8:14 p.m. Today's project was to drive to my friend Rachel Monreal's garden party at her home in Lake Elsinore. I had dropped Steve off with his friend Howard and picked up his wife Charlotte to go with Kay and me. Other gals were coming a bit later, and some of Rachel's local friends were already there.
Kay was kind enough to drive, and we made good time, despite totally missing Rachel's street and having to turn around when the paving ended! Our hostess took a moment from tempering the chocolate for her fountain to set us back on the right path.
We enjoyed refreshing drinks and delicious artichoke-ricotta dip as we fellowshiped, and more than one of us dipped a gigantic strawberry into the burbling chocolate fountain. But that didn't spoil our appetite for lunch! After Rachel's welcoming prayer of blessing on our afternoon, we enjoyed pasta salad, fabulous lightly curried cashew chicken salad on croissants, more strawberries, dip and raspberry-filled cupcakes with cameo decorations on the top! Rachel truly went all out, and it was sheer joy to visit in her lovely French-country style home with toile draperies that really set off all of her antique finds.
"Whatever you do, in word or deed," Colossians 3:17 says, "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Rachel certainly did that!
As we took our plates to the garden, wearing sun hats that Kay provided, we had the nicest, most relaxing conversations, like we'd known each other our whole lives. Our two tables of ladies made as amiable a gathering as I've been to lately, much needed during this high stress wedding month for our family. It was true koinonia, Christ-centered conversation, with Jesus Himself as our common bond. We encouraged one another also, as Hebrews 10:24-25 exhorts:
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together...
After lunch and dessert, we gathered around the comfy couch and cushioned patio chairs, including her Bichon-Frise/Poodle mix, who leapt up on the couch to cuddle with me, but then settled down to pose for pictures before we all shared and had devotions.
My topic came from the observation earlier this week that the most gorgeous of the world's botanical creation, flowers, have not the slightest anxiety--a far cry from the way most of us function! Jesus told us in Luke 12:31, not to worry about what we will live on,
But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
As the Lord closed our afternoon with hugs and goodbyes, He laid it on two of my friends' hearts to buy copies of my book, which is a nice help for our family right now.
The Lord sent us home refreshed, ready to serve our husbands, and refilled with His Spirit!
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