NOW TO MY EVERYDAY LIFE...with all the upset from the little schedule that I do have, I'll tell you a little about what I'll be working on during our trip both in terms of "catching up" and in terms of learning while I'm at General Assembly.
I've been working for quite awhile somewhat stealthily, to see what we can do in our church to reach the bulk of our women and pull them into some form of meaningful community--Bible study, prayer group, etc. There is one group that meets...and has met together for many years. They have prayed together since their children were young...for the most part...and now many of those children are grandparents! Those ladies have a prayer group, study the Bible together, and have a Sunday School class. Their needs for christian growth, community and outreach are met and they take their responsibilities seriously.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, the "younger" women (from approximately 60 on down) are not involved to anything like the degree of their mothers and grandmothers (as far as a Bible study, prayer group, etc. are concerned). Many are working outside the home or have children/grandchildren to keep up with...not unusual in this day and age in most parts of the country. The question is, how can we involve these women in a meaningful women's ministry without unnecessarily shoveling guilt (which many already feel) on an overwhelming to-do list? How do we help them see that this time will be encouraging when their experience in church has often been one where they feel they don't measure up? How can we encourage them to experience the encouragement that comes from spending meaningful time in God's Word with other women who are there to build them up in Christ? That job is up to the Holy Spirit.

There are a few of us that want to start a Bible study (at least) in the Fall. We have the blessing of our Session (church leadership). Right now, I am working on choosing which book of the Bible to study and a new area of choice opened up recently. i'll be looking through those books, going to some seminars, talking to some people at General Assembly and asking for lots of help and wisdom from others.
I need to settle down at home to do my local homework of talking with my local ladies and doing the groundwork that is needed one on one. For as long as I have been praying re all of this, I know that God's timing is perfect. He knew when these babies were coming and I needed to be away helping with them. Maybe I need some of the information from General Assembly before I get my ladies together in terms of groundwork, I don't know. At any rate, this is the timing that is happening. I would give anything to have someone else do this. It will definitely be a group effort, but I am the one with the vision for it...unfortunately. I have experienced the difficulty in the past that comes with major change. I don't know the specifics for this situation, I just know that it will be a difficult job. The rewards down the road will be fantastic, but early on, it is always difficult. I look foward to the next few weeks/months of growth. I know this will be a very stretching time for me and our women. It is their church. I'm the temporary one. We will need good, Godly leadership from our women. My desire is for God to be glorified both in the process and in the outcome which will never be static...I hope!

DO I FEEL DUMB...I have been wanting to get a photo of my latest grandchild put up and post at least one blog before leaving town and I couldn't get into it! I tried every password I could think of yesterday and when I sat down tonight, it finally came back to me! ugh! I can be such a dingbat!
I've been home almost a week from Waco (as of Saturday) and I'm getting ready to leave again! I'm starting to feel like a bouncing ball...bouncing in and out of town since May! This is the first trip that Ron has gone on. We will be gone almost two weeks. The first week will be business--our denomination's General Assembly will meet in Atlanta, Georgia starting Tuesday night. After it is over, we will go to the Jacksonville, FL area to visit my mother in a nursing home, and stepfather in the same lifecare community for a few days, then come home with a quick stop near Nashville, TN to see our daughter and her husband so Ron can at least meet his new grandson. It will be a VERY brief visit unfortunately.
So tomorrow I will get the photo posted so you can see Walker's face, and i'll have gotten this part of my life caught up. Then there will most likely be silence for the two weeks we are out of town because I won't have much access to a computer. I look forward to the month of August when we will be home for the whole month...as far as we know now. I have a lot of people I need to catch up with to say nothing of my house, etc.
Now for the cutest grandson a person could have. Here is Walker's picture. Of course, the photo doesn't show his sweet disposition or his alertness or his almost smile (even though he was supposed to be too young for that at the time). He is a very contented little soul. I hope he does well on the two day trip to TN from TX that will start tomorrow. (Friday)

WE ARE RECOVERING FROM LAST WEEK'S DELIVERY...His name is Walker Scott. He weighed in at 6 lbs. 14 oz. and as the first in this family, has managed to keep three people busy with all the admiring, holding, diaper changing and feeding. My daughter is doing well for a new mother and taking her responsibilities in stride. Her husband has been busy calling friends, updating their website and of course, getting ready for their move which will take place next week! It's amazing how many pictures that first child has taken of them. He is the first grandchild on his father's side and the first grandson on ours, so he is getting photographed at every turn.

He seems to be fairly easy going. He fusses, but doesn't get hugely ruffled when things don't happen immediately--which isn't often:) It will be interesting to see him grow and see how his personality changes. For now, we are just enjoying his being here. My husband won't get to meet him for a few more weeks, but I'm sure he will be just that much cuter by then:) I must move along for now. He is sleeping and I have a few more things to do. A picture will come soon.