Good morning from Tennessee! It’s a beautiful morning and of course we’ve had so much rain that everything is so beautiful and green. The trees are so full of foliage and the flowers are gloriously brilliant displaying their colors.  I love it when God let us enjoy his creation.

Each morning when Larry and I pray we thank God that we could wake up… And wake up together. What a gift.  Speaking of that---we want to let you know about a little something that if you are in the Sisseton, South Dakota, area---please feel free to join us for a simple Open House at Family Life Assembly of God on June 23rd from 2-4 PM.  They are graciously hosting a time of coffee, celebration, treats and fellowship.  We would love to see you.

Speaking of celebrations, May was a full month, filled with graduations, Mother’s Day, and my 80th birthday ---which by the way I was asked how we celebrated it.   As a tradition, we go to Dairy Queen and get hotdogs.  I then get a marshmallow sundae with nuts on top and Larry gets his blizzard ..lol.  Through the years being on the road, we were always away from family and usually were parked someplace somewhere along our route so going to Dairy Queen became our tradition--and we still enjoy it.  For my 80th birthday, the kids took us out for a special dinner.  We then got together for Mother’s Day  where we all gathered at our house for what we midwestern folk  call a “potluck picnic!” Our son, Donovan, grilled brats and burgers and everybody brought all kinds of side dishes, salads, snacks, and desserts.   

There is nothing like being with family.   We love being this close to them at this stage of life.  We enjoy all of the moments.

A couple days ago, our neighbors next-door (who came from Ethiopia) had a cookout in their garage.  Larry and I were in the house and in the garage and when I went up into the house, I could smell the spices that just filled my house; it smelled so good.  I went over to swee what was causing this amazing aroma and here was about eight women in their garage cooking their Ethiopian specialty for the upcoming graduation of their son from high school.  They had huge stainless steel cooking pots filled with all kinds of goodies and spices.  One had lamb in it, another had chicken in it, and there were also huge baskets of onions, beans, greens, carrots,  and you name it all around.  The  big pots were filled to capacity and the ladies were stirring the big kettles with what looked like an oar for a boat.  The smell of the spices totally beckoned me in.  They invited me to come in and watch them cook for a few minutes.  Then (to my absolute delight) they offered me an Ethiopian specialty which looked  like a big wrap.  They commented, “I’m sure you won’t like that” to which I responded, "Oh yes, Mama Ruth (as I call her) has offered it to us before many months ago."  So she fixed us a plate to take home and wow, was it ever tasty and the spices were unbelievable.  By the way, it took several hours of a fan running in my house with opening the doors and windows to clear the lingering spice aroma that filled the house.

Speaking of the spices, I was told that in Middle-eastern countries, when people would visit each other's homes, they knew where they had been by the spices  they smelled on their clothes!   I was reminded "spiritually speaking" that as we dwell in the house of the Lord, in His Word, and in prayer that whoever we meet will sense the presence of God and they will KNOW where we have been.  It’s always our prayer (Larry and mine) that people will sense the presence of God in our lives.   And we pray that is your prayer and heart's desire as well.   Wherever you go after you’ve read this, whoever you meet or encounter whether that be at home, work, the grocery store, doctor's office....WHEREVER...you will have the fragrance of Jesus Christ and others will sense it and know where you’ve been. 

The Bible says there is peace in His presence...."The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." Psalm 29:11

and there is healing...."Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases." Psalm 103:2-3

and there is joy.... "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore".

May you experience  this today and always.

Gloria