This weekend we had a family reunion on my mother’s side. I was originally going to hold it at the church, but we all know we are in a season of lasts with Mom. This may be her last opportunity to see her family all together in one place, so I opted to hold it at The Vicarage.
Sevy and Kristine got to meet Uncle Tom, and my cousin Nada and her husband Ray
My cousin Matthew and his wife Brittney came with their children Justice and Aria.
My cousins Todd and Dan andMike and Barbara also came. Later my daughter Melanie came with her children.
The biggest hit of the day with the adults was the catching up with each others’ lives.
The biggest hit of the day with the kids was the solar bird bath and the pile of stones in the driveway.
The Vicarage is hosting a family reunion of the Tenny cousins this Saturday.
Melanie, James and Joe helped me set up the three party tents as part of the yard work we have done. Amanda mowed part of the lawn and I mowed part. I did some hedge cutting yesterday and some weed whacking.
Now we just need to pick up some extra chairs and we should be all set.
About five years ago I began hearing this line over and over again in my private prayer times. I hear it to this day.
This morning one of my congregants posted a question in my Facebook Feed.
WHAT WAS THE GREATEST TEMPTATION JESUS HAD TO ENDURE?
His answer and my response brought me right back to this long standing question.
Ray says…What was the greatest temptation Jesus had to endure? The answer to this question will confirm why prayer is so vitally important. The answer was everyday, He had to surrender His Will and His Freedom to God. Are we willing to let go of our greatest idol, our will and our freedom in exchange for Jesus. We will never experience true freedom in Jesus until we completely surrender and trust in Jesus. We have to destroy the idol we keep hanging onto. It’s name is SELF. MY RIGHT. I AM ENTITLED, and the one we love even more, MY WILL BE DONE, not yours. This is why we must surrender in prayer everyday.
I responded…Jesus did surrender daily to the will of His Father. He never did anything He did not see His Father doing. When you think of how much Jesus actually did, that He saw His Father doing, it does make one wonder how much we are missing of the Father’s work around us.
HOW MUCH OF WHAT THE FATHER IS DOING ARE WE NOT SEEING?
My days are overflowing like the shoes in my shoe traysThis last weekend I had a family gathering with cousins from my father’s side. Most of these folks I have not seen for over a decade.Friday night our whole immediate clan went to the Murdock Farm for ice cream.
There are so many wonderful things going on, and my days are full! I am loving the season
Maybe it is just because I am getting older and so have less time on this side glory than I used to have but it just feels like there is less time for more things and I am saying “no” to more things than ever before.
Last week the Lillie VI family arrived at the Vicarage and began to settle in. I cancelled almost everything on my schedule before they got here thinking that the settling in was going to need most of my attention. I was right and I was wrong. It was good I had the time so that I could help ease my son and his family into life here in Massachusetts. Jetlag really effected my grandson’s sleep schedule.
And so my son and daughter-in-law’s sleep schedule was likewise effected. They muscled through and it got a little better everyday. Then I got sick with a bug my son brought back from The Philippnes. I ended up cancelling even the things I had kept in the schedule.
The week ended with a family party for my oldest granddaughter.
This week our schedules went back to normal.
My son had two job interviews and two job offers. My daughter-in-law’s social security card came in and today the Lillie VI family is beginning the search for an apartment.
My schedule of meetings has been completely full to make up for last week and Amanda’s schedule has blossomed as we approach the coming of fall and the restart of our children’s school programs (it is unbelievable to me that we are almost to the start of the new school year!).
I am filled with awe at how fast things seem to be moving. At the same time I have this sense that it needs to be this way. Something is coming and we must be prepared.
DO YOU FEEL IT IN THE AIR? THERE IS A CHANGE COMING!
It was a week of celebrations in a season of celebrations at the Vicarage.
Of course the Lillie VI family came home. HUGE CELEBRATION AT THAT EVENT!
Not only that though, this week marked my oldest granddaughter’s fifth birthday. That I have a five year old granddaughter is beyond astounding to me. That I have all my children and grandchildren within five minutes of where I live makes me unbelievably blessed. I will revel in it for however long I have the privilege of it.
Daniella decided she wanted a Princess Peach birthday party. She of course got to be Princess Peach.
Her sister got to be “Mickey Hero”…. I do not know who that is, but Abigail seems to have taken on the role with serious gusto.
We had a great party with all the royal attendants in attendance.
And I even got to play a role in the weekend….By royal edict of Princess Daniella Peach and Mickey Hero Abigail I was dubbed Sir Bowser The Monster Villain!
Well the Lillie VI family ( my son’s family) is adjusting to life at The Vicarage. Jetlag is a real thing folks especially for two year olds. Sevy (Joseph Elon Lillie VII) has been up most of the night all week, which means his parents have been up most of the night all week.
We have been trying to keep him up, but when Sevy gets tired he pretty much just collapses and nothing can wake him.
So we have been trying to do some events that keep him active. We went to the farm the other night and got homemade ice cream and watched the animals.
His father and mother have been taking him on walks around town.
And yesterday they bought him some coloring and sticker books.
What I am learning is that most fun is sticky…at least for two year olds.
This summer has been sooo humid. We have had rain just about every other day. One system moves in followed by a small gap of good weather and then we are right back in.
We had two yellow alerts at church on Sunday. The first was a tornado watch at the beginning of worship and the second was a flood watch in the middle of my sermon. Both turned out to be nothing but the fact that we have now had three alerts this summer in Northern MA speaks to the volatile nature of our planetary climate.
One of the personal effects of our crazy weather pattern is frequent headaches from the constant change in air pressure. I have one today and it is laying me low.
Well, the Lillies are back from South Korea. My son, his wife and their son arrived home on Saturday afternoon with no mishaps, except the loss of their stroller. My daughter-in-law managed to keep my grandson entertained with the people movers while my son tried to find out what happened to said stroller.
We have spent the last few days, catching up, looking at pictures, and doing some small business errands while Joe and his family recuperate from Jet lag.
Notes From the Vicarage 