I am accustomed to watch on Sunday mornings livestream of Jimmy Swaggart's church services. This past Sunday his son made mention that right after the service they were invited to attend the memorial service of Dr. Charles Stanley that very day. See, when Holy Spirit speaks something to you through another you tend to perk up your ears so to speak and listen. Afterwards, I began to search out if the service would be shared "live" and it was scheduled to do so. I bookmarked it and had to remember that it would take place eastern time zone so to coordinate with the time zone in which I reside. I had the website already on my computer just waiting for the time to begin and then I would watch.
I watched and the only words to describe it were that was beautiful. I was so very moved by this service I even placed a comment that day. I had been to his church when I lived in the Atlanta region and that is where I picked up that day when I was there a 30-day type of prayer guide devotional for the month. Tucked inside that I found the prayer "How to Pray for a President." I have prayed this prayer for President Obama, President Trump and for some reason it sort of went generic at one point and I have been called back to pray this prayer specifically for President Trump and I still do pray it. Do I understand the why for now? No, but I do understand the Holy Spirit unction or urging me to pray in this fashion now. When I do not understand I just yield to Holy Spirit because He knows and that is just fine with me.
When I helped oversee a local frozen yogurt establishment in Dunwoody years ago, I could have sworn that just maybe Dr. Stanley came in one day for frozen yogurt. I was a little bit timid back then and it was this thought that maybe it was him the thought came to me as he was leaving. I remembered seeing him drive away in the parking lot in a red truck. I thought to myself no, a big-time preacher would surely not be driving a pickup truck and then dismissed any further though that it was him that came in that day for frozen yogurt. Imagine that. That same very establishment is where I met some of the best customers that lived in that lovely community. I actually made friends with a few. When they would come in, we would talk and even pray together. Yes, ministry taking place in a frozen yogurt business. One of my customers told me about a great Greek bakery they would go to. I eventually visited that bakery and became friends with the proprietor. When in the Atlanta region I still sometimes stop and visit with her and of course, bring home some Greek cookies to share. She would often times send spanakopita or a cheese type of Greek dish with me for me to give to my mother and she would just give it as a gift for me to give to her. You should stop by the next time you are at Dr. Charles Stanley's church to see if they are open. Her bakery is right next door to the church. It is an old Waffle House converted to her bakery. My sister even brought some of the Greek cookies with her to our mother's Celebration of Life luncheon to put with pastries we made for the dessert table.
I am not rambling on, there is purpose in my sharing today. I was placed at that location years ago for connection purposes and the greatest connection was the prayer I took with me about praying for a President of the United States of America. I do not pretend to know the deep things of God behind why I am praying this prayer strategically being prayed currently. I hear my Father's voice via Holy Spirit nudging me to pray in this manner and that suffices me. Maybe one day He will reveal deeper understanding as to the why, timing and how of this manner in which I am praying. Until then, I continue to pray in obedience.
You know, when I need to refresh, I will take on a creative project and the most recent one was painting 2 metal doors (front door & garage door entrance to the inside) where I reside. I did not like the way they looked when I moved in so I requested of the owner if they purchased the paint for metal doors, I would paint them for them. They obliged me and bought me the paint. There was also the interior portion of the metal patio doors in which I painted also. I like the challenge but really love the freshly painted look. No fancy color but it looks clean and revived and that makes me a happy camper so to speak. My patio is being filled with plants both in patio pots and hanging plants. I found the other day @ Walmart already planted with green beans already growing and the same for cucumbers. I purchased both and placed them in hanging baskets that are now placed on shepherd's hooks. I planted a cherry tomato plant in a hanging basket along with another type of cherry tomato plant. I have to plant in a deck type of container made for a deck rail a red pepper plant, chocolate mint, along with 2 more cucumber plants I received in the mail as replacement plants that were guaranteed last year when they did not grow for me like they should have. I planted a gardenia tree in a bigger pot in which I may place in the front yard along with the hibiscus and Hosta plants that are coming back to life from being dormant in the winter months. My chives are growing nicely, and my dill is coming up from the seeds I planted this year. I have curly parsley growing also.
Well after the fact I found out the HOA where I live says you cannot plant things in the ground because it is hard for the landscapers to cut the grass. Uh oh, a neighbor told me about that after the fact. Close to the back yard fence area I planted lavender, a lily bulb and a peony bulb also. I purchased this little white fencing that is flexible to place and fits around each one so as to mark it to not cut it down. Let's see if the bulbs actually produce what I planted. The lavender is really growing nicely. Oh, I also have 2 lily plants blooming in a patio container I planted them in last year. The only thing different this year is my mother is no longer here but in heaven so I cannot send her pictures of how the garden will look this year like I did every year. She would then share my pictures with family and friends. So, I guess I will have to just share those pictures with you all if that is ok. Can you tell I am a person that is really a city girl raised but loves the country atmosphere and actually moved away from the city noise and lights to be refreshed in the country air setting.
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