GodsBeauty – rootedbythewater.blog

The Potters Wheel

November 19, 2024November 19, 2024Leave a Comment

Thanks to Amy for snapping this picture of me trying out her Potters Wheel

Today I was able to experience something I’ve wanted to experience for quite a while. A couple of weeks ago Mom and I went to a Christmas craft show where a friend of mine was selling her pottery and jewelry. She is the Real Deal as she makes her bowls and pottery from clay on her potters wheel. I’ve always wanted to try it to see what it’s like.

Years ago I made Christmas ornaments with an American Sign Language (ASL) “I love you” cookie cutter. About 31 years ago I worked as a teachers assistant at a preschool for deaf children. Making the “I love you” ornaments was one of the crafts we did. Back then we made the clay from flour, salt and water. The dough always got stuck in the fingers of the cookie cutter. About 15 years ago I decided to make a bunch of the “I love you” ASL ornaments. Honestly it was rather hard and I never tried it again. I was telling my friend Amy about these ornaments and asked if she’d help me make some with clay. Today was the day when I went over and she showed me some tricks of the trade. I wasn’t sure how I’d do since my vision is worse than it was years ago. She patiently showed me how to use the tools and I brought my cookie cutters with me. I was able to do it and it was so much fun. I wanted to put my great niece and great nephews names on four of them and she did that part for me. I will go another day to paint them.

Here is one of the ornaments. Amy stenciled the name on for me.

After finishing the ornaments, I asked her about the potters wheel and she let me give it a try. Wow that is some work of art!!! It gave me a new appreciation for the work she does. She explained that the clay had to be centered and it felt a certain way when it was. It’s hard to explain and I couldn’t get it centered. She did it quickly and showed me how to make a bowl. I asked if I was doing it right and she said ”No”, but it was my creation so I could make whatever. It was a fun experience.

When I think of a Potters Wheel, I honestly think of God creating us. Take a moment to grab your Bible and look at the first eleven verses of Jeremiah chapter 18. God tells Jeremiah to go down to a potters shop and watch the potter work at the wheel shaping a jar. Look at verse 4: “But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” Jeremiah‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Today I got to experience this. As Amy was demonstrating how to make a bowl, then let me try it, mine didn’t turn out so well. She said it would break when it dried, so I asked her if I should start it over and she said “yes”. I crushed it back down and started again.

It is so incredible to experience things that symbolize God’s power to shape and mold us as His creation. He has the power to define, shape and use us for His pleasure and glory. I can honestly say I really enjoyed the experience and can only imagine the satisfaction Amy must feel when her creations turn out as she desires.

I’m not a Bucket list kind of person. I mean, I don’t actually have a “list” but there are some things I’d like to one day try and today’s experience was one of them. I have such awe of God and His artistic abilities. He is the Master Potter, the Master painter, and every other creative title you can imagine. It literally blows my mind to just think of every thing God has taken such delight in designing and making for His pleasure.

That clay can be really touch. Amy showed me how to get the air bubbles out. Pressing and adding pressure, turning it over and over. It’s kind of hard to describe. Just think of how God has to take us through times of pressure and difficulty to “get the bubbles out” The clay has to be molded just right. When doing the ornaments, she showed me how to put the clay through a presser (I don’t know what it’s called) to flatten it out just right and at the correct thickness before I could cut it. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve been through God’s Presser multiple times to get me to the right “thickness” before shaping me with the cookie cutter of His choice. That’s the beauty of creating something.

We are God’s creation. I’ve often struggled with the question of. “Why did you make me this way?” Having both hearing and visual difficulties due to having nerves that don’t work as they should. On top of that, passing it along to my son. I t has been one of the pressing / cutting things in life. Here’s where the BUT GOD comes in. Psalms 139: 13‬-‭14‬ says, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”(NLT) It’s not too fun to be so unique but who am I to tell my Creator how to make me? I get put through a Presser of challenging situations quite often. I’m learning to see them before they come and say a prayer, “God this is the part I don’t like and I’m going to need Your help to shine through this for You glory.” I hope in some way He is glorified through my attempts.

Tomorrow will be another one of those Pressers. Tomorrow I will go to my friend Tami’s house and help with the cooking for RiceNBeans ministry for our homeless friends in Rock Hill. The cooking is fun and we talk and catch up. When it’s time to head to Rock Hill, I am out of my comfort zone. Sure I can serve up a meal but when it comes to communicating with the people I feel so inadequate. I smile and ask all I see if they would like a meal. We have been doing this since around March and many of them know I can’t hear or see really well. I can only hope and pray it encourages them to press through the situations that have them on the streets or living in shelters. Pray that being a Light for Jesus will direct them to the SOURCE of that light, which is Jesus Himself.

Sorry so long and so deep. God touches my heart through life experiences and I wanted to share with you this neat experience today. If you’d like to read my testimony you can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover, soft cover and ebook formats.) All for the glory of God.
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Seriously #3

September 3, 20241 Comment

It’s that time of year again. Over the weekend I was up in the attic getting down the Fall decorations. I got most everything put out on September 1st, but wasn’t finished with the front porch. (I know Fall doesn’t officially start for a few more weeks but I enjoy the change) There were still a few things left to put on the bakers rack on the porch, so I set them on the dining room table until I could get that done.

This morning I asked Ron if he would remove the dove nest that has been empty for a couple of months. The nest is where I put my scarecrow and with each season I always change the flowers in the pitcher. Ron went outside but came right back in and said , “The bird is back”. I was like, “Seriously this is the third time this year!” I had moved the bakers rack back to its normal place so I can’t see the nest from the window. When I went out to water my flowers, sure enough Momma Dove was back on hr nest. Geez! We might as well name our porch Nesting Dove Inn I accidentally scared her and she flew away. I figured I’d at least change out the flowers in the pitcher and put a mini scarecrow in there since my sitting scarecrow lost its spot to Little Miss Dove. Oh well, in a few weeks I can put out some pumpkins and I guess that will have to do for the Fall. Surely she won’t still be there at Christmas. But who knows….. she’s an unpredictable little thing. She does make my heart happy though so we will let her hatch her squabs in peace. It looks like there will just be one this go round.

God’s creation is a beautiful marvel. “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭(NKJV) Apparently that includes raising more squabs. I can’t really blame the little Mamma. The weather has become so nice and comfortable. Happy September to you all! Be blessed
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Morning Squab Fun

July 6, 2024Leave a Comment

Opening the dining room blinds this morning, I noticed the Squabs (baby Mourning Doves) were very active and have grown so much. I grabbed my iPad to video them. They are such a wonder to observe. They really do make my heart happy. The Momma Dove sits all regal while her Squabs “carry on” with their activity. It is truly the neatest thing to watch.

Yesterday when I looked out the window, the Momma had left the nest but the Squabs were there. I told my husband Ron, the Momma was possibly watching from somewhere in the yard. I’m guessing from their size, they may be near the time to leave the nest. I was telling my Mom about them yesterday and mentioned how I’d like to clean the front porch once they have learned to fly and leave the nest. I told her, “ I’m going to put a pause to any more “dovey” reproduction plans until I get my porch cleaned. “ Every time I get ready to pressure wash the porch we see a new nest. They are messy but they are also worth the mess with how precious they are.

Life is like that in so many ways. Sometimes our “plans” are put on hold for whatever reason. We have to wait until the “busy squab-messy” season has transitioned to resume a “normal” life. (If there is such a thing) We are in a season like that. Our son moved back home in April and has been in a full time Massage Therapy program. He has given up driving and sold his car, due to his visual issues. He’s trying out his hearing aids once again to see if they might help him understand better in class. That’s yet to be seen. He hears some voices better than others. I am so proud of him. He’s not perfect, far from it actually (but aren’t we all) but he has humbled himself and is doing his best with what he has. He’s learned to “laugh” at what life throws. He has a resilience and takes his frustrations out in the gym.

Like the Momma Dove, we as parents are there while he’s learning to transition and handle what life throws. He is a marvel to watch and he makes my heart smile. Ron has been so awesome with him, willing to take him wherever he needs to go. The things you do for your “squab” but it’s worth every second. God has a plan and we are trusting Him every step of the way. I will be the first to tell you, it’s not easy. It can be hard. As a parent you want to “fix things” but God is the one who is leading. Sometime we need to stay out of “His” way and just pray and trust. That’s where I am at this point.

I know God has us. He is trustworthy and won’t fail us. He has a plan and we are holding tight to His hand. God has you too! Whatever your situation, you can give it to Him and trust Him to strengthen you as you wait for His plan to unfold. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”(NLT)

If you liked this blog post, please subscribe and share. It’s interesting the way blogs come to life. I will see something, read something, or something might ha and God speaks to my heart. Those are the times I write. It usually happens once a week, sometimes more. I am coming up on my third anniversary of blogging and have posted over 200 blog posts since July 18, 2021. The blog is a continuation of my journey that I shared in my autobiography, “Rooted by the Water”. You can find it on Amazon. I am considering writing a fiction novel, but awaiting on confirmation from the Lord concerning that. We will see where He leads. Life sure does give much fodder for story line.

God bless you all and have an awesome Saturday. I will post on my Facebook page, the video I took of the Squabs this morning. Check out my page on Facebook, Rooted by the Water.
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Lessons from the garden (and Mourning Doves)

July 1, 2024Leave a Comment

Last week I took a little break from blogging but was busy observing nature. This Spring we planted Roma tomatoes, colored peppers and a cantaloupe plant in the cedar planter I got for my birthday. It has been a learning experiment, since we know nothing about growing vegetables or fruit. For a while we just watered the plants once a day but with the heat of summer, we’ve increased watering to twice a day. I go out early in the morning and my husband Ron waters them in the evening.

As we learn, we’ve added more soil, some stakes for support and stability and a short trellis for the cantaloupe vine. I never knew cantaloupe grew on a vine. The tomatoes have grown taller than I expected. When I was away on a trip with friends, Ron texted me saying they were “top heavy”. He got some small stakes and used them for support for the branches. The tomatoes quickly outgrew those small stakes, so we added some thicker taller ones.

The cantaloupe vine has grown like a weed. It was spreading under the other plants and I wondered if it would prevent the other plants from growing well. I went searching in the garage for something that might fix the problem. Seeing a short wire trellis, I found some wire cutters and cut it to a useable size for the planter corner. I placed the trellis in the corner and worked the vine onto it, and away from the other plants. I saw some flowers on the vine but no fruit. I took a picture of it and sent it to a friend who has a garden each year. She recommended just waiting to see. The next day Ron noticed a green cantaloupe growing. It’s about the size of a small apple. I never noticed it since it is camouflaged among the green leaves. I sure hope it ripens all the way. We love sweet cantaloupe.

The colored peppers are doing ok. They are growing but I only see one pepper on the three plants. It’s about the size of an egg. I use colored peppers a lot when I cook so I’m really hoping they will provide a little harvest. So far we have harvested three tomatoes with two more possibly ready to pick tomorrow. It is so fun to see our efforts pay off. Every time I go out to check on the plants I smile to myself, seeing things growing.

Isn’t that just like God as He carefully tends to us each day?Plants need water, sun light, good soil, support and care. God provides all of those things for us as we grow in Him. As I watered, I noticed one of the pepper plants roots were showing. I thought, “what in the world!” I realized that the nozzle on the hose was on a more direct setting where the water came out with too much impact. Truth can be like that. Sometimes saying the same “truth” in a more gentle way sink in and works better than truth given in an abrupt manner. (Just an observation)

As for the tomatoes, I marvel at the support they need to bear the heavy fruit on the branches. The branches themselves aren’t very thick, however they are fruitful. The first stakes we put in were not enough support, so we added the taller thicker stakes. Isn’t that somewhat like us? As we walk with the Lord and bear fruit for His glory, He sends friends, family along side us for support. Sometimes we need stronger “stakes”: extra time in prayer and God’s Word to stabilize us and keep us from wavering. Surrounding ourselves with “Prayer warrior” friends and church family is “double reinforcement”. Occasional pruning and rearranging of the plants help with growth, health and fruit. God does that with us. He rearranges things in our lives at times. Sometimes He removes people who hinder our growth. Sometimes we experience the pain of loss (pruning) but we don’t realize that He is carefully watching over us just like we are watching our raised planter. When He is concerned about an issue, He moves to resolve it. When we bear fruit, it makes His heart fill with joy. And, just because we can’t see something, doesn’t mean it’s not there. That’s just like the camouflaged cantaloupe.

There are so many incredible lessons in nature. This garden box was just an experiment but I’m hoping Ron will build me one that is bigger so we can have a fall and winter garden too. It is so neat to eat something grown from your own yard. These are lessons from the planter. Oh but what a beautiful lesson has hatched on the front porch bakers rack! Momma Mourning Dove’s second brood of squabs have hatched. This is the second brood this year and she has two more baby doves playin in their nest. Ron took a video of them today and it is so precious. Momma Dove is siting all calm and protective while her baby squabs play together right beside her. It’s another picture of our Abba Father as He watches over us as we “play unaware” of danger around us. God is always watching and caring for us though. Life from a “nature lens” is so beautiful. I’m going to try to add the video of the squabs. They are playing to the right of their Momma. So precious. (The video did not post but here is a picture.)

Two baby Squabs to the right of their Momma.

It’s my prayer that you have received encouragement or perhaps even been challenged through this blog. I find it so refreshing when people can be real and transparent. Life lessons are amazing teachers. I’m thankful for all The Lord is teaching me. Please check out my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon (hard cover, soft cover and ebook formats) I pray it’s a blessing to you and encouragement to never give up in hard situations. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

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God “winks”~ Look who’s back!

June 14, 2024Leave a Comment

This is one of those spontaneous blog posts. I did not plan to write again this week. One blog per week suits me just fine. However, I wanted to share with you all some things that brought a smile to my heart. This morning I was so surprised when I opened the dining room blinds and discovered the mourning dove is back. There it was sitting in its previous nest. I was planning to clean the porch soon but I guess it will have to wait. I love that this little dove family keeps expanding on our bakers rack on the front porch. God’s creation is so amazing.

The second thing that made me smile was noticing five flowers on Nanny’s peace lily. Nanny passed away in 2015 and this peace lily was sent to the family. In the nine years since she’s passed away I’ve never been able to coax more than a bloom or two from this plant, but there are currently five flowers on it. It’s the little things that make me happy.

The last “God wink” today is seeing how our little cedar raised planter is doing. We have two tomato plants and there are fifteen tomatoes growing on them. I also planted three colored pepper plants but so far I don’t see any peppers coming in yet. The last plant is a cantaloupe plant. I had no idea it was a vine and it was trying to take over the planter. I did manage to adjust it on a very short trellis, which I hope works. There are about six little flowers on the vine and God willing, I hope each will mature to a sweet cantaloupe. This is an experiment as we have never grown anything before. It is rewarding to watch things grow as we water them faithfully.Nature is so captivating. There are so many lessons we can learn from just observing creation. Just like the dove family that finds a safe place to nest on our porch, God guides us daily in the safe path He has prepared for us. When the peace lily had two blooms, I prayed for three and God gave me five. Just these little things make my heart happy. As for our little garden, I am amazed at how well it is doing. Even though I don’t see peppers or cantaloupe yet, I hope they will come in. I love the “raised garden” idea because it keeps the weeds out. I can’t wait to make some meals with these fruits and vegetables. Just like these plants, God also “tends” to us each day. He waters us and adjusts us so that we grow better. He sees us begin to bud and watches as fruit appear in our lives. I’m thankful for the little lessons. It’s good to be content with where God has you in life and learn from the different situations He places you in. Moment by moment, piece by piece, bloom to bloom and more doves likely coming soon. Thank you Lord! You certainly declare Your glory through your wonderfully complex creation.

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About those roots

June 10, 2024Leave a Comment

Today I went back to the pictures my friends took of the Angel Oak Tree, to zoom in on the roots. Only the base of the tree trunk that becomes the root system slightly shows, but you know with a massive tree of that size the root system must be incredibly complex. While the root system is not visible; however with the size, magnitude and leaf canopy observable, can you even imagine the potential size of the roots? Roots provide water and nutrients for all parts of a tree. Roots also act as an anchor providing stability.

Stay with me here. In my last blog “The Most Magnificent Tree”, I reflected on all the storms and history the tree possibly endured to reach its present age and size. I was intrigued thinking about the roots feeding and bringing water to that HUGE tree. In my momentary line of thinking, I’m considering the tree bark kind of like an armor providing protection. Is that too far fetched?

People are like trees in all their variety , shape and beauty. While a persons root system is not easily seen, you can tell what roots a person. Yesterday at church the altar was full of people desiring prayer and strength for their burdens. One of my friends mentioned how many people are just weary and weighed down by “life”. However, rather than breaking under the pressures of life, these people were going to Jesus in prayer. He provides the “living water” and life giving nutrients that sustain us and help us rise above life’s weight. As Christians we are rooted and established in love: our love for God and desire to rise up and give Him glory propels us forward! Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ says,“that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” ( ‭NKJV‬‬)

Like the bark on the Angel Oak Tree, we also need the protection of the Armor of God! That includes the belt of truth fastened around us, the breast plate of righteousness shielding our hearts, the helmet of salvation to protect our minds, our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith to extinguish the devils lies and schemes and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. (See Ephesians 6:10-18) We fight in prayer! Prayer changes things! Most of all, prayer changes us.

I would like to address one more thing. This is the very first year we have attempted a raised garden. I received a cedar planter for my birthday in April. I watched our backyard to determine the best area that received the most sunlight. We chose the soil to use and plants to plant. We’ve watered the plants daily and take delight in watching them grow. Our tomato plants were getting a bit weighed down so my husband Ron put in some stakes to give them support. There are sixteen tomatoes growing! So far we don’t see any colored peppers or cantaloupe. Hopefully we will have a harvest and plant more for the Fall and Winter garden. The tomatoes have done better since Ron added the stakes to support them. Just like those stakes, God puts friends and family in our lives to encourage us and pray for us when we are tipping over by the weight of life. I’m thankful for the wonderful people, family and church family, God has placed around us to reinforce our faith, speak life and God’s Word over us and pray.

There are so many lessons we can learn from God’s creative expressions in creation. Take the time to really look at all God has done and let Him teach you from His inspiring nature. From the dove nest on our porch this Spring, to flowers, trees, our dog Joy, personalities of people, the stunning artistic colors of the sky to ant hills…. I see my God, my Creator, everywhere and it makes my heart smile. I don’t know why He made me such a deep soul but I delight in His truths and the wonderful way He shares them with me.

It’s my prayer that you have received encouragement or perhaps even been challenged through this blog. I find it so refreshing when people can be real and transparent. We can all learn from each other. Life lessons are amazing teachers. I’m thankful for all The Lord is teaching me. Please check out my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon (hard cover, soft cover and ebook formats) I pray it’s a blessing to you and encouragement to never give up in hard situations. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.
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Well…Scratch that!

May 20, 2024Leave a Comment

Kayaking the Catawba last year on a “low river” day

Safety first! Sometimes you have to scratch your plans to stay safe. We have not yet taken our kayaks out this year but were planning to kayak on the Catawba River this week and see the Spider lilies. I texted my friend today to see if we were still on to go. She said her husband had friends who were flipped out twice last week on the swollen river rapids. Yikes! I know when I die, I will see Jesus but I don’t intend to speed up God’s timetable.

Out of curiosity, I got on Facebook to chat with some people on the “Kayaking in South Carolina”
Group. I love this group of people. They are knowledgeable and share tips and experiences. Sure enough, some people had kayaked through the lilies this year but with the recent rains they said it was “treacherous”. They suggested waiting until next year and hope it’s better. We are bummed but respect the conditions. Besides I had a really weird dream last night. In part of the dream I was on a wooden rowing boat like thing. It reminded me of something from The Flintstones cartoon. I was somehow speeding down a pier on that wooden rowing device, as if sledding down ice. Speeding into the water, I ended up with helicopter rescue. What a wild and crazy dream! So it’s safe to say, we will skip the Catawba River spider lilies this year and have a nice paddle at Lake Wylie instead.

That’s the thing about having an adventurous spirit, you have to know your abilities, your limitations, the weather conditions and element conditions. We will wait and see about next year. We have seen the Spider lilies from shore before. It’s a gorgeous sight. Hopefully one day we will see them from our kayaks.
Our adventures will continue but we will take a safer course of action.

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Fall Family kayak venture

October 9, 2023Leave a Comment

Ron, me and Joshua kayaking at Lake Wylie.

A couple of days ago my husband Ron and son Joshua humored me by agreeing to a Fall afternoon of kayaking. We had not seen Joshua in over a week but he had the day off and agreed to join us. I was so excited; a few hours doing one of my favorite things with my favorite guys.

This was our first time going as a family. I had gone with Ron once and had gone with Joshua once, but since we just have two kayaks we borrowed one from a friend. It was a beautiful sunny Fall day with a slight breeze. This may have been our last paddle of the season because the next night temperatures dipped down into the 40’s.

How can I describe the sheer joy and happiness those few hours brought me? Being on the water is so relaxing, especially when there aren’t many boats out. The beauty of nature with the sun shining and breeze tickling my skin makes me smile from my heart. What a feeling! The sky was reflecting off the calm water. We didn’t talk that much out on the water. I did wear my old cochlear implant processor though. We would paddle a ways then pull together for a water break and to chat a bit.

I found out later that neither of them had wanted to go but they both knew how much I love it and they wanted to do it for me. I am thankful for these two. Joshua has grown up and Ron has been having some health issues over the summer. Relaxing times with just the three of us doesn’t happen often but it sure did bring joy to my heart and they both ended up having a good time. I do believe they will do it again next season. I think the trick to drawing them will be finding new interesting places to explore and catching Joshua when he’s not busy.

Live in the moment and cherish times spent with those you love. Tomorrow is not promised. If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God. Be blessed!

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Paddling the Catawba

August 23, 2023August 24, 2023Leave a Comment

What a fun adventurous morning with friends kayaking down the Catawba River. My friend Leasa and I had been wanting to kayak on the river side of the Wylie Dam. Today was the day. We met our friend Tami and her husbandTerry, bright and early at the dam.

It was a perfect clear sunny morning, only about 73 degrees with a light breeze. Leasa and Tami took one truck to the stopping point down the river. Terry and I paddled around for about 45 minutes until the other two came back. It’s been a while since it’s rained and the water was low. I didn’t realize how rocky it was out there until I was out in the middle of the river. Kayaking with my low vision is a little bit tricky. Being the first one on the water, it was slightly unnerving to realize I could not see where I had gotten in and noticed all the rocks. Oh Lord have mercy and where was Terry? I didn’t see him at first but then I saw his red kayak and thank God it was red. I can see that color better.

Once Terry was close by, I explained I was wearing my old cochlear implant processor. I can’t hear well with it but I can hear some. I could hear water coming over the dam but couldn’t really see it. He told me to follow him. He was my GPS/ navigation system around the rocks. I stayed out of trouble following him. There is just something about the water and being in nature. It was simply peaceful.

Tami and Leasa finally got back and we all set off down the river. Tami and Leasa would tell me different things we were passing. Tami spotted a few turtles and Leasa spotted a bird. There was even an outdoor church setting along the river. They warned me when more rocks were coming up and I would paddle behind then. Down the river, over the rocks, through a few rapids and under two bridges we went. I did run into a few rocks and it made me laugh out loud. I had so much fun.

Photo credit Terry Peoples

It is neat to know a little bit of the areas history. The Catawba Indians used to trade along the river. There is a really nice paved walking trail called River Walk right beyond where we got out. There are a few signs that tell you the history of the Indians in the area.

I’m thankful for a fun experience with friends today. Great friends who are mindful of your limitations and want you to experience all the aspects of fun times are true gems. God has blessed me with quite a few and I am forever grateful. I can’t wait until our next adventure. So thankful Tami’s husband came along to make sure we girls stayed safe on the river. Leasa somehow managed to fall out of the kayak when she hit some rocks but Terry helped her. Tami and I completely missed her spill. Too bad it’s not on video. Until next time…..

If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God. Be blessed!

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Kayaking adventure with Joshua

July 19, 2023Leave a Comment

It’s a rare week when I publish three blogs but this is one of those. This is so worth sharing. I have always cherished quality time spent with our son Joshua. At every age we have found some mom / son activities to do together. From racing big wheels and tricycles, trampoline games, swimming in the ocean, riding rides at Carowinds, climbing rock walls, four wheeling, jet skiing, zip lining and now kayaking. We’ve found something at every age to enjoy together. Many times my husband Ron has joined us but sometimes it’s just me and Joshua. Now that he’s 25, it doesn’t happen very often. Quality time spent with your kids is one of the best investments you will ever make.

Recently I asked him to check his schedule to see when we could plan a kayaking day at the lake. Yesterday was the day and I was so excited. We packed up the trailer with all we would need: kayaks, paddles, snacks, water and life jackets. Ron dropped us off at Nivens Landing around 3:00 and we said we would be a few hours. Joshua would call when we were back.

It was a beautiful but hot day with a slight wind. The water was a little more choppy than when Ron and I went last week. I told Joshua I would go anywhere on the lake he wanted to go. He remembered an island we used to stop at when we had our jet ski years ago and wanted to try to find it. I agreed to trying to find the island. We just needed to take water breaks to stay hydrated. We would paddle a good distance, then stop for water., rest, talk then take off again. He signed, “You can’t hear me can you?” I told him I was wearing my old cochlear implant processor and could still hear him. At 4:20 we were still trying to find the island. I suggested continuing until 5. If we didn’t find it by then we would turn around and head back. At exactly 5 we reached the island. I was so glad to see that little beach. Two pontoon boats had also stopped. Josh explored the island while I rested. We talked and swam a bit then called Ron to tell him where we were. He was shocked. We had gone a long way and now we had to paddle back. We retracted the way we had come but went long ways over more open water to attempt shortening the return trip. Josh would ask, “Are we where you and dad stopped before?” I called out, “No that’s way down there”. I said , “Lord I could use a little breeze from behind. You know like a nice push.” Josh would stop and ask how I was doing. I was ok just getting tired. When we were about thirty minutes from where we got in, Josh called Ron to meet up with us. I was so thankful to see Nivens Landing. Josh said now I knew what to expect when going kayaking with him. We will definitely go again. Best time spent with my favorite young man. We aimed for a goal, the island and made it there and back. Laughed, talked and just enjoyed the time spent together. So thankful! Until our next adventure.

If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. Speaking engagements are always welcome. It God opens a door, He will give me what’s needed to walk through it. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God. Be blessed!

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