Saturday, February 12, 2011

Snowbound...

I wrote this on 2/1/11, Tuesday at 12:49 p.m.

snow blowing outside, sun shining on my shoulder (!), cup of hot chocolate, warm fire crackling on the television screen (DVD!), accompanied by easy-listening music... doggy whining to go outdoors, leftover home-made lasagna ready to reheat in the oven... knowledge that so many of my friends are just a few typed words and thoughts away...

home-made bread, pineapple-upside-down cake...

we're in the "Blizzard of Oz" as Steve Grant [KY3 newsman] put it... may get 20 inches even... snow day from work, of course... mind-relaxing games just a few clicks away...

commenting to a Christian author and "hearing" her reply back to me... seeing how the Lord is supplying for so many of my loved ones...

relaxing in my long night-shirt, sweats, and ankle socks... so many good books enticing me to look inside... plenty of time to think, and pray for safety and health and well-being and salvation and "3 M's" for friends and family members alike... wondering how long the snow will last... will we go back to work tomorrow? or day after...

my mind enjoys thoughts and words and phrases and names and music...

wonder if the DVD's with the fireplace come with aquariums or seashores...?

~ If I had the money for one trip w/ incidentals (extra for spending, etc.), how would I choose between a Southern Gospel cruise and a visit to my beloved Argentina...? Which would be my choice? - Argentina, of course...


~ Ended up getting about 15-16 inches of snow over the next week or so - had 4 snow days off work! Enjoyed the time off, but was thankful to go back to work on Monday...

Thank You, Father, for my job...


Check out our website http://www.bryantministries.com/ sometime soon.


"Here, there, or in the air!"


In Him,


Ruth.

Trip to Argentina...

Last October (2010), my mom and I had the privilege of returning to Argentina, where I spent 8 of my growing up years... We attended a "Fundamentalismo" congress, hosted by the church we were part of upon arriving in 1969. My best friend is now the national pastor of that church in Castelar, prov. of Buenos Aires. It's a 3 day meeting of all the Baptist churches in that region of South America - a sort of "Fellowship Meeting," if you will... After that was done, Mom and I traveled west, to San Juan, where she and Dad worked for well over 20 years after I returned to the States to attend Bible college, get married, have children, etc...
Before heading south, we flew to Denver to take Dad to his sister's house, so they could enjoy a 2 week visit.
These "thoughts" - snippets, ideas - describe part of our trip. Hope you enjoy remembering with me...
[written 10/4/10] at 39,000 feet in the air... [as we were already over the South American continent] "majestic Andes mountains - early morning sun approximately 6:10 a.m. locally; muchísima nieve a veces [lots of snow at times]. God, You are an awesome Creator Artist... Spectacular lightning show earlier this morning - finally had to close the window shades - was getting a bit frightening as the plane shook & bumped and seemed to roll... 'Angels, rock me to sleep in the cradle of love...' @ about 3 a.m. local time (2:00 a.m. our time CST) we were about 207 miles from La Paz (?). The grandeur of these mountains is just breathtaking! More snow, too! Rugged!!
"Whe we left Houston airport (in-flight personal TV screen just said we're 300 some miles from Tucumán; 600 mph!)) last night, flew over Galveston, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Jamaica.
"Huge bumpy ride ascending from Denver International - even the flight attendant said he'd about reaced his limit on it!
La Cordillera de los Andes - ¡magnífica!
Landed @ Houston - came to complete stop, I grabbed my purse & bag, got my carryon bag and Mom's, waited for so many others to disembark; ; got on waiting cart after finding out the driver was waiting for a woman in a wheelchair on our same flight; (many rivers snaking through the mountains!) driver came out, we told him which gate (E7) and we were 2 concourses away; he dropped off lady @ baggage claim first 'Oh, there's time to get to your flight' - stopped briefly to pick up another lady on same concourse; we arrived, complimented him (Mom said 'Tell your Mom she raised a very good son') - smiles, tips. Our flight was already boarding rows 30-36 or so - we're row 33L & K - window seat finally! ;-) - God's split second timing! Amazing...
Thin ribbon of a highway - a LOT of squares and rectangular plots of ground - farms? Possibly over Brazil right now...
Outside temperature -50º Celsius (Paraguay?). 1:34 to destination (oh yeah - very fast-paced train at Denver Int'l to get to gates of A, B, and C... We were at B18...
Have had tail winds & headwinds. Still bumpy some. It's early Spring here...
1:26 to destination. Estimated time of arrival 9:12 a.m. (Buenos Aires time). Bumpy again. They'll bring a bit of breakfast soon - anytime. Tail wind 54 mph (72 km). Explains the 'bumpy ride' right now.
-58ºF outside temperature; 582 mph. 39,000 feet altitude.
We were at 35,000 feet last night; hit the storm - up to 37,000. Now 39,000 for a few hours.
Lots of geometric patterns on the ground... Interesting look...
574 mph / -56ºF (tiny ice crystals on the cottom of my window... ;-) outside)
1:10 to destination... ;-)
About 3 rows from the back of the plane..."

Well - that's all I wrote... Needless to say, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. I lived there from 1969-1978; was able to go visit in 1989; things had changed so much - but some things were so much the same. Saw SO many of my friends that I grew up with and around... Some are now national pastors and pastors wives, missionaries, workers in the local churches... Some, sad to say, are out of church now...
I would go back in a heartbeat... and I remembered my Spanish!

Thank You, Father, for the wonderful opportunity to visit my 2nd country...

Please check out my family's website www.bryantministries.com - we travel and sing.

"Here, there, or in the air!"

In Him,

Ruth.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

New week...

Well, it's a new week and I am just learning this blogger thing. This is the fourth time I have tried writing something - I'm hoping not to lose it this time. It says that it 'autosaves' but when I find the listing of posts, they are all empty!

Enjoyed Sunday School and worship service this morning.

I am learning to catalog new books and correcting problems with current holdings in our Bible college library; I am also the library secretary, and this is payroll week... and as acquisitions supervisor, I get to place book orders during the school year. During the summer break, it is more laid back and quieter...
I will try to post this - and try to write more interesting posts as I get the hang of this blogger thing.
God bless each of you as you bless others.