I’ve been thinking about decisions and consequences this week. It seems life really boils down to choices. My choices have made me who I am: a Christian, a mother, and a writer. God has blessed me in each role.
But make no mistake: I’ve made my share of bad decisions. I would never take antidepressants if I had it to do again. I’ve spent countless hours fantasizing about correcting my mistakes: If only I could go back to that moment and make a different choice. What then? How would my life look now?
Some mistakes make us grow as people and draw us closer to God. My decision to go off antidepressants was totally God-directed, and He has blessed me for obeying His instructions.
The key to making good choices is praying for God’s advice first. Then follow His leading. But it’s so easy to convince ourselves that what we want in the depths of our hearts is what God wills for us. It’s so hard to avoid this trap.
When you’re faced with making big decisions, pray the for patience to listen to God’s still small voice rather than the world’s cacophony. You’ll have fewer regrets and I think you’ll be happier as a result.
Everything seems to center on the Crawford County Fair in the Atlantic community this week. As I write people are gathering at the church to shell three bushels of elderberries. That could easily take three to four hours even with a good crew. Elderberries are the size of BBs and very fragile. They squish between your fingers if you apply too much pressure. Their stems are like pink thread, so it takes hours to shell a one-gallon bag.
Fallowfield United Methodist Church volunteer bakers made and froze strawberry-rhubarb pies on August 6. We’ll also make pies on August 13, starting at 5 p.m. We’ll freeze these immediately, and then bake these the week of the Crawford County Fair. Our first pie bake will be Saturday, August 18, at 6 a.m.
If you’d like to help us during fair week, call Debbie Hall at (814) 382-7288 or (814) 573-9046. You may also call Anita Hans at (814) 573-3517. The church’s address is 3993 Leach Road, Atlantic.
The shifts are at 6 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 3 p.m. They typically last three to four hours. If you need incentive, think about the warm piece of pie with ice cream you’ll get to enjoy as a thank-you for your help.
Don’t stress if you’ve never made a pie in your life. No one makes a whole pie alone at Fallowfield. You’ll be assigned a job and others will help you.
If you’d rather work at Fallowfield’s fair booth, the shifts are from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. to closing. We usually close between 9 and 10 p.m. We need people to grill hamburgers, make fries, serve sloppy joe, wash dishes, and wait tables. You’ll get a complimentary sandwich, fries, drink, pie, and ice cream for volunteering. You can get to the booth through Gate 1 at the fairgrounds.
The Atlantic Odd Fellows are sponsoring another blood drive on Wednesday, August 15, from 2 to 7 p.m. The Odd Fellows Hall is located at 9375 Atlantic Road, Atlantic. You can schedule an appointment with Christie DeLaura at (412) 589-4570. They happily accept walk-ins, too. I hope you are able to donate to this life-saving service. If you decide to donate blood, eat a big breakfast and lunch that day and drink lots of non-caffeinated drinks. First time donors must bring a photo ID, or their birth certificate and social security card if a photo ID is not available.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!