In my study in the Psalms – I mean, a verse-by-verse study of the Psalms (it has been three months and I’m only up to chapter 20) – I have been impressed with how overwhelmingly impressed the Psalmist David was of God’s strength and might and power.  And how many times he refers to Him as his Rock.  When I think of all the rocks I have ever seen, there is a particularly unique one in Red Beach, Maine.  It is in an area where my boys (when they were young), and I referred to as ‘the Rocks’.  We loved going to this place, having a picnic and then climbing down the cliff to the shore which was completely covered with Rubik Cube-sized rocks.  No nice sandy beach at this place.  We walked those rocks all day, collecting ‘washed glass’ (beach glass) – looking for crabs, jellyfish and other sea fauna that had washed in with the tide.

For the past several years, the word ‘community’ has become ketchy – a buzz word.  To me, it has become annoying.  Let me explain.  First of all, I’ll give two dictionary definitions of ‘community’ –

The following is taken from a page in my journal – July 24, 2018, to be exact:

“Struggling, Lord!  REALLY struggling!!  I’ve seen the plaques/signs at various shops saying – “I can’t do adult today.”  Well, Lord – went through most of my morning saying – “I can’t do ‘Christian’ today; I can’t do ‘life’ today!”  I feel as though my life is being choked out of me.  I feel as though I am held down on my back with hands around my neck trying to choke me to death spiritually and emotionally.  I sense the ‘enemy’ Heimlich maneuvering me until he squeezes every bit of life – every bit of the Holy Spirit out of me – spewed out on the ground.”

Remember the words ‘feed me till I want no more’ from the old hymn, Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah?  Even though I haven’t heard that hymn in years, it has been playing and playing through my head this morning!  So, as I was thinking of returning to my beloved Romania, the reality of my not receiving the ‘feeding’ in the very ‘dark’ culture of Romania that I do in the States reminded me of the steps I have to take to protect myself, spiritually.

Recently, I had the most wonderful experience of gathering together my whole family for my youngest son’s 40^th birthday.  Several years ago, all my sons and two of their wives, at the time, and one fiancée were all together in my home for a holiday.  But since all have married and given me six grandchildren, we had never been together as a family.  Some of the grandchildren had never even seen each other before.  We got to spend three glorious days in a beach house right on the beach in Destin, FL.  When Liam, my four year-old grandson who had never even seen his Georgia-cousins before, saw us all hauling our suitcases into the same place, and realized that all fourteen of us would be staying together in the same house, he was overwhelmed.  He looked around, and filled with excitement and joy he exclaimed, “Look Mammie, we are all going to sleep together!  Isn’t that crazy?!”  And I answered him, “Crazy – wonderful!”  He squealed, “Yes!” – and ran to give me a hug.