Ups, Downs, and In Between

The last month since my last post has been full of mixed emotions. As the title says...ups, downs, and in between.  We now have cancer to deal with in our family as well as a new baby due in 12 weeks and just living our everyday lives in between it all.

My life and that of my family has been blessed for many years.  My brother and sister and I have parents who are a true GIFT from God.  We are all close.  We enjoy our weekly visits, special get-togethers for birthdays, festive times like Christmas and Thanksgiving, and, most of all, just doing life together at church, home, etc.  Mom and Dad are my inspiration that you CAN be married for 56 years and enjoy life together.  That the only way to do it is through your faith and trust in the Lord.  That the best way is to have respect for each other as well as love.

At the end of June, my mother developed atrial flutter. She was sent to the ER from the doctor's office and then was admitted to the hospital and the doctors did a cardiac ablation to resolve the problem.  All went well although it was a bit of a recovery for mom.  Around that same time, my dad had bumped his arm pretty hard into a door frame and it swelled and was very painful.  The x-ray showed it fractured but would heal on its own.  After time passed and things did not get better, he had an MRI and this showed a tumor in the arm.  Now the diagnosis is Lymphoma and he will start chemotherapy next week.  We will find out if it is elsewhere in the body next week also.  We are praying and our church family and friends are praying daily.  We feel so supported by them and our faith in the Lord and the knowledge that His plan is perfect.  May it all bring glory to Him.

On the really UP side is Micah.  Here's my third grandchild.  He is due in 12 weeks and what a JOY that day will be.  He's due during the presidential election week!  Maybe we'll have even more to celebrate then!
The boy looks somewhat like Landon.  I wonder if he will be a little Landon with red hair like Maddie! Fun!

With all this going on and my long workdays which are happy but stressful at times, I have enjoyed exercising. I never thought I'd say that but this trail makes all the difference.  It is 3 miles long, through woods, pastures, and country lanes.  I have seen rabbits, deer, frogs, squirrels, and even a snake. Yikes!  I see an old man on a cane every day and runners who sound and look like they are about to have a heart attack as they run up some of the steep hills.  I stick to walking but I am feeling better and at least not gaining weight.  Not losing either but at least I'm happy doing the exercise!  Here are some beautiful scenes that I see four times a week.

I'm already planning to take lots more pics when the leaves start to change!  That will be a beautiful sight.

Looking forward to what the future holds...it is ultimately in His hands.  We pray for healing and for a safely-delivered new life!

My Church is Patriotic!

My church has a long history and reputation.  It is Bible-believing (yes, literally), Bible-preaching (thank you, Dr. Easley) quite invested in world missions, very caring for each other in the body of the membership, and, PATRIOTIC!! Our church loves veterans, military, and the red, white and blue.  We had our usual Community God & Country Celebration on July 1 in the morning service. It was dedicated to honoring our military, veterans, and the traditions, history and spiritual legacy of the people of the United States. There was fun music like Swing Down Chariot and Swing Low and armed forces theme songs and beautiful Christian hymns such as How Great Thou Art.  We sang Heal Our Land...a song that appeals to us all to not only get our own hearts and souls right with God but to pray for our nation also. Such a huge task...and so important in this election year.  We had old-fashioned flag-waving and confetti cannons and and decorative bunting and a gigantic flag as the centerpiece of it all. Everyone had a great time!  Our very gifted minister of music, Joe Buckner, puts it all together each year and leads with beautiful solos and narration.  Our media team, directed by Chris Nall, and our orchestra, directed by Hugh Norman, do an amazing job and make us sound and look good!  Here are some photos of the day:

Happy 4th!!

Blessings Counted!

1) My mother is well after having a cardiac ablation to treat atrial flutter. Whew! Sudden and shocking but those docs know what they are doing.

2) That baby grandson coming in November is named Micah.  That happy event will be a great distraction during presidential election week.

3) Maddie and Landon are JOYS (still). :)

4) My children and their spouses are content and happy (still). :)

5) My house AC is working well (still).  103, 104, 105 degree days this week!

6) My job is wonderful (still). :)

7) My husband is (still) happy to be married to me after 32 years.  Vice versa!

8) My Shepherd is (still) patient with me and is leading me every day as I learn lots of lessons.

9) Fourth of July week!! Fireworks!! Beautiful Flags!!

10) Espresso Chip Ice Cream from Publix.

Almost Full Circle

Taste and see that the Lord is good! Even with stubborn folk like me!

There's a problem I've had for several years now that I've had much struggle with off and on. Weeks will go by with no agitation and frustration and then other weeks with it being all I can think about.  I'll lose sleep over it and overthink it and the possible resolutions.  I admit that I have not given it over to God like I should have. I continue to grab it back from Him like I can handle it myself. So silly! I refuse to let it go.

Well, it's about to take care of itself.  The Lord has allowed some circumstances that will resolve the problem. He has either lost patience with me or has had an amazing amount of mercy on me. Ha! I love Him so much.

Here is a quote from my devotional this morning that is so appropriate! (By Jan Silvious)
"To learn humility is to learn contentment in all circumstances.  Humility is not in what we own or achieve, but in maintaining a teachable attitude, a willingness to bend to the will of the Father."

You'd think that after being a Christian for 44 years and all the wonderful strength and gifts that are available to me from Him that I would have done better than this...to be defeated somewhat.  But He is truly aware of and patient with our weaknesses.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  He is happy to take our burdens on Himself. I just hope He'll give me another chance one day to show that I can conquer a problem.  Well, I think that's a given!

IN VERY HAPPY NEWS:
We have a little grandson coming in November.  Found out yesterday that it's a boy. So Maddie is still the number one and only girl.  The two boys will grow up together just 2 years apart. That'll be nice but tough at the same time for their parents, I'm thinking!  No name decided as of yet.

Ramble On

Beautiful Memorial Day weekend. If it's this hot in May what are we looking at in July and August? I dread to think. My son and daughter-in-law are successfully settled in Savannah and being welcomed by Tropical Storm Beryl today. Sure is early for that kind of storm also. The Lord answered our prayers and Stephen got a full-time job within a week of moving there. Rachel has started her "rotations" and is at a hospital in Savannah working in the oncology department in the pharmacy there. She'll be there a total of 5 weeks and then move to the next area. This will go on all year until she graduates next May.

 John and I went on a road trip a few weeks ago. It's our favorite thing to do for a vacation besides going to Siesta Key! We traveled to Blowing Rock, North Carolina going the back roads up through north Georgia. Then from there to Fredericksburg, Virginia. We had fun setting our GPS to the next destination and following it exactly instead of trying to go the usual highways. We ended up on some beautiful country roads in North Carolina and Virginia. The roads took us through gorgeous valleys and mountain areas and we hardly saw another car. Very isolated feeling yet so peaceful. I felt like I could finally breathe after such a busy season at work and at home. We joked that in some of those areas the main revenue was probably moonshine. Looked like it to me! The speed limit was 55 miles an hour through some of those very curvy roads. I wonder why??

We visited 5 Civil War Battlefield national parks. Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Appomattox, and Manassas. My husband loves history and especially Civil War history. It was very interesting and the parks are beautiful. We saw many graves in the cemeteries there of the "unknown soldier". From there we visited Shenandoah National Park. It was a rainy Tuesday and the school year was not yet over. Needless to say, we felt like we had the whole 109 miles of park to ourselves. We saw deer but that's about it for wildlife. We drove through rain and fog at some of the highest elevations and then suddenly the sun would break through time and time again. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. What a contrast to Grand Teton National Park with those amazing peaks. The ones in the Shenandoah were lovely, green, and you could see for miles.

Work has been very busy as usual. We never really seem to have a lull in the routine as we are always getting ready for the next season or preparing for a big presentation or just dealing with Sunday routines. We had a beautiful Good Friday service and Easter Sunday service at RSBC. Our choir loves preparing for and presenting these special concerts. It helps also to have such a gifted minister of music who knows exactly how to create most effectively these programs to touch hearts and help us to worship. I so enjoy being part of the music team.

Erin is doing well and is in her 16th week. We will know boy or girl news in another 2 weeks. Can't wait!! Madison is so funny and she's growing in all ways! Famous quotes: "Grandmommy, I don't like that ABC song. It fweaks me out!" And then another time with Erin in the car: "Who wants these sunglasses?" (no answer) "Who wants these sunglasses?" (said a little louder with no answer) Then loudly "Who wants these flippin' sunglasses???" HAHA. Well, children do tend to imitate their parents...hmmm. Landon is talking more and has shown interest in the potty. What a great thing that would be before the baby comes! He is very affectionate but is also showing some "terrific Two" behavior. NO NO NO. Hmmm... He's a JOY to us as is Maddie. They both are very sweet-natured.

Memorial Day weekend is here and the start of summer! We have many June and July birthdays and anniversaries coming up in my family. Special times are coming throughout the year. This fall we will have the gift of a new grandchild. My extended family is thriving and well. I feel like David sometimes in the Psalms...abundantly blessed despite the fact that I am not always pleasing to the Lord. His mercy and love are wonderful. Psalm 89:1: I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever!

 PHOTO MIX:

Good Friday

The program for a special evening at RSBC

Choir and Orchestra on Good Friday

Beautiful presentation

Our minister of music and his wife sang "Glorious Day" on Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday morning celebration

Our road trip led us to interesting places. This was the marker indicating where Stonewall Jackson was shot.

I was on top of Grandfather Mountain...windy and cold and gorgeous!

North Carolina back roads

John studying the markers at Spotsylvania

More country back roads as we drove into Virginia

Wow! Lovely.  Bet it's really dark out there at night!

Beautiful Mountain Laurel along Virginia roads

Shenandoah National Park as we drove through sun, rain, fog

Confederate cemetery in Fredericksburg

Beautiful Park at Manassas

Shenandoah Valley

Shenandoah

Appomattox

So I finally gave in and covered the gray...still not quite as red-headed as Maddie but close to my youthful color

My favorite picture! Easter Sunday and babies just up from their naps.

Landon ready for the pool

Maddie's last day of preschool...she's gotten so big!

Madison and her buddy Keegan at his birthday party...they love each other!

Where Did the Last Two Months Go?

Pretty Girl!

The big announcement for baby #3! I love it!

Sweet Landon!

He's quite relaxed in the church nursery!

No caption needed!

My beautiful redhead!

What happened? I checked my blog today and realized I hadn't written since February! Crazy days and weeks and months. The pics above are highlights of this very busy time. The best news of all is that I'll be Grandmommy to three come November! A very happy surprise. Erin's been busy...3 babies in three and a half years. She has always been blessed with healthy pregnancies and we pray for this one to be no different.

I've been very busy at work with normal events and also getting ready for our big Good Friday concert. That was wonderful, successful, around 1000 folks attended. Easter Sunday was a beautiful day also. Even before that my boss was given the responsibility of putting together a benefit concert for Cobb Street Ministries...a very worthy ministry that takes care of homeless women and children. That was an amazing success! A lot of work in 4 weeks time but it raised 30,000 dollars total during the concert and in the 2 weeks after it. I have definitely learned a lot in my job in the last 7 years. I have learned about advertising and logistics and details, details, details! I've learned how all the behind-the-scenes stuff has to be done in an excellent way for the outcome to be its most successful. We do all as unto the Lord. That helps in the energy-lag times.

All the family is well. My son and daughter-in-law are about to move to Savannah so Rachel can finish her doctorate in pharmacy. She will do her "rotations" there. They just got a "little" puppy...one that will grow to probably 150 pounds at least. It's called a presa canario breed. I'm thinking this will be their "child" for the next few years.

Stephen, Rachel, and Martel the puppy

Maddie and Landon are doing great. Maddie plays soccer on a team for 3 year olds. It's such a funny start to our Saturdays to watch that group play. They know not when and where to stop as they all chase down the ball. They fall splat on their faces and cry or have to be carried off the field to mommy and daddy. They seem to have fun just running in a pack and the parents just laugh and clap. It's a good introduction to sports and at least tires them out for their naps later!

Soccer! God bless those patient coaches!

Maddie plays for the Dinosaurs!

Well, time blurs by on these busy work days. I have a long day each day and then I head to the park to walk. Trying to walk at least 6-9 miles a week which is good for me. I'm very lazy. We're having a beautiful Georgia spring and that helps. I'm able to walk away the stress of the day and pray for the many needs that surround me. I'm praying for this new baby to be born safe and healthy, for Erin to stay healthy and full of energy with 2 little ones during this pregnancy. I'm praying for an old friend who has multiple myeloma and is in the midst of treatment after a bone marrow transplant. I'm praying for Stephen and Rachel as they move away from family and find just the right place to live in Savannah. I pray for my parents' continued good health, my husband's safety in his job, my job that I love...that I will continue to grow in my skills and to be sensitive to the many needs around me.

As always, I'm very thankful. The Lord is my Shepherd.