Weekend Write Up 8/30/2021

It has been a wonderful weekend in Lowell, Vermont and we were seriously sad to see it end! 

Pastor David DiZazzo and the people from Lowell Bible Church have loved us and embraced us and treated us like kings and queens this week. This is our third visit here and the Pastor said that after three times we are family. I think they mean it. We feel like family!

From the very first song Friday night to the very last Amen Sunday afternoon, we have loved every minute of these services. It has been a joy to minister in song and Word and we have been blessed! It has been so much fun to watch the people respond to God's moving.

I have said this often, churches do not have to invite us in. We could be sitting at home right now with no place to go and missed by no one. That could happen in a flash.

We treasure each and every invitation and we are thrilled when a Pastor believes that we may be able to come alongside his ministry and edify the congregation in agreement with his vision and passion. It is our joy and our privilege.

It was especially gratifying to finally feel like we are climbing back in the saddle again, doing what we feel called and equipped to do. It has been a long time coming and it felt great to be under a tent singing and preaching to an eager congregation and a fine Pastor.

Hallelujah!

We will have a Revival In Pictures post tomorrow with many more pictures, but we have a few pictures today and some running commentary as we go.

When we were here in 2014, we visited the town the DiZazzo's grew up in about 40 minutes away, West Charleston. While we were there, we went into Scampy's Country Store for a snack and a drink.

While waiting in line a man walked by with a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich that looked unbelievably good! We have never forgotten it.

Saturday KJo and I went to town to do laundry and then slid on over to West Charleston. They call it a Philly Cheese Steak Grinder here and that is what we ordered.

Here is Scampy's.

And here is the absolutely very best Philly Cheese Steak sandwich I have ever eaten in my whole life! Yes, I even ate the bread!

Wow! Steak, cheese, onions, mushrooms, banana peppers and mayonnaise! Wow Again!

KJo and Sis. Becky DiZazzo

Pastor David and Sis. Becky DiZazzo

Making strange shapes in the stainless reflections.

The final service under the tent was Sunday morning with a great dinner following. It was a super great day to end a tremendous weekend. Like I said, more pictures tomorrow.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Davy

View Out The Front Window 8/29/21

Sunday Morning Sanity

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson

This was our view at Walmart in north Dayton Monday.

This is our view out the front window at a rest area near West Salem, Ohio

This is our view out the front window at a travel plaza on I-90 near Clifton Springs, New York.

This is our view out the front window at a rest area on I-87 near Queensbury, New York.

This has been our view this weekend in Lowell, Vermont.

I hope you have a super great Sunday.

Davy

What Makes A Good Day

Hey Friends,

This is Odie checking in with you. I am thrilled to be reporting from beautiful Lowell, Vermont. It is a privilege to be with Pastor David DiZazzo and the church family here!

Thank you so much for your prayers during our journey to Vermont. It feels good to be on the move again. Please continue to pray for us. Here are a few of my prayers right now: Dad’s complete healing, strength, protection from sickness, the BoggsMobile to run properly and safe travels.

What Makes A Good Day?

Today I want to share a thought that has been simmering in my mind lately. A while back I heard a quote of the day that inspired my thought process.

“Every day may not be a good day, but there is something good in every day.”

This quote immediately struck a chord in my heart. My first thought was, wow, that is an optimistic way to think about things. Then I began to ponder this statement. Which caused me to think about many of my own “bad” days.

I was thinking of the moments that life slapped me down. Most of us have experienced those types of days. A life changing call, text, email, visit, wreck or many other scenarios have quickly turned a great day into a permanently terrible day!

What can make a horrible memory better or even good? I was trying to find the good in those rough times. The one good thing that I found in every bad day has never changed. Situation after situation played in my mind. God has been my constant companion.

I came to the conclusion that God makes every day a good day! God has carried me through heartache, grief, sickness, and so much more! When I think of how good God has been in my life, my heart rejoices.

The Bible reminds me that God is good and His mercy endures forever. God has also turned my sorrows into joy. My sorrows haven't totally disappeared. I have hope through His goodness and mercy. The joy I have found in the goodness of God gives me the strength to persevere.

Today, I have a different perspective of my problems. I am choosing to focus on the goodness of my God! I hope this inspires you to look around you to see the goodness of God.

Here are a couple songs that I have also been pondering. The lyrics of both songs speak of the goodness of God.

The Goodness of God by CeCe Winans

God Is Always Good by Amber Nelon Thompson

Thanks for stopping by to visit with me today. I want you to have a good day!

Odie

It Has Been A Slow Week

I say it has been a slow week and my family looks at me a little sideways.🤣

Do you like pictures on Mile Markers? I hope so. I have plenty of them for you today.

As I have mentioned, we are traveling slowly this week and I hope it prevents the horrible fatigue that traveling has caused me the last few months when I have attempted it.

Monday, we left Dryden Rd Church early and drove to north Dayton. After singing and preaching a funeral we drove onward. We ended the day at a rest area near West Salem, Ohio on I-71 for a total of 172 miles.

Tuesday we drove from that rest area in Ohio to a travel plaza on I-90 near Angola, New York, south of Buffalo. We arrived before noon after 223 miles. After walking a bit, I stretched out on the couch and then enjoyed a great lunch from KJo and decided to drive some more.

I-90 is a toll road in New York and has travel plazas sprinkled pretty generously along the way so I suspected there would be a place to park IF I arrived early enough. Less than two hours later, we stopped for the day at a travel plaza near Clifton Springs, New York. We had driven another 110 miles for a total of 323 miles for the day.

Wednesday morning we drove 235 miles to a beautiful new or newly remodeled rest area on I-87 near Queensbury, New York. 

We arrived before noon, but I was done for the day. I am trying to listen to this old body of mine, but this is a new thing for me.

I need to insert a travel note for my own information later. The last time we came this way in the bus, we took exit 27 to follow HWY 67 over to I-87. This time we stayed on I-90 past Schenectady and Albany all the way to I-87 north.

HWY 67 is about 30 miles of decent road, but through small towns. The alternate root was 47 miles in 47 minutes with no traffic. I think the interstate route that we took is better IF there are no traffic problems.

I have been snapping pictures this week while traveling and I have a few of them for you today. They loaded exactly backward in time, but that is the way the cookie crumbles. If the chocolate chips fall in my mouth, so be it!

Thank you to Bro. Brandon James for the Conecuh sausage! Wow!

We had no phone signal here on previous visits to Lowell, Vermont, but we have a bar or two this time AND we have a WIFI signal from the church! Yay!

That means we can show you pictures from our beautiful drive in Vermont and some pictures of where we are at Lowell Bible Church. Most of the drive Thursday was two lane state highways, beautiful but time consuming. We drove a total of 173 miles, but it took us five hours and 35 minutes! Compare that to Monday with 172 miles in less than three hours.😢

I saw an interesting piece of art on the way.

Lowell, Vermont

KJo's Vermont Taco shop!

We are so glad to be here in Lowell. We have service tonight, Saturday night and Sunday morning and we are excited! Thank you for dropping in.

Davy