Celebrating the 'Ahhhhhh....' Moments!

It's been a cold Sunday in Texas!

Louis Dean was so happy and excited over the visit from his granddaughter and her family yesterday that he could not go to sleep last night! He was up way into the wee hours of the morning and finally sleeping soundly along about the time I woke up. I brought him a cup of coffee to bed and even the aroma of that didn't wake him up so I got dressed and went to church by myself.

There are two places that I can go and experience instant tranquility the moment I walk through the door.

One is Starbucks.

In the winter when it's cold, you can push open that door to the fragrant warmth of .....

what? Coffee, sure. But it's more than that. There's an ambiance in every single Starbucks I have ever been in. It's always an 'Ah!' moment for me. It's the same in the hot heat of summer - you go through the door into a warm welcome back experience where I can instantly feel myself relax.

I wonder now why I don't go to Starbucks more often.

The other place is when I open the door to Fellowship Church. We usually park in the east parking lot and come in through a long side hallway where I always without fail stop at the ladies room on my way to the service. I noticed today how much I look forward to opening that door.

It smells much like Starbucks because we do have a coffee shop and book store inside called The Source where you can purchase coffee, pastries and other tasty treats. And if you arrive early enough for the service, there are volunteers at several stations serving up complimentary coffees and bagels or treats. I used to be a Bagel Lady - that's what I called myself. I was one of the volunteers and helped fill huge dispensers with water with slices lemons or strawberries floating in it when I wasn't handing out the bagels or pouring up coffee. I plan on volunteering again soon.

But I don't think it's just the fragrance that enchants me and makes me feel calm and hopeful.

Perhaps it's the people who greet me. Louis Dean has a funny side and he has long said - as soon as we start the walk across the parking lot - "Look at the teeth!! Look at all the TEETH!!"

He means everyone is smiling as they greet people. Last year he had most of his teeth crowned and he told Dr. Joe - "Now I can go to church and show my teeth!"

I'll be honest in that I often arrive after all the 'teeth' have gone into the service....so I guess it's not that. Maybe it's the sense of excitement I feel from all the energy. And at the same time, I feel a peace as I walk down that hall. I am where I want to be. Where I need to be. And I am excited to be there.

For too long I went to church because I was supposed to. I went to church to teach Sunday School and I did enjoy that. But a lot of the time I felt like we were all just 'playing church.'

Fellowship has been a different experience for me and I am so grateful to be back there.

No more changing churches. I am staying put.

Even so, there's not a lot of elderly people there. No, they are more young people and middle aged people and tons of children. That's really good. Older people need to be around young people. I have renewed hope for our country and our world when I see so many energetic youth engaged in the Lord's work. That's a work for everyone - young, old and in between.

I have loved going to church all my life.

Even when I was a young child and was obviously poor - I would take my siblings and we would walk to the closest church. They were mostly Baptist. I can't say we were made to feel welcome at any of them but we went anyway. Then through my 20's to 40's I would go to church even when I didn't feel like it. I found that teaching children was a lot more rewarding than attending adult Sunday Schools. I still have an aversion to that. Amber discovered Fellowship when she was 15 years old and I started attending then. It is a real church with real people and teach about real issues.

Our Cowboy Church did that, too. Lots of churches do. Fellowship is not a one of a kind, I'm sure but it's the one for me.

All of that to say that opening the door there and walking down that hall is a meaningful 'Ah!' moment for me.

Another 'Ah!' moment today came when I got back from church.

I love turning the key in the lock and pushing that door open to my warm cozy home.

I had left the heat unit on in the den and it felt so good to come in. You could still smell the coffee so maybe coffee has more to do with my 'Ah!' moments than I thought!

I guess you could say I'm a sucker for a coffee shop!!

I had some hamburger cooked with onions and peppers ready to use so I added taco seasoning and tomato paste and made Taco Salads for our lunch.

Louis Dean prefers Frito's to tortilla chips.

We sat in the den to eat while we watched a 'Closer' with Kyra Sedgwick.....

I think this is our all time favorite TV program!

Then we both went to bed and slept the rest of the afternoon!

We may be up late tonight. At least until midnight.

Louis Dean is supposed to take his new medicine every 12 hours and the doctor stressed -

take it at the same time every day!

So....I wasn't here when he woke up and he did not take any of his medicine.

I didn't think about it until 3:00 so that's when he took it.

I made him get up out of bed and go get it himself.

Goodness!!! He has GOT to learn to take his medicine!

We may be up late tonight but we need to not dawdle in the morning but get ourselves over to the nursing home to see Lillian.

This is a picture of Louis Dean and Lillian last month when we visited.

She is smiling here but that's just because Louis Dean is hugging her.

She was so depressed when we got there. I could tell the minute I looked at her. She didn't have a speck of make up on and that's just not like her.

The roommate is 'not all there' if you know what I mean and talks all the time to imaginary people. 

Plus she makes such a fuss if Lillian turns her TV on that she has quit watching movies, TV and can't even listen to the radio. No wonder she's depressed!

Nita went over there today and confirmed nothing has changed.

Lillian was just sitting in her chair with the curtain closed so she didn't have to see her roommate.

Nita left to get some chicken and dumplings for Lillian's supper and found her in the community living room when she got back. She ate her meal there and visited with Nita.

Anyway, we are concerned and I would really appreciate your prayers for her and for wisdom for me to know how to help Lillian.