Special Day

I don't feel good. Some kind of upper-respiratory infection. I got antibiotics today, so I'll get better soon. I don't feel very clever or literary, but I want to write about yesterday while it's still fresh on my mind.

The girls and I drove up to Conway Saturday, to be with my Mom at Bro. Dave's 20th Anniversary celebration. The day brought back so many memories! 21 years ago, when I was in college, our home church went through...well, my Mom calls it "labor pains," resulting in the birth of a new church on the west side of town. Around 200 people started meeting at a camp outside of town, named themselves Woodland Heights Baptist Church, bought land and started looking for a pastor. They ended up calling David Hatfield, and he's been there ever since. My dad was on the search committee, and yesterday at church we got to stand in his place with the other members of the search committee. Of the nine original members, 7 are still living. We also got to stand with charter members, and Jessica and Mikayla got to stand with those baptized in the church. There have been over 430 baptisms! (All McCoys were asked to stand, but there weren't any--the Hatfields have kept them away! Ha!)

Several different people spoke, and when one person was talking about how we're family, and have experienced life together--weddings, births, and deaths, of "good friends and children taken too early," I thought of my dad and started to cry. Then I looked around and saw another lady crying--her husband had been on the search committee, too, and he died a year ago that very day. Then I looked up in the choir, and saw another lady crying--her teenage son drowned at the city pool in June several years ago. And I thought about a friend of mine there whose father was dying of cancer, not expected to make it another day. But then the choir sang, "Favorite Song of All," and the mother who lost her child went from tears to huge smile, and I went from missing my Daddy to wanting to raise my hands in praise, and I thought, "How awesome and wonderful and powerful God is, who can turn our sorrow into joy, even on this side of Heaven!" And I thought about the amazing, complex, worldwide yet intimate family of God. It's not just sentimental talk, we really are family, and when we get it right, we're there for each other, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. I love my family--earthly and spiritual!

In other news:
I saw a red fox at my Mom's house this morning!
The bank I passed on my way to the dr said "104 degrees."
I won the alphabet game on my way home when we passed the EZ Mart in Waldo.

He loves to hear the wind sing
As it whistles through the pines on mountain peaks
He loves to hear the raindrops
As they splash to the ground in a magic melody
He smiles in sweet approval
As the waves crash to the rocks in harmony
Creation joins in unity to sing to Him majestic symphonies

But His favorite song of all is the song of the redeemed
When lost sinners now made clean lift their voices loud and strong
When those purchased by His blood lift to Him a song of love
Nothing more He'd rather hear, nor so pleasing to His ear
As His favorite song of all

He loves to hear the angels as they sing, "Holy, holy is the Lamb"

Heaven's choirs in harmony lift up praises to the great "I Am"

But He lifts His hands for silence when the weakest saved by grace begins to sing

And a million angels listen as a newborn soul sings, "I have been redeemed"

It's not just melodies and harmonies that catches His attention

It's not just clever lines and phrases that causes Him to stop and listen

But when any heart set free, washed and bought by Calvary, begins to sing

That's His favorite song of all is the song of the redeemed

When lost sinners now made clean lift their voices loud and strong

When those purchased by His blood lift to Him a song of love

There's nothin' more He'd rather hear, nor so pleasin' to His ear

As His favorite song of all

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb

Halleluiah, halleluiah

I got a haircut!

Okay, you probably saw my "before" pictures, with Angie and Margo.
Here's the "after" picture, just home from the beauty shop.

And here's me the next day, after trying to style it myself. Sigh. I wish I could get her to just stop by my house on her way to work and scrunch it the way she does, 'cause I can't do it. I guess I'll have to figure out my own way.

The fruit of our labor

Mike planted a garden this year, and look what we grew!



We got 12 pints of carrots, and enough green beans and purple hull peas to eat as we went. Next year I hope we have enough to can/freeze. Also, some friends in Conway sent us 2 gallon sized freezer bags of blackberries, so Mike made a yummy cobbler and I made 8 1/2 jars of jelly. Mmm, mmm good.

I went to see Margo!

(That's Kyle cuddling into the picture.)

Wednesday morning I got up and drove down the Cherokee Turnpike to see my friend Margo. We talked about family and home schooling and our spiritual lives, and she treated me to lunch, and we watched her boys' swimming lessons, and talked some more before I had to head back. Before I left she played some songs on the piano for me, songs she'd written to put Scripture to music. As I sat there, amazed that people can actually make up music no one's ever heard before (and it was really good), I marveled at God's goodness, and the friends He's blessed me with. Each one is like a priceless jewel, with amazing gifts they use to serve Him and love Him. And for whatever reason, they love me too! All over the United States and the world, many of them (you) have been with me through the most difficult and the happiest times of my life. You're so faithful to me, and I don't deserve it. But I'm thankful. So very thankful. Bloggers and non-bloggers alike--I love you, and thank God for letting me know you!

Nathanael at the computer.

And here's Margo with Caden. I'm not sure why I don't have one with Ian...I think he may have been in his underwear...

Back in the Northwest!

Arkansas, that is.
Mike was the youth Bible Study leader at the Arkansas Baptist Assembly in Siloam Springs last week, and the girls got to do kids' camp! Our first night there I took Jessica and Mikayla to their worship, where they didn't know a soul besides each other, and walked away with my heart feeling like Silly Putty being stretched out tighter and tighter with every step. I wondered how they were doing and worried about them until time for it to be over...when I saw them come running out, grinning ear to ear because they were on the winning team and got to go to the Snack Shack first. They had a great time! They and Rebecca had worship and Bible Study each morning from 8:30-12, which is also when Mike taught the youth, then we all ate lunch together. We had "family swim" time from 1:00-1:30, and they had recreation at 3. They did crazy fun things there, like giant slip-n-slides and water relays where they had to fill buckets by wringing out their hair...and I didn't go one time to watch and take pictures! Oh, well. In their free time they loved playing in the creek, and it was so pretty and clear I took a bunch of pictures there.




"Take the picture, Mom!"






We ate supper together at 5:30, and had another worship time from 7-8:30. There were about 500 youth there, and Mike had never spoken to that many before, but we both prayed for God to use him, and he had a really good time and got good feedback. I know he did good the mornings that I heard him! The youth really seemed involved in what he was saying. In the mornings I got to have nice long quiet times by myself (I didn't go to the youth worship...it was LOUD! Am I that old?) and still had time to hear Mike, and had an hour afterwards to explore Siloam Springs. I found a Dayspring Outlet that I plan on visiting every year! I loved it. And in the evenings I usually gave Rebecca her bath while the others were gone. Except for the last night, when the whole family played hookey and drove to Fayetteville to see "Prince Caspian." :)

And on Wednesday...

See, I told ya so!

Kelli posted pictures of our 4th of July celebration in Conway, and I was right...they're much better than mine. Go see! And enjoy the music...

What a week!

This...

made me feel like this...

so I really needed this!

This week has been VBS week--phew--which kept me SO busy. But we took a break on Tuesday afternoon/evening and drove to Minden to see the Lechners. We had such a great time!! We talked and talked and laughed and laughed, and ran to WalMart, and grilled hamburgers (Angie and I did it because the guys were busy. When Luke saw us his mouth dropped open and he said, "You started the fire? But you're WOMEN?!" Which is funny because neither one of us had ever done it before!) We also played 80's version Trivial Pursuit, but it was so hard for any of us to get a question right that we gave ourselves a wedge (something about that doesn't sound quite right...) for every right answer. And it still took forever. But I had fun singing the answers to other people's questions. Poor Charlie. He won, by the way. When it got dark we played with sparklers left over from CaraBeth's wedding. We had an awesome, awesome time. I love how our kids interact with one another. Now Angie and I are trying to figure out a way to have a Mom's weekend at my Mom's house!
Mikayla and Abby looking at those Jonas Brothers.

Coleson and Angie learned how to play "That Thing You Do."

We took smiling pictures, too, but these are always my favorites.

Will was quite the dare-devil with his hand-fuls of sparklers!




See how the humidity keeps the smoke nice and low, to keep the mosquitos away? ha.

My husband is "sssssmokin'"!
See!


Here are some more VBS program pictures. It went really well. I had "younger children's Bible Study," which included pre-K through 2nd. Pre-K about did me in. Every day. But on the day we taught about Jesus's death and resurrection, the 2nd graders were all completely focused, and asking deep questions and making insightful comments...it was the moment that made it all worth it for me.


And finally, I rearranged and organized Mikayla and Rebecca's room yesterday. The bunk-beds Mark brought make the room look so much roomier! I love it.

Pray for Bro. Dave

*Update: Bro. Dave's surgery went well. They removed the lobe plus a little more. He's not feeling too good right now though! His daughter started a blog here to keep those of us who care about him informed. It has a great picture of him with his granddaughter!

Dave Hatfield has been pastoring Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway ever since it started 20 years ago. On Saturday, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Tomorrow he'll have the lower left lobe of his lung removed. Thankfully, a scan today showed no cancer anywhere else. Please join us in praying for him and his wife Cheryl. They mean a lot to us.

4th of July pictures!

What a great 4th of July! We got to my Mom's house around 11 am, and Matt and Ronda, Van and Emily were there. Mark and Sally and Kennedi came a little later, and then came Sarah, Jason and Kelli, and my Dad's cousins Marshall and Linda, and their son Craig. We talked, and laughed, and ate, and set off fireworks. The 5 littlest cousins played so hard, non-stop! It was fun to watch them. It rained that morning, which cooled everything off so much some of the women were putting on jackets! It wasn't quite that cool to me...
We spent the night at Mark's new house, spent the day back at Mom's house, and were home by supper.


Mark and Sally


Matt and Ronda


Mikayla and Emily on Gran's computer


Ronda with Rebecca


Rebecca, Kennedi, and Jessica on the porch swing drinking Dr. Pepper


Rebecca with Sarah, and Van in the background


Doing what we do best--talking and eating!

Linda, Craig, and Marshall

Our family photographer, Kelli--when she posts her pictures, I'll send you over there. They'll be much better than mine!


This is the one day each year when you don't get in trouble for playing with fire...and they made the most of it.