What a Difference a Year Makes

This has been a reflective week. Anniversaries of events bring memories – and often we even “re-live” those days in our minds and hearts.

Last year on September 21, we had the “Send-off” picnic by the lake at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. On that Sunday, our soldier was on the way to Iraq/Kuwait. (You can read about my thoughts on that day here.)

I knew then that a year was a short time. But when you are facing it – it seems like an eternity. Especially when it is such an UNKNOWN.

And we did miss him tremendously. We tried not to be fearful. We succeeded most of the time. Psalms 91 was our constant prayer. We have no doubt that our Loving Heavenly Father protected our Son, our Soldier, our Warrior.

So, this year, how fitting that on September 21, we are going to a much sweeter event. There is a “Yellow-ribbon” celebration in honor of our guys. And I can just tell you that it is MUCH easier to go to this one.

It is a celebration. It is an awareness of God’s protection.

Thank you Father. We are so blessed.



(pictures will follow)

Anniversary

32 years ago today, I married my best friend.

I was 17 (almost 18) - He was 19. We were such babies. We literally have grown up together. Oh, but we thought we were grown.

He was still in school at Samford - I worked for State Farm Insurance at the regional office. We had a little apartment on Valley Avenue (at the foot of the Vulcan). I walked across the street and across the parking lot to work.

And so our journey began....

We lived in Bham for a year.
We moved back to our home town for two years.
We took our Julia (1 month old) to Samford graduation.

We moved to Texas.
We took our Jonathan (3 months old) to Southwestern graduation.

We moved back to Alabama.
We took our Jenifer (1 year old) to Luther Rice graduation.

We lived in Decatur for 7 years.

We moved to Georgia for 3 years.

We moved back to Alabama close to our home town for 2 years.

We moved to our home now - 13 years ago.

Our children are grown and the two girls are married - the son is getting married in 3 weeks!.
We have one granddaughter and one new grandbaby on the way!

We have served in 5 churches. We have taken mission trips to Guatemala, Mexico, England, Wales and Germany.

Philippians 3:12-14 says,
"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. "

And so the journey continues... we press on...

Happy Anniversary Hal!
I love you more today than 32 years ago and I was crazy in love with you then!

F.Y.I.

April 14, 1974... (yes - 1974). Hal asked me to "go steady."


I was 15... he was 17. You do the math. He did not know how "steady" we would be, huh?

Just thought you might like to know :)

I may try to find a picture and scan it in...

Anniversary

Today is Jenifer and Andy's 4th Wedding Anniversary.

A day of remembering....

Jen is our youngest child....and yet the first to get married. (She always told Julia that she would get married first!) What a beautiful day. What a beautiful wedding. We were so exhausted when the day was over....but so pleased that it was just what Jen had always wanted. We were also so thankful for the Godly man that God had given to her. Just as we had prayed for all of her life.

They were engaged in March, 2003 ....and the race was on.

• She had to find the perfect dress.
• She picked out the flowers.
• Dresses for the bridesmaids (9 of them).
• We looked at pictures of cakes and talked to Andy's Aunt who was making them for us.
• Talked to the Caterer- and talked again - and talked again.
• Hunted for the right aisle cloth.
• Picked out music and talked to the soloists.
• Had Julia to find the String Quartet and the Trumpeter.
• Wanted special candelabras.
• Secured the hall for the reception.
• Bought centerpieces.
• We even had chair covers.
• Looked for candles for the tables at the reception.
• Talked to the florist a second and third time.
• Had the dress pressed.
• Took the Bridal pictures.
• Had the dress cleaned and pressed again.
• Had a practice run on the hair.
• Talked to the photographer.
• Last minute - added a videographer to capture it all for us.
• Had the nails done.
• Went to the tanning bed.
• Even exercised to make sure that the dress would still fit :)
• And all of the other details that I cannot remember right now.

Stress to the max some days. Jen had lists and she had lists for me. She would call me to check and see if I was on tract for the day.... with my assignments :) We enjoyed the journey (most of the time). And on the days that we did not- I would remind her that I intended to enjoy this - so we needed to re-adjust.

Our lives literally revolved around one central thing..... The Wedding Day. She wanted everything to be perfect for that moment when the doors would swing open and she would walk down that aisle to her groom. She wanted to be ready and beautiful for him....without spot or blemish. And ready she was! - What a beautiful Bride!

One of my favorite passages is Titus 2:11-14
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait (look) for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. "

What a picture..... One day the skies will open and our Savior is coming for His Bride. We too should be making preparations for that glorious day. Oh, that we would live our lives in such a way - saying no to ungodliness and worldly passions. That we would live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the here and now. Taking care of all of the details of daily life - with one thought in our mind- we are going to meet our groom. He is coming for us.

Just as our lives literally (and sometimes frantically) revolved around preparations for November 1, 2003....

What a difference it would make in our daily lives - if we really were "looking for the glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."

Ponder those thoughts with me.....




Happy Anniversary Andy and Jen.
What treasures you are!
I Love you