Aren't they just GRAND!

It is difficult to express how you feel when you have given birth. It's all about the anticipation, the excitement and the reality of the responsibility that comes with that. Sometimes I look back and feel I didn't spend enough quality time with my children. I was so busy working, taking care of our home, trying to make time for Charlie and taking care of Kelly and Dana that I feel like I missed out on some special moments with them. I just know they said a lot of cute things but my poor mind was operating on so many different levels that there is much I do not remember.

However in God's perfect plan He gives many of us opportunities to be "grands". We get to do those fun things with our children again only they are grandchildren. This time around I am slowing down and enjoying them. I am paying attention to those cute little things they say and do - not that I will remember them any better but I am paying attention. :-)

We recently celebrated the birth of our second grandchild, Rebekah Lane Wynn. I looked at her and wondered what she was going to be like in four years. I say that because her sister, Anna, will celebrate her fourth birthday in October. I could not imagine what kind of personality Anna would have and how much she would change each year. And so it will be with Rebekah.

So our precious Rebekah - Gran and Grandad are looking foward to getting to know you and spending time with you. What a blessing you are!

Spur of the moment gatherings

Aren't  those things that we do on an impulse some of the best times? No real planning. Simple activities.

That's what happened today. We really did not have any plans made for Labor Day.  It is not a holiday that we put a lot of emphasis on. However, Sunday evening we got a call from Greg about fishing today. Charlie was actually going to be working part of the morning (laboring on labor day - that's appropriate) but he suggested that we get together after Greg, Mona and Phil had fished and cook the fish from a previous outing.

What started with four people getting together for a fish fry turned into about eight of us. It was good having family in and everyone brought something. So we sat down to a table of fried fish, cheese grits, hush puppies, french fries, slaw and fried turkey nuggets. Yes, turkey. We thought we were thawing out quail. Oh well, it was one that Charlie had killed during this turkey season and it was really good.

Aunt Merry brought her fudge that everyone dies for and we had turtle pie and key lime pie.

Then my favorite part of having family or friends over is the conversation that takes place after the meal. That is my dessert. The girls - Aunt Merry, Aunt Mona and Margaret (Charlie's mom) shared stories of things that happened when they were growing up. We laughed and laughed. They were stories that I had never heard about them. I had fun picturing what they looked like as the events happened. Laughter is good for the soul.

I had to take pictures before everyone left. It is kind of like my diary to help me remember events. I think under some of these pictures I will have to write little blurbs of what they said today - like "Mat is coming" or "Margaret climbing up the barn wall" - so I can laugh again.

Yep, spur of the moment gatherings are fun!

Here are "the girls".

When you least expect Him . . .

I don't know why I should be so surprised that God shows up when I least expect Him - like I have to be prepared for Him everytime. I often am looking and searching and inviting but I never quite get there. Last night in a hospital room with my sister He did what he does best - magnifies and manifests His presence when we are absolutely at the end of ourselves.

Often I long for His presence and it just doesn't happen. That is because it is usually on my terms: when, where, how. But last night as she and I were at the end of ourselves and did not know what to do to bring comfort to her, we held hands and prayed - she surrendering herself to His perfect healing. As she finished - in His perfect timing "Surely the Presence" began to play on the Ipod we had been listening to. I could smell His presence. I don't know if that has every happened to you but for the first time in a very long time I was enveloped with the sweet aroma of my precious Rose of Sharon. Tears flowed down my cheeks as His presence surrounded me.

Within 30 minutes it was a turning point in her healing.

His presence, comfort and peace - when I least expected it.

Good Times and Remember Whens

The Remember Whens are so special. I recently had the opportunity to get together with a reunion of friends and their children (young adults now) who shared memories of youth trips with their Youth Director (Jason) at the Adel UMC church.

We laughed and laughed. It was truly good for the soul. Our children are now young adults and as they shared their version of the escapades there was always a great deal of embellishing which only made them funnier and more interesting.

Thanks for the memories kids! Good Times!

Spend time with your friends and family. Then make sure you get together and share those "Remember Whens" - aren't they a lot more fun than you remember them the first time?

Remember When?

Anthony - Someone Who Brings A Smile To Your Face

Do you have someone in your life that just makes you smile? Or you meet someone that brings a smile to your face? I had that happen to me just recently.

We were at the Georgian Terrace in Atlanta and there was a gentleman working there by the name of Anthony. He is the doorman. He has been there 11 years and he LOVES his job because he LOVES people. He was constantly opening doors for the ladies with a great big smile and remarking "Chivalry is not dead yet."

I asked if I could take his picture and he was delighted to let me do that.

Kudos to you Georgian Terrace for having someone as special as Anthony who brightens the day of all who visit. If you do not leave with a smile on your face after having talked to Anthony, then as we say in south Georgia, "If that doesn't make you smile, your wood is wet."

I Love Lucy

Snake on the car, Snake on the Car. Whatcha gonna do with a snake on the car? Dana said it was like an episode from I Love Lucy. Picture Ethel and Lucy trying to get a snake off of a car without touching the snake.

That was us this evening. Dana had walked out the door about to go to Nanny's and she comes back in quickly saying "Mom, there's a snake on your car!" Well, here we go: Ethel (Pam) and Lucy (Dana) trying to figure out how we were going to get rid of the snake. I creeped out the door to take a look and determined it was an oak snake so that we might be assured of NOT dying from a rattlesnake bite.

Ethel told Lucy that she would get the pine cone picker upper out of the storage shed and just pick up that little darling and throw it out into the yard. Lucy cautioned Ethel to be careful because there might be another snake in the storage shed. That was not real assuring to Ethel. But she opened the door carefully and found their defense mechanism - the pine cone picker upper. Lucy asked if Ethel had ever used it before and she responded that she had watched Fred (Charlie) do it. After some discussion they both decided that maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

Lucy being the creative one decided she would get in the car and drive around the yard and hoping the snake would fall off. You had to be there. Once Lucy carefully got in the car she pulled out like Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona 500 and began going around in circles in the back yard trying to throw the snake off. On the second round the snake jumped off for dear life but Lucy did not see that. Ethel was standing under the carport hollering and jumping up and down trying to tell Lucy to stop her racing because the snake was gone. It was a hoot.

Wish you could have enjoyed it as much as we did. I'll be sure and call you when the next episode airs. In the meantime, watch out for the snakes - they are a crawling!

Windex Clean

House cleaning is not one of my favorite tasks but as we all know it has to be done at some point in time. The blessing that goes with cleaning for me is that God uses that time to speak to me. As I was cleaning windows in our home this is what He shared with me.

I sprayed the Windex on and used a rag to wipe the dirt off. At first appearance the window seemed to be clean yet there was a slight dull finish to the window. The finishing touch was to take a soft rag and wipe over it again to make it shine.

Our hearts are the windows to the world. Over time they get dirty and they need cleaning. Confession of our sins will clean us but God is the soft rag that makes us shine - the finishing touch!

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16