the blooms last for several days. The flowers are named Wine and Roses.

   "Nadine is a close friend, and she brought me these from her Mother's yard."

   "Another neighbor, Denver Scott, a hybridizer of day lilies, gave me these tubers, left over from his work."

   "These were my purchases at Day Lily shows years ago"

   A cousin of Carolyn's sent her these from Missouri. They were a present in gratitude for the help she had received when coming to Chattanooga to do some geanologicai research on the McClure family from the Ringgold area. George McClure was Carolyn's Great Grandfather on her mother's side.

   These are called Rain Lilies, and they are planted around the birdbath, where the birds splash water from the concrete bath on the plants every time they bathe.

   These are not just flowers to "pretty up" the yard, there are stories associated with each. They are remembrances from friends and family, and they mean something. 

   There are plenty more plantings scattered around the house and yard, all with a story for another day.

   It is a great spot to call home.

Leave That Bathrobe on the Hook

   Why do we do the things we do?

      Is it Habit Only?

      Is out of of a Principle?

   Why do we quit doing some things and never go back?

   What calls us to return to some things that we used to do?

   Why is that bathrobe hanging on a hook in my bathroom?

   Let's us return to the first part of March 2020. A virus, Covid 19, was beginning to sweep through our country, and indeed, the world.

   Governments, beginning with the U.S. Government and going down to the State of Tennessee, to the County and the City, knowing there was no cure for the virus when it attacked, nor any vaccine that would ward it off, decided on Social distancing, masks, and eliminating group contact.

   All the "normal" things that occupied our lives changed.

   The rut we had been traveling swerved in a new direction.

   We did not choose what to do, now we were told what way we should live.

   Could it be that this change would not be all bad?

   We could, and should, think about why we did those things. Was it for reasons of inertia, or we have always done this, or we don't want to change?

   Back in the early days of March, governments began trying to slow the virus down, rules, regulations and guidelines were proposed and enacted to keep the pandemic from spreading.

   Not only did these disrupt and close down Monday through Friday, they closed the doors of Saturday and Sunday.

   Church, like ours and yours, could not meet together in person.

   We got "virtual church".

   Worshipping together had a new meaning. Watching the same streaming church service. became the way "to do" church. So, in our own living room, in our recliners, perhaps still in pjs and robes, we watched church leaders do their thing with no one close by. Not just one church, Brainerd Baptist, but all churches.

   Participating in a service meant singing along with the music minister or praise team, bowing our heads as someone lead the morning prayer, or even standing, alone or in a family, as the Bible was read. We listened as the pastor read from his text, in our own Bibles or on the screen of the TV.

   Now we are about to participate in a combination of the personal and the virtual. There are decisions to be made even on our part, as to what we should do.

   I drove by the church campus this morning. Buildings and parking lots looked the same as they had for the last 3 months or so.

   Empty!

   This coming Sunday, June 7, 2020, the scene will change again:

 

   No longer will be the church spire just house the room where the virtual service originated, but be an active symbol of God's Love.

   The church will open its doors to invite people inside to be together.

   Serving, Fellowshipping, Worshipping..

   Singing, Praying, Reading and Listening..

   True, there is still a concern that some folks should not come back this soon. Many are still "at risk" in this medical crisis. Even with all the precautions that will be taken, there is no guarantee that the virus may not slip in.

   Several times over the past months I have pondered about going back to church. Why is church so much a feature of my past life. I know I have had periods where I did not want to go for some reason or another, but why the desire to be there when the doors open Sunday.

   There are many reasons to go to church, and, true, I know some folks who don't go and don't seem to think about God at all, but a church, no matter how grand or how plain, is still God's house.

   I am glad that technology has advanced to the point where the virtual service can be a reality, and I'm glad that we have been able to worship that way each week but,

   When these doors open 3 days from now, I am glad we can slip inside and listen for God's voice in a service of worship.

   We are a blessed people.

   Amen

(And the bathrobe, still on that hook waiting for my return...)


 

 

 


 

Walking on a Sunday

   Chattanooga has been active over the past few years in establishing walking trails (and bikes) around the Tennessee River area. There is the Riverwalk which begins at Chickamauga Dam, runs to downtown then south to the St. Elmo area at the foot of Lookout Mountain.

   There is also a Greenway trail that runs north from the River toward Hixson on the North Chickamauga Creek.

   Then there is the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway, which, when finished, will run from the Riverwalk near the river, all the way to Camp Jordan in East Ridge. Carolyn and I have walked part of this trail previously, but yesterday, on a sunny Sunday, after a virtual church service, we took the section running east toward the Airport. This section goes about 2 miles until it reaches the still-under-construction part.

   The trailhead for this section is located at the old Sterchi Farm, just south of the Creek close to Highway 58 in East Chattanooga. Dairy cattle roamed these fields in days past, and the creamery was just to the east on Highway 58.

   Standing tall at the trailhead is an old silo, constructed of cobblestones, picked up from the fields around the area. 

   Right off the trail, heading east, the developers have constructed a small park. It is a sort of "challenge" area for kids, and others, consisting of large tree trunks, like you would use to cross a small stream or washout. The whole park is comprised of items from the surrounding area, like rocks from the fields and streams and the aforementioned logs.

   Then the trail begins to rise as it clings to the side of a hill working its way toward the Highway 58 bridge across the Creek, crossing under the bridge and over the Creek, taking its travelers to the north side. 

   The trail is mostly deserted, maybe 10 people walking in the 4 miles we hiked, plus 6 or 8 cyclists. It is a hidden gem meandering along the Creek, seemingly unknown by the inhabitants of the area. We were glad to find it.

   From Highway 58 we walked along the stream in an eastwardly direction, crossing under another railroad bridge, before we came to the end of the completed section, and retraced our steps to the Sterchi Farm.

   Walking and Cycling were not the only ways to enjoy this area. We saw canoeists on the water, and some kayakers. One couple looked to be enjoying lunch in their boats at a shady spot across the Creek.

   For two octogenarians, it was a great place to be out of doors. There were new flowers to ponder, history to consider, and just great scenery.

   Although we say we walked or hiked this trail, it was more like a stroll with our 25 minutes per mile pace, just about right to work up a Sunday lunch appetite.

   After all, 4 miles is not a bad morning stroll for old legs.

   The trail is a jewel, God's handiwork is awesome, and doing this together makes the experience worth celebrating.