MAKING NEW MEMORIES AND VISITING OLD MEMORIES!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away....right?

But., in my case....it's a pill a day!  One little white pill....but oh so powerful to help keep my cancer from re-occuring.  I am reminded each morning of my journey as I take "one little pill". 

Yesterday was Easter and while we traditionally have our kids over for an Easter dinner with ham and all of the trimmings and of course, colored eggs....this year we did things different.  I missed the family dinner, but so enjoyed the day yesterday too.  We can still plan a dinner together when we all can make it without scrambling around and trying to fit too much into one day.  Erin and Nathan had to work until 6 yesterday and Jennifer and Joe had a dinner at his mom's house....but we still could have had our dinner around 7 last night.  But, we just opted to keep things simpler rather than have everyone rushing around to do too much in one day.  We'll get together another day.  I'm learning that sometimes we just stress ourselves out trying to fit too much into one day (same with Christmas), rather than just enjoying the day....all out of "tradition".  This grandma is learning to break free from "tradition" and give us all the freedom to relax just a bit more on Holidays.  In all honesty, I don't remember running around like that on Holidays when I was growing up.  We had our traditional dinner at our home.....no running off to grandma's house or to an aunts and no one but my parents and us kids were there, unless they just happened to drop by.  Sometimes I think we have complicated our lives since those more simpler times and I'm in the process of trying to re-simplify them and enjoy life, rather than rush around and stress myself out....as well as add stress to my daughter's lives.

So, yesterday was an un-complicated, stressfree, beautiful Easter day!  God blessed us with lots of sunshine!  My day started out with an Easter service with my daughter and her family at their church.  It was a very uplifting service and I left there feeling very blessed.  At this time in my life, I do not have a church home.  It's not that I don't want one....I miss having a church family and attending church services and other activities with a church family .  We used to be very active in church....things happened....we left....and it's been really hard to find a church to fit into.  I know it's not about ME....it's about Jesus Christ.   I know someday I will be back in a church!  My problem isn't with Jesus....it's with man!  So many churches have too many man-made rules.  I'm not against rules....don't get me wrong.  But, for an example, yesterday I was not allowed to take communion with the church body I was visiting.  I am a Christian....I am a member of the body of Christ....I confess my faith that Jesus Christ came to die for my sins and I accept that I am a sinner and I accept Him as my Savior.  But, in particular churches, I am not allowed to partake of communion with "their body", although in reality, I am a member of their body in a broader sense, as all Christians are members of the "body of Christ".  It used to really, really bother me....but, not so much anymore.  I was happy to go forward at Communion time and accept a blessing from the Pastors.  I understand their reasoning.  I respect their "rule".  But, I do not agree with it...but that's ok, because I'm not a member of their church.  To become a member, I would feel I would have to agree with that, among other things.  I know my daughter would love for me to join their church, but I don't feel lead to do so.  It is a great church....I love the people there and the pastors.  They are wonderful....don't get me wrong.  I love that my daughter and her husband are there and that they are raising my grandchildren in church.  But....how do I put this....it's just a little too rigid for me.

On the other hand, I have been in churches that went too far the other way.....like a church that served up little cheddar fish crackers for communion.  Communion is a very solemn and holy sacrament instituted by God.  Quite frankly, looking at those little fishy crackers being passed around and little children crying and wondering why they couldn't have a "snack" too, really dulled the importance and holiness of the whole ceremony.  They didn't understand why us adults were having a "snack" and they couldn't have one too.  It made me cringe.  Thankfully I don't think that was ever tried again in that church (to my knowledge). 

I understand the importance of keeping this sacrament sacred.  It should be treated in a reverant way.  There is even scripture giving pastors warnings about giving out this sacrament.  Did you know that?  This is the "blood and body of Christ", so I get that it should not be handed out willy nilly.  I get that totally.  But, I do not believe becoming a member of a particular church will make me any more of a Christian than I already am.  One day I will sit and have a feast with Jesus Christ Himself and I don't believe He will make me show any proof of a membership in any particular church.  All that will matter to Him is that "He knows me" and that I am a member of the body of Christ....His body!

Some churches are so rigid in their traditions while others try so hard to throw out traditions, but in reality, they are just making their own.  Neither church is wrong, necessarily.  They just aren't for me!  Even non-denominationals have their own "man-made rules and traditions" while they try so hard in their efforts to NOT be a denomination.  In reality, they become a denomination!

Yesterday we passed this church sign and I kind of chuckled and reflected upon it.  I was trying to decide what "Country Gospel" is.  Is it different than God's Gospel?  And a Music church?   What is worshipped.... the music?  I am assuming it is a Christian church that just happens to appeal to people who like Country music.  I'm glad the "Gospel" was in the name; otherwise, I may have thought it was a church worshipping Country Music.....the word Gospel leads me to believe they worship Jesus Christ.  Now, I am not trying to be disrespectul to this church or it's members.  But, as an outsider looking in....these thoughts crossed my mind.  This is an example of what I am talking about.  What is being worshipped?  The music?  Country Music?  I don't care what kind of music is being sang, just so it is glorifying to God.  I have sat in a church that put so much importance on their music that they lost sight of the Savior!  We, as Christians, put too much focus on "things of this world" and many times miss God by doing so.  Now before anyone thinks I don't like Country Music....let me tell you, "I love it"!   When my daughter asks me why I won't join her church, I tell her their songs are too hard to sing...lol!  She knows I'm joking, but she also knows worshipping in song is important to me.  But, in reality, it's not about the type of songs we sing to worship our Lord....it's about Him!

Yes, I do seem to have a problem with organized church.  But, yet, I want to belong to one.  I have had "church" in my car or in my yard, or right here in my own home.  Where two or more are gathered....there He shall be.  I remember one time in particular that my sister, Kim, and I had church right there in the car.   Unplanned......unexpected.....orchestrated by God!  I was dropping her off and I had a Ray Boltz cd playing.  I like to listen to uplifting Christian music when I drive.  She hadn't said a word about it, but as she started to get out of the car a song that was playing really began to minister to her.  Tears flowed and the Holy Spirit was present.  It was awesome!!!!!  Now that, my friends, was CHURCH!!!!!!!

But, don't get me wrong....I am NOT against worshipping in a church.  As a matter of fact, I am praying for God to lead me to one where He can use me and where I can be fed and spend time with his people in worshipping Him!  So, I would like to ask for any Christians reading this to please lift me up in prayer in this area that God will lead me to the church He wants me in and that I will have total confirmation.....no doubts...that it is the church He wants me at.

When I went to church yesterday, I planned to wear pants, as I don't have any dresses that fit.  Oh wait....I ran to my closet and dug out this dress that no longer fit me because I got too big for it.  Look, it fits again!!!!!  :=)  So, I guess I do have some dresses!....although some are outdated.  But they will do until I get out and get me some new ones.

After church, Larry and I headed over to Brown County Inn...the same place we stayed for Thanksgiving.  They were having an Easter Buffet, so we decided that while our children were busy with the other family or working, we'd just take off for the day by ourselves and have our own Easter dinner.  After raising kids, there is a time when you need to "find each other" again!  It actually turned out to be a special day for us.

After we ate, we went driving around a bit...it was such a beautiful day!  When Larry and I were dating we loved to visit the Brown County State Park over there.  So, we put in the 60's CD and let it blare as we were crusing around...lol....oh the memories came flooding back!

We ended up at the Bean Blossom Dragway....a place where Larry used to drag race his car in the late 60's....right before I met him.  I actually think he was still doing it when I met him, but I never went to a race with him.  He even won some trophys!  Hmmm....I wonder whatever happened to them?  Maybe I sold them in a yard sale...lol!  Now I wish we still had them to give to our grandchildren.  I could see the memories flood across his face as it lit up and he had a huge smile on his face. 

I encouraged him to drive on in and check out the race track.  He was telling me what had changed about it.  There didn't used to be a clubhouse or this or that.  But, even with the changes, his mind went back to those days in his youth where he spent so much time.  I could tell by the look on his face that he could still hear the engines revving up!  Oh, what sweet memories! 

Unfortunately, a race had just ended....we missed it....and they were loading up their cars to leave.  All of the "youngsters" were looking as us like they were wondering what we were doing there.....after all, we weren't a part of the usual crowd.  We stopped and explained to some of them that Larry raced there in the 60's and asked when the races are held and they graciously ran inside and brought us out a schedule, so now we plan to make it back over for a Sunday afternoon drag race this summer.  We're even hoping we can get our kids and grandkids to go with us....so they can take in what their father/grandfather did when he was younger.

Then we headed back toward Nashville...the quaint little tourist town I've shown you pictures of before.  I had never really been to Bean Blossom and never have entered Nashville from this direction.  It looked like the stores were opened up again, after being close for the winter and while there was not a huge crowd of people, there were quite a few milling around.   Lots of motorcycles out and about.  One thing I always find about Brown County and Nashville...there are always lots of motorcycles everywhere. 

We decided to bypass parking and walking around town and instead decided to see if we could find the Zipline place.

We found it!  So, we went in and talked with them about ziplining, which we both want to do this summer.  They had a group out ziplining yesterday, so we drove up to their lake to watch them.

Doesn't that look so tranquil.  This is the lake that the ziplines cross over.  My thoughts are....great, then if I fall, I'll fall into water instead of a hard ground.  lol!

There are several of these platforms built around trees and you zip from one platform to the other, crossing the lake....and then zip from that one to another....and so forth.  All in all, I think you end up zipping 4 times.

I wish I could say this was me...but not yet!  We were just there to observe yesterday...afterall, I had a dress on!

What fun!  We were standing alongside a man, who was also taking pictures and he explained that his family were the ones I was photographing....his 12 year old son, 15 year old daughter, and mom!  Yay mom!!!!  You go girl!  :=)

This, as explained to me by that gentleman, is the brake that keeps you from plowing into the tree.  lol....good thing!  The zipliners would grab the rope that would help slow them down.

Here they all are returning from their zipline experience!  Larry and I have both decided we want to do this, especially after watching how it's done!  So, I am making plans that this will be my Birthday Gift to myself in August!  Something else I will be able to mark off of my "bucket list"!  I didn't even really have a bucket list until last year when I was diagnosed with cancer.  I just let life happen.  But, now I am finding particular things I want to do, so I started me a bucket list.  This past weekend I got to mark off "get a tattoo".  This summer I plan to mark off "go ziplining"!  :=)  I'm learning to "live out loud" and it's wonderful!

We also found out that they rent cabins there...that sleep 10!  So, I'm thinking what fun it would be to get a group together and go over for a night of "camping out" in one of their cabins.  There is paintballing, ziplining, canoeing and even kayaking available.   And then we could sit around a huge fire at night.  Oh, how peaceful that sounds!

And, as we left, I snapped this random picture of this old wagon.  I love things like this and wonder about the "history" of it.  I think back to "Little House of the Prairie" and wonder if this wagon carried a family....mom, dad, and children...acrosss the prairie.  Was it covered?  Was it ever attacked by Indians or coyotes?  It may look like a weathered mess today....but oh what history it may hold.

Until next time....get out and enjoy life!  Soak in the history that surrounds you....that we may just drive by and not give a thought to.  Visit some of your "old memories" and enjoy going down "Memory Lane".   Hold them close to your heart.  Re-discover the simpler things in this life.  Praise be to God!

Cindy