Tom's Message - August 4
Hey, everyone!
Hope you’re having an awesome day! So, I was thinking abou…
“Wait! How am I supposed to do that??”
Do what?
“Have an awesome day! You said, ‘Hope you’re having an awesome day’ but you didn’t tell me how!!”
Excellent point!
I really love it when someone can actually tell me how to do something I’m not quite sure how to do!
Like a couple of years ago, we woke up with our hearts racing and eyes burning.
“SKUNK!”, we both yelled! “PIUUUUU!!!”
Turned out, it found a way to get under our house. I put the speakers on the floor and cranked up a playlist I have on my phone of VERY traditional bluegrass music and he/she scooted!
(Who knew they didn’t like it!?)
So I sought counsel from my neighbor on how to get rid of skunks and she told me exactly what to do!
(To quote my own self, “I really love it when someone can actually tell me how to do something I’m not quite sure how to do!”)
She brought over a rectangle cage with a door connected to a spring.
Then she told me what to do!
“What do I put in there? Cat food?? How do you not catch a cat??”
“Honeybuns. Skunks love ‘em but cats don’t care for ‘em.”
“Wait! Don’t point the door toward the house. Turn it around.”
“Why?”
“Because if you catch one, it’ll go in head-first and you’re gonna want it pointing toward your house so you can sneak up behind it and put a towel over the whole thing.”
(“Yikes!”)
“Then you just wait a few minutes after you put a towel over it to keep it in the dark and gently pick it up by the handle and lift it into your truck.”
(I’m kind of sweating at this point.)
Then drive to a creek or somewhere, gently lift it down, pull the towel back just to uncover the door, open the door (which you’ve practiced doing a bunch of times!) and step back. Out it’ll come.”
“Got it! Thanks!”
In the morning, I peeked out. There was one in it!!
“Rats!! Now what??”
But I just did what she told me, step by step and 30 minutes later, it waddled off!
It’s awesome when someone can help you know what to do when you’re not sure!
Like a week from Sunday, on August 13, we’re having our baptisms at Elkmont in the Smokies!
AND YOU’RE GONNA NEED A PARKING PASS!!
Here’s how to get one!
On your computer, go to recreation.gov
At the top, it’ll say “What are you looking for?”
Put “parking tag”
A list will pop up and you just click on the one that says “Great Smoky Mountains National Park Parking Tag”
Read all the stuff…Fer example, you have to include your license plate number ‘cause that pass is only good for that car…and you specify the date (August 13)…and you have to print it off so you can put it on the dashboard when you park up at Elkmont…
And scroll down and click “Purchase Here”
Click “One Day Pass” (it’ll be 5 bucks), plus the “I Read and Agree” at the bottom (I hope you did and do!)
Fill in your name, address, credit card, email, and license plate number (!!!)
“Add to cart”
1By this time, you’ll know how to just keep going till you're done!
And that’s what you have to do!
By the way, here’s how to have that awesome day!
Forget yesterday (“Forgetting what is behind…” Philippians 3:14)
Don’t think about tomorrow (“Don’t worry about tomorrow…” Matthew 6:34)
Tell your Heavenly Dad about every problem and/or care that comes to mind or along your path during the day today (remember, we’re not thinking about tomorrow’s troubles yet!), thanking Him all day that you are invited to do that! (Philippians 4:8-9 “Be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer and petitions with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…)
And…Ask Him to fill you with joy and peace as you go thru the day trusting Him this way! (Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so you can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!”
Four simple steps to “How to have an awesome day!”
"Gee! Thanks!"
You’re welcome.