Sylamore

My wife picked me up from the Greenwood Center of MDCC at the conclusion of my 10:50 class. We found a high gear and headed north towards Mountain View, Arkansas. I was to preach a revival at the Sylamore Baptist Church Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights as well as Sunday morning. We were giddy with excitement., not having been anywhere in a while.

We made our way up Highway 49, across the Mississippi River bridge at Helena, Arkansas, and then my phone led us over a plethora of small highways that angled north and west until we finally got there four and a half hours after driving out of Greenwood. We found Wal Mart and texted Glenn Johnson, the pastor of the Sylamore Church. He found us, and we followed him to a small, private cabin on a mountain above the White River a few miles outside of Mountain, as the locals call it.

After unpacking and settling in, Lisa, a member of Sylamore, came to the cabin and offered to lead us to Jo Jo's, a local fish house on the banks of the White. 

We had a nice meal of fried catfish, hushpuppies, coleslaw, and a baked potato. It was good. Yeah. Was it as good as Larry's? No. We enjoyed the company of Lisa and her husband, another couple, and Glenn.

Church started at 7:00. I preached on "Needing a Heart for God." I was impressed with Glen's church. He has some good people. They were attentive and worshipped.

Friday, Glen served as our tour guide. We went so many places there is no way I can remember them all. Shopping. Penny wanted to shop. The main thing I remember is us going to a shop out in the boonies somewhere that had two cats inside. Pretty. They were pretty. And sweet. They were sweet. I am a cat man. I have never seen a cat I did not automatically love. Friday night we had supper at church, always a nice thing, and I preached on "Developing a Heart for God." 

Saturday we were once more all over. We went to Heber Springs, among other places. While there we went into one shop that had a couch. Glen and I sat down while Penny did her thing. The proprietor turned a TV on for us and found the Mississippi State football game. When Penny got ready to go, we did not want to go. Glen treated us to both breakfast and supper that day. Breakfast was at the Skillet, a buffet that featured sausage gravy among other stuff. It was wow good. Supper was at the Angler, a fish house on the banks of the White River. That night I preached on "Keeping a Heart for God." The alter service was good, and it was here that I felt like we were beginning to break through. After service, we went to the square for some of the live music Mountain View is so famous for. We bought ice-cream and listened to four fiddlers play beautiful music.

Sunday morning was our last service with Sylamore Baptist. I got up sort of early and ran half way up a mountain. That was all I wanted. At church, I preached on "Passing on a Heart for God." We had lunch at the church, something that has always been a good experience for me. It was a good time, yeah. We left with a glow in our hearts. We enjoyed the area, the food, the people, and the church services. We even enjoyed Glenn. Yes, that is tongue in cheek. 

Gosh, now we want to go back. There is a lot there, the music, the mountains, the shops. We did not do any hiking. I'd like to go back for some of that. The store that had the cats also conducts horse rides. Yes, they have the horses. And the White River looks swimmable. I'd like to swim while Penny and others kayak down the river. Praise be to God for a wonderful trip, and the imagination it set loose within us.