She's on the Upper Road

Well things are nice and wet this morning after the rain last night. I sat on the patio this morning, with my cup of coffee and enjoyed the peace and quiet of living in the country and praying the weather will continue this way all through the summer. I don’t think I can stand another dry hot summer like last year! If it were not for air conditioning I would have thought we were in hell.

I am having a good time studying the bible these days. I have to have a schedule to do that in order for me to get in a routine. So I am reading Psalm 119 throughout this month. It is the longest Psalm of them all. 176 verses!!! And I have prayed that God would speak to me every day through the verses. And yes, God will speak to anyone through reading the Bible. If they would really seek him wholeheartedly, he will. I will promise you that. I can give testimony after testimony of that!

So yesterday in verse 1, it says, “You’re blessed when you stay on course; walk steadily on the road revealed by God”. Okay, with that verse God said to me, “Take one step at a time, don’t worry what you’re going to do. He will show you as you go.” I wrote that down in my journal.

Well, then this morning before I read Ps. 119:2, I read the devotional in Streams in the Desert. I was shocked. It had the verse, “Wherever you go, your way will be opened up before you step by step” There it was a confirmation of what God was saying yesterday, and it continued on to today!

There was this poem too.

I’m going by the Upper Road

For that still holds the sun

I’m climbing through the night’s pastures

Where the starry rivers run

If you should think to seek me

In my old dark abode

You’ll find this writing on the door

“He’s on the Upper Road” (she's on the Upper Road - hmm with Jesus?)

                            (unknown)

Isn’t that beautiful? Well, you will find Lois on the Upper Road.

That’s all for today, folks. I must read more, This is very interesting

Rainy Days & Starry Nights and Floresville Opry

"Rainy Days and Starry Nights" started out over 10 years ago, when I started writing it for the Floresville Chronicle Journal here in Floresville. My daddy took the Chronicle Journal all his adult life, until he died in 1984. Then my mother continued to take it, until she died in 1994. They subscribed to the paper for over 62 years. After that I began to subscribe to it also. The Chronicle Journal was like a part of our family. My daddy always liked Sam Fore, I think mainly because he was a Democrat like my daddy! (read the chapter called "Daddy was a Democrat" in my book, Rainy Days and Starry Nights"-you can get it at the Wilson County News).
I began this story this way, because I was thinking of ceasing to write my column for the Wilson County News. I have written several hundred columns and was thinking I was running out of things and people to write about. I have written about my family, my husbands family, my daddy's family, my mother's family, and their ancestors and also about people in Wilson County, Floresville, Poth, Sutherland Springs, La Vernia, and San Antonio. I have written about buildings, dances, peanut thrashing time, the Peanut Festival, and Poth High School.
So I was thinking I had just about run out of things and people to write about. My heart just was not in it like it used to be. After my accident (falling down some steps and shattering my foot and knocking a big knot on my head and going through all that last December and January),  I am not able to get around like I used to. It would be easier for people to come to my house for my interviews. I had just about made up my mind one day to make the call that would tell the paper, I would not be writing my column any more. But I sent in one last story, not about a person, but about a crape myrtle bush in my back yard. I had written the story in one of my blogs. I love the story, but would anyone else like it? I didn't care, because I loved writing it.
The next day I was going to call Elaine, my publisher to tell her, I quit.
But something happened before I made that call. That morning I received an email from a reader that I think was sign of what I was to do.
This is what it said:
Hi,
My name is Cheryl Reeves and I live in Dilley, Texas. We take the Wilson County News and I always read your column.You bring memories to life and it's like you are telling people to slow down and enjoy everything around you for some day it won't be there.I'm 68 and my husband is 83.I have told my son, since they were little boys - to love and enjoy what you have and look and see all the beautiful things around you.Most people now a days are in too big a hurry. Life goes by fast enough, slow down.
I want to thank you so much for your column, it's a breath of fresh air and remembrances. I also want to say I do hope you are doing better. Be strong and believe and keep watching those crepe myrtle trees, for they are so beautiful.
 Thank you
Cheryl Reeves
Thank your Cheryl for those kind words!
Then the next thing happened was that I saw my brother Bob Zook later that day at my brother, Lawerence Zook's birthday party.
Bob took me aside and told me,"Hey I wanted to tell you that I sure liked your column in the paper this week about the crape myrtle tree. I sure could relate to what your were writing about, after what we have been through these last months".
Thanks you Bob!!! What was even more amazing about that, was that I know Bob likes to read my columns, even though Bob has given me more stories about him and his growing up days, than any of my relatives!!! And a lot of them are about him! He has taken a lot of ribbing from his friends about them. Bob hasn't told me often that he really liked my column in the paper. Especially if it was about him! So, for him to tell me that, was amazing because of the timing! Was this a sign from God too?
Two people in one day?
So, for now I am still writing. I will tell you all when I am through!
By the way, I will probably be at the Florsville Opry next week, on the 4th of July! It's going to be an awesome night of old time country music, dancing, and good time to see all your old friends, who you haven't seen in a long time. Last Opry, I found out my old friend, Elsie Buchanan was there and I didn't get to see her! Elsie is a good friend of Pat Johnson Fox of the band "PLAYING TO WIN".  This is the house band for the Opry.  I first met Elsie in 1949 when she and I worked for Rowles Sale Co. on Hoefgen St. in San Antonio. We were both young single girls fresh out of high school. We became friends after that, married, and had a bunch of kids each. Then we lost touch and finally reunited about 10 years ago. I hope she is there July 4th.
 

Remembering dances long ago

Well, it supposed to rain today! Yay! But so far we have had nary a drop! They are forecasting flash floods tonight. I hope they are right.
It feels so good to have that heavy boot off my foot. But it still hurts to walk on it. I went to the Dollar Store yesterday afternoon for some things ( I rather go there than to HEB...it is so big and crowded and hard to find a parking space). When I got home, Julie was supposed to be ready and we were going to the Floresville Opry at 5:00 to get a good table. It was to start at 6:00. Janie came to our house to go with us, and when we got there at 5:00 we still couldn't find a table near the dance floor. We like to watch the country western dancers! Margaret got there late, about 6:20 and our friends Lee Schultz and Dee Day, and a couple of their friends got there about 5 after 6:00. We had such a good time. There were 7 of us. Janie, and the other two couples really had a good time. We left about 8:15 because we wanted to go the tail end of Pastor Bennie's birthday party and the church.
We got home around 9:30 and although we were happy and contented after having such a good time, I was extremely tired, and my foot hurt so badly. I immediately went to bed! Left Julie up to do her usual ritual before going to bed. Jack can't jump up on her bed, after his surgery, so she put his "doggie bed" by her bed on the floor and he was content and slept there all night. He is such a good dog. Sweet.
It was so nice to see all my friends from the Historical Society last night. It has been almost 3 months since I have seen most of them. It was at our meeting in Nov. l love history, so I missed seeing my friends who have the same interest I do. Last night at the Opry, while listening to the singers and the music, I got pretty nostalgic at times...remember my younger days, in my teens and when I used to love to listen to those old songs they sang last night. "Westfalia Waltz", "I Love You Because" by Leon Payne, "I Fall to Pieces", "Crazy Arms" and "Cold Cold Heart" (was that by Patsy Cline?)> and two of my favorites, "Jackson" and "Your Cheating Heart"...and April Hall and this guy from the band sang "Jackson" almost as good as Johnny and Julie Carter Cash did.
Margaret and I sat there and reminisced the times we used to dance to those old tunes with our husbands, Eddie and Johnny ...the Wauson Brothers. They liked to dance too.
When the band started playing the Cotton-eyed Joe, and the Schottish, two of me and Margaret's old time favorite dances, I remembered the fun times we used to have dancing those dances, and also my kiddos and their kiddos, my grandchildren, love to dance.
At times sitting there listening to the music and songs and watching the people dancing the waltz, two steps and polkas, I got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, as I remembered the good times.

ALMOST THERE

I am almost there! Tomorrow I go to the orthopedic doctor. I am hoping I can get this heavy boot off my foot! I am praying he gives me the okay to walk with out it and a walker. Well, I have been walking around the house without the walker! For a week. I feel more independent. I can carry a cup of coffee from the kitchen to my office walking and holding the cup in my hand. I can also carry two cups of coffee in both hands. Isn't that a grand thing? To me it is! I will never take things for granted again.

I want to write about my daughter Julie. I think this has made me appreciate more what she goes through on a daily basis. And has gone through for almost 30 years. But it has been slow, and she has had a mother pushing her all the way. Ha. All her life she has wanted to give up when it was too hard. Like when she took sewing in Homemaking in Jr. Hi. I would hear her in the bedroom trying to sew a skirt on my sewing machine. I say "hear her" because she would be yelling and crying and saying "I can't do this!" I came in the room and consoled her and tried to help her guide the needle through the cloth, as the tears flowed. She kept saying she wanted to give up. She passed Homemaking that year, but just barely. She never went near a sewing machine again.

And that is just one of the stories I have to tell about how I have been a pushy mother. I admit it. Let's say I am encourager. I don't want my children to ever give up on the dream they have.

In 1994, when Julie and Mike divorced, Julie and her caregiver Mickey moved into a little 2-bedroom apartment. Julie was still in a wheelchair, and Mickey was doing mostly everything for Julie, because that is what had always been done. I got Julie back into therapy, and told the therapists I knew Julie could walk. That was our goal, for Julie to walk. And Julie did walk. It was hard for Mickey to break old habits..she told me so. But she did. She wanted Julie to become independent too. 

Finally Julie bought a nice 3-bedroom, 2-bath home. Mickey moved to Georgia near our good friend Mildred, and started nursing school. Julie lived alone with a caregiver coming 4 hours a day.
The last 8 years Julie has lived with us....or I have lived with Julie for the last 5 years. She has a caregiver 5 days a week. But she has come so far.

Since I have been hurt and had be "disabled" with first a wheelchair and then a walker, Julie has been wanting to take care of me. She is always asking me if I want her to bring me something. Several times when I am sitting in my lounge chair watching TV, she comes in with some goody on her rolling tray for me to eat! If I say I need something from the kitchen and start to get up, she will say, "Don't get up, Mom. I will get it!" and before I can even move she has raised her electric lounge chair and stood up, and walked in the kitchen with her cane, slowly, I might say and got what I was going to get, bringing it back to me on her rolling tray

Last night she got up to go in the kitchen. I heard her and asked what she was doing. She said she wanted some Honey Nut Cheerios. She asked if I wanted some too. I said I did. She said she was just going to eat hers plain with no milk. But I wanted milk. She said okay. Later she came in rolling the tray, limping, and with the cereal box, a bottle of milk, two spoons and two bowls on the tray. She helped me pour the cereal in the bowl, I poured the milk, then she went back to her chair and poured the cereal into her bowl, then went back in the kitchen to put the milk back in the fridge, and cereal on the counter and pushed the rolling cart back in place. By the time she came back to the living room, (remember she is slow), I had already eaten most of my cereal.I had a warm feeling come over me, as I saw the look on her face, that she had accomplished something by herself.

I could see she was feeling so good about herself. You know when you help someone else, it makes you feel good. I think Julie is "paying it forward". And she always did have a compassionate heart.

Tim Tebow vs. Roger Staubach

Tim Tebow vs. Roger Staubach

I have always been a sports fan since I was a young girl on the farm. I was athletic (voted most athletic girl my senior year in high school), a tomboy (I could throw a hay bale on the wagon right along with my brothers and daddy).

And played on our country softball team at Kasper School (one of just two girls on the team of boys). If you want to read the whole story, read the chapter called “Sports and Softball Dreams in my book “Rainy Days and Starry Nights.”

I have followed football - high schools, college and Pro football all my life. I still do.

So last Sunday I was watching TV, the Denver Broncos playing the Pittsburg Steelers. What a game! When Pittsburg tied the game and they had to go into overtime I was heartbroken. See, I am a Denver football fan. When the cowboys are not playing, I like Denver. Mainly I like watching Tim Tebow. What a quarterback! And what an example of a man! Reminds me of Roger Staubach. Even though Staubach doesn't talk often about his faith, he is a Christian and a good moral man, worthy of having your sons look up to him.

Tebow comes from a strong Christian family, having been raised in a missionary family. He believes in God and only wants to give glory to God. He doesn’t believe in giving glory to Him if they win, just for guiding him and helping him do what he does and doing it well.

Well I was sorta nervous, in one way I was thinking, after they won the toss and was to receive, they can do this! But then I was chicken and was afraid to watch it. I am not a good loser. I want to win. So when Pittsburg lined up to kick off, I didn’t want to watch. I was a coward. So I turned to another channel!

And everyone knows what happened! I missed it! On the first play, Tebow threw a long pass to Demaryius Thomas and Thomas caught the ball, for an 80-yard touchdown to win the game! I was so mad at myself! Why didn’t I trust Tebow enough to believe he could do it? I would have never turned the TV off if that had been Roger Staubach! I never ever doubted he could save the Cowboys. He always did too!

Maybe because Roger was older than Tebow is now? I don’t know. He seems so young. If he does as well this Sunday, maybe I won’t turn the game off in the future when it is a close game. Right now, my heart just can’t take it. But maybe God won’t mind if I pray that Tim Tebow throws another “hail-Mary” pass like he did Sunday to win the game”.

Going to church

I was thinking about going to church this morning (being absent since before Thanksgiving), but since I just graduated from a wheelchair to a walker 4 days ago, and am still kinda shaky on that thing, I think I should stay home. It's a long way to walk. Hopefully next week I can walk that far! With this big boot (brace) on my foot that weighs a ton, I feel safer at home for now.
So I will have my own time with God this morning, as I play some praise and worship music and read my Bible, and get in the Spirit and see what God has for me this Sunday. He will tell me something I am sure! Wish someone was here to join me. But if not, I don't mind being alone, because Jesus is my comforter and Father and husband, and all things I want Him to be.
I can find God in everything.
Like that full moon last night reminded me of the nights that fall and winter of 1950 when Eddie and I were going together. We had become engaged 4 weeks after we started dating. We were so in love and planning our marriage. He didn't have a car, so our dates were on the bus, or walking down cold streets at night talking about our future, with our arms around each other, bundled up against the cold.
So later on when I finally am healed, I hope God shows me the good things that have come out of this time in my life. I know He will. He already has shown me some treasures!
I hope God talks to you all this Sunday .... I trust that He will and me too.

TWO WHITE DOVES A SIGN FROM GOD

When our pastor in charge of community groups in our church, in 1989, asked Eddie and me to become“lay pastors” and start holding weekly meetings in our home This was First United Church of Bedford, which was on Airport Freeway between Ft. Worth and Dallas. It was a big church of over 2000 and had over 50 community groups all over the Metroplex, which met in homes once a week.

We were praying about whether to do this but we had not come an agreement between us. Eddie was hesitant to be lay pastors, and I was saying “Yes, let’s do it.”

So we decided to take a weekend road trip to get away by ourselves and seek God for an answer.

We had driven up into Oklahoma, taking leisurely side trips down back roads to check out interesting towns and buildings.

That night we checked into a motel in a small town in Oklahoma. Before going to bed that night we decided to pray together. First Eddie prayed then I prayed. We both were asking the Lord to tell us what we should do about taking on this important job in our church. I ended my prayer by asking the Lord to send us a sign if He wanted us to be Lay Pastors. If He was saying “yes” I asked Him to send us a white dove for a confirmation. If we saw a white dove we would know He was confirming it to us. If not, we would know it was not time.

Next morning we headed back to Texas but then suddenly one of us said, “Why don’t we go to East Texas?” and turned east to head that way. About an hour later, we were driving through a small town, and spied a “garage sale” sign across the railroad tracks. Well we drove around that town and never saw a garage sale.

But as we driving down the last street, we spied an old brick bank building that was restored into an antique place. We got out and went in. It was packed full of antiques and collectibles. The ceiling was high and the place was beautiful.

Suddenly we heard a sound like “who-who-who” or maybe “coo-coo-coo” We looked to the ceiling looking for maybe an owl. Then we heard the sound right near the door as we stood there. We turned to the sound and our mouths dropped open!

There stood a 4 ft. cage with two of the most beautiful white doves I had ever seen!

We looked at each other laughing and I said, “Well I guess there is our answer!”

Eddie said smiling, ‘Yes one for you and one for me!”

The rest of the trip we didn’t even think about what the future held, because God had shown us that He was going to be with us every step of the way. And for many years God sent a white dove when I was praying and wondering if God even heard me.

That day He provided us with two doves to make sure we saw them!

A week later my son Trent sent me a beautiful silk flower arrangement for my birthday. The florist had added two white doves to the flowers. Trent said he didn't tell him to do that! I guess the Lord had told the florist to do that for me!! That week I had two or three birthday cards with two white doves on them! Sometimes God needs to bombard us with something when He wants so get our attention! These last 25 years God has sent me white doves when He wants me to know He is in my presence!

We started our community group with 4 people. We were lay pastors of the group for 4 years and it grew to 40 people. So many people were saved, healed, delivered, and were ministered to and all became very close friends and members of our family. Our house became a house of prayer for many years.

Picture: Someone gave me this Christmas ornament that year. Two white doves in a white cage. Almost exactly like the ones we saw that day.

Eddie and me when we were lay pastors at First United Methodist Church in Bedford, Tx.