Monday, March 13, 2006

Here Comes Spring!!!

Spring is definitely in the air around here, with flowers blooming, trees budding and leafing out, and much warmer temperatures. We have dodged any serious storms so far, and we certainly hope this continues. We've enjoyed walking nearby nature trails in recent days, such as the Collins Creek Trail near JFK park, and the Josh Park Memorial Trail near DamSite Park. Both are wonderful trails and a nice place to walk.

Last week I was browsing in a local consignment shop, and I saw this darling bunny in a booth. He just said, "Take me home!" I have him on ebay, but I'm sorta hoping he doesn't sell! I also found a little zip-loc bag of tea sets that just took my breath. They were porcelain and "made in Japan" and some of the pieces looked exactly like a tea set my grandmother had when my sister and I were little. We played with that set for hours, having no idea it was fragile or might someday be valuable. I have no idea what happened to the set... we didn't find it when we cleaned out her house. There wasn't a complete set of anything in this bag -- odds and ends -- 19 pieces in all -- but there were a couple of complete sets of creamers/sugars and some cups and saucers. I put it on ebay, too. Hopefully it will sell high enough to pay for all of my flea-market "treasures!"

There was sad news this week, too, as we learned that our beloved pastor of 12 years, John Miles II, is moving to Jonesboro in June. The Conference "powers that be" tell him there is a church there that is in distress and needs his leadership to turn it around. We have all cried and felt sad and prayed that this was a bad dream, but it's the real thing, and now we have to regroup, pray for a positive outcome, and keep pressing forward as a church. We will need your prayers, too, as we move into this new stage in our church's life. And certainly, John, Susan, Zoe and Trey Miles need your prayers. Jonesboro First UMC just hit the jackpot... and I know that God will use the Miles family there to make a huge impact. I'll post more on Bro. John and what he has meant to our family later.