All in One's Perspective

As some of you know, our entire family graduated from, are presently attending, or are planning to attend Auburn University. Also, most of you know that our university is really special to us. Because of that, we love it for more than just football (that's a good thing this year!). We do, however, have season tickets to all the home football games. At the Arkansas game yesterday, three of our four grandchildren were there with us. As the game became progressively worse for Auburn, our 6 year old grandson looked up at me and said, "MomMom, there's one good thing about Auburn losing." When I asked what that could possibly be, he said, "We don't have to go roll Toomer's Corner!" So, I gently reminded him that it's NEVER a good thing for Auburn to lose and we don't HAVE to go roll Toomer's Corner when we win. It's just really good to have a reason to GO roll Toomer's Corner (an Auburn tradition). As I said, it's all in one's perspective. War Eagle anyway!

Tabs Table Group

Does that sound like a strange name for a small group at church? It might to you, but that's what our table group has become. (We call the small groups at our church table groups because that's the place where families gather to talk about "family" things.) Our group began as a "needs" group because we had several new people at church who basically had no church background and no Bible knowledge. We spend a great deal of time every week searching for scriptures pertaining to whatever topic we're studying on that particular night. Because most of the people in our group have difficulty locating the scriptures, we've begun buying tabs for their Bibles so they can find the books of the Bible easier. This group is such a blessing to me because it makes me realize daily what kingdom work is all about. I pray God will continue to send us more and more people so we'll need more and more tabs for our "Tabs Table Group." And, while we're searching for scriptures, we'll be growing closer in our relationship with each other, and, more importantly, closer in our relationship with God.

Washington D.C.

We recently returned from a trip to DC with our four grandchildren. We toured the Capitol, the White House, went to the monuments, the museums, and Arlington National Cemetery, as well as Mt. Vernon. It was David's first plane trip so that and the escalators might have been the highlights of his trip---well,his souvenir shopping might even top those. He bought a stuffed panda bear and named him Pandi. The girls are older and while walking to the Capitol on our first day, one of them said "I feel like I'm dreaming since I'm really in Washington D.C." They enjoyed seeing things they've learned about in school (as well as shopping for their souvenirs). On Sunday morning as we were getting ready to have our own family worship service, I was reminded of all the accounts of bloodshed we'd seen during our stay---the monuments, the historical accounts of war, Arlington, etc . As we kept trying to impress upon the children the price that had been paid and is still being paid for our country's freedom, it occurred to me that the blood shed for our country's freedom is, in many ways, similar to the blood shed for our spiritual freedom. The men and women who have given their lives for this country offered a huge sacrifice. Of course, Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice to free us from our sins and to give us eternal freedom and the hope of heaven. In both cases, there had to be blood shed in order for us to be free. We do live in a blessed nation in so many ways, but that pales in comparison to the "nation" we'll live in one day because of the blood shed on the cross. I hope and pray our grandchilren can understand that more completely as they get older and I hope and pray we made wonderful memories for them on our trip.

The Broader Kingdom

Having grown up in the South being exposed to almost one worship style, I’m adding something else that I’m thankful I’ve lived long enough to experience. Tonight our congregation was invited to an evening of praise and worship at a local predominantly African American church. The minister there, Sam, is a friend of ours through his business partner, Mac, who is a member of our congregation. We’ve formed a close friendship with Sam over the past few years and recently he spoke at our church one Sunday morning. It’s been a blessing to meet and get to know brothers and sisters from other parts of the kingdom. We have been enriched tremendously by our fellowship with those brothers and sisters in the broader kingdom. I’m thankful to be a part of a body of believers where I’m able to walk down that path of unity and continue to see the walls coming down.

Valentine's Day---A Lesson in Love

Today I was the recipient of love in one of the sweetest forms----the unconditional love of a child. Two days a week, I teach English to Speakers of Other Languages in a local elementary school. We have a new student in our class who speaks almost NO English. Today for a valentine present she brought me a gift which was wrapped in Christmas paper along with a paper heart she had cut out for a gift tag. She was beaming as she handed me the gift and I quickly asked her (in hand motions) if I could open it immediately. She nodded excitedly and watched while I opened it. When I pulled out the contents of the wrapping, there was a CD that we all get in the mail from time to time promoting a well-known email company along with the paper insert advertisement. Quickly I exclaimed, "You brought me a CD. How nice!" That gift has no monetary value yet it's priceless. No wonder God tells us in I Corinthians that LOVE is the greatest commandment. We all have something to learn from children who so freely want to love and be loved--no strings attached. Hopefully we're able to see that Christian love has no language, race, socioeconomic, nor age barriers---we all smile (and love) in the same language.

Multigenerational Christianity

Feb. 8, 2006

I love it! Once a month, our table group (small group) packs, prays for, and delivers bags of cleaning supplies and personal items to several families who need additonal help. These families are from all over the area. Some are in temporary housing as a part of a united ministry housing program. Many we don't know although we try to meet them and encourage them. Some of the families are part of our own church family who just need some extra help, love, and encouragement at this time in their lives. Usually, it’s just our small group when we meet together, but tonight the college/singles table group joined us for dinner, fellowship, and prayer. Afterwards they took many of the bags to deliver to the various families. I can’t tell you how encouraging that group of young people is to me. There are many things I enjoy, but one of my passions is being with them and watching them serve and grow in their relationship with Jesus. They are sharing Jesus with their friends on campus and at work, and their zeal is contagious! I thank God for all of them and for allowing me to be a part of their lives. I’m thankful they don’t mind spending time with “old” people!

Missing Them!

Feb. 7, 2006
Today MomMom is truly having withdrawals from her four grandchildren. When it gets so bad that I’m kissing the refrigerator, it’s getting bad! (Actually I’m kissing their pictures ON the refrigerator!) I love my grandchildren and love spending time with them. Each is special in his/her own way. Last summer we had Cousins’ Camp here for a week---no parents, just grandparents and grandchildren. We watched movies in bed at night and played all day (and ate when we wanted to and almost what we wanted to)! Those are memories I’ll cherish as long as I live. I wish I could hug each of them right now!!

More Random Musings

Feb. 2, 2006

Thirty-seven years ago tonight I was at Baptist Hospital waiting to be induced the next day with our first baby. Where have all those years gone? He now has a wife and two little girls of his own. I’ve gotten to be a big part of their lives as well for which I’m so grateful. It’s a cliché, I know, but it’s so true---enjoy them every minute because they do grow up so fast.

Random thoughts since being diagnosed with breast cancer 18 months ago:
No one likes to hear the C word, but I’m not afraid of death----- I’m afraid of dying.

I look at my grandchildren and want to watch them grow up. I want them to be old enough to remember their MomMom.

Maybe I shouldn’t buy this new floor for our house and this new furniture. I might not be around to enjoy it. Then………….why shouldn’t I buy this new floor and new furniture? No one else knows whether they’ll be here tomorrow either.

Matt. 6:34-Don’t worry about tomorrow. Today has enough troubles of its own.

Make the most of every day. Enjoy each moment---the sunset, the precious times with family, times with friends, the beach, the mountains, football games, the FARM, worship---the list goes on and on.

Observation while walking at the beach last summer after Hurricane Ivan:

Some of the houses on the beach looked perfectly OK on the outside, but on the inside they were a wreck. The storm had wreaked havoc inside the house. Isn’t that just like our lives? We appear to have it all together on the outside but inside we’re a wreck. Lord, let me quit pretending and allow YOU to clean up the inside of me. Let me have clean hands and a pure heart, O God.

Various Musings

Jan. 23, 2006

Things I’m thankful that I’ve lived long enough to learn:

God isn’t nearly as concerned about the right ritual as he is about the right heart. What we do for a couple of hours on Sunday morning in a building isn’t the only part of being a Christian. In fact, although coming together as a community of faith is vital according to Hebrews, it is only a small part of our relationship with God.

The unconditional love of husband, my children, grandchildren, family, and friends.

That people really only want to know how much you care.

Not to worry about tomorrow---no one knows what the future will bring. Today is the day the Lord has made—rejoice and be glad in it.

Things I’m thankful I’ve lived long enough to see:

Walls which divide organized religion are beginning to come down. Different races, people of various socioeconomic status, all ages, different communities of faith, etc. are crossing over and joining each other. Churches are learning to reach outside the walls of a building.

Things I was born early enough to experience and treasure:

Outhouses and slop jars (AKA chamber pots)
No electricity therefore the use of kerosene lamps for light
The ice box and the big block of ice
Wood stoves
Singeing a chicken after wringing its neck and plucking the feathers—then cutting it up and frying it for supper (actually watching my grandmother or mother do all of the above)
Bathing in a big galvanized tub by the fireplace
Picking cotton and weighing it at the end of a long, hot day (then jumping in the back of the wagon filled with the freshly picked cotton—I’ll never forget the wonderful smell.)
Playing with my mamma cat and baby kittens in the hay inside the barn
Milking the cows late in the afternoon and then straining the milk and putting it in jars
Waiting for the rolling store to come by
Fishing in our pond with my daddy or my grandmother (and eating the fish for supper)
Feeding the pigs—bottle feeding a baby pig because its mother had too many babies to feed
Homecoming at the little church where I grew up and dinner on the ground—keeping the visiting preacher for a two week gospel meeting