Much has happened since i last posted and i'll try to provide a real quick recap as i have some landscaping work to attend to in an hour. i was evicted a couple months ago, found a new one room attic flat thanks to one of my grandmothers, the brakes went out on my truck with no injuries, a tornado wiped out the local town of Smithville, a family of five that lost their home moved in with me for a couple weeks (in my one room attic flat), and i was blessed to be able to make a trip to Wisconsin to see my mother off to Heaven and be reunited with my family. On the trip home my daughter invited me to dinner with her boyfriend on the lakefront in Milwaukee and then i stopped by to see my blessed friend in Iowa and this picture was taken heading back home with God. This past Saturday we attended a funeral for my friends 20 year old nephew and five people came to Jesus Christ. It would take a couple hours to fill in all that has transpired in between these major events so i will simply say that God is working in peoples lives and He is shaking us up for the harvest and He is bringing hearts and families back together. i've been in the fields again and of course in the garden, mine and my mothers.
My mother past away and went home on May 20 from endocarditis which is an inflammation of the inner liner of the heart. She was 76 just short of her 77th birthday on May 31. She had just gotten over cancer treatment and a lengthy recovery with the blessing of a cancer free report. Over the years she had several heath issues but she continued working as an in-home care nurse taking care of children until just a few years ago. i pray that we all have that giving and serving attitude throughout our lives that she had. My mother was a child of God and she was a blessing to many people. The last several years we have talked each Sunday of the past week just to catch up and stay in touch. We talked often of faith and knowing Jesus personally as the Way home. She found the Way. Thank You Father. We also talked much about gardening and the love for nature that we hold in common. i was able to spend some personal time in my mothers garden, tending and keeping what she wasn't able to get to this spring. Of course the news of my mother was most important and the grieving process has been hard often and filled with blessings of love and memories. The grieving is my loss, our loss, but the strong Irish my mother past on to me celebrates her relief from pain and sorrow while all things have been made new for her. Celebrate the passing of a loved one saved. My brothers and sisters were reunited for a week while we stood vigil each day and night with mom, recalling many good times together and many fond memories. My daughter was able to see mom as well which was a blessing. i really enjoyed the reunion as well.
The local and national weather has devastated many areas across the nation which has had a major impact everywhere. The local town of Smithville is seven miles from Amory and they lost a lot of people and most of the town in an EF-5 that came through on April 27. A friend that works with me used to live there with his family of five and they were able to find shelter just in time while their house was destoyed. During the last few storms that came through, they headed to the post office for shelter, but this time Robbie took the family back to a storm shelter in Amory and ten minutes later they saw the tornado heading for Smithville. Shortly after trucks with fatalities and injuries began pouring into Amory and emergency vehicles headed toward the damage. Robbie and his family moved in to my 20 foot square abode that night and spent a couple weeks while we sorted through what was salvagable and they learned how to rebuild their lives from nothing. Everything was gone but the family was safe and God opened up a door and the hearts of people. It's a blessing to be able to witness this first hand and to serve out of my comfort zone. So often we want to place our own needs first, but when you reverse that, forget about yourself and walk in the footsteps of your brother or sister, then you are walking scripture and loving them, esteeming them about yourself. There are many giving hearts in this country as is evidenced at the recent outpouring of help and hearts following all the damage from weather events.
The garden has reall been progressing here and the heat has been an issue already. Mississippi has been running in the 90 degree range for a couple weeks and there has been no rain. This month we are again ahead of the normal weather by about a month and this has been the case since last year seemingly. i have been told to plant everything this year and that has kept me busy in the garden. i am also planning for an expanded rain water collection system that i can rely on when the real dought comes. Storing between the major rainfalls will be important in maintaining a local food source. More pictures to come of the garden. Tonight is church with the prison ministry group which is always a soul filling evening. May you be blessed and comforted in your losses and remember to count it all joy and love from Father. He is calling us to be closer to Him so under His wing we may find shelter and peace.
God Bless and Good to be posting,
~ antbrother
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