I saw this in a magazine the other day and am going to use it. It was just so different and so pretty. Buy however many pears as you have people coming for a holiday dinner. But pretty holiday ribbon and white poster board or gold. Cut 1×3 in pieces of the poster board for the name cards. Write each person’s name on a piece and then cut the bottom of each pear to where it sits on it’s side. Cut a slit on the top and place the place card in the slit. Tie a ribble bow on the stem and set at each person’s plate. After the dinner, cut the pears and use in a cobbler or fruit salad for the next meal.

For the last few weeks, our Bible Study has been on Stepping Out of the Boad and Walking on Water as Peter did. Well, Randy and I are experiencing some of what Peter must have felt when he left the comfort of the boat to walk toward Jesus. We are leaving our comfort zone of Dallas and moving to Los Angeles for Randy to work for a different company. When most people our age are retiring and moving closer to family, we are moving 1500 miles away from family, from wonderful friends and from precious memories  which we have truly meant  so much to both of us.

I wanted to share with you how we came to this decision. It was not impulsive, nor is it just about a new job. We had prayed that if God continued to open the door for Randy to take this position, it would be for a higher purpose, other than just us moving and starting in a brand new place. We had ask the Lord to only allow this if He was going ahead of us and if He had a purpose for us doing so. This has been going on for the last 6 months  or so, and the word we kept getting from the Lord was, “wait on God”. We never got to the point of signing any papers or the official offer never came, when we expected it to. For monhts we kept wondering what was taking so long in any decision being made by the company and why were we still being asked to wait to find out if we were moving or staying. It isn’t that we really wanted to move, but just knowing that it might happen caused us to wonder what our lives had in store the next year or so. When at least we felt that it was never going to really happen, we got a call from Randy’s new boss asking if he would consider taking LA instead of San Francisco. That was music to our ears. We had been a little hesitant about moving to San Francisco, as he had been told that was where they wanted him. When we got a phone call from theh company they explained that the man who had been manager for 20 years of the LA area was retiring and would Randy consider  taking his place. We are familiar to LA, having lived there before and know several people there. After much prayer and seeking counsel from several precious Christian friends and ministers, we knew in our hearts that God was allowing this for both Randy and I. We don’t know what this new season of our lives holds, but we do know that God has promised to go before us and He will be faithful to lead us and to guide us, no matter how uncomfortable “getting our of the boat” will be for a while. We know that He will lead us to a church home where we want to be in service to Him. It might be in a totally different way than it has been here, but that’s ok. We are ready to have our “comfort zone” expanded and our hearts are ready for this new season. It will be hard leaving the comforts of home and family, but we also know that walking on water can be life changing……..The time here in Dallas has been such a precious time for both of us and God has blessed us in so many ways. We anticipate that the blessings might come in a different package, but they will come.

Will post a new recipe tomorrow, and let you rest from all the reading I have been posting, I promise.

Just walked in the door from attending the Cox Family Reunion, held in Ooctober of each year. We went this year, knowing that it would be a little emotional, because Randy’s dad, Howard Cox had passed away this past December and there would be a time of the family members remembering Howard and telling memories about him. It was hard to watch different family members tell different stories about Howard and see them tear up remembering what a strong man, both spiritually and physically, he was. But it was also very comforting, knowing how much he was loved and that his life made such an impression on so many. It made me think of how Randy reminds me of his dad and how blessed I am to have a husband who loves his family, who loves the Lord and each year, grows more and more devoted to Him and to our children and grandchildren. I saw Howard today, in Randy, in so many different ways, that I had not noticed before. But as stories unfolded from different cousins, in-laws, aunts and uncles, it was evident that the family resemblence goes on, the quietness in Randy and his dad’s voice. The “no-need” to talk, unless there is really something to say. Their love of a great bargain, having to have the latest electronic device……these are just a few of what made them father-son…We rode home talking about how much I was seeing Howard in Randy and watching him, driving while I was telling him…..I could see the proudness in his eyes. We were on the way home, in some ways glad to have the reunion over for another year, yet, so glad that so many relatives care enough to put together old pictures, stories and a great table of family recipes for those of us who are just growing up (finally) to realize just how important family traditions are to us.

It is the PERFECT day to go to the fair. Weather is gorgeous and Randy is taking half a day off for us to go experience the sounds and taste of the Texas State Fair! We will arrive around 4 and dive immediately into our yearly traditions of corny dog first and head on over to the bird show. If any of you have tasted any of the new “fried foods” that are there this year, let me know. Last year, we tried the “fried butter”, just to be sure we got our share of the most highly concentrated dose of cholestrol that day. We tried the fried oreo and the fried snickers, but we have gotten smart in our old age. We do our “tasting” early in the afternoon, so we have time to digest all the grease and take our TUMS with us instead of having to hurry home to swallow a whole bottle of them before hitting the bed. Otherwise we would be up all night with heartburn and wonder why we tasted all the “fun new tastes of the fair”.

So, we will be off……….riding the ferris wheel at night to take in all the beautiful lights of the park, coming home with an additional 5 lbs each and telling ourselves we will never eat that much again, well….at least until fair time next year!