Take the Lid Off

Day One

Lesa, Connie, Hayley and Carol

Grabbing the last of my bags, the sky looking ominous, I knew I should have left a few minutes earlier in order to miss the impending storm. Lightening flashed over the college. Terry and I drove to The Circuit  to pick up the stuffed elephant Kathy left for me there. The clouds opened wide and let out their offerings...a full deluge that even an umbrella could not keep away. We made a run for it over to Lesa and Andy's house where bright eyed Hayley, Maggie, baby Toby, Andy, Shawn, Linda and Lesa were all ready gathered together. Connie and Stan pulled in a few minutes later. We prayed together in the living room, said our goodbyes, then sat in the car in the driveway for a while to read PSALM 18, the chapter for us, and 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 and 1-3 for Charleston/April. Then Lesa gave each one of us a note card. It was a love note of tremendous value from Missy, our Activate 2013 team member and sweet dear friend. I cried. I could barely read it aloud. (thanks Missy for your thoughtfulness and words of encouragement and love). Lesa also handed me an envelop with someone's gift for spending money. (Thank you, anonymous giver for your thoughtfulness and love).

We listened to praise and worship music and a pod cast by Elevation church down the road and talked to get to know one another a bit better.

We intended to go into Charlottesville for lunch at Whole Foods Market but was thwarted by a huge traffic jam on Rt 250. Instead of wasting anymore time in traffic, we made a U turn and went back out to Rt 64 and headed for Cracker Barrel in Waynseboro, 25 miles ahead instead. While we were stuck in traffic I saw wooden cut outs of kids playing on top of a hill. It looked like worshippers to me.

Wooden Cut Outs in Charlottesville Looked like Fun Praise Dancers.

At Cracker Barrel, Anita helped our waitress, Sarah. We all thought that her name was significant. It means Princess. It never really came available to minister to her much but we did bless them with big tips. Sarah's eyes got really big. "Are you sure?" she said. Anita said she did not help Sarah for money but we tipped her equally too. She was going to take her daughter to the zoo with it.

God loves each one of us and cares for us all. Our motive is loving service, not financial reward, yet the Father lavishes us with money to spend on the road, and to take our kid to the zoo. He is kind and He provides.

 

Opening in the cloud just over the border. See the peek of blue sky?

 By the time we got through to West Virginia, the majority of the rain had stopped. I saw a Harley  in the parking lot with a rolled up tent on its side. The man riding it was going to Yellowstone so I prayed for Kenny's safe travels. We met a bunch of people who were from Newport News, Hampton and one lady who just came from a Virginia Beach vacation.

Pastures and Hillside while Driving Down Rt 64

 

We arrived at our hotel in Beckley, West Virginia at exactly 5:55 pm.

 We got a late start and it rained nearly the whole way up. We traveled through fog and cloud cover in the mountains so we got here later than anticipated. Tomorrow we go visit April, an old dear friend from Freedom Life Church who has come to God's Girls retreats. Then we go on into Charleston to see who the Lord will bring to our attention to bless.

Pray for openings. That seems to be a theme lately.

Love ya
Carol