THE PRO & THE NEWBIE

I can’t draw a decent stick man. Laurie used to do a lot of drawing and was good at it. Who knows where this “art” gene comes from?!?

The Pro’s been at it for three years – since kindergarten, in fact. Now the Newbie wants to catch up to her. We proudly announce that Katelee and Tucker will both have exhibits at the Tupelo Art Museum while the Museum puts the spotlight on local students’ works. The exhibit is open to family & friends on Sunday afternoon, April 1st from 1pm until 3pm. Paint us proud !!

Katelee’s first exhibit when she was in kindergarten was a self-portrait. Last year she had two selections chosen – a representation of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, which she dubbed spooky night, and a picture of an apple which showed great light & shadow detail. I can’t wait to see what she’s done this year. Our Katelee loves to draw.

And now Tucker is getting in on the fun. We’ll know Sunday what their works are. Meantime, ask Tucker about golfing. His dad is starting him young. His 110 yard drive even intimidated some of the adults playing behind him. When asked about it, he replied matter-of-factly, “I smoked it.”

Way to go, Katelee & Tucker. I’ll post pictures of your artwork after Sunday.

A Week of Unfolding Miracles

John W. Peterson wrote,

My Father is omnipotent
And that you can’t deny;
A God of might and miracles;
'Tis written in the sky.

It has truly been a week of miracles. Several weeks ago my friend, GaryM, went to the cardiologist for tests. They revealed that he had extensive blockage and stints would be required. The doctor cautioned that if it was truly as bad as it looked, open-heart surgery might be the only answer. His appointment was set for Monday, 3/19, the first available date. The doctor started the procedure to insert stints, but stopped suddenly. There was no blockage. 'Nary a bit. All gone. Clean as a whistle. Did I tell you family & friends had been praying over GaryM for two weeks? Now tell me He's not a God of might and miracles.

Then there's KylieGrace. She's just 3 months old, a two-vessel baby, w/ a myriad of health problems. There was no choice but to operate, but they put it off as long as they could. She had surgery today - an all-day affair - to reconstruct some body parts, get some inner parts untangled and various other complex procedures. She's out of surgery, doing great, w/ a lot less complications than anticipated. Now tell me He's not a God of might and mircales.

I didn't know what a two-vessel baby was, either. The umbilical cord should contain three "vessels" - one vein and two arteries. A two vessel baby has an umbilical cord w/ one vein and one artery. Mom Casey was told she couldn't have children. (I'll bet God laughed when the doctor said that.) Then when she got pregnant, she delivered a two vessel baby. But God is proving faithful (as ALWAYS) and the problems are being resolved one at a time. You wouldn't believe the people who've been praying over KylieGrace and her family these past months. And we're seeing God work in His usual mighty way.

My heart rejoices w/ this sweet family. They still have a long way to go, but their faith is strong and their extended family support is strong and their Great Physician is even stronger.

Now tell me He's not a God of might and miracles !!!!

Terry & I lead a sedentary lifestyle. We go to work, we come home. Since I need lots of downtime and since Terry enjoys mostly solitary activities, this suits us just fine. The last week has been very different for me - enjoyable, but different.

There've been two funerals - Ms. Jack's and Jimmy's (my first cousin's husband). We visited with old friends and family from Plantersville & Nettleton. MomaG & I spent some time together Wednesday and kids & kidlettes have filled the last two days. (I'm tired.)

At the end of last year the girls & I decided we'd spend at least one day a month together. So far we've helped Laurie clean & rearrange furniture in anticipation of Marlee Cupcake's birth. Then on Thursday they all descended on my house. We had two projects: organize bookshelves and clean out some closets. Since I have 3.7 kagillion books, the bookshelf project was all that got done. Did you know there's actually a floor in front of one of my bookshelves? It had been covered by all my Bible study materials, but Laurie reorganized & found a place for all of it. It may take on its former chaos again, but at least I have a place to put everthing now.

Yesterday some of us trekked up to Memphis to shop and drive some different neighborhoods looking for potential locations for Molly & Kevin. They want to live in Mississippi because of the high property taxes in TN; and there are some nicer locations on the south side of where Kevin will work. The highlight of the day was dinner at Shogun's. If you've never been, it's a real show to have the chef cook the entire meal at the table - and it was all delicious. We must have had a chef-in-training. He wore a red hat & he sailed an egg right between me & Katey where it broke & spilled all over her purse. She just laughed it off.

Terry & I have such great girls (no bias here!). All are very different in temperament; one looks like me & the other two look like Terry; all serve God in their respective communities and churches. I told Mary M at P'ville that all have worked w/ Bible drills - a testimony to the wonderful role models they grew up w/ in P'ville - Mary, Karl, Noah and others. We thank God for their witness & teachings that helped ground our children in a strong faith.

Genealogy is not really my thing, but my mom found these pics as she was sorting pics for albums. John Lindsey Pearce and Georgia Ann Davidson Pearce were my granddaddy's grandparents. Their daughter, Fannie Louella Pearce married Delbert Gregory and they became parents to my granddaddy, Foster Arnold Gregory. He married Estelle Williams. They are pictured at their 50th anniversary celebration. Granddaddy had been totally blind for many years by the time this pic was taken. The retinitis pigmentosa that is hereditary in our family came down through the Pearce line. We know Fannie Louella had RP. MomaG is trying to find the research Aunt Maxine did about RP in our family.

Just a comment about BlogSpot: Manipulating pictures & text is way too difficult. On my xanga site it's a breeze. If anyone has suggestions about how to anchor pics to make them stay put, I'd appreciate the help. And yes, I choose specific layouts on the "Add Image" screen.

Oh, blessed rain! Yesterday the sun was shining; the temperature was balmy; the breeze was gentle. My head was congested; my eyes were watering; my nose was itching. How can such a nice day make me so miserable? Benadryl came to the rescue, and the rain sprinkles today are helping. Whew! Allergy season.

While I don’t subscribe to the Global Warming fad, (thanks Ed. I couldn’t think what to call it.) I do believe we are contributing to our own problems that cause allergies and other illnesses. If you want a new perspective on “Going Green” click here and scroll down to Ed’s piece on the Academy Awards event. His points would be hilarious if they didn’t point out a raw truth: The folks who are on the “Green” bandwagon are the ones who contribute the most pollutants. How dare they point a blaming finger at me!

Science can be used to prove anything; and disprove anything. I tend to lean more to the belief that our environment cycles and that what we are calling Global Warming is just part of the cycle. Decades from now, it will probably cycle back to a friendlier environment. History seems to support this. And some not-so-conservative scientists are telling Al Gore not to be such an alarmist, that his documentary includes some questionable “facts”.

Should we just keep polluting our environment in the belief that it will cycle back? No, absolutely not! I, for one, believe we are cutting down too many trees. And our selfishness with energy resources will cause long-term harm. There are things we can do to protect our environment, but we need to keep it in perspective. If we become stewards of the planet God gave us, treating it as He intended, things will definitely get better. Will we do that? I doubt it. If the Hollywood-types are our example, we’re in trouble. Their’s is a case of “Do as I say, not as I do.”

When people ask me about going to Mrs. Cathryn “Jack” Johnson’s funeral, it seems a little strange to say, “We had a wonderful time.” But it’s true. We celebrated her life and Bro. Ricky Bishop painted a vivid, sweet picture of what awaited her in Glory. She was a lady of many talents – spelling bee champ, typing champ, human dictionary, musician extraordinaire. What a legacy!

The girls did this mama proud with their singing and flute playing. They felt so honored to be asked to participate in the celebration of Ms. Jack’s life. And we got to see so many people who have played such an important part in our lives. Even some Belden-ites were there Saturday afternoon. I was surprised to find out that Phil King of Belden (formerly of the Landmarks Quartet) spent some of his younger years in Plantersville and attended PBC when Bro. Silas was there.

The meal afterward was delicious. We’ve eaten many wonderful meals in Plantersville and this was no different. Plus we got to visit w/ many old friends and met a few new ones. Ricky & Benji have grown into fine-looking young men and it was a treat to sit across the table from them. I wish I could have met Karen & Pip. Ricky’s wife, Mary Ann, went to school w/ my neice, so there’s another connection. It was almost like old times when Ricky & Laurie started throwing Scrabble pieces across tables. Despite the age difference Cathy’s kids & mine spent a lot of time together.

Cathy, you really do need to come “home” occasionally. Those few minutes we spent talking & laughing at the end of the meal warmed my heart. Next time we’ll try to remember the cameras.

I started writing something else, but it was all choppy and disjointed – kind of like I feel right now. It’s how I’ve felt since finding out “Jack” has gone home to her Father. We can rejoice that her pain has ended and she’s no longer a pilgrim. But it’s the end of something, too. My feelings were like this when DaddyG went Home. It was such a relief that he was finally rid of the body that had so plagued him those last two years. But then I felt guilty that I was relieved. We beat ourselves up for no good reason. God’s plan is that for everything there is a season. How do people who don’t believe in God make it through such times?

It’s exciting to think about seeing Cathy again after such a long time. We’ve seen each other twice since that breakfast at Shockley’s just before she moved to Brandon. And there will surely be lots more old friends this weekend. Will we call Jack’s home-going a reunion? Would she mind?

All the plans are in motion and I’m wondering if anyone else has seen God’s Hand in all this? Several months ago Cathy and I reconnected through the Internet and now my girls are singing at her mom’s funeral. (They feel honored that she asked.) And she asked me to stay close this weekend. I’m humbled that our friendship has stood the test of years and miles. And it’s not just my family. Several days ago Cathy and Mary reconnected and now Cathy & Mike are staying at her house while here. My spirit tells me God has been planning this course from forever. He’s such an inscrutable God and yet He draws so near to His children, plotting courses for our lives and working all things out for our good.

The girls are singing some cherished hymns with just the piano for accompaniment. And there won’t be any organ music. Much like the Missing Man Formation in the Air Force, this will highlight the absence of one of the stellar organists of our day. Happy Home-going, Jack.

Some people thrive on lots of activity and lots of interaction with other people. Some people (like me & MomaG) need a considerable amount of downtime. I'd always thought I was an extrovert, but a few years ago I took a leadership class and discovered I'm a closet introvert. The leader of the course said he knew that as soon as he met me. After seeing my answers to a questionnaire and asking a few pointed questions he could explain some of it. "You've trained yourself to be an extrovert. All your life experiences have required you to be around people, starting in your parents' retail store." Now mind you, he didn't tell me this the first day; he let me go home suffering the anxiety of wondering why I wasn't in a behavioral center somewhere. *g*

That's why I enjoy quiet Saturdays so much. Yesterday was mostly quiet and I was loving it. Our SS class had an outing & I could hardly bring myself to get ready. But I did and enjoyed the short trek. We went to the benefit for the Hannaford Family at New Harmony Baptist Church. Twenty one of our group went - a good turnout. I hope you'll read about this family by clicking on their name. Another lesson on the priorities that should be important. From the length of the line (we got there when it opened) and the number of people who were still in line when we left, they will have a very profitable benefit.

We begin March Madness at church today. All the adults will meet in the sanctuary each Sunday in March. Bro. Jim will be sharing his vision for Belden and how Sunday school plays the most important part. It's going to be exciting. Every church he has pastored has experienced phenomenal growth and we have a mission field that is white unto harvest. I'm praying God will lead us to experience His vision for BBC.

Bulls, Bears & Other Beasts

March - in like a lion, out like a lamb. About 10 minutes after midnight on March 1st we thought that lion was going to roar through our bedroom window. Wind, rain, thunder, lightning, hail - all the elements of a strong storm system. All day we were under a tornado watch with the occasional severe thunderstorm warning and tornado warning thrown in. We were more fortunate than the folks in AL. My heart & prayers go out to them. I've always felt it was a mistake to send kids home during severe weather, and I still do. There's no easy answer to the question of what to do. I pray that people will not blame school administrators for the deaths at Enterprise AL.

Is there scientific proof that the barometric pressure affects our behavior? Teachers I know have always said kids act out when the BP is falling. If you're around kids during stormy weather you can feel the tension. No, Cathy, it's not just Jay-Jay. And it's not just kids. Yesterday at work a couple of people got into a heated discussion. That's fairly unusual, but seems to happen more often during bad weather. Me? I go to sleep. When the pressure starts dropping, I start drooping. It's true. During stormy weather I can hardly keep my eyes open. It's a good thing Terry is just the opposite. He's wide awake during bad weather, keeping a watch on all who are his to protect.

My boss also roared into town yesterday. *grin* We've known each other a long time, but he's been my direct report just a little over 6 months. We get along well and he leaves me alone (mostly) to do my job. His visits are especially nice because he brings his wife, Judy. We get to go to lunch and we let Jeff go to pay for the food and wait on us. McAllister's is our choice.

The stock market has taken a hard hit this week. Those of us who have investments there have had to sit back and watch the bulls and bears duke it out. I'm hoping this is just a blip and that the market will take an upswing going forward. For those of us who are trying to plan for retirement w/ IRA's it hurts to see the numbers go down instead of up. Terry & I have been blessed to be able to put some money away so we won't have to depend solely on SocSec. It would be heartbreaking to see it eaten away by the whims of the market. Yes, we could put it in savings accounts or CDs, but have you seen the piddlin' percentages those pay? Oh well, we'll work hard while we have our health, put money away for the later years and pray that the money outlasts us. No, we're not thinking we can take it with us. Wouldn't it be nice to have a little to leave to the chicks & chicklettes.

The lion has roared. Maybe the lamb will show up soon. (What if the Lamb showed up soon! Even so, Lord Jesus, come! Revelation 22:20)