Shon came home last night – the first time since December 6th. Shon is my friend and employee whose wife & daughter were in a house that exploded on December 5th. They, along with the 3 others in the house, were airlifted to a burn hospital in Augusta GA that night. Shon followed the next day. We’ve missed him a lot.

His wife has been discharged from in-hospital, but remains an outpatient w/ daily physical therapy. She & Shon are living in an apartment on the hospital grounds. His daughter, 2 years old, fared much worse but is progressing. Her surgeries are complete and she’s beginning the process of re-learning everything she had learned in her two short years. One of the other children didn’t make it; she died 3 days before Christmas.

We’ve all learned some lessons from this experience and God has worked in some great ways in spite of the horror of the event. Personally, I’ve been overwhelmed at the generosity of people who didn’t even know this family. Most folks, most of the time, are good-hearted and will give as long as there’s a need.

We’ve learned to order our priorities aright. Petty squabbles are seen for what they are – childish and useless – in light of life&death situations. People matter more than things and relationships are precious. Dependence on God is absolutely necessary at all times, not just when things go wrong.

Shon, we’ll be glad when you come back to work; not just because we miss you and need you here, but because it will mean your family is nearing complete health. Our Heavenly Father is, indeed, The Great Physician.

Abraham – giant of a man, friend of God, obedient, faithful. But his life was a rollercoaster of obedience, sin, repentance, victory, obedience, sin, repentance, victory. We sometimes forget that the people in the Bible were mostly ordinary folks in whom God did an extraordinary work. That gives me great comfort and great hope for my life.

Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to the Old Testament and its cast of characters. I believe that the people in the Bible are real people, not just figments of someone’s overactive imagination used to prove a point or teach a lesson.

As much as I’ve read God’s Word (can you ever get enough?) it still draws me back again and again. It truly is alive and active. Did you learn the story of Joseph and his jealous brothers when you were a kid in Sunday school? Me, too. But one night I was reading in Genesis and I couldn’t put it down until I’d read the whole story. I knew the ending, but I cried anyway when Joseph died. Don’t you think we have a spirit-attachment to these OT people, an attachment that surpasses the bounds of understanding?

Do we hold our breath w/ Moses as we see the Back of God? Do we stand w/ Abraham looking into an unknown future and believe anyway? Do we smile when the donkey talks to Balaam & laugh out loud when Balaam talks back? Do we feel the salt spray and wind on Peter’s face or the dust under Paul’s calloused feet? Is it true, this Love Letter from our Heavenly Father? YES, ABSOLUTELY !!

Brrr! MomaG picks me up on Sunday’s to go to church. I don’t drive, but that’s another story. Usually I go outside 5-10 minutes before she gets there to enjoy the sound of birds singing, wind blowing in the trees and the sunshine. Not yesterday. It was 31* w/ a windchill of 20. I watched out the window for my family taxi to pull up, then hustled to the car. It was just as cold when I went to church last night. And this morning the temp was 18* when we left the house at 6:15. Now, I’ve been hot-natured all my life, but this is bordering on ridiculous. Mississippians are not accustomed to these temps. Maybe it won’t last too long.

The girls & I have this new thing we’re doing this year. Once a month, on a Saturday that fits everyone’s schedule, we’ll go to a different house. This past Saturday we went to Laurie’s. I supervised while Katey&Molly straightened & cleaned Laurie’s house. She left her bedroom one time mumbling something about “cleaning Nazis”. But she was really grateful for the help getting her room rearranged before Marlee’s debut. When they come to my house they’re going to hang pictures and organize some books. We’ll do different things, even go out to eat & shop. Sometimes MomaG will join us. This is a great idea they came up w/ during Christmas at our house. We haven’t had enough “girl-time” the last few years.

Molly called one afternoon to talk through some of her challenges as a teacher. The biggest one seems to be that parents want to be their childrens’ friends. She asked, “Why didn’t you & daddy want to be our friends?” I said, “You had plenty of friends, and that wasn’t the assignment God gave us.” Are parents afraid to say “NO” to their children now? Are they afraid of confrontation? Is it too bothersome, or inconvenient, for parents to discipline by ‘grounding’ or timeout when they’re younger? Parenting takes time; and yes, it’s sometimes inconvenient. But if you didn’t want to go to the trouble, why did you have kids?

Now that they’re adults, the girls & I can be friends and it’s a wonderful relationship, made all the sweeter because of the parent/child relationship we once had. Yes, it was tough sometimes and we made some big mistakes, but no psyches were damaged and they’re all three functioning, reasonable, successful young women who love God and their families – including their mean old parents

Saturday Mornings

Another quiet Saturday morning, but that will change about 10am. Tucker's coming to spend some time w/ me while his mom & dad & sister do other things. He's such a lovable and loving child with a heart for God and an absolute, unwavering faith that God answers prayer. There are so many examples of God rewarding Tucker's faith in Him, but this one was definitely a lesson for Mamaw:

Like most little boys, Tucker was fascinated at the sight of someone being sick in public and he had to tell me all the details. He added that his little friend was back at school a day later, feeling fine. I mentioned that he probably had a tummy bug that didn't last long. Tucker held up his left index finger (pointing toward heaven?) and said, "Uh, no Mamaw. I prayed for him." No questions; no doubts. God answered Tucker's prayer and made his little friend well. Oh, to have the faith of Tucker!!

I'm reading F.B. Meyer's book Abraham, or the Obedience of Faith. The book provides a very good backdrop for the Bible study I'm involved in - The Patriarchs by Beth Moore. In fact, the reason I started reading the book is because Beth quotes from it frequently in dealing with Abraham's life. I've always loved Abraham because he was so human. He's a great reminder that God can and does call out ordinary people; He truly speaks to us to guide our paths; He gives second, third, fourth....chances to people who fail miserably; He doesn't stop using us even as we get older; He listens to us when we pray (Yes, Tucker, you keep telling us that.). Could my tombstone epitaph ever say "Friend of God"? It's my goal. Tucker, I hope you'll pray for me.

What a weekend !! Wonderful, but tiring. The SS supper Saturday night was more than I usually do on any given weekend. But then on Sunday, we had in-laws & outlaws over – a birthday celebration for Katey & Marcus – after church.

I love having family around. These types of events usually wind up lasting all day and we get to visit w/ folks we don’t see often enough. Our girls chose life-mates well and we are blessed w/ terrific sons-in-law and their families. It makes us all family.

Way to go Payton! I didn’t want the Saints to lose, but goodness, who would I have cheered for if the Colts & Saints had made it to The Big One? Football is an on-again, off-again sport for me. For instance, I like the Colts and the Giants b/c of the Manning boys (and Tiki Barber). The Saints are fun to watch b/c an in-law family member works for McAlister (and they've had such a great year). Football was HUGE in my growing-up years. We watched it all – pro & college. Often our kinfolks from Corinth would come down & we’d watch in front of the fireplace – one of the few times the TV was left on during a meal.

One summer my cousin went w/ us to Florida & the Bahamas. The highlight of our trip? Getting to stop by Broadway Joe’s {Namath} restaurant. It was too early to eat, but they gave us some souvenirs w/ the logo. Actually, that wasn’t the highlight of the trip for me, but that’s for another day.

See some b’day party pics at http://www.xanga.com/mornin

What a party!!

Our Sunday school group is a sociable bunch. One of the reasons a large class works for us is the regular, monthly socials we have. Usually we go to a local restaurant and that's always fun. But occasionally someone opens up their home, which is what happened last night. Sue & Reuben invited us (21 hungry people) to a Soup Supper. Of course, we all made a contribution to the cause. We had taco soup, vegetable soup, home-made chicken noodle soup and chicken & dumplings. There was cornbread, crackers, scoops and cheese. If there was one dessert, there were ten - strawberry cake, apple cobbler w/ ice cream, banana bread, lemon wedges and several other goodies that I didn't get around to. There was regular coffee and Harry&David's Moose Munch caramel coffee. What a feast !!

There was lots of lively conversation...until Sue brought out the red ribbons. We all got a straight pin w/ 5 small red ribbons. Whenever we used the pronoun "I" in a sentence, we had dto give up a ribbon. It didn't take long to figure out that "I" is very important to each of us. Conversation took a nosedive. It was really hilarious, but made us take a look at our speaking habits. Believe me, while it was fun, we all got the message. The lady who won the prize didn't open her mouth the entire time. Wise move.



The picture to the right was taken the last Sunday in August. This is our regular group on any given Sunday morning. Ester is a great CareGroup Leader and there are five group leaders under her who minister to 5-6 members each. We have two hard & fast rules. 1) If you come to our class 3 Sundays in a row, you belong to us. No leaving. 2) If you miss 3 Sundays in a row, we go to your house for lunch. grin I can't begin to tell you how great these ladies are.

Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday in Southern Baptist churches. Our scripture comes from Psalm 139, but we're going farther back in time - the Creation story from Genesis 1 & 2. Nothing shouts out more clearly the value of human life than that point where Creator God forms the first man from the dust of the earth and breathes into him the breath of life. Divine CPR brought us to life and sustains our life. My every breath is by His grace alone.

My prayer is that you'll be in a gospel preaching church today.

Happy Birthday, Katey!

It’s hard to believe you’re 34 years old today. I remember your birthday as if it was yesterday. Dr. Bourland told me at a regular office visit that he’d see me within the next 24 hours; to go home, get a bath, pack my bags and be ready. (He didn’t mention that I should wash my hair, but naturally, I had to do that, too.) The pains started as minor discomforts, and it’s a good thing; Terry wanted to watch Johnny Carson before we went to the hospital. The pains were 3 minutes apart by the time we got to CrossTown. All three of our girls were very good to their mom, making their appearances within 4 hours. Thanks, Sweeties.

Loving Heavenly Father, thank You so much for our firstborn; for the infant with a mop of dark brown curls; for the persistent 4-year old who wouldn’t quit until she learned “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”; for the 11-year old who wanted to sing in the church play even though she’d just broken her collarbone in a wreck; for the much-too-young 16-year old who went off to college for the summer at UnionU; for the beautiful bride; for the caring teacher; for the loving mom who went through so much to have children of her own; for the dedicated youth minister who cares so much. Thank You for the lovely young lady who loves and serves You and makes her mom & dad proud in the process. Amen

Marcus called to talk to me. Marcus is one, so it was a very stimulating conversation. Mostly he wanted to give me sugars through the phone. (Soggy handsets don't last long at their house.) All three of Laurie’s boys like to talk on the phone. What toddler doesn’t !! When Aaron was little and she couldn’t pacify him, she’d call me and I’d sing our special song. Calmed him right down. There will come a day when they won’t have time for Mamaw so I’m going to enjoy every precious moment.

Katey & Andy have bought some land in Mooreville and plan to build a house this year. Everyone’s excited except Katelee. She had trouble adjusting at the beginning of school because a couple of her close friends had moved away over the summer. Now that she’s formed new relationships, those, too, will be lost. (At eight years old long-distance friendships don’t survive long.) Children are resilient; she’ll form other relationships. But it’s so hard to watch her hurting during the process.

Yesterday I went to the social security website & calculated how much I’d draw when I retire. First, it’s not much. Why do so many Americans fail to prepare for retirement? I might have been one of those, but Terry has a gung-ho attitude about saving for retirement and it’s rubbed off on me. And the girls. When they started earning money the requirements were 1) 10% of the gross to tithe and 2) 20% of the gross into savings. Anything left over was theirs to do with as they thought best. It was a lesson well-learned for me and for them.

Second, why am I even thinking about retirement? It will be another 12 years!! before I can retire. Unless you can afford private insurance or unless your company retirement provides health benefits, you have to work for the insurance.

And in my case, since I can’t drive, I’d be stuck at home most of the time. With no lights or running water b/c then who’d pay the bills?

You know what?!? I’m healthy and capable of working. I have a very good job. Thanks be to God for providing this for me. I’ll stop complaining now.

So, CJG, you think you have me pegged? OK, so you do have me pegged. Didn’t I tell you? Before reading your posts I drink a cup of strong coffee, take a deep breath and don’t breathe again until the end of the post. You don’t scare me, girlfriend.

At this stage in my life busy-ness is not high on my priority list. But somehow January & February are shaping up to be whirlwinds. There are 3 family birthdays, 2 women’s conferences, 1 baby shower and the arrival in February of our 6th grandchild. And I have to work!

My circadian rhythm bids me rise about 4am each day. (To tell you the truth, it probably has more to do with my younger days. When Darrell & I were growing up, our parents rose with the chickens and expected us to do the same. If we didn’t get up the first time they called us, the next time they called, the sound of “get up!” was accompanied by the sound of a Miss State-style cowbell ringing in our ears. This girl does not want to hear that cowbell again.) Anyway…

…my circadian rhythm bids me rise about 4am each day, so by 4pm all the energy is gone. The early morning hours are usually a joy to me, a time for prayer and Bible study while my mind is fresh and ready to receive whatever He has for me. With all the holiday hoopla, long days at work and extracurricular activities, the early morning hours recently have been spent rushing to start the day. As this new year begins I’m re-committing to do whatever it takes to have that special time with my Lord. Feel free to hold me accountable.

Oh, Cathy, I’d forgotten about the coffee cup. We do have some wonderful memories, and a few not-so-wonderful ones, as well. But that’s what makes a friendship, isn’t it. Do you still buy the pick-a-size paper towels? Do you still think of me when you do?

Occasionally this fundamental, conservative Republican cringes when she reads Cathy’s posts. After I fume for a couple of minutes I realize that she won’t change my beliefs/philosophies/thoughts about some things and I have no desire to change hers. A bird must have two wings to fly.

Diversity keeps this country balanced, and while my posts will not run along the political line, you’ll know that I’m in that G’rrrrrr group Cathy mentions sometimes. (Fox News Channel is my home page. )

I'm new to the neighborhood.

Can I live in two places at once? Not phyically but cyber-ly? We'll see. I'm in another blogging community, but have friends in this neighborhood that I want to be near. Hi, Cathy & George. The blogging stuff is still new to me, but even after a short time, I've become an addict.

I'm a Christian, a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and career-girl (25+ years at the same company). I'm legally blind (thought that might get your attention), but I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13 NASB) Oh, He doesn't strengthen me to drive; after all He is a very wise God.

And I'm extending my first invitation. If you're interested in attending a Beth Moore Simulcast, click here for info:
http://www.beldenbaptistchurch.com/Beth_Moore_Event.html

I'll be sharing more later...just wanted to introduce myself and unpack a few boxes. (We all have baggage, don't we!)