Pig Roast Tradition

We had just had a big rain,

and "Flash Flood" warnings had been issued.

My husband and I were going down to the river

to see if it had risen very much

when I saw this sign:

We stopped by the little community church,
and found the Chris Wyatt family hard at work!

The storm had knocked out electricity at their home,
but it didn't keep them from coming down to the church
to prepare the annual feast which they do for the rural community
the third weekend of every September.

As soon as Cindy had the food prepared and packaged in foil,
their son carried it down to be put in the barbecue smoker
where it would cook for a few hours.

...And in it went!
Despite the protective gloves,
with each "offering" placed in the fire,
I think a little hair was singed off Chris's arms!

While the cooking process was under way,
my husband and I made our way on down
the beautiful tree-lined drive to the river.

The Buffalo River was definitely up at Woolum,
and some campfire sites were under water. 

Returning to the pig roast,
we asked if there was anything we could do to help.

"More ICE for the drinks," was the answer.

Stories were swapped
while waiting for the food to be done.

We hadn't been back long
when people started arriving,
bringing their food contributions and lawn chairs.

Logger Gary Dean,
 a "pillar" in the little community church,
 not only helped with the barbecuing,
but also brought some of his wife's cooking.

The church yard quickly began to fill,
with everyone finding a spot to sit...

...Entertainment was provided by a local group
from a neighboring county.

Did you think you were seeing turkey
 instead of pork in some of those photos?
Well, you did!
 Both were served.
Cindy said there were quite a few people
who preferred turkey, so they started fixing both.
Chris said that in previous years they had done
the whole pig on a "spit",
but due to so much waste and increased cost
they had improvised their method of cooking.

And then the food was ready for all to enjoy!
...Two long tables full of it!

Galatians 5:13 says

"...Through LOVE, SERVE one another"

What a contribution this tradition of service is to this small Ozark community!

Many thanks to the Wyatts for starting and carrying on this custom!

Have you checked out my other blog?

You can find it by clicking on Names of God on Rocks!

When you get there, just click on any photo to see that post.

Thanks for stopping by!

"Stubborn Courage"

You may remember last year when I mentioned this mule
in a post I did about a trip to Wyoming.
Mules are known to be a bit stubborn...
But have you ever thought about stubbornness as a good thing?

Earlier this spring I was asked to give a talk
to our Compassionate Friends group,
and the title of my talk was
"STUBBORN COURAGE".

At the time I gave the talk,
I was grieving the affects of cancer
that appeared to be consuming the life of my sister.
A friend of mine had given me a book entitled
"A Tearful Celebration:
Finding God in the Midst of Loss"
by James Means.

Toward the end of the book the author used the term
"STUBBORN COURAGE",
and the words just seemed to jump off the page at me.
I began to write down thoughts about the subject.
Here are a few of them that I shared with our
local Compassionate Friends group.

STUBBORN COURAGE can be a gift from God
to keep us going when we feel like giving up.
It's hanging in there when you don't know
how to handle your feelings,
don't know what to do,
and don't even know how to pray!

STUBBORN COURAGE is a determination
to keep on going even when you feel like God has failed you,
and He hasn't met your expectations.

STUBBORN COURAGE grows my ability to trust God again,
even if He doesn't answer my prayers the way I want.
In the process, He molds my character,
and makes me more understanding of others.

STUBBORN COURAGE helps me to determine to
take control of negative thoughts that would try to get me down.
A counselor friend of mine says,
"You may not be able to control your emotions,
but you CAN control your thoughts,
and your thoughts can change your emotions."
Philippians 4;6-9 tells us not to be anxious,
but to think on good and lovely things,
and then God restores our peace.

STUBBORN COURAGE is putting one foot in front of the other,
trusting God,
muddling through difficulties and challenges,
and then looking back and seeing that God was there all the time!
It was God who dried our tears.
It was God who gave us the strength to go on
when we felt like we could go no further.
It was God who put a friend in our path,
someone to put their arms around us
or give us an encouraging word or smile.
It was God who gave us the courage to HOPE again,
and to DARE TO BELIEVE in His goodness.

Meet my friend Jim Davis,
a cancer survivor,
who lives to encourage
other cancer victims.

In my opinion,
he is someone who exemplifies
STUBBORN COURAGE.

One of his quotes is:
"...Milk the life out of every breath
until the last one comes"!
You can find out more about his story HERE.


Thanks for stopping by!
I hope this post on STUBBORN COURAGE is an encouragement to you.
Many thanks to my husband's cousin,
(and also my friend)
who reminded me of a promise to do this post!
Here it is, Sharon!

Don't forget to check out my Names for God on Rocks
on Rock4Today!