BEES, BINGO and BLESSINGS

Who knew…

1. A sound you hear, coming from the back of your truck, is telling you something is all abuzz.
2. An invitation to play Bingo could save people's souls.
3. An army of God's children and some curb appeal can bless lives.

Let me explain:

As we travel on the highways and byways, we’ve met interesting folks along the way. But the other day we met one of God’s creations from the animal kingdom neither one of us wants to encounter again.

We parked and are setting up the RV. Ray leans into the back of his truck and motioned me to come over. He told me he heard something, but couldn’t figure out what it was. Since I have sonar ears I listened and heard the humming sound.

Without much thought I started moving things around in hopes of finding the cause of the noise. At one point Ray said it was probably a tool that got turned on and the battery was whining. I agreed and dug a little deeper to find the culprit.

All of us have heard the saying, “Bee in your bonnet.” Well our bee wasn’t in a hat—ours was stuck inside a gallon-size baggie. And from the incessant buzzing he was making he was none too happy in his circumstance.

 

My hero (Ray) took the freezer bag from my outstretched hand, opened the “double zipper seal” and released the angry bee. Thankfully he flew off to freedom and didn’t return to take revenge on us.

The question we still have—how did he get inside the bag? A mystery!!!

Yes, our bee might be (no pun intended) a mystery, but what isn’t is the importance of sharing our faith with those around us. In the case of my second “Who knew…” sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ can happen in the most unlikely place—a Bingo hall.

That exactly what happened to David and Kathy, a couple we met while we’ve been parked at The Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. David and his wife (who were unbelievers at the time) invited his brother and sister-in-law (also non-believers) to Bingo. David’s sister-in-law sparked up a conversation with a woman sitting next to her. They became fast friends.

Over the next two years their friendship grew and she asked David’s brother & wife to go to church. Within a short time they accepted the Lord. Later on so did David and Kathy. Oh, and did I mention they were Jewish too?

So, the next time you have the opportunity to share the gospel. DO!!! Four lives are now written in the Book of Life because they went to play Bingo. Location doesn’t MATTER. All that DOES is we’re faithful in sharing the Lord’s message of love to those around us.

Isn’t that what the Lord called us to do over 2000 years ago?

And that brings me to my last “Who knew…”. Blessings. At almost every stop we’ve made in our journey from Florida to Arkansas, we’ve found blessings in one form or another.

Volunteering at The Passion Play has been a true blessing. We’ve met a great group of people who are out working for the Lord. While here we’ve gotten our hands dirty and our hearts filled. Funny what a little teamwork and curb appeal can do for your soul.

Bees, Bingo and Blessings – who knew those three things went hand in hand.

Love ya!

jm

TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A BLAST

Has it been almost four months? Doesn’t seem possible. No, I’m not talking about the laps of time between my blogs (oh, it has been since December – oops). Anyway, let’s get on with the subject at hand. :)

In less than two weeks we’ll be on the road again. Our time at Indian Creek RV Park in Ft. Myers Beach, Florida is coming to a close. But we’ll be back next January (maybe earlier-we’ve made our reservations) for more fun in the sun.

Let me recap some of the excitement we’ve experienced in this 55+ community and beyond its gates:

• Ray and I have tripped the light fantastic a number of times (danced our little feeties right off and loved every minute of it – some more than others (me)).
• Visited the beach any chance we got. One early morning trip we spied a school of dolphins frolicking in the water. A treat for all.
• Friends invited us to the dog track. Who knew we could pick a winner just because we liked their name. Loads of fun to watch.
• Trips to visit Ray’s cousins on the Atlantic side of Florida. Family, food and fun (including a baseball game) – who could ask for anything more.
• Miles and miles of trails to walk or ride your bike on. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed riding my bicycle. We even figured out a way to take Maggie along.

  

And so much more…

Are you ready to pack your bags yet?

I’m sure you are. But before you do, I need to let you know there are a few extra items you’ll need to put in your suitcases. Along with your swimming suit – don’t forget to pack: 

Broad Shoulders: If one thinks they are going to come into an established park and make friends the minute their feet hit the pavement. Reel that crazy idea back in and wake up to reality. We found out the snowbirds have been making this winter trek for a very long time (some up to 30 year). In their mind they’ve got all the friends they need.

But we didn’t let this deter us. We smiled and charmed our way into their hearts. And if that technique didn’t work, we’d sit on their laps at the get togethers to become part of their group (clique).

Not really, but I had you going for a minute. Didn’t I? 

A Sense of humor – This is another vitally important item to pack. And we found wittiness would have come in handy when someone honked at us while crossing one of the parking lots in Indian Creek. I thought, oh it’s one of our new friends being cute.

Not so much!!!

Instead I believe Satan sat behind the wheel, yelling at us for being in their way. WOW! We didn’t respond, but later that evening I came up with the perfect comeback. What I should have said to the older gentleman, while I’m whipping out my phone, “Sir, can you repeat what you just screamed at us. This time please get as angry as you did a few minutes ago so all the viewers on YouTube can see the bulging veins in your head. I want this one to go viral.”

Last, but not least…

Patience – Be sure to carry a boatload of this with you when you come. We forgot ours, but found out very quickly we needed an extra dose of patience to do anything (driving, bicycling and/or taking a trek to the beach).

And speaking of a trip to the beach - because of the large influx of people to Florida a trip to the beach can take close to an hour to get there (and we are only three miles away). But take it from us, once you’re there the sea breezes seep into your soul and you forget the hassle of getting there.

Yes, next year when we come back to Indian Creek RV Park we’ll remember to pack our broad shoulders, sense of humor and patience. But we’ll also bring our smiles because we will remember why we’ve returned. We discovered how much fun life is when you learn to RELAX. 

And what better place than on a sunny beach in south Florida.

Love ya,

nettie