Summer was upon us.
Since my husband couldn??™t take off, my closest friend and I
decided we??™d like to take a short vacation. We didn??™t have
time to go too far away, so we opted for one of my favorite
getaways in Branson, Missouri.
We made
all the arrangements and both agreed we??™d like to stay
somewhere close to town so that we wouldn??™t have to drive so
much; and we could browse all the shops. We also located a
Church we??™d like to visit while there.
With
everything in order, the day finally arrived; and we were
off for fun in the sun and some shopping adventures. We took
a few shortcuts, opting for some sightseeing and quaint gift
shops and finally pulled in to our cabin just in time for a
nice soak in the hot tub. The temperatures had dropped from
the heat of the day, and our aching muscles cried out for a
reprieve.
The
only sounds that could be heard were our laughter, as we
turned the tub on and stepped in, bubbles churned like foamy
shaving cream. The bubbles multiplied and overflowed from
the tub down the sides and to the ground like the blob. I??™d
never heard of a foaming hot tub. (Nor had the owner of the
resort.)
We
retrieved our towels and opted for the Olympic sized pool
since we still had the whole place to ourselves. Making a
few laps and feeling quite relaxed, we decided to grab a
bite of the food we'd brought and enjoy the night on the
cabin porch. The ceiling fan stirring the night air coming
in off the lake, helped keep us cool.
Soft
night sounds drifted across from the water??¦.ducks, fish
splashing in the water, and the chirping of crickets.
Lightening bugs flashed their evening greetings in the sky.
A song
of praise bubbled up from our hearts and we began to sing in
unison, ???I love you Lord, and I lift my voice. ??? Worship
from the heart flowed, as we were drawn by the presence of
the Spirit of God.
The
next day was Sunday. We hurriedly dressed, ate a quick
breakfast and drove to Church. We were greeted warmly by the
pastor and congregation, and again after the service,
several members stopped to shake hands and make us feel
welcome. Comments were made about unusally hot temperatures
for the year, and we shared a little small talk.
I heard
a snicker or two as we walked to the parking lot. Then
suddenly I heard a robust guffaw as we pulled out of the
lot. ???Wonder what that was all about???? I asked my friend. ???I
have no idea, but what ever it was, it sure must have been
funny,??? she replied.
We
decided to dine out for lunch. After parking the car, I got
out and walked towards the café ahead of my friend.
Suddenly, I heard her laughing uncontrollably. I turned to
see what I was missing, but all she could do was stand there
laughing, tears streaming from her face and pointing towards
me. ???What???? I asked. Gaining her composure, she turned me
around and pulled my slip out of my panty hose and silently
walked in to the café.
Fire-engine red would be the best description of the color I
wore during our lunch, but I just couldn??™t contain my
laughter as we asked God??™s blessings on our meal, and I
reminded him that all things were bare before him. My friend
interjected with, ???A little revelation is good for the
soul.???
We had
wonderful times of refreshing. There was a duck experience,
late night chats, a train trip, and so much more. The
laughter cleansed our hearts, gave us wonderful memories,
and revealed another side of our Lord??¦.the joy-filled side.
He surely has a sense of humor!
It all
came to an end too quickly. My friend drove home. I saw the
grin form in the corner of her mouth as she glanced my way.
I raised my eyebrows in mock warning, cleared my throat,
once more we both joined in uncontrollable laughter.
For
some reason, the heat didn't seem quite so unbearable.
?© 2003
by Marie Willaims
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(RE: Half Price)
Betty,
You make such a good story! So many
of us who have been married those forty-plus years can
identify!
I remember our first married
Valentine Day! We had gotten married the Christmas before.
Only a short six weeks. Jerry was in college and I had
found a job working as a cashier at Kroger to help meet
expenses. My feet were killing me in that new job that
required I be on them all day. So, for Valentine Jerry
wanted to buy me a new pair of comfortable shoes. I cried
and cried and cried! May have been the practical thing to
do - but for this 16 year old new bride, it broke my heart!
He does better now and I can handle it a little better now
too! Oh, the bliss of married life!
Melva
*** *** *** *** ***
Good Morning Bob,
Just a note to tell you that your
letter format is wonderful. I am still making the "Waiting
Room Story Books" and when I copy your pages all I have to
do is paste the letter into my Word 9 and add your address
beside Ripplemaker at the top. Nothing else needs done. The
page is Perfect
Thank you and God Bless,
<SHIRL>
Spring Hill Florida.
*** *** *** *** ***
(Re: On (Not) Getting Used to
Hiroshima Day)
Hi Bob and all my e-mail friends!
About 1992, when in doctoral courses
at State Univ. of NY at Buffalo, I was taking a course on the ethics of
David Hume, moral sense theory: i.e., we know when something feels right or wrong.
My paper was: "Hume and Hiroshima".
I explored the large library and found the deepest hatred in magazines of
the time. Then I read the translated eye witness accounts of the bomb and its
human results. I won't ever read those again!
I can't -- well -- there was account
after account of bloody bodies floating in the streams, of extreme horror!
I knew what Hume would have said. I knew what Jesus Christ will say.
I would rather, if there back then,
have gone like a man and fought on those beaches, man to man -- if that had
been necessary! Revisionist historians have stated that all Japan wanted to
surrender was assurance of keeping the Emperor, but we had a $2billion toy
to try out! In 1940's money! The scientists pleaded no.
Yes, I am with all of you. In the
Name of the God of the Universe.
Vance Agee
*** *** *** *** ***
(RE: Hiroshima (Not) Remembered)
Dear Bob,
The works of Johann Christoph Arnold
often make me wonder what ever made me think I could write!
He fills his articles with such depth of feeling; and his
observations so often reflect what I feel, or have felt,
that I ponder upon the possibility that we were separated at
birth! (metaphysically speaking, of course)
I, too, remember when the first atom
bomb was dropped, not the actual event, but the fear and
terror that was reflected upon the faces and in the voices
of those around me. Like the author, I was five years old;
and my father had been drafted the previous year. When
Hiroshima was bombed, my dad was in Italy; his
eighteen-year-old brother had just lost a leg in battle in
Belgium; his next older brother was in the South Seas; my
mother's older brother was in the Phillipines; so the war
was not just something about which we read in the papers, or
saw on the black and white newsreels. My family had a
tremendous involvement in it.
That hot, sunny day in August, 1945,
is stamped upon my memory, too. I recall the face of my
Aunt Arno as she cried, as she predicted that the whole
world was going to be "burnt up." I remember clinging to
my mother, looking up at her face, trying to find
reassurance there. What I saw was fear.
Today, fifty-eight years later, I
can only imagine the horror and disbelief all the survivors
of the bombing endured. I suspect that those who died had
no time to reflect upon anything. After witnessing so many
wars and conflicts, police actions, invasions, and other
manifestations of war during my lifetime, I don't believe
that the time will ever come when all peoples of the world,
as we know it today, will be free of conflict.
My only hope is that the Creator,
who willed this magnificent creation into being, will
somehow touch the hearts of those who are bent upon
destroying it. Therein lies my comfort. To take a
wonderful thought out of context and to paraphrase it: He
who began a good work will not see it come to
nothing.......My paraphrase only.
Thank you, Johann Christoph Arnold,
for reminding us today of the consequences of yesterday.
Barbara Elliott Carpenter
www.bec.newsmoose.com
*** *** *** *** ***
RE: My Little Country Church)
Enjoyed Betty Jo Mings so much.
Always enjoy Starfish, I've known this for quite a long
time. Thanks Bob for the work you do. And I do appreciate
you. Leona
*** *** *** *** ***
(RE: Grandma Chinn)
Bob,
Barbara, is a jewel and wonderful
writer! We go back a long way, coming from the same Writer's
Round Table group. This story shows how descriptive her
writing is and how she has an ability to describe in such
accuracies each detail of her memories.
Betty King
Website www.betty.newsmoose.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blessings to you.
Bob Johnston
Minneapolis
Starfish @ Ripplemaker.com
|
