Thursday, March 15, 2007

Prayer Request

I got a request for prayers today from some South Carolina friends today for some dear Christians named Fred, Dot, and their daughter Melissa. Each time I think of them, some strong memories come flooding back. Fred was a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force when my first husband and I were in our mid-twenties and living in Sumter, South Carolina. My ex was not living the way a Christian should live, and Fred did all he could as both a superior in the Air Force and as a fellow Christian to help him. Fred impressed me more than just about any Christian I have ever met, and I will tell you why. He was not afraid to get his hands dirty. You see, sometimes, when a member of your family is not living as they should, it makes people in the church uncomfortable, and rather than be uncomfortable and help you, they turn their backs and shun you. This is an unfortunate and unscriptural response. Fred was not that way. He would walk into a bar and haul a drunken airman out and drive him home so he would not kill anyone on the way home. It did not bother him to get out of bed in the middle of the night and deal with a volatile situation that could not wait until morning. He would gently counsel and teach and try to lead that poor soul back to the Lord. He would exhort and encourage, and often rebuke, but there was never any question that he did it with love. The beautiful part was that when one repented, Fred could forgive and forget and still treat that person as though they were valuable instead of giving the cold shoulder and treating them like they were "damaged goods." The church in Sumter has always been small and has struggled through the years, because unlike other places, the preacher stays and the congregation goes. The airmen and women in the Air Force stay for a little while and then get transferred on somewhere else. Fred and Dot have been an integral part of that church for all these years, keeping the work going with their financial help and their "elbow grease." I can remember Fred growing vegetables in his beautiful garden and taking them to the nursing homes, quietly and without any praise, just so the residents could have good, tasty, and healthy things to eat. There are no telling how many things he did like that that I never knew about. He was a very modest man. Speaking of love, he loved his wife more than just about any man I have ever beheld. He still does, and he has nursed his wife Dot through the last 10 years when she has been really, really sick and bedfast most of the time. In the earlier years, you had better not ask Fred and Dot to do anything on Friday night, because it was a standing "date night" for them, and nothing was more important except the Lord. Their love has been an example for many young Christians who have cycled through the air base at Sumter, SC. Dot is not doing well as of this writing. She has had dialysis since her kidneys went bad some years ago during cancer treatment for breast cancer. She is tired. She cannot tolerate even another treatment. Without dialysis, the toxins will accumulate in her body. Fred and Dot have one very precious daughter, Melissa. Dot did get to see her first grandchild born into the world. She had prayed the Lord would give her enough life to see that. Fred has selflessly been at her side continually through it all. Please pray for them, and if you have just a moment to drop an email to Fred and Dot and Melissa, make it encouraging and uplifting, give them some love, and offer your prayers. I will be happy to send you the email address if you need it and email me!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

I Really Have Not Fallen Off the Earth!

What a crazy week this has been! It has been Spring Break for my oldest boy, Daniel, so we made last minute plans to go to Atlanta for a few days and visit his true love and her parents! It really was a lot of fun, though we stayed in crazily-busy mode the whole time we were there. I had been hoping that since we get to take so few vacations, that there would be some time for just lazing around the hotel, but it really did not happen. We were there from Saturday until Tuesday, and every day was jam-packed!

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Our own Motley Crew staring into the sun at Marietta Square in GA

We had a nice two-bedroom suite we found at Residence Inn. I have a special place in my heart for the Residence Inn chain! We spent quite a bit of time at one on our honeymoon, and it was just the best! This one did not disappoint either. The kids had their own room and bath, we had a bedroom and bathroom, and there was a huge living room with a pull-out sofa for the girls. We also had 3 t.v.'s which helped to keep the peace when we were there!

Saturday night, we went out to the Cheesecake Factory near Atlanta to celebrate Micah's 13th birthday. It was a wonderful evening full of good food, even better cheesecake, and the best in laughter and conversation with Jennifer and her parents. At times, all the young people were laughing so hard at their end of the table that I thought they would "bust a gut!" It seems to always be like that when Daniel and Jenn are together.

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Micah tries to hide, but the birthday singers found him! :)

micahs13th
Dan, Jenn, and Micah are full and happy!

Sunday, we worshipped with Jenn's family at Douglasville, GA. They are almost done with a new church building, but they are currently meeting in a funeral home chapel. Lucky for me that I spent a lot of my 30's in a funeral home environment, and it did not phase me a bit to pass the body in the viewing room on the way to the restroom. Still, I know the brethren there will be tickled pink to be in their new building soon.

Monday was a very full day! We went to Marietta Square and played and shopped. They had some neat shops on the square, and we had a good time just goofing off.

micahmirrors
Here, Micah plays at the Antique Shop!


meettheparents

Meet the Parents-- Tim, Dana, Rita, and Robert!!!


The kids had a ball playing on the train on the square, and so did some of the parents!

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Robert and Hannah enjoy the slide!


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The Valiant Dan rescues the Fair Jenn from the
train tracks!

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Hannah and Sarah enjoy playing by the fountain!

On Tuesday, we decided to do something educational and go see where the Civil War battle at Kennesaw Mountain was fought. Tim had an ancestor who was possibly wounded there and died eventually as a result of his wounds. The mountain was pretty high, and there was an incredible view from up there!

fromKinnesaw
You can even see Stone Mountain from up there--over 20 miles off in the distance!

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We loved the museum and the theater! Here, Sarah waves her flag beside one of the cannons.




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Dan attempts to keep the lovely Jenn from falling off Kennesaw Mountain!


After climbing parts of the mountain and admiring the view, we decided to head back toward Marietta and visit the grave of JonBenet Ramsey. I had no idea a day earlier when we were playing up on the square, that we had been so close to her grave.

I followed the story of JonBenet back in 1996 and 1997 like the rest of the nation did. I always thought it was such a sad story. We found her grave, all the way in the back of a very old cemetery. Her mother's grave is at her feet, still unmarked but for a simple wire fence about a foot high around the perimeter. A small tree hangs over JonBenet's grave, and people have tied all sorts of ornaments and suncatchers and wind chimes to the dangling branches. It is such an unremarkable grave for such a darling little girl. Jenn got this picture of Sarah by the grave. There is no caption needed:

sarahjonbenet

Our trip came to an end, and we are back to reality now. Time slips ahead an hour tonight. I am not believing we are almost half-way through March. I am frantically preparing for Sam's graduation. We are thinking we have found a car for Daniel. I have umpteen appointments to go to this month. I got my c-pap machine, but some adjustments are going to be necessary. The thing is horrible to get used to.

Spring seems to be here, and I happily say goodbye to cold weather and static electricity. Hannah's hair has been unmanageable all winter! Happy Spring, Everyone, and set those clocks ahead tonight, or you will be late for church tomorrow!

hannahstatic
My lovely, statically-electric Hannah Bee!

Saturday, March 03, 2007

My Newest Teenager

  Posted by Picasa

Micah--13 and Incarcerated

 

Fortunately, Micah only occupies a play jail cell during our trip to Georgia Posted by Picasa

One Cool Dude is 13!

 

He's gonna be a heart-breaker with that flat-top! He was pretending to be "cool" here! Posted by Picasa