Monday, June 24, 2013

FATHER'S DAY, WEEKEND FUN AND MY LATEST HOBBY

We had a great Father's Day.  We went to church with Josh and Rachel which we always enjoy.  Afterwards, we went to eat at Outback which is probably Terry's all-time favorite restaurant.  Later that afternoon, we all went to Josh's brother's house for a fish-fry.  We had a great time with his family.  It is always such a relaxing time. 



My dad passed away on New Year's Day in 1998 after an automobile accident.  I remember my dad as a hard-working man of few words when I was growing up.  He lost his right arm in a work accident when he was 18 years old, but he never let that hinder him.  He never collected disability but worked at the same company as a chemist for 40 years.  I never remember anything that he couldn't do and I never looked at him as being handicapped.  He could tie his shoes, work on our cars, repair things around the house...you name it, he could do it.  The only time I remember having to help him do anything was when he would be working under the car and would call for one of us kids to come help hold a tool in place.  He was so proud of his daughters and the fact that we both married "preachers", and he told everyone he met. 


My sister lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where she and her husband pastor First Assembly of God.  Their daughter, Kelly, lives in Colorado.  She just had a baby, Joshua, and came to visit Charles and Brenda in Tuscaloosa.  We were going to be at Colliersville, TN on Sunday, so we left on Friday night and went to Tuscaloosa to see Kelly and her kids.  She also has a 2-1/2 year old, Abby.  We had such a nice time.  Abby is such a doll and has such a little personality! 




We left Tuscaloosa on Saturday afternoon and drove to Colliersville where Terry ministered on Sunday morning.  We had a great time with Jason and Kelly Murphy and their sweet little family.  The church service was wonderful, and afterwards we went out to eat with their family.  Their kids, Josiah, Kylah and Mariah are such delightful kids.  Terry and I love the time we get to spend with our ministers getting to know them and their families better.  It was a great day!!

I have added another hobby to my growing list of creative crafty things I love to do...I am now making wood signs.  We got Rachel a machine called a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas year before last.  She never had the time to use it because of her busy schedule, but near Christmas time this past year she used it for the first time to make some Christmas gifts.  I was hooked, and when they had a big sale of 40% off everything on Black Friday I ordered one for my Christmas gift from Terry (that's just how we roll!!).  It makes it so much easier for him, too!!  Here's a sampling of some of the signs I have made:
 






 

 




 




Sheila Harper, a pastor's wife here in Nashville, was having a ladies conference at her church and asked me to have a booth there.  I was a little apprehensive and wasn't going to do it at first, but I finally decided to do it.  It was a lot of fun.  Chris Brown, a friend, made me a stand to display my signs on. 

 
 
When we got back from Memphis late  yesterday afternoon, I went straight to my garden and guess what I found? 
 
 
I cannot tell you how excited I am!  And I have several more that should be ready to pick this week.  Sadly, though, I had to pull up my squash plants.  The squash would come on but then squishy, shrivel up and die.  I finally got so frustrated that I pulled them up yesterday afternoon.  I'm going to plant something else where they were, but I haven't decided what.
 
Okay, until next time!!
 
 
 

Friday, June 14, 2013

I'M BACK!!

Well, believe it or not I'm back!  I fell off the blog wagon and found it hard to get back on.  But, I'm back with a new vigor, and I've got a lot to share with you!

Summer is here, and I couldn't be happier!  I've planted flowers, and as an added bonus I have a garden as well this year.  Our son-law-law, Josh, built me a raised bed garden.  He built Rachel one last year, and she had a great little garden.  I somehow got my garden in at exactly the right time between the cool spells and all the rain, so it is coming along really well. 





 
 
 I already have tomatoes, squash and little bell peppers.  I go out to my garden three or four times a day and just look at it.  I'm so excited!
 
Josh is a fireman for the Hendersonville Fire Department and graduated from the fire academy in April.  The academy lasted for ten weeks, and he had to stay there through the week, come home on Friday night, work a 12-hour shift at the fire hall on the weekend and go back on Sunday afternoon.  We couldn't be more proud of his accomplishment!! 
 

 
On May 7th, Terry and I went to New York City.  Terry had a conference at the end of the week, so we took a few extra days at the beginning of the week to have a few days for ourselves.  We got there on Monday, and at 6:00 on Tuesday morning we received a call that our precious friend, J.R. Gould, had passed away unexpectedly in his sleep.  We were so shocked.  It was really hard to wrap our minds around it.  We flew back home on Wednesday morning.  We did go to a broadway show on Tuesday night and met our friends, Mike and Stephanie Burnette, for dinner afterwards which we enjoyed, but our minds were never far from Shirley, the girls and their families. 
 
 

 
J.R.'s funeral was a beautiful tribute to his life and legacy.  He and Shirley were missionaries to Kenya for many years.  He was the District Superintendent of Tennessee before Terry, and Terry was honored to serve him as his assistant.  J.R. had the most contagious smile.  Whatever he did, he did with exuberance.  He is already missed so much.  It was an honor to have him as a friend. 
 
 
I had a wonderful Mother's Day.  We all went to church with Josh and Rachel and afterwards went to Josh's grandmother's house where we all celebrate together every year.  It was a great day with family.  I love my kids, Michael and Rachel, so much!!  When they were both born, it was love at first sight.  I couldn't be prouder to be their mom!!!
 
 
 
Last week, Bentley found a little bird in the yard that couldn't fly.  We started looking around and found a nest up high in one of the gutters that still had baby birds in it.  Bentley was obsessed with the bird and wouldn't leave it alone.  Every time he went out in the yard lots of birds would literally go wild, flying around, landing in the yard and on the fence and making a ruckus.  Finally, we putg the bird on the other side of the fence.  Then, over the next couple of days Bentley found two more birds that apparently fell out of the nest as well, and we had to put them over the fence too.  It was really strange.
 



 
Another thing I love about summer is the garage sales and estate sales.  I went out on Saturday and found some great things. Rachel and I have started collecting Fiestaware.  I went to a sale where a lady was selling her pitcher collection.  We didn't have a pitcher, so I got us both one for $10.00 each.  I know it is the old style of pitcher, but that doesn't bother us.  The orange one is mine and the turquoise one is Rachel's. 
 
 
I found this cute little trunk at an estate sale on Saturday.  It was originally priced $125.00, but I got it for $35.00 on the third and final day of the sale.  Rachel is going to use it in her living room.
 
 
Hebrews chapter 11 has meant so much to me lately.  I just keep going back to it.  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen".  All those mentioned in that chapter received the promises of God because they "judged Him faithful Who had promised".  What are you believing God for?   He is faithful, so don't lose hope.  Whatever He promises, He will perform.