Eat Love Pray on Monday......

This was a wonderful Monday!

For some reason I woke up early - even though I had gone to bed late.

I slipped out of the bed without waking Louis Dean and had well over two glorious hours all to myself.

Quiet time, coffee, prayers were followed by a few emails and messages checking on loved ones. I talked to Lillian on the phone for a few minutes and then June called me and we made plans to attend an Eat Love Pray meeting.

By the time Louis Dean was up, I had already made my breakfast and was knee deep in another Hallmark Christmas movie while I worked on some more Christmas decorating. By now I am in the laundry room which is right next to the den so I can multi task.

I fixed him something to eat and we had our devotions and Bible reading and a special prayer for his big white truck! I had just finished putting my clothes on Caesar the mechanic arrived to look at the truck.

It didn't take him more than 15-20 minutes to find the problem.

When he replaced the power steering last week, there was a round metal rod that connects to the brakes that was just a little bit longer than the old one. Turns out that little bit made a big difference. Caesar got the old one out of his truck (he is a mobile mechanic and works out of a big panel truck that holds all his tools and equipment) and replaced the new piece with the old one - and that was all it took for the truck to be in great shape and run like a top! Praise God he didn't throw the old one away as he normally would do. But he thought he could use it as part of a small pulley and he was so happy that he still had it! No charge!!

Win! WIN!!! Louis Dean was one happy man!!!

I went back to my decorating and cleaning and he drove off merrily to the auto store to buy cleaner for the driveway because by now there were lots of places that needed to be cleaned up.

I stopped working around 4:00 and showered and dressed for the Eat Love Pray meeting tonight at First Christian Church here in Irving.Louis Dean and I were members here for 3 years or so.

I picked up June on my way as she is a member there now.

We had the best time!

This is June who is a beautiful 90-year-old with the associate pastor, Kate.

I've known June and her daughter, Kimmy, for at least 50 years! Goodness! Could that be right??

Probably since Kimmy was our dental assistant when Summer was a little girl and Summer is now 58!

The 'Eat' part of the evening cme first and it was beyond delicious!

Linda Lee worked her magic and as soon as we walked in we could smell the garlic bread.

Is there anything that smells better than that??

Lasagna, salad with all kinds of goodies, toppings and dressings.

Sandra made the homemade cobblers - both peach and cherry - and brought ice cream to go with them.

The 'Love' part started from the moment we walked in and lingers in our hearts even now.

June and I sat at the table with Pastor Deb, our friend Virginia and other dear friends including Donna who shared about her recent trip to Egypt.

Pastor Deb led the 'Prayer' part of the meeting.

I continue to be impressed by this amazing lady.

She had been up at 3:30 that morning....her husband had surgery and she had spent the entire day at the hospital and still came to lead the meeting that night. 

We shared our personal requests for OURSELVES. 

Not others but for ourself.

We are all needy people and we NEED prayer and we NEED Jesus.

Then we shared Thanksgiving......

It was an inspiring and uplifting meeting and I remembered from my years there to bring my prayer journal and I recorded the requests. We pray for a month for each one and then meet again.

I am going to put the Eat Love Prayer meetings on my calendar.

After we closed in prayer, I toured a little of the church as this is a different location than when I was a member. I asked Deb about the cross wall we had at the other building.....

then she turned the lights on in the sanctuary.

There was not only one wall but several walls of crosses!!!

'

When members travel near or far, they bring back a cross to add to the wall.

Louis Dean and I have one on display but I can't even remember what it looks like.

I'm sure they have a list and I may look it up next month.

This is the latest contribution......

from Donna and Jim when they traveled to Egypt.

Just WOW!

I'll close tonight's journal entry with this pic of Pastor Deb and me.

We've sure had some good times together and tonight was yet another one.

Now does she look like she's been up 18 hours and counting?