I enjoy getting away from the flurry of endless farm chores and driving to a quiet serene mountain cabin to spend a few days of total relaxation. My favorite getaways are usually within 4-5 hours from home. They are also the least stressful.

Its the trips that are halfway or more, across the US that send me into a complete panic. I try to have all the directions printed off, the addresses written down to each destination. If we are flying I like to know where each stop will be and how long we will be there. I like to have the itinerary printed out and within easy access at any given moment. By the time I get through airport security I usually have lost my drivers license half a dozen times, my itinerary is in shreds, and my nerves are frazzled.  The fun really begins when we pick up our rental and try to find our way out of the airport. We have no idea where we are heading and have to rely on our wits to get us there.

A few years ago we flew into Reagan Washington around 11:30pm. We found our car in the long term parking lot, punched the "home" button on our GPS, it immediately told us to "drive to highlighted route". Before we could even determine where the "highlighted route" was, the GPS was "Recalculating." Then we were to drive "1/2 mile and take ramp on right". We drove 1/2 mile and there were three ramps, Rob said, "This one?" and I said, "yeah" and the GPS said, "Recalculating!" OH BOY!! Then I noticed we were driving through the City of Washington DC. This was an opportunity I was not passing up. I always wanted to see something at night, it didn't matter what, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, just something! We were passing gardens with fountains so I knew we had to be close to something! Then I heard a voice say, "in 500ft take a right", Rob said "this one?", I said, "yeah" and the GPS said, "Recalculating." Rob was really starting to hyperventilate, mostly vocally!!. Then I realized we had turned onto a less than favorable street and I had lost my opportunity to see anything at night, except inner city Washington. They say that three wrongs don't make a right, but that night, five wrongs made a right. We messed up on two more turns and then right before our marriage vows hit the fan, we found ourselves on the correct interstate that guided us home to our normal happy life!!

Did I mention that we have another trip planned in the very near future? It will be our first time flying into San Francisco. We have about five hours to find our way out of the airport before anyone will send out a missing persons alert. Do you think that will give us enough time?

 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence...Psalm 91:2-3

 We have a death trap in our basement. We don't know how long it has been there. Now that I know it is there, I have a subconscious fear that it will invade our living room. There have been a lot of people in our basement the last couple weeks and no one saw it!

  The pest control inspector came out Friday to do our yearly inspection. While we were in the basement three yellow jackets were buzzing around our heads. I have a very healthy fear of yellow jackets so I promptly left the basement. The inspector said he would look for any holes in the wall that they might be traveling in through. I heard him holler, so I went to the door and asked him if he was alright. He said he was but also found the problem. He found the nest, approx. 2 ft. by 1 1/2 ft. How long does it take a swarm of yellow jackets to make a nest that size?

  How can you live so close to something like that and not know it was there? It is attached to the living room floor so you would have thought we would have heard some kind of buzzing noises.
How long till they would riddle their way into the living room.

As we have been working to get rid of the bees, it reminded me of how troubles come into our lives. Some come like the bees, we realize something is wrong, we can't remember when we first noticed the change but now we know we have a problem. Some troubles hit us like a brick, when we are least expecting it, all of a sudden our life has been turned upside down.

How do we handle the trials that come upon us? Are we like Job's wife in Job 2:9, "...curse God and die..."? or like Job himself, "though he slay me yet will I trust in him..." Job 13:15. My personal favorite is, "ignore it and it will go away". That was my first thought on dealing with the bees, then I remembered we have several children who are allergic to bee stings. Did I really want the bees hanging around in the basement?

When troubles overtake us do we feel that God has turned his back on us? Do we feel we are alone and have to deal with our troubles on our own strength?

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Ps 91:4-5

God hath not promised skies always blue, Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, peace without pain. God hath not promised we shall not know Toil and temptation , trouble and woe; He hath not told us we shall not bear Many a burden many a care. God hath not promised smooth roads and wide, Swift, easy travel, needing no guide; Never a mountain, rocky and steep, Never a river, turbid and deep. But God hath promised strength for the day, Rest for the labor, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above,   Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

by Annie Johnson Flint

 
  There is a saying that goes something like this, "If I had known that grandchildren would be this much fun, I would have had them first." I found out today why God's plan for grandchildren is perfect.

  I was babysitting my 4 year old and 2 year old grandsons and their 3 mo. old sister. The 3 mo old slept the whole time she was here. I can deal with that!  Her 2 year old brother on the other hand went from one thing to another. As I was cleaning up one mess, he had his hand in something else.
He has learned that blood pressure medication is "yuck."
There is a button on the main phone base that pages the rest of the phones in the house and it took forever for Grandma to figure out what the noise was and how to shut it off.
Dishwasher detergent cubes burn his mouth like fire.
The dog dish has some pretty good stuff in it sometimes.
Dish soap can be hazardous if you try to walk through it, and
Toilets hold a storehouse of entertainment, too many to actually list here.
Even though he has learned all these things have consequences, he still hasn't learned to leave them alone!!

What I have learned?
There is no place high enough to put prescription medication!
From the time you see him with your cell phone and move in his direction, he already has the text sent, so don't even try to get there fast, its just too painful!!
 2am is not a good time to wonder how long he had been upstairs unattended today, or how many other alarm clocks he has turned on!!
The timeout chair also needs to be equipped with a straight jacket.
His mother has my sympathies and
I'm praying for his future wife.
Children's children are the crown of old men...Proverbs 17:6
Someday I am going to read this to him, when he is a calm, quiet 16 year old!!