Girl time

3:02 p.m. Today's project was to study and make notes for my lesson on I Samuel Chapter 3 to teach on Thursday. Yesterday was taken up with a pile of documents and financial statements, hours just going down the drain. I managed to do some laundry and take products to a customer, but had no time for studying in my "office." Calling it a "study" might be more accurate, unless Steven is home, and then it's "Steven's bedroom." There's a single top mattress with a nice pillowcase and fitted bedspread on the floor, which he seems to favor over the fairly new queen-size bed upstairs in the guest bedroom. He'd better not tell his wife one day that he was forced to sleep on the floor at home!!

I was having my doubts about getting in any study time today, because I had just gotten settled in at my desk, excitedly opening commentaries and Bible translations, when my prayer partner called for our weekly time to pray for one another's needs; I wouldn't miss it! As Monica was wrapping up, the doorbell rang and Steve opened the door to my dad--a surprise, since he was over just Sunday for Father's Day! Of course, I couldn't go greet him for a few minutes until our prayer ended. He came over to provide a great blessing to us, a check for $300 for the aforementioned Steven, who's struggling to build his fitness training business up in Fresno! Funny thing is, on the kitchen counter lay a stamped, addressed envelope I had prepared for sending that precise amount to Steven on Friday, when my husband's check comes in! Now that's the Lord!! "I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread," Psalm 37:25 says, and it so true, like all of scripture. Needless to say, Daddy went home with a large bag of garden produce from his grateful daughter and son-in-law!

The Lord gave me the general themes of the chapter today, and set the direction for what will edify and bless the women Thursday. I am so grateful for the privilege of bringing His Word of inspiration to others! Fellowship around the Bible is the best kind--it brings us alive to God and to the hearts and needs of our friends.

There's another type of "girl time" I'll be enjoying tonight--a Tupperware party at Debbie Edmondson's home with friends from church. I laugh at the term, because my daughter Heather and her husband Nick have girls' and boys' time weekly, where they chill with their own kind. At 59, I still think occasional girl time is refreshing, like the jewelry party I attended a couple of weeks ago. And with an upcoming bride in the house, I'll see what a "kitchen start-up" collection would consist of (and cost)! In her Facebook invitation, Debbie mentioned that she hadn't been to a Tupperware party in ages, and I haven't either. The gold casserole storage container pictured above belonged to my late mother-in-law, I believe, and came to Riverside with my then-bachelor husband in 1977 to grace his first house. It now serves as a dependable compost container for kitchen scraps. "Reduce, recycle, re-use--" wasn't that the chant they taught our school children in the 90's? Well, I like the Lord's plans for the earth and all creatures in it: "dust to dust." (paraphrased Genesis 3:19b) I guess we are doing our bit with composting and organic gardening!!

Looks like I have a bit of time before fixing dinner, to write down some more notes on I Samuel. May the Holy Spirit guide all of us who share God's Word and call upon His Name!