GREAT SUNDAY FILLED WITH SMILES

The cold isn't letting up as a 5 degree morning greeted us today !!
I got up early on this Sunday to get the chicken and rice started in the crockpots. I had cooked the chicken beast overnight so I just added the soup and rice and more broth this morning and they should be ready for lunch.
We got to church a little late but so it seemed were everyone else so nothing had started yet.
Today was our senior Pastor's 37th birthday and the kids class that his youngest son was in brought out a cake and balloons and led us in singing happy birthday.

His sermon was good today and we had a very touching testimony by a lady who has been facing total deafness and God has miraculously healed her ears and rid her of even hearing aids. To God be all the Glory for this miracle.
We came home to a full house with everyone here for lunch of the chicken and rice, green beans, corn, fried okra and biscuits with Tif's still warm yummy blackberry cobbler for dessert.
The kids enjoyed all the attention with everyone here.

Everyone had a nice visit then they all went on to their Sunday afternoon activities. Hubbie and I cleaned the kitchen and then he went to his monthly Deacon's meeting.
While he was gone I did my ironing for the week and did some little jobs around the house that always get put off.
It was chore time when hubbie got home and more ice breaking and water carrying for us even with the temperature getting up to a balmy 35 degrees today !!!
After we got inside hubbie had to build fires in both wood stoves once again even with only the low 20's predicted because it is so damp and really feels like it's going to snow to me. The weather folks are all guessing at what the morning will bring right now but we are under an ice storm warning until 1:00 tomorrow.

This is a picture a friend on mine took yesterday as they visited Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah forest.
It is almost completely frozen and folks were walking right up to the bottom of the falls.

And once again for the first time in many many years the French Broad River is frozen almost completely over.
This is an aerial view in Madison county.

This is the French Broad as it runs through Asheville into Henderson County.

And here is the usually furiously rushing Rocky Broad river that runs from Henderson through Rutherford county.

It will take several days of the predicted warmer temps to thaw all the ice and to bring the ground temperature back up above freezing.

This first week of January has really been a cold start to the new year at almost 19 degrees below normal.

I just hope the water pans for the chickens will stop freezing up at least during the day.

Thankful for the wonderful love of a gracious Savior and the comfort that He blesses me each day with.

God Bless and Good Night