Good Bye Mr.Tom

Saying Good-bye to Tom Lee..

Losing his life in a Tornado, protecting his family.
This does not surprise those of us that knew him.
He was the protector of his family always.
He died laying his body
over his entire family last night in the deadly tornadoes
that ripped through our state.

We have traveled with this family on vacations and just two

weeks ago they sat around our table and we celebrated

the birthdays of Channie Mae and Judson.
We ate and laughed and thanked God for the blessings of children.

That's what you did when Tom was around.

You talked about the Lord and the blessing

of children.

He had 13.

He told Scott over dinner, "Scott, I've been praying God would see fit to give me 15 more years

so I can see Judson into manhood."

He also said "ya know, Judson still sleeps with me and Sherry."

"We don't mind, we love it.."

  He lived.

He embraced the moments of this life with his family

and with his children. He invested himself.

He adored and loved his wife 

and we're so proud to call him friend. 

We will miss you Mr. Tom, we'll miss your straw hat,

 your baseball hats, and all the many ways

you Glorified the Lord. .  

There is no reason to look back:
We know the Lord escorted you into heaven
saying..
Well done my Faithful servant
Well done..
No regrets.

"Surprised By Joy"

Surprised by their color against white t-shirts.

Surprised by brothers love.

The yard, "their turf" and their room is always

a mess but these two can always be found even

in the mess of the every day. When things are crazy,

when things are busy, my boys are there in the middle

of it all and I'm surprised that it brings me so much joy

seeing these two lean into my car window as I'm about

to drive away. Standing on the edge, leaning in, giving me one

last kiss. One last kiss before they grow into men and I have

no more little guys that hang on my car and beg me not to leave.

One last kiss..

it's always the best.

I lean toward them and hold on hard.

Never being the first to let go.

Always remembering the "clock" that is always

ticking my time away.

Trying to remember to not let this moment pass as in a blur

but to look, really look, at these two.

These two bring me Joy.  

So by the words of C.S Lewis, I'm always surprised by Joy.

God given and mama receiving Joy.

Unwrapping Heaven....one day at a time.

I try and remember the day she was born and the memories come.

Scott so nervous that he was about to meet his baby daughter for

the first time and when their eyes met he cried.

Wrapped in a pink blanket, we couldn't keep our eyes still.

She was a gift to us and we knew she was.

Our lives changed...

Forever

Heaven met us that day and the glimpse was,
 and still is, a sense of awe.

Beautiful she has always been

but that has never defined who she truly is.

Who God has put into her to be.

A woman that loves the Lord and is always so thankful

for the day to day ways of life.

Clothes blowing in the wind and her skirt

as she hangs out those clothes for our family,

The food that she prepares and presents at our table

is amazing.

The way she loves her daddy and still calls him

daddy.

The way she wraps her arms around me in the middle of

the day and tells me how thankful she is that I'm her mom.

Oh, I grab her and tell her that no she is the gift

and for 18 yeas I have had the privilege of slowly

unwrapping heaven right here in my home.
The way she loves her brothers and sisters
and if she loves you, you will know
Because she Loves big.

She had an amazing birthday... in her own

words,

"This has been the best birthday of my life"

Dinner with dear friends

Birthday wishes from all her friends

and staying up late to enjoy the moon...

It was a memorable day indeed.

Happy 18th Birthday Tay
We Love you..  

April 19th, 2011

Wetting a Hook

The weather warmer and he grabs his pole and stands in his favorite

spot right along the spill way and casts his line slow and deliberate, time after time.

He stands and seems to never grow tired of casting that worm

into the dark waters. Slowly winding that string back and watching, always watching.  

Standing on the ground that his grandfather fished on.

Standing on the

ground that has been his home forever.

 He cast and he catches.

He pulls them to the bank and puts them on a line and with a smile

only a 9 year old boy can smile, asks me if I'll cook 'em..

His grandfather left him this pond full of bass and catfish. His grandfather

built this pond and populated and fed it up until his death.

I wonder if he knew then what he was leaving behind for

his grandsons.

  A place to sit a spell and cast your line,

and your worries, out across the waters. For a boy it's

a priceless gift that he eagerly runs to every single day lately.

I'm sure he doesn't think much about how hard his Grandfather worked

so he could "wet a hook" but I'll keep reminding the boy of

the legacy that he has been given and I'll keep leaving my own

fingerprints around this farm so that years from now

they will still feel me like a gentle breeze through

the trees.

I shall not forget the man that planted the fish here that feed us even after he's gone.

Thanks Papa Bear! 

Enjoying the Sabbath

Channie's life is pretty simple.

She wakes up and with a smile she snuggles deep within

my covers and whispers words of love and deep affection

in my ear. She doesn't worry about what she will wear or what

others "think" of her, she puts on whatever color she likes

best that day. Her hair is tossed and tousled about from the

night before but she doesn't mind she just gently pushes it

behind her ear and her smile is all you see anyway.

She loves Mimi and referres to her as her best friend.

But one thing you should know about Channie is

she is everyones best friend.

She loves cookies and milk and her tears are seldom

but can be cured with the familiar recipe of

soft dough as she licks it off the spoon.

Throw it with a glass of cold milk and she

is putty in your hands. Maybe even your best friend.

I didn't get to ride in the big red van with the family to worship. I stayed at home with some ailing babies who needed a day of rest. I pulled a chair and opened His word and wrote the things that He wanted me to learn today. You will be known by your love. Do they know me by love? She sits as we share God's word. Our eyes briefly glancing at each other when he says, "Then how do you pray? we don't pray because we don't understand the war we're fighting. Understand prayer this way: How do you pray when you get sick? I mean really sick? or one of your children gets cancer or your husband loses his job. Then you pray like you're in battle and you know He is the only One who can undo. ~Matt Chandler I find it interesting that the people who "assume" are the very people who have never lost. They have never lost a child or lost a parent. They have never felt the sadness of the years of waiting for a baby or a husband. They just assume that things are always going to work out for them without crying out to God for mercy and help. We need never forget we're in a battle and we need to devote ourselves to prayer.

So on this Sabbath I bathe in sunshine and the smell of sweet cookies and I can't help but to remember to love like Chandler and enjoy every thing around me and pray.