To winterize...and we have a cabin without any form of heat...means that we wrapped the air conditioning units. I cleaned out the cabin...washing the linens one last time for this year, bringing all of the liquids/cleaning agents over to our house so they don't freeze up over the winter, and covering the furniture on the porch. All of our house porch furniture was carted to the cottage porch for the winter. I took the flag down, and Paul disassembled my golf cart shed. We put the golf carts away until spring.
We blew leaves away from the house and cottage, and mulched them. I trimmed the bushes back. In place of our comfy porch furniture, I assembled the cat resort for the season ahead. I take three pet kennels, put some rugs in them, set them up under some metal chairs we leave on the porch year round, and cover everything with old comforters. The cats can rest on the covered chairs, or they can go into their "caves" and hide. I like to think that it's warmer in the kennels with covers over them. Last night I watched the cats checking it out, and by this morning most of them came out from hiding when the food came out.
The World Series is underway, and at this point St. Louis Cardinals are leading. The Texas Rangers have been making some good plays, and either team could win. We lived in St. Louis for ten years, so we obviously root for them...but they are both good teams.
We had a staff member in the hospital, so we made a couple of hospital visits this week. This weekend we have had two scrap-booking groups on the grounds. Therefore we had the ILNC Breakfast Buffet Saturday morning, and an evening buffet meal last night. That's the last time we will be using the Dining Hall until February (the groups coming in are smaller, and we can feed them in other settings). We want to shut down the Dining Hall...winterize, if you will, to save on heating expense the next few months. We are looking for as many ways as possible to cut back on our camp expenses through the winter months. We want to be good stewards of what God has given us.
Today we are having a big luncheon to say goodbye to one of our volunteer couples who are headed back south for the winter, and also to say goodbye to one of our RV couples who are on staff seasonally with us. I'm providing roast, Sea-foam Jello, rolls, and French Torte (dessert). Should be a good meal, and a fun time.
For worship today we will head back to the corner church close by...Chapman Memorial Church of the Nazarene. I'm ready early this morning, thus I am blogging to fill in time.
I talked about it being time to get ready...to winterize. Have you given any thought to it being time to get ready for the rest of your life...your earthly life and your eternal life? Where do you plan to live eternally? Are you prepared for that destination? Have you made up your mind to follow Jesus? Are you walking in obedience to God's Holy Word? Are your attitudes like that of Christ Jesus? Are you working on it? Are you in step with the Holy Spirit's guidance? It's time to get ready, for we do not know what lies just ahead for each of us. There is such peace of mind knowing whatever happens, I'm ready. How about you?
Here's my devotional readings from this past week:
The Word for You Today
1. Moving on to Maturity
- focus on what unites us, not the petty issues that divide us
- be more concerned about others than yourself
- love one another
- be compassionate
- be humble: give, serve, learn
- when you are the child of the King, your words should reflect it
2. Trials
- trials test our faith and bring us back to the basics, making us look at our priorities
- trials will make us stronger if we wait on God as He refines us through the process
- failure is not fatal, but the fear of failure can keep you from trying
- failure is a learning experience that gives you another opportunity
- you are only defeated when you allow the past to take your focus off the future
- failure makes you less likely to judge others
- success does not come without mistakes and messes
Jeremiah
- For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In these days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest. (29:11-13)
I & II Timothy
- ...let them follow the way you teach and live; be a pattern for them in you love, your faith, and your clean thoughts. (I Tim 4:12)
- Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others. (I Tim 4:16)
- Do you want to be truly rich? You already are if you are happy and good. After all, we didn't bring any money with us when we came into the world, and we can't carry away a single penny when we die. So we should be well satisfied without money if we have enough food and clothing. But people who long to be rich soon begin to do all kinds of wrong things to get money, things that hurt them and make them evil minded and finally send them to hell itself. For the love of money is the first step toward all kinds of sin. Some people have even turned away from God because of their love for it, and as a result have pierced themselves with many sorrows. (I Tim 6:6-10)
- The Holy Spirit, God's gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong and to love them and enjoy being with them. (II Tim 1:7)
- It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began---to show his love and kindness to us through Christ. (II Tim 1:9)
- Work hard so god can say to you, "Well done." Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. (II Tim 2:15)
Proverbs
- A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken down walls. (25:28)
Psalm
- Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should. ((90:11)
- We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. (91:2)
- For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. (91:11)
- For the Lords says, "Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in my name. When he calls on me, I will answer; I will be with him in trouble, and rescue him and honor him. I will satisfy him with a full life and give him my salvation. (91:14-15)
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