Played It By Ear

Roger and I had wanted to take a big vacation this summer........but between several things that went on, that didn't happen as we planned.

We were dealing with "things" in our family.........I lead a ladie's retreat......we had VBS......the first of the summer, we were both going through PT.............

FINALLY.....we settled down on a Thursday night and started looking at somewhere to do.  On the spur of the moment, we decided to go to Kitty Hawk, NC.  Twenty-one years ago when we first went to our church, one of our church members was from the Outer Banks and kept telling us we needed to go one day.  Every summer Mrs. Hattie would spend two months in the Outer Banks.

We booked it on Thursday night and left Sunday after church.  Drove part of the ten hours and stopped and on Monday went the rest of the way.  We only had three nights to stay there.  We rented a VRBO from a very nice couple.  When we arrived they asked us what were our goals and plans...............we told them we had NO IDEA....we just needed to get away before school started.

In three short days..........we woke up and walked the beach every morning, picking up large shells for our grandkids.  When it started getting hot, we went back to our room and changed clothes to begin our adventures for the day.  

We played it by ear.

I forgot to mention.....when we left.......there was a man, who the family had already asked Roger to preach his funeral, who had days to live.  So....ladies....you know how it is.  We left on our ten hour drive knowing that at ANY minute, we may be packing up and heading back for a funeral.

We saw the Wright Brother's memorial, etc.
We saw some light houses.
We saw the wild horses running the beaches.
We ate plenty of fresh seafood (our favorite)

AND....we had a WONDERFUL, relaxing trip.  It is definitely one of our favorite vacations of the past 39 years.  We had NO PLANS....we played it by ear.

We saw the sign pointing in the direction of the actual town that Mrs. Hattie was from, but regretfully, because of our limited time....we did not get to go to Okracoke Island.  Roger is talking about going back soon.

We came home and discovered a couple that we know were in Kitty Hawk Monday and left on Friday....we left on Thursday....................the same week we were there.  AND....we did almost the exact things, but never ran into each other.

However...........the other couple, had searched the internet and planned for three years everything they wanted to do.

We played it by ear.............and had no pressure and still saw the highlights.

In our busy, hectic worlds.............where we are always OVER SCHEDULED, it was refreshing to us to HAVE NO PLANS.  (I know everyone is different and for some of you, that would have stressed you out.........but it was prefect for us.)

If you have never been to the Outer Banks...........I would like to encourage you to go.  Especially to Kitty Hawk.  It was non-commercialized and very refreshing.  A very quaint place......and as WE ALL KNOW...........ministers and wives sometimes just want to GET AWAY.

We Made It!

HAPPY 39 YEARS to my BEST FRIEND....Roger.....August 3,1979. 

Whewwww............this has been the most difficult year of our 39 years.  We have faced things and obstacles that we never dreamed we would ever face.

Just to name a few.......

• We've survived some "old age" health issues.
• We've survived unfaithfulness within our family. Not us....but another)
• We've survived a very serious issue with one of our children.
• We've survived the loss of my husband's secular job.
• We've survived the divorce of one of our children.

BUT....together....WE MADE IT!   I would not have wanted to gone through everything with anyone else.

Don't you LOVE the peach with the red carpet in our 39 year old wedding picture below?  

If you will look closely at the back of the picture..........you will see the two ministers that married us........my dad on the left and Roger's dad on the right.  Both of them are celebrating with us together in heaven.

Remembering and Celebrating Summer

She blows the whistle with three short puffs to signal the other guards. Then all the lifeguards together blow one loud, long, blow signaling the end of free swim and the beginning of the 10 minute rest break.

The children scamper out of the shallow end and away from the line for the diving board to meet on beach towels and eat small snacks around the perimeter of the local, public pool.

It was 5 o'clock yesterday and somehow that whistle seemed extra lonesome as I found myself wishing that sound somehow wasn't symbolically signaling the end to my summer.

I know that by the calendar, summer has over a month left. Here in Tennessee we can and will have summer type temperatures and weather patterns clear into November. (Or we could trick-or-treat in snow!) Summer, by many standards, is far from over -but according to my rising 10th grader, none of those indicators really matter.

School starts on Monday.

Dance classes for my daughter starts next week too.

Bedtime enforcements, packed lunchboxes, and set alarm clocks return to the norm in the Vinson house.

There's not a pumpkin-spiced anything in the cupboard - but summer is OVER.

I am not one of those moms that wish away summer for school to start and the kids to be out of the house once again. I have loved listening to the play, to the giggles and to the squeals. Yes, in all honesty and complete transparency, the bickering, the fighting, and the crying do get old - but in the grand scheme, they are worth the price of admission to get the time, to make the memories and to relish in the blessings.

We went on trips. We visited with friends and families. We tried new recipes in the kitchen. We had adventures. We did new things.

It has been a great summer and I am honestly sad to see it end.

Yes, I have missed my little friends and co-workers at the church weekday preschool and I am excited to see them all again next week, but for now, I am more than a little blue to turn the calendar page to August.

I understand the need of structure, school and routine. God set up the seasons, but He also instituted holidays to break from the mundane and remember.

In the Old Testament, He set up festivals and times to acknowledge His goodness and provision. Passover is an example of how the Israelites were supposed to commemorate how God had delivered them from the Egyptians and to celebrate their freedom from slavery.

In the New Testament, Jesus calls on His followers to regularly partake of the "Lord's Supper" to remember His ultimate sacrifice for us and to celebrate the end of our slavery to sin.

This summer has held a bit of both remembering and celebrating for me. As I've had a break from the school year routine, I have had the opportunity to do both. I have tried to be intentional to remember God's gracious goodness and thank Him for the bountiful blessings that have filled these summer days with joy. I have also been intentional to stop and to soak up the slower place, leaving something undone and realizing that it really isn't a necessity. I have relished time in Bible Study and relaxing around that same pool with good Christian sisters too.

It is the structure, school and routine that make me appreciate the summer so very much. So, as this season ends, and the next one begins, I want to be intentional this last weekend to remember and celebrate - to let summer linger and last as my family transitions back into the busy.

I don't know when summer ends for you. Maybe you haven't had a whole season, but maybe a week's or weekend's vacation. Maybe your kids have already returned to school Regardless, take the time to remember and celebrate His goodness and His grace.

Who's Teaching Who What?

I am LOVING my Friday Ladies' Bible Study at church. 

I have shared a little about it on here, but in case you didn't catch that post, let me catch you up a little- 

I was asked to lead a monthly gathering for the women of our church. The first, informational meeting came and I gathered a few notes and met with about eight ladies. 

We made a plan. We would study the women of the Bible. We would meet once a month, on a Friday morning. And, we would not have any homework.

After we set the next month's date, the ladies began comparing their ages. I am SO glad they waited until I was through before they determined that exactly half of them were in their 80s and that I was the youngest there by at least 25 years. Had I known all of this beforehand, I would have been completely intimidated and would have gone into our meeting feeling completely inadequate. 

As I took the next month to prep and pray for our next meeting, God helped me set my insecurities aside. Together, we all had a great time, opening God's word and all of us learning new things. 

Last Friday was our most recent meeting. There were 13 of us gathered in the choir room. We had our Bibles open for an hour and a half. No one seemed to mind. God was teaching all of us.

Some of the ladies related more to Naomi, while others stated that Ruth was the one they seemed to have more in common with. The first chapter of an Old Testament story that we were all confident in saying we were familiar with, was what God was using to speak His truth to us in fresh waves. We could see God's providence and sovereignty displayed despite Naomi's blindness brought on through understandable bitterness. 

Every time I am with these ladies, I am inspired by their faith and their insatiable desire to continue growing in it. I am reminded that this race we are running is indeed a marathon and that we will only see its finish line with the return of our Lord. I take hope in how God has grown and sown perseverance into their lives, knowing that He will do the same in mine. 

If our Lord tarries in His second coming and He sees it fit that I live into my 80s on this earth, I want to be like these women in so many ways. I want to be teachable. I want to be encouraging. I want to be growing in my understanding of who God is and how He works. 

He is that big. These ladies prove it. I can follow Him faithfully decade after decade, watching todays melt into yesterdays, trusting His promises and testifying to His faithfulness. 

How are these foundations of faith grown? 

• By daily choosing to increase Him and decrease me . . . 
• By taking rouge, sinful thoughts captives and replacing them with His words of Truth. . . 
• By being obedient even when it's hard and especially when I don't feel like it. . . 
• By resting in the knowledge that He is with me, helping me, recreating me all along the way, not wasting an experience, heartache or tear . . .

These sweet ladies are teaching me so much. I am SO thankful for our sweet time tougher. They may call me the teacher, but I know I am the one being taught!

My Simple, Pink Journal

For Christmas, my assistant at work gifted me a simple, pink journal. The pages are lined with blanks for the day's date in the upper corner. It has an elastic band to hold the faux-leather cover closed. On that cover, the words "Amazing Ideas" are decoratively embossed into the grain. The book size is small enough to slip into my purse but big enough to effectively write some "amazing ideas" within.

The note that accompanied the sweet gift made it all the sweeter. She wrote that she felt I had some "amazing ideas" and that she had thought of me when she saw my simple journal. I decided that I would indeed use my new journal to write "amazing ideas," but what my dear friend may not have known, was that I knew the ideas that could and would fill these blank pages would probably not be exclusively my own.

From social media posts to sermon notes, from my daily scripture reading to more intense Bible study, God impresses His truth upon me all the time - if I would only open my eyes to see and my ears to hear. He does indeed speak to me. He does show me things . . .

My simple, pink journal has become my central point for writing down quotes, phrases and passages that God seems to be pressing on my heart. Organized only by filling in the blanks for the dates, I can thumb through and see evidence of God speaking to me.

You know, the kind of things I'm talking about - those comments that the writer or speaker says that resonates with your current situation and you find yourself mentally saying, "Amen!" or "Ooh! That's good!" or "I need to remember that!" or "I should write that down somewhere!"

I have finally found a place to do just that - write it down somewhere. . .

Just this morning, I found myself near tears from work stress and longing for one more week of summer. I opened my planner and realized that it was my turn to blog. What should I write about? I want to be transparent and honest and honestly, I just wasn't feeling I had anything to say. I was feeling lots though - stressed and overwhelmed with work, sad that summer is ending, longing for more time to spend with my kids, hurting for a couple I know that is hurting. I wasn't feeling I had anything to offer . . .

So, I opened my simple, pink journal - surely there I would find inspiration; I would find something to write. . . .

Instead, I found where I had written words of Truth, spoke to my heart, through scripture and other believers to me . . .

This is the first quote my eyes fell on:

"When God seems silent, trust His promises more than your perceptions." - Jon Bloom

And then flipping a few pages back, there was this one:

"Turns out, coming to the end of ourselves (energy, resources, savvy, wisdom, or strength) is great freedom. It's where we exchange our frantic peace-keeping for His perfect peace-giving . . .  In admitting our insufficiency, we find joy and strength in His all sufficiency." -Ruth Chow Simmons

Here's one more:

"The fight of faith is fought with the promises of God. And the fight of faith is the same as the fight to walk by the Spirit. He works when we are resting in his promise." - John Piper

Through these quotes, I have been reminded that God is bigger than and is still with me in the midst of all of these feelings . . . The words that I copied down then, are still speaking to me now. . .

This morning, I now find myself thanking God for these truths and for the simple truth that the Creator of the Universe is the Lover of my soul AND that He speaks to me. My feelings are completely altered. My outlook on this day has changed. My attitude is hopeful. I am feeling better.

If one of your to-do lists tasks this August is like mine - to shop for, buy and organize a gazillion school supplies for some kids and/or teachers you love - add a simple journal to your shopping basket. It doesn't have to be pink, but it could be a valuable tool you use to remind you that God is speaking to you and to record what He is saying . . . You just might find yourself needing that reminder every once in awhile like I did this morning . . .

Grace Under Fire

Seventeen years ago, I after completing high school, I finally received my college degree.  It was difficult juggling marriage, a high school son and a junior high son, attending ALL their ballgames and helping with homework, plus encouraging my husband who was in his doctorate studies, and managing all the housework and my homework.  In addition, I had to drive an hour and a half each way to attend class.  This meant leaving home early in the morning and not arriving home until 7-8 p.m.  It was exhausting.  Many days when I arrived for class, my mood and attitude was often less than Christian. Let’s just say I LIVED on Peanut M & M’s to calm my nerves. 

The workshops I took required freelance writing assignments.  These assignments were then presented before my peers and the professor for review.  For the most part, my assignments received rave reviews. However, one professor spewed venomous criticism.  Because I stood up for my Christian valves and would not write vulgar material, she regarded my work as trash.  Her words were very hurtful and damaging.  Finally, in a private meeting with her where she once again was rude and snide, I had had enough.  Quite frankly, I threw my pen down on her desk and stated my beliefs and opinions of her narrow mindedness then I left her office.  No, it was not the best way to handle the professor.  I realize now years later that she was a hurting person who need me to reflect Christ regardless of how I was treated.

Ladies, I am sure that within your churches you have faced critics who are poised to destroy you.  You take and take but eventually their words break you.  Recently, a person in our church sent out several letters to various members.  The letter was poorly written and raged against the church staff.  This person did not want salvation preached, did not believe in evangelism, and hated all the music in our services.  They wanted everything their way no matter the cost.  Funny, this person was not brave enough to sign the tirade, but the members and church staff who received it knew exactly who it was.

Sadly, this individual is known in our church as a troublemaker.  They have been asked to leave at least four other churches in our area because of their destructive nature.  For now, our church staff has decided to ignore the comments and keep following God’s leadership for the church.  The members of the church who received the letter have spoken out in support of the church staff to other members.

Although I do not go out of way to reach out to this individual, I have prayed for their heart to be convicted.  I have asked the Lord to help them realize the damage they are doing to the His Kingdom.  This person’s rage is not really directed at the staff but at God and they will one day answer for their actions. 

Girlfriends, as long as we are in ministry there will be critics.  Take a moment today to read Nehemiah 6:1-9.  It is about the opposition Nehemiah faced in rebuilding the wall.  Despite of the opposition’s attack and lies, Nehemiah kept at his God given purpose and asked the Lord to “strengthen his hands.”

May God strengthen our ministries to face whatever Satan decides to throw our way.

Please Pray!

I want to invite you to pray for me and my daughter and we prepare to go on a mission trip together in a few weeks. By God’s grace this will my fifth mission trip and her fourth.

We will be going to a community in southwestern Mexico. Our team will be working with local churches to provide humanitarian aid to families, and I’m really excited that we will be conducting Vacation Bible School during the week! How awesome that many children will be hearing the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!


My specific prayer requests are:

Safety: Please pray that the Lord will grant all of us safety in the air and on the ground as we gather to our destination, and for safety in Mexico as we serve in our daily mission assignments.

VBS: There are about thirty on our mission team and during the week we will be ministering to over a thousand children. Pray that the Lord will open up the hearts of these precious young people to hear the Gospel and that many will receive salvation!

Shoe Distribution: Not only will the children learn the Bible in VBS, but all of the kids we minister to will receive a new pair of shoes. Pray that the kids will see the visible love of Christ as this need is met in their lives.

Wisdom: Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom as we show love, compassion, understanding, and patience as we interact with the members of the community.

God’s Glory: Above all, pray that the Lord will honored and glorified in all that we do as a team during this wonderful outreach.

I thank you in advance for all of your prayers, and I again I am very excited to see what the Lord will do on this trip!

FOR HIS GLORY!!!