I’m a tea lover.  Every morning I brew a delicious concoction of green and black tea to drink throughout the day.  I bring water to a boil and steep tea bags for several minutes for optimum flavor.  Usually, the sound lets me know it’s getting ready.  I can hear the water molecules bouncing off each other telling me they are heating up. 

I do not like traffic, not one little bit. Of course, I don’t know many people that would say they do. Lately, traffic from Jefferson to Dacula in the mornings has been horrible. Maybe it’s the time change, construction, weather, school, summer, who knows, but it’s been bad.

This had been an expensive week at the Johnson household. Wouldn’t you know that in the same week my vehicle and my husband’s vehicle would BOTH need new tires? It would have been nice to try and not do both in one month, but that didn’t happen.

Presbyterian Pastor Alexander Lang caused quite a stir recently when he published his blog, “Departure: Why I Left the Church.” Lang never imagined how many hits he’d get when, with full transparency, he laid out the pressures and unrealistic expectations of the pastorate. One commenter wrote, “Whiner.” He hasn’t walked in Alexander’s shoes. I have, maybe not in his specific circumstances, but I can certainly relate.

A thrill seeker I am not.  There are two super scary things I’ve done:  white water rafting at the Breaks (I nearly drowned) and riding the sky lift at Natural Bridge State Park where I made a vow to the Lord that still stands to this day. My idea of adventure is to be married and have kids — plenty of excitement that lasts for years.

Several months ago, one of my granddaughters came home with a questionnaire/survey she had filled out for something at school. One of the questions was “What are you afraid of?” Her answer was, “Well, basically I’m afraid of everything.” In all honesty, because she lives with me and I have been around her most of her life, I can say in her childlike honest way this is a correct statement.

“Are you serious?” I nearly shrieked.  “Surely there is someone else, someone better.”  My mind was blown. An assistant position had come open in the youth Sunday School class and my beloved thought I would be a good fit.  That was me a long time ago; I hadn’t taught youth in 20 years.  I felt old.   Sarah and Elizabeth old.

We are at the beach this week. During the same time period last year we were also fortunate to be able to head to the beach with some very dear friends. This is something that happened on our beach trip last year. Our trip had been planned for about 9 months and it came at the perfect time. I love the beach, it is my happy place for sure. Let me rephrase that. I love the beach and the peacefulness of the ocean. I do not necessarily love to “get in” the ocean waters.

Let’s confess. We worry. We fret. We sometimes sweat the small stuff. Concern is appropriate when it produces action. If the warning light comes on in my car, I’m prompted to get the mechanic to check it out before I have major issues. A concerned person acts to address a problem. Worrying, on the other hand, is unproductive.

I got a kick out of a menu I saw the other day for the fictional Roadkill Grill restaurant. The menu included Road Toad Ala Mode, Chunk of Skunk, Outta Luck Duck, Whippoorwill on a Grill, Swirl of Squirrel, and, perhaps worst of all, Rigor Mortis Tortoise. I wonder how many of us would admit to ever having eaten roadkill? I recall having what I might call Fowl on the Prowl, a wild turkey that didn’t make it all the way across the road, and I’ve had Smear of Deer from a fleet-footed buck that jumped directly in front of our vehicle.

Cleaning out my sock drawer, I came across a letter our younger daughter, Marcia, had given me years ago. I don’t know why I put the letter in my sock drawer. Most of that space is reserved for socks that have no mates.  Anyway, I came across this letter I had not read since 1982. I read it again. And I laughed again.

SUWANEE, Ga. — Georgia Baptists are a generous people, giving millions of dollars through their local churches each year to share the gospel around the world. During September, they’ll have the opportunity to focus their financial resources on their home state.

“Set the small cooler out on the front porch,” my beloved called to say on his way out of the hollow.  “And put the ice packs from the freezer in it, too.”  I had no clue what was going on but did as I was instructed.  With my own errands to run, I wouldn’t be home for a bit either.  Apparently, someone was dropping off something that needed to be kept cold.  My curiosity began to stir.

Are you tired? I feel like I stay tired in my life. Tired as in need of sleep and rest. Maybe it’s my age but I just don’t sleep well. I wake up at least three times during the night and if I get a solid five hours of sleep I consider that a good night’s rest.

No matter what race I run, somehow walkers and slower runners end up on the left side of the course, sometimes three or four abreast. Race etiquette dictates the slow folks stay to the right so the serious runners can pass. Same for drivers. Why do slow-poke drivers clog up the left lane of the road? Georgia and Alabama have a law making it illegal to drive in the left lane at a slow speed that impedes traffic flow.

My beloved is a great cook.  He stirs up delicious meals on a regular basis.  In the kitchen, he is a free spirit adding a dash of this and a pinch of that without measuring a thing.  With his Bluetooth speaker connected to his iPhone, he chops, slices, and dices.

I think I have said before that I take my 10-year-old granddaughter to school most mornings. On Tuesday, when she was getting in the car, I noticed three clothespins on her lunch bag. I thought it was a little odd so I asked her what they were there for. She proceeded to explain to me they have “encouragement cards” at school as one of their job assignments. another student. 

Hopefully, no one missed an amazing article in the Index not long ago about 220 students coming to know Christ on a single night in Carroll County. That article talked about a spiritual shift that is bringing the Bible back to the Bible Belt. “People are searching for truth,” said Kevin Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church of Villa Rica and one of the organizers Gridiron Day.

Recognizing that school districts are struggling to fill bus driver positions, Holly Creek Baptist Church in north Georgia stepped up to help, and, in so doing, opened the door to an outside-the-box ministry that’s paying huge spiritual dividends. Several Holly Creek folks have become bus drivers, fitting bus routes into their daily ministry routines.

A few things I wonder about: Why are doctors’ offices—especially the dermatologist’s—so cold? You’re asked to strip down to your skivvies, and it feels like 50 degrees in there. If it’s intended to prevent lingering, well, I’m ready to go as soon as I get my pants on.

I was searching for a container, a vessel. A tiny fern needed a place to grow. Every spring, my beloved showers me with flowers and plants to be potted on the front and back porches of the parsonage. They are a friendly welcome to family and friends.  Some of my favorites are red geraniums, white New Guinea impatiens, ivy, and ferns. I pile red and white pillows and blankets on the glider and swing.

I would not admit this to just anyone, but I am a fair weather driver. In other words, I can drive perfectly when it is sunny but anything other than that proves a challenge for me. It seems like the last few weeks we have had some “bad” driving weather. It made me think about how I can compare the driving weather and the roads.

Retired educator Margie Bowen has climbed Stone Mountain over 1,000 times. The Atlanta resident started climbing Stone Mountain east of Atlanta for exercise, but as she climbed several times each week, she kept count. Eventually, she reached the hundreds, and on New Year’s Eve ten years ago, former students and several family members joined her as she reached the 500 mark.

It caught my eye as I drove out of the church parking lot.  I slammed on the brakes then inched backward to take a look.  There, in the middle of the blacktop, was a tiny sprout of green.

You may have heard this before. I went out to find a friend and none were to be found. I went out to be a friend and found them all around.  Where do you find friends?