A Snow-Note From Karen

Even in the south, there is just nothing like a good snow storm. The difference is here in North Carolina you can count on everything being closed and just hunkering down until it melts! Last night the snow started just as we went off to bed and this morning we woke to 6 or more inches of it! The day before yesterday we got some unpredicted snow. Last week we had snow and ice that made about an inch or more of white stuff solid enough to walk on. Although that got cleared off the roads by the end of the day, the temps were very cold that night and so schools were cancelled again on Wednesday...and Thursday...and Friday. All in all, I think the kids have been out of school for nearly 2 weeks now!

And "so what" if the schools are closed you may ask? Many of the events here in our county follow the rule that if the schools are closed the events are canceled as well. So, Ladies Bible Study? Cancelled. Christmas Child Box wrapping? Cancelled. Men's Bible Study breakfast? Cancelled. Lunch meeting? Cancelled. Ministry meeting? Cancelled. Rotary? Cancelled. Small Group? Cancelled. Volunteering at the hospital? Cancelled. Taking a neighbor to her medical appointment? Cancelled and Rescheduled. So, as you can see, we miss what we've had scheduled to do but it makes it nice to just enjoy the snow storm and minister right here in the neighborhood. Here are some shots of God's beauty right in our back yard:

 Here you can see how much snow we got!

Keith helped several of our neighbors get shoveled out.

Hey! You with the shovel! Could ya clear this off so I can find the food???

Eastern Blue Bird and Woodpecker

Eastern Bluebird & A Bonus Bird (on the left)

 There is no bird so pretty as a Cardinal in the snow!

Did you notice the Sparrow over the Cardinal's right shoulder?

 This is "Jenny Wren", as my family fondly refers to them. I'm hoping she makes her nest in my new Wren house this Spring! There's also a Chickadee and a Goldfinch sharing the suet.

 "Woody" the Red Bellied Woodpecker

The Gold Finches are getting their color back...must be Spring coming!

We are blessed by the beauty of nature and reminded of God's presence as we enjoy the work of His hands. In so many ways these days it just seems apparent to me that God is calling us to just slow down and appreciate what He is doing all around us in His creation, in His people, and in those people who may not yet know their Creator. As we wait on Him and do the work of seeking out His will and direction, it is good to take time to be still and remember that He alone is God and let our roots grow deep into His presence.

A Quick Trip To Daily Donuts

Meet Our Friends At Daily Donuts
Over the past year, we've had a lot of fun getting to know Polo, Kathy, Oak, and Mally. They run Daily Donuts at 1067 South Main Street here in Graham, North Carolina. We've mentioned their donuts before (especially their flagship Apple Fritters) but haven't really shown them hard at work keeping Alamance County in the dough...so to speak.

Karen and I stopped in this morning and the stream of customers was non-stop. It's the day before Valentine's and Polo, Kathy, Oak, and Mally are featuring regular donuts topped with hearts and heart-shaped donuts topped with hearts. Not to mention the M&M topped donuts, Oreo topped donuts, white and chocolate chip topped donuts, custom stuffed donuts, and (not pictured in this post) their infamous bacon topped maple donuts. But then sometimes just one picture is worth 1,000 calories...

Polo carefully loads a donut with M&Ms one piece of candy at a time.

M&M topped donuts, white and chocolate chip topped donuts and donuts topped with Oreo crumbles.

 A heart shaped donut topped with heart shaped sprinkles.

These donuts were selling like hotcakes!

 Kathy and Mally will gladly stuff your donuts (and donut holes) to order using any of their eight fillings.

Apple Fritters!

Polo, Oak, Kathy, Mally

 Daily Donuts

They also make quite a selection of breakfast sandwiches...but that's a different blog post. If you're not already eating there...you need to be! Leave your diet at the door!

Serving at Allied Churches Alamance County

There are many ways to serve here in Alamance County. One of the ways we're involved locally is through volunteering with Allied Churches Alamance County. ACAC is our county's only homeless shelter. It provides lunch and dinner for the general public (about 200 people per meal) Monday through Friday and three meals a day, seven days a week, for the shelter's residents which can number up to 60 men, women, and children. They also have a food bank operating in two locations.

ACAC utilizes a small army of volunteers to help make their ministry possible and Karen and I are a small part of ACAC's small army. We were recently blessed to serve on a food prep/food service team organized by our church. There were several other volunteers already in the kitchen working under JR's supervision when our team ( Karen, me, Kerry, and Sandra) arrived around 9:30 AM. JR (Director of Facilities & Kitchen) immediately put me to work opening cans of corn to fill one of the biggest pots I'd ever seen. If you look past me in the photo below you'll see a "small" pot in the stack of things to be washed.

Here I am washing, rinsing, sanitizing all the pans, trays, pots, utensils, cutting boards that the kitchen crew was generating preparing the lunch meal. Yes, I am wearing a hair net!

After the corn I moved to slicing and panning bread which we then spread with a butter/garlic sauce. After the bread was in the oven, I was promoted to dishwasher and spent the next hour or so scrubbing and splashing my way to a happy place. I really do like washing dishes. There are all kinds of spiritual analogies you can make from washing dishes...but maybe that's for another blog. Or maybe my novel...resurrection and restoration from the perspective of a kitchen full of pots and pans. But I digress.

While I was working in the kitchen, the ladies were up front prepping all the salad and desserts and getting the serving line organized.

Promptly at 11:30 I was pulled away from the sink and sent to the serving line. The menu was green salad OR tuna salad, spaghetti with meatballs OR beef tips on rice, corn, garlic bread and a wide range of amazing looking cakes and donuts. All of this, of course, donated.

Desserts

Karen served the salads, I was on spaghetti and beef tips, Kerry worked the rice and corn, and Sandra distributed utensil wraps and dessert. Another volunteer served the drinks while another took over washing dishes, pots, and pans in the kitchen.

Sandra, me, JR, and Karen just before the lunch rush began. 

Thanks for taking the picture, Kerry!

We were released from the line at 12:45 and thanked the ACAC crew for the privilege of service, and praised the Lord for such an important ministry right in our own backyard.

Thanks for helping us help others through your love, support, gifts and prayers. It's an honor to be your Kingdom representatives here in central North Carolina!

Maybe I should have put my hair net on my chin...seems to be more hair there!

Still Seeking

God Closes The Door To TWR
After three months of faithful prayers, God has graciously revealed that His plans for us do not include Trans World Radio.

We ask for your ongoing prayers and support as we continue this pilgrimage deeper into God's heart.

"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NLT)