I had high hopes to write all about our Thanksgiving break...and then life happened. But I'm still here for 10 on the 10th! Here are 10 pictures of our Christmas decorations (mostly so my Mom can see our tree).
Monday, December 10, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thanksgiving Vacation part 1...plus a prequel
The Tuesday before our Thanksgiving-week-plus adventure, I was driving home from a Bible study wondering what in the world I was doing. Literally--why am I in south Arkansas, deep in the Bible belt (if such a thing exists anymore), where there are churches galore and few people who don't know about Jesus, and not somewhere in the world telling people who have never heard?
That night was our Thanksgiving feast/share time at the BCM. One of our girls who has been with us from the beginning is graduating in December, so people were telling her good-bye as well as just sharing what God is doing in their lives. I was happy to see another senior girl there, since she's been scarce this year. Then she stood up and started talking about that very thing--how she regretted not spending more time at the BCM this year, and encouraging the freshmen to stay faithful. She said she had been resisting God and trying to force her own plans, but that she finally gave it up to Him and is going to be involved in missions. It was very emotional, especially when I remembered other students we've known and loved with who are now serving in pioneer areas here in the States and overseas. I felt so reassured that God has us right where He wants us, and that what we do is meaningful.
It was a perfect warm-up for the missionary appointment service the girls, my mom, my brother, and I went to in Springfield, Missouri, two nights later. I expected the service to be nice, but my word! I didn't expect to cry practically through the whole thing! It was in a very nice church, with a huge choir and orchestra (We laughed at the drummer in his cage. Hey, we're from a small town!) and some great songs. The way the appointees presented their testimonies was dramatic and touching. So touching my nephew couldn't say his lines! (Ok, maybe he forgot them. Maybe both? Maybe he was choked up because he forgot his lines!) I loved how different all the appointees were, in how they presented themselves and what they'll do and where they're going. We had a special time when we gathered around Jason and Kelli to pray, and it all became very real, that they are really moving across the world. Happily for us, we get to keep them around until the baby is a few months old. :) I couldn't help but think how thrilled my dad would have been that night.
We got bookmarks in our programs with all of their names, so we can continue to pray for them. I'm keeping mine in my One Year Bible, and hopefully will get more consistent in using it now that we're home and getting back in our routine!
More on the rest of our adventures later...
That night was our Thanksgiving feast/share time at the BCM. One of our girls who has been with us from the beginning is graduating in December, so people were telling her good-bye as well as just sharing what God is doing in their lives. I was happy to see another senior girl there, since she's been scarce this year. Then she stood up and started talking about that very thing--how she regretted not spending more time at the BCM this year, and encouraging the freshmen to stay faithful. She said she had been resisting God and trying to force her own plans, but that she finally gave it up to Him and is going to be involved in missions. It was very emotional, especially when I remembered other students we've known and loved with who are now serving in pioneer areas here in the States and overseas. I felt so reassured that God has us right where He wants us, and that what we do is meaningful.
It was a perfect warm-up for the missionary appointment service the girls, my mom, my brother, and I went to in Springfield, Missouri, two nights later. I expected the service to be nice, but my word! I didn't expect to cry practically through the whole thing! It was in a very nice church, with a huge choir and orchestra (We laughed at the drummer in his cage. Hey, we're from a small town!) and some great songs. The way the appointees presented their testimonies was dramatic and touching. So touching my nephew couldn't say his lines! (Ok, maybe he forgot them. Maybe both? Maybe he was choked up because he forgot his lines!) I loved how different all the appointees were, in how they presented themselves and what they'll do and where they're going. We had a special time when we gathered around Jason and Kelli to pray, and it all became very real, that they are really moving across the world. Happily for us, we get to keep them around until the baby is a few months old. :) I couldn't help but think how thrilled my dad would have been that night.
We got bookmarks in our programs with all of their names, so we can continue to pray for them. I'm keeping mine in my One Year Bible, and hopefully will get more consistent in using it now that we're home and getting back in our routine!
More on the rest of our adventures later...
Saturday, November 10, 2012
A Thankful 10 on the Tenth
Today I am thankful for...
- My Aggie-lovin' husband, who loves his Lord and his college students even more, as evidenced by the missions conference he took them on this weekend, causing him to miss 3 quarters of today's A & M victory over Alabama. But we watched the 4th quarter together, and that was a FUN football game!
- My three girls. Just when I think I'm a failure as a mother because my kids won't get along, they spend a day playing outside together in perfect harmony. And my heart greatly rejoices.
- Beautiful red, orange, yellow, and brown fall leaves falling like snow all around me as I drove down a 2-lane highway on my way to...
- Lunch with my sister-friend Angelina K.B. Lechner! I am so thankful that she and her family have moved an hour south of me, so we can get together and visit face-to-face. She is such a gift to me.
- Fuji apples sliced and baked in an apple pie--even the smell makes me happy.
- 5 sweet, teeny little 2-week old puppies whose eyes are just beginning to open. And their mama's pretty sweet, too.
- Unlimited texting. I mean, seriously, am I the only one who remembers scheduling one long-distance phone call a week, because they cost 10 cents/minute? Only hearing from far-flung friends when they sat down and wrote letters and mailed them? Now Jackie in Oregon can send me a "Woo-hoo!" text after A & M beats Alabama, and it's (almost) like she's just across town.
- 2 cent pumpkins!!! 2 CENTS!! You can't even buy a gum ball for 2 cents anymore! I bought a bunch to decorate my front porch even though I'm leaving town Wednesday and won't be back until after Thanksgiving.
- Billy Graham. We caught a little of the show honoring him on his birthday earlier this week--what amazing passion and faithfulness and fruit that man has shown in his life. I pray we don't drop the ball.
- Laura Ingalls Wilder. (Don't laugh at me!) Rebecca and I are reading Little House in the Big Woods in anticipation of our visit to the Little House museum when we're in Missouri this Thursday for my nephew Jason and his wife Kelli's missionary appointment service. (By the way--they are the ones I'm really thankful for.) I couldn't tell you how many times I've read that book, and I'm still enjoying it! Just reading about all the vegetables in the attic makes me feel all cozy.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
A Good Day
A week ago today we were on our way to Texas when we got the news that Mike's mom, Arnelia, had already left this earth. Mike's sister Jeannie was with her. They were listening to Christian music and had just heard the song she requested for her funeral, "I Can Only Imagine."
Mike is the youngest of four--eight years younger than Jeannie, who we stayed with. I'm glad we were already on our way, because she needed to see her baby brother. Most of the funeral plans were already set, but the 2 of them finished up the details the next day, and then we took advantage of being in the big city by shopping the rest of the day away! We found some bargains and everybody got something.
On Tuesday we drove an hour north to Oakhurst, a small town outside of Huntsville. Mike's parents and grandparents are buried in an old country church cemetery there. For a long time, if you saw a spot where you wanted to be buried one day, you just put a rock there with your name on it and it was saved for you! We saw Bartee (Arnelia's maiden name) and Malone (her mom's maiden name) graves all over it.
The pastor of the church turned out to be a friend of Mike's from his Texas A & M days, who also had served in the Northwest when we were there! I love when God arranges things like that.
All the family got together and walked over to the gravesite, and Arnelia's hospice chaplain led the service. He did such a good job sharing personal details about her life that I got a copy of his notes to keep. He mentioned how she grew up in that area, sharecroppers on a cotton farm, and about her and her brothers and sister singing gospel songs on the local radio station, and how she passed down her instinctive style of cooking to Mike and his brother Jeff. He also led us in singing "Rock of Ages" and "I'd Rather Have Jesus," and played Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine," which made me cry--not sad tears because of her being gone, but happy tears at imagining how she is now! Better than she's ever been before! (I also cried when her grandchildren each went up to the casket and laid a rose on it...and my little Rebecca turned around and started bawling. I wanted to go hold her, but before I could get to her she was surrounded by cousins and sisters loving on her.)
After the service, Mike mentioned to his friend Bryan, the pastor, how we had once tried to find Raven Hill, where Arnelia grew up, but never could. He said he could take us right to it, so we loaded up all the cars and he took us there! We don't know exactly where her house was, but we passed several old abandoned houses in the woods, and Bryan also pointed out spots that used to be old homesteads. It was so fascinating to me. He also said he still has lots of church members who are Bartees, some of whom probably grew up with her. Hopefully we're going to go back and meet some of them one day.
Raven Hill is not a town, just an area people refer to. Originally it was Sam Houston's plantation, and he took us to the memorial marking that.
The plantation was owned by another family by the time Arnelia was growing up. We explored the old barn and the bois d'arc trees, took some family pictures, told some family stories, and took Bryan back to his church before heading to a Mexican restaurant for supper. I sat near most of my neices and nephews and got caught up with them. After supper everyone was going their different directions home (except us) so we stood in the parking lot a long time, "saying good-bye." The kids found a field and started running around playing tag! Right when I grabbed my camera to take some pictures Ethan stepped (barefooted) in a bunch of cockle-burrs, so the game was over.
It's funny to me how a day that sounds like it ought to be sad--and was touched with sadness--could also turn out to be so good. The weather and scenery were beautiful, we had sweet time with family, reunited with old friends, and worshiped our Lord, honoring one of His daughters who'd gone home. It really was a good day.
Mike is the youngest of four--eight years younger than Jeannie, who we stayed with. I'm glad we were already on our way, because she needed to see her baby brother. Most of the funeral plans were already set, but the 2 of them finished up the details the next day, and then we took advantage of being in the big city by shopping the rest of the day away! We found some bargains and everybody got something.
 |
| All that shopping wore Mike, the girls, and our neice Andrea out! |
 |
 |
| This sign is so odd to me! |
 |
 |
The pastor of the church turned out to be a friend of Mike's from his Texas A & M days, who also had served in the Northwest when we were there! I love when God arranges things like that.
All the family got together and walked over to the gravesite, and Arnelia's hospice chaplain led the service. He did such a good job sharing personal details about her life that I got a copy of his notes to keep. He mentioned how she grew up in that area, sharecroppers on a cotton farm, and about her and her brothers and sister singing gospel songs on the local radio station, and how she passed down her instinctive style of cooking to Mike and his brother Jeff. He also led us in singing "Rock of Ages" and "I'd Rather Have Jesus," and played Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine," which made me cry--not sad tears because of her being gone, but happy tears at imagining how she is now! Better than she's ever been before! (I also cried when her grandchildren each went up to the casket and laid a rose on it...and my little Rebecca turned around and started bawling. I wanted to go hold her, but before I could get to her she was surrounded by cousins and sisters loving on her.)
After the service, Mike mentioned to his friend Bryan, the pastor, how we had once tried to find Raven Hill, where Arnelia grew up, but never could. He said he could take us right to it, so we loaded up all the cars and he took us there! We don't know exactly where her house was, but we passed several old abandoned houses in the woods, and Bryan also pointed out spots that used to be old homesteads. It was so fascinating to me. He also said he still has lots of church members who are Bartees, some of whom probably grew up with her. Hopefully we're going to go back and meet some of them one day.
Raven Hill is not a town, just an area people refer to. Originally it was Sam Houston's plantation, and he took us to the memorial marking that.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The grandchildren |
 |
| The children |
 |
| The whole family! |
 |
| Uncle David told the kids about how Arnelia and her brothers and sisters used to entertain themselves by working together to pull a pine sapling down toward the ground, then one of them would hold on to it, the others would let go, and they would fly through the air! They had to quit when her brother broke his wrist- |
 |
| 3 of my neices with their "mini-me's" (Kay and Jessica, Andrea and Mikayla, Callie and Rebecca) |
 |
It's funny to me how a day that sounds like it ought to be sad--and was touched with sadness--could also turn out to be so good. The weather and scenery were beautiful, we had sweet time with family, reunited with old friends, and worshiped our Lord, honoring one of His daughters who'd gone home. It really was a good day.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Just so you know-
-Mike's mom passed away this morning at 11:00. His dad died at 11:00 on a Sunday, 7 years ago this March. They both knew that it was time to go to worship!
-We were already on the road when we got the call, and got to Houston around 4:00 in the afternoon. The family is having a graveside service on Tuesday afternoon, and is requesting donations to missions in lieu of flowers. Arnelia loved and supported missions and WMU.
-She also loved "I Can Only Imagine" and it played in her room this morning before she died. God is so good to us!
-We were already on the road when we got the call, and got to Houston around 4:00 in the afternoon. The family is having a graveside service on Tuesday afternoon, and is requesting donations to missions in lieu of flowers. Arnelia loved and supported missions and WMU.
-She also loved "I Can Only Imagine" and it played in her room this morning before she died. God is so good to us!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
On Life and Death
My mother-in-law is dying.
Honestly, she's been going downhill ever since Mike's dad passed away 6 years ago. She's had strokes, and Alzheimer's/dementia, and it's been a long, sad struggle. She's been in a home health care facility for years, confused and barely able to speak. Sometimes we saw a spark of recognition in her eyes--we think--and a ghost of a smile around her mouth, but mostly she just looked at us.
Early this week, we were told that she is no longer eating or drinking, and would probably be gone by Wednesday. Then they changed it to Thursday...then Friday...and now she's still sleeping peacefully, but we've decided to go to Houston tomorrow to say good-bye. The nurses and Mike's sister wonder if maybe she's not letting go because she wants to see her baby boy one more time.
All week I've been asking, "Why is death so quick for some people and so agonizingly long for others?" Why can't she just go on home, where she can be whole and really live again?
Last night (and please don't think I'm crazy) our dog had puppies. FIVE puppies! We suspected it would be the day by the way she was nesting, so when Mike took Rebecca to get a movie, I sat by her bed, and ended up being her midwife for the next 2 hours! I've watched her have puppies twice before, and she never had a problem either of those times. This time was harder. She whimpered some and was shaking; two of them were breach. But it was still--even though she's just a little dog--it was still so moving! When she was having trouble, I thought about how if we humans had never sinned, she wouldn't have trouble at all, and (is this okay?) I prayed that God would make it go well for her. I was so relieved that it did!
So it got me thinking about birth, including my own childbirth experiences, and how unique each one is. My mom's first labor lasted 36 hours and her second about 18 minutes! Well, isn't death for a follower of Christ actually birth into true life, the life we were really created for? So some may be quicker or longer than others, and none will be easy, But the end results will be wonderful beyond our comprehension!
Honestly, she's been going downhill ever since Mike's dad passed away 6 years ago. She's had strokes, and Alzheimer's/dementia, and it's been a long, sad struggle. She's been in a home health care facility for years, confused and barely able to speak. Sometimes we saw a spark of recognition in her eyes--we think--and a ghost of a smile around her mouth, but mostly she just looked at us.
Early this week, we were told that she is no longer eating or drinking, and would probably be gone by Wednesday. Then they changed it to Thursday...then Friday...and now she's still sleeping peacefully, but we've decided to go to Houston tomorrow to say good-bye. The nurses and Mike's sister wonder if maybe she's not letting go because she wants to see her baby boy one more time.
All week I've been asking, "Why is death so quick for some people and so agonizingly long for others?" Why can't she just go on home, where she can be whole and really live again?
Last night (and please don't think I'm crazy) our dog had puppies. FIVE puppies! We suspected it would be the day by the way she was nesting, so when Mike took Rebecca to get a movie, I sat by her bed, and ended up being her midwife for the next 2 hours! I've watched her have puppies twice before, and she never had a problem either of those times. This time was harder. She whimpered some and was shaking; two of them were breach. But it was still--even though she's just a little dog--it was still so moving! When she was having trouble, I thought about how if we humans had never sinned, she wouldn't have trouble at all, and (is this okay?) I prayed that God would make it go well for her. I was so relieved that it did!
So it got me thinking about birth, including my own childbirth experiences, and how unique each one is. My mom's first labor lasted 36 hours and her second about 18 minutes! Well, isn't death for a follower of Christ actually birth into true life, the life we were really created for? So some may be quicker or longer than others, and none will be easy, But the end results will be wonderful beyond our comprehension!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
God keeps blowing my mind!
I can't believe I never blogged about this!
At first I kept it to myself because it wasn't my news to share, and then I guess after it became public I either got busy or thought I already wrote about it.
But listen to this!!
One day in early summer, I was sitting on my back porch swing reading my Bible. I was reading 2 Kings 4, where Elisha promised the Shunnamite woman that "about this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms." When I read those words, I put my Bible in my lap and prayed, "Lord, please do that for Kelli, and for Mandy." Kelli has been married to my nephew Jason for 7 years, and had been told by doctors that she would never get pregnant without medical intervention. Mandy is a friend at church who has been married for about 4 years, I think? who's been wanting a baby for awhile.
That afternoon I took my girls to the health clinic for shots, and got a phone call from Kelli, which I didn't answer since I was actually talking to the receptionist at the time. Then she texted me...can you guess what she said??! Yep--she told me THAT DAY that she's pregnant! I squealed, and laughed, and got all teary, and just felt in awe of God's answer to my prayer.
I shared that story (without names) as part of my children's sermon that Sunday, then let Mandy know that I had prayed for her at that same time. About 2 weeks later, she grabbed my arm, caught my eye, and grinned at me. Yep--she's pregnant, too! So amazing.
What brought this to mind now, making me check to see if I ever blogged about it, is this: both Kelli and Mandy had their ultrasounds recently, and both of them are having boys. Sons. Just like Elisha promised the Shunammite woman. Wow. Our God still does awesome things, every day.
At first I kept it to myself because it wasn't my news to share, and then I guess after it became public I either got busy or thought I already wrote about it.
But listen to this!!
One day in early summer, I was sitting on my back porch swing reading my Bible. I was reading 2 Kings 4, where Elisha promised the Shunnamite woman that "about this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms." When I read those words, I put my Bible in my lap and prayed, "Lord, please do that for Kelli, and for Mandy." Kelli has been married to my nephew Jason for 7 years, and had been told by doctors that she would never get pregnant without medical intervention. Mandy is a friend at church who has been married for about 4 years, I think? who's been wanting a baby for awhile.
That afternoon I took my girls to the health clinic for shots, and got a phone call from Kelli, which I didn't answer since I was actually talking to the receptionist at the time. Then she texted me...can you guess what she said??! Yep--she told me THAT DAY that she's pregnant! I squealed, and laughed, and got all teary, and just felt in awe of God's answer to my prayer.
I shared that story (without names) as part of my children's sermon that Sunday, then let Mandy know that I had prayed for her at that same time. About 2 weeks later, she grabbed my arm, caught my eye, and grinned at me. Yep--she's pregnant, too! So amazing.
What brought this to mind now, making me check to see if I ever blogged about it, is this: both Kelli and Mandy had their ultrasounds recently, and both of them are having boys. Sons. Just like Elisha promised the Shunammite woman. Wow. Our God still does awesome things, every day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)