A Wedding, Friends, and Family

 

Confession:  I did not take any pictures at the wedding last week.  As a matter of fact, I took very few pictures the entire time we were gone.  Sometimes the camera gets in the way of an enjoyable visit!

The main purpose of our visit was for the wedding of Craig and Danielle.  That took place on Friday night and it was beautiful.  The Nashville Chamber Players performed all the music.  It was so classy - a string quartet, playing classical pieces.  Pastor Ron Becton did a great job with the ceremony.  It seemed a blessing was on this couple who had followed their parents' counsel, both finishing college before they embarked upon their new life together.  The reception was a dessert buffet - a wide variety of sweets that included Ben and Jerry's ice cream!  Danielle doesn't like cake, so the ice cream was for her, but we enjoyed it too.

Since we were arriving on Thursday, we knew we had an evening free.  Les planned a mini reunion with friends from Pioneer Christian Academy, the school he attended in grades 6-9.  He hadn't seen some of his former classmates in over 30 years.  We had a really enjoyable evening.  I think we closed out the restaurant!

Class of 1981

For the first part of our visit we stayed with Josh and Rachel Farmer.  Rachel is one of Danielle's best friends.  Several people asked how we old folks end up at this young couple's house - Rachel, along with Doug, Lori, and Danielle had gone on a cruise to Mexico with us several years ago.  We normally stay with Doug and Lori, but didn't want to intrude on all they had going on.  Josh and Rachel were kind enough to invite us.  It was great to catch up with her and to see the home God has blessed them with.  Friday morning we ran the Riverwalk Trail that starts in their development and runs along the Harpeth River.

On Sunday morning we made our way to Franklin, Tennessee.  We visited Life Change United Pentecostal Church pastored by Les' cousin, Jonathan.  Jonathan was in our wedding and was also our first guest shortly after we were married.  We enjoyed a great service with them and lunch with Jonathan and Mitzi, along with their four kids.  Les' uncle Jim and aunt Marilyn also attend there and aunt Marilyn joined us for lunch as well.  (And I didn't take a single picture of any of them.)

Next up was a trip to Cookeville, Tennessee.  Home to the Wearing family - Les' sister, Lisa, her husband, Rick and their four kids. (Yes, we visited with 8 children in one day!!)  It had been three years since I had seen them.  Wesley, their oldest, is now 14 and almost as tall as me.  Reese, at almost 11, isn't far behind.  I had a fun time with Galina and Leksi, as they played on the trampoline and showed me their rooms.

Galina

Leksi

Les' parents are in the process of moving to Cookeville.  They have been in eastern Tennessee for many years, but are downsizing and moving to a condo close to Lisa and her family.  Monday and Tuesday we enjoyed more visits, plus some running (for me) and cycling (for Les) in the hills of Cookeville.

Our final stop before heading back to Nashville and on to LAX was Tennessee Tech University - where Les spent four years getting his Mechanical Engineering degree.  I had only been there one other time and we didn't get out of the car.  We walked all over this time.

University Center with the Cafeteria, Post Office, Book Store

Looking for long lost mail

Derryberry Hall

Entering the old library

Every where we went on campus, everyone was so nice.  First they would look at us, wondering if we were lost or looking for our child.  When asked, Les would say, "I graduated from here in 1987."  That brought so many nice comments.  The Alumni Association even gave him a backpack!

Hooper-Eblen Center - The "Hoop"

Basketball Court with a Tech Golden Eagle

We really packed a lot in a short amount of time!  And it felt like Fall.  Cool mornings, mild throughout the day.  My dream of what Fall should be... unlike the 90 degrees temps we're anticipating this weekend.

September 28 ~ A Good Thing

New running shoes are always a good thing in my book!  And purple makes them even better!

When Children Pray

We had an incredible time in Tennessee.  We got to see so many friends and a ton of family.  I'll blog more about that later, but I have to share what is going on in the Sunday school class of Jerry Barlar.  Jerry is another of Les' lifetime friends.  Part of the quartet known as Doug, Troy, Jerry and Les.  No, they didn't sing together, but they did everything else together as teens!  I love it when we get together with them.  I just sit and listen to them reminiscence.  Our times are always full of laughter.  Friday night was no exception, then Jerry started talking about his Sunday school class...

A little over two years ago, Jerry felt the Lord impress him to start a prayer cloth ministry with his Sunday school class.  He teaches the primary age - 9 and 10 year olds.  He bought some handkerchiefs and anointed them with oil.  He then talked to his class about prayer and what the Bible says.  The children laid hands on the cloths and prayed for them.

And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:  So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Acts 19:11-12

For the next 30-45 minutes, Jerry told us story after story about what God has done.  They saw four answered prayers that first week and many during the following weeks.  Jerry began to write each one on the board.  He didn't know how long this would go on - a month or two at most.  But TWO YEARS later, these children are still praying and God is doing miracles in their midst!

One boy saw a classmate with such a bad headache he couldn't lift his head off his desk.  He asked his friend if he could pray for him right then and he did.  A few minutes later the boy was fine.

They have seen God do what only God can do.  Financial situations.  Tumors have disappeared.  A family who was told their little girl would never walk without braces is now running without assistance!!  When people are healed or prayer is answered, they want to share that testimony with Jerry's class.

They take prayer requests every Sunday.  If a child isn't feeling well, they pray right then.  When the child is feeling better, they are quick to point it out in class.  These children are grasping what many adults struggle with.  They simply pray believing.

The story was featured in the Pentecostal Voice of Tennessee.  When the class learned about it, one of the boys said, "We need to include a prayer cloth in the magazine."  And that's what they did.  They prayed over each one.

Jerry said his faith has been increased.  His neighbors were making  their way to the car one Saturday.  Jerry could tell there was a problem, so he went over to see if he could help.  The wife thought her husband had had a stroke.  Jerry said in the past he might have offered to call 911, but this time he asked if he could pray.  With their permission, Jerry laid hands on his neighbor and prayed.  Later at the hospital, the man was sitting up and talking.  The doctors kept asking him to describe his symptoms, because they could not find any indication that the man had a stroke!

Jerry carries with him at all times cloths that have been prayed over.  I asked for, and received, one for my Dad.  Jerry then asked for his name and the need so he could tell his class what to pray for.  They now have two columns on their classroom board - prayer requests and answered prayers! 

The days of miracles are not behind us.  God is still able.  When children pray.  HIS children.

September 27 ~ Love/Hate

Anyone else have a love/hate relationship with this thing?

September 26 ~ Near

I always keep Mom's Bible close.

Update on Dad

Dad has been in a nursing facility since Friday.  He is still on antibiotics and doing physical therapy twice a day.  The therapy has been pretty tough on him, they don't want him to lose strength in his legs but sitting up in a wheelchair is extremely painful on his back.  He definitely still needs our prayers.

So how did I decide to go to a wedding in Nashville while all this was going on?  Not an easy decision, let me tell you.  I love my Dad.  I love my friends and their daughter is precious to me.  Here's how the decision making process went last week:

Sunday - Dad is in the hospital in San Francisco, surgery could happen any time.  No way I can go.
Monday - Still don't know what's going to happen.  Spent the day alternating between praying and worrying - nice combo, right?  About 5:00 that evening I got a call from none other than Lori Long - Mother of the Bride.  She read my blog and called to tell me that they would completely understand if I didn't get to come to the wedding.  I started bawling just talking to her, but it was such a relief.  I can only describe it as a long distance hug that I desperately needed.
Tuesday - Still don't know what's going on.  Talked to Dad about the wedding.  He said I should go if he wasn't having surgery.  Still undecided on my part.
Wednesday - Still waiting, but pretty sure surgery wasn't going to happen for a while.  Dad was told he might go home or to a nursing facility.  Again, he told me to go to the wedding.  Les had been in Des Moines, Iowa for business since Monday and we were to meet in Tennessee on Thursday.  Sis. White offered me a Southwest Buddy Pass that I could take with me.  If something happened while I was gone, I could fly standby to San Francisco.  It's about a 7 hour drive from my house to San Francisco, it's a 4 hour flight from Nashville to San Francisco.  At this point, I decided to go.
Thursday - Got up and flew to Nashville.  Shortly after I arrived, I received word that Dad was going to Pacifica Nursing and Rehab Center.  I was relieved that he would continue to receive professional care and would not be having surgery while I was gone.

Shew!  Can someone please stop this roller coaster and let me off?  We had a wonderful trip, but I'm glad to be back in the same time zone as Dad.

September 25 ~ Frame

I tried posting this from my iPhone last night but it never posted.  We're home safely and I'll have lots to post about later today or tomorrow.

We've been in Nashville since Thursday for the wedding of Danielle and Craig. Danielle is the daughter of our dear friends Doug and Lori. Our final meal before flying back to LAX is at Cracker Barrel. This yummy dessert is in a frame now, but will be in my mouth soon!

September 21 ~ Sometimes

Sometimes a run along the Riverwalk Trail is just what the doctor ordered!

Update

We got a lot of answers for my Dad yesterday. He will be moving to a skilled nursing facility near San Francisco for about four weeks. This is to give time to get rid of the infection. I do think it is wise that they keep him in San Francisco, because that is where his surgeon is. Transporting him back to Fresno would just cause more pain at this point.

When the infection is cleared, they will determine if surgery is required. This is obviously going to be a long journey, so we are praying for God's healing and wisdom for the doctors and us.

Thank you all for your continued prayers.

September 20 ~ Man-Made

Man has made a mess of many things.  But every once in a while we get it right.  Exhibit A:  Vanilla Latte. I really wanted Pumpkin Spice, but they didn't have it.

MIA Blogger

I've missed a few Photo a Day shots.  I've been just a little too distracted to think about taking a picture.  Dad is still in the hospital.  We are waiting for the results of a biopsy - this will determine the kind of infection he has in his back.  They are treating him with antibiotics while we continue to wait.


Let's catch up, without any pictures...

September 16 ~ Strange
1 Peter 4:12 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:"
Funny how we react to trials, isn't it?  How could this be happening to me?  Live long enough, a trial (or two or more) will come your way.  It's part of living, not really so strange after all.

September 17 ~ In My Fridge
Psalm 37:25 "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
My fridge has never been empty!  God always supplies.  I can also say, I have been young, but I'm not old yet!! 

September 19 ~ Underneath
Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
Every problem, worry, trial, sickness, it's all under Jesus' feet.  He crushed it!

Waiting

Psalm 27 is a beautiful Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

While out running this morning, I was thinking about how hard it is to not know what the doctors will do to help my Dad.  How long will he be in San Francisco?  Will surgery be required?  As I thought (and tried not worry) verse 14 of this Psalm came to mind.  So I wait, with courage, and a heart that has been strengthen by the prayers of so many of you.

September 18 ~ Price

I like these sock by Adidas. They're comfortable and work well for running. 

 $14.00 for a pack of 3 turns out to be about $5.00 a pair with tax.

Today I got a pack for $1.29!  They were 30% off making them $11.20.  I added a $10 off coupon, making them a mere 43 cents a pair.  My kind of price!

Prayer Request - 1:00 p.m. Update

Please pray for my Dad today.  He has been having severe back pain and is in the hospital.  He went to Saint Agnes in Fresno on Saturday and they transferred him to San Francisco.  He had back surgery about four years ago and they think he might have an infection where the screws are.  If that is the case, he will have to have surgery.  We will know more later today, but please pray that God heals him and spares him from another surgery.

1:00 Update:

I just talked to my Dad.  Here is the latest:

• He had a CT scan last night that shows he has a fracture in his back (he didn't know what kind) and some of the screws from his surgery are loose.  (No wonder he's in so much pain.)
• They are managing his pain and he slept really well last night.
• A physical therapist came in to work with him, but he was only able to sit up for about 2 minutes.
• They did an ultra sound on his heart as part of pre-op, but there is no plan of action yet.

 Thank you, everyone for your comments and prayers.

September 15 ~ First Thing You See

Yes, I really did see 4:30 on my alarm clock this morning. I had a 14 mile run planned and it was going to be a scorcher, so I wanted an early start. I got it done, you can read all about it here.

After looking at the alarm, I then headed over to our handy-dandy thermometer. That is the current outside temp, it was 73 when I got up this morning, but I wasn't awake enough to take a picture at 4:30.

September 14 ~ Favorite

This was an easy one. Les is my favorite!

On Tuesday night I made one of his favorites. Homemade spaghetti...

with meat sauce!

I made the meat sauce by adding 12 oz. turkey sausage to Rosalie's Marinara Sauce.

You Never Change

We had many guests at Youth Alive last week, but one I was surprised to see was Sis. Kathy Copeland from Buford, Georgia.  She was here with her two youngest sons.  She gave me the sweetest compliment when she said, "Kathy, you never change!"

I have known the Copelands since I was a single girl, working at the church in Truth Tabernacle.  When I look in the mirror, I see lots of changes from 25 years ago.  Wrinkles.  Hair with more and more silver.  Signs that I'm not the same as I was back then.  But her comment did get me thinking.  When someone walks in the door of my church, I hope they see some things that haven't change...

I'm still here! I never want someone to come to my church and say, "Where's Kathy?  Doesn't she come anymore?"  I have known this all my life and that's never going to change.

I still love to worship!  Whether I'm on the platform or in the pew, my mouth is going to be open when it's time to sing.  I'll be clapping my hands (unless I'm playing the piano), tapping my feet, and lifting my voice in praise.  

I still love holiness!  I don't think it's old fashion or out of style.  My hair is still long and so are my skirts.

I still love preaching!  My Bible will be open, in my lap or on the seat next to me, and I'll be following along.  I'm not too old to get something from the Word.  I'll be backing up the preaching and praying for God to do great things.

I'll still be praying in the altar!  Sometimes I'm praying for me, sometimes I'm praying for others.  But I won't be hanging in the back.

And when I become a "Senior Saint," I'm looking forward to hearing someone say, "You never change!"

September 13 ~ Table

Another example of the natural lighting in our home. Our kitchen table, minus a chair...

September 12 ~ Together

These four ingredients - apple, Swiss cheese, apple butter, and turkey - put together make a great sandwich!

Actually, they make TWO great sandwiches, with a few apple slices leftover.

Youth Alive 2012

Youth Alive is more than just a time for young people to meet and hang out.  Two power packed services, with anointed singing and preaching, and life altering altar services are the real highlight of this meeting.  I know God touched many, many lives in those two nights.

Friday night Bro. Jones preached "No More Excuses." We can all come up with excuses for why we don't live right.  But that's all they are.  Excuses.  The blood of Calvary is strong enough to conquer any obstacle!  We just have to quit making excuses, move away from the past, and learn to live in victory.

I love taking pictures while on vacation, but I never take them at conferences!  The two shown here were shamelessly stolen from Anali's blog.  I believe the group shot is on several other blogs as well, so I don't know who gets the credit for it. The few I took on Friday night were taken in the auditorium, the lights were dim so they didn't turn out at all.  But I have lots of friends who took pictures and wrote about Youth Alive!  Check them all out here: Jen, Michelle, Anali, Elias, Kendra, and Carisa. Did I miss anyone??  Oh yeah!  Mary wrote about not being at Youth Alive!

I love all these ladies, but do you see my sweetheart in the background?  Probably not, but I do!  Just to left of Jen's head.

September 11 ~ Hero

On this eleventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks, it's appropriate that today's Photo A Day challenge is "Hero."  The first heroes who come to mind are the NYC Firefighters.  They kept going up the stairs, while others were escaping down.  True heroes.  Our military men and women who have been fighting since.  True heroes.

I didn't personally know any of those men and women.  But I've had plenty of heroes in my life.  I wrote about a conversation with Rod regarding heroes (you can read it here.)  Such wisdom he had when he told me:

Kathy, that's why you have to be careful who you make your heroes. You can't choose athletes as heroes. They might do great things on the field, but that doesn't make them great people. True heroes are people of God.

Webster defines hero as:

1)  a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability

b : an illustrious warrior

c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities

d : one who shows great courage

2) a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work

b : the central figure in an event, period, or movement

 
I've been thinking about heroes all day.  I think a lot of times we get hung up on that first definition.  Larger than life, endowed with great strength.  Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap buildings in a single bound.  Those kind of heroes only exist in novels or movies or our imaginations.

There are many unsung heroes that go through life showing great courage.  Not the dragon slaying kind of courage, but courage to continue on while facing losses, illness, rejection, sorrow, and fear.  People who put on a cap that says, "Another Bad Hair Day" with fake hair, when all theirs has fallen out.

Heroes.  Sometimes you have to search for them because they're busy going forward in life.  But there are plenty of them if you know where to look.

September 10 ~ Black + White

I could have posted a picture of what I wore while running today. Black skort + white top, but I was as sweaty mess when I got home and didn't want any pictures of me! So I played around with my iPhone app instead...

Can you image what our world would look like if God hadn't created color?

What if He had just added a little color?

But His creation is beautiful and colorful!

How to Give Stellar Treatment to Your Guests

Another Youth Alive has come and gone.  It was a great one!  I'll do a full post in the next day or so.  When I'm a little less brain dead...
 

Last week we were privileged to have Jen and Michelle stay with us.  They are just as sweet as can be. We gave them the "guest suite" which is a bedroom with twin beds and a full bath.   I made pumpkin muffins and told them to make themselves at home.

On Thursday evening, I made dinner for all of us.  Baked Ziti Pasta with Meatballs.  Just as we were sitting down to eat, me trying to be the hostess with the mostess, putting out a yummy meal.  And the chair Jen sat in COLLAPSED!  The entire thing absolutely fell apart and sweet Jen landed on the floor!  The look on her face.  PRICELESS!  She was so stunned and I was so embarrassed!!  Les told her that it was rigged.  But it really wasn't!  We couldn't have pulled this off if we tried.  This is what you call a Classic Mary Moment!  But it happened to us instead!

And that's how you give stellar treatment to guests!

September 9 ~ Something You Do Most Weekends

Church is where you'll find me most weekends!

If you're ever in Burbank, come on by Victory Tabernacle.

September 8 ~ At Night

I almost forgot to take a picture today! So I stepped out the back door and took a quick picture, at night.

September 7 ~ Natural

I have always enjoyed the natural lighting in our house.  We don't need many, if any, lights on during the day.  This is a good thing today because we're having an electrical issue.  When we got home from church last night, I flipped a light on and we immediately smelled something burning.  Something like wiring.  Les was able to isolate the breaker that controls the area in trouble, so we are safe and waiting for an electrician to arrive.  Just enjoying our natural lighting.

September 6 ~ Every Day

I love these verses in Lamentations chapter 3.  God's mercies are new every morning.  I don't have to wonder when I wake up if His compassion failed over night.  No matter what comes, every day is great day knowing a great God!

September 5 ~ Bright

It's cloudy, with a 20% chance of thunderstorms today. Nothing bright outside.

But inside, I'm wearing these bright beauties:

Compression leg sleeves.  I wear them after I run to improve blood circulation, performance and muscle recovery.  I really do feel like they help.  Some people wear them while running, I've only been wearing them post-run.   I ordered them about a month ago when Lance and Hannah were here.  Hannah chose the color and they are as bright as they appear!

September 4 ~ In My Mailbox

There was a whole bunch of junk in my mailbox, and then there was this:

Yes, please!

September 3 ~ Far Away

The moon is 238,900 miles away. That is far away.

The sun, on the other hand, is 92,960,000 miles away.  That is FAR AWAY!

September 2 ~ Father

I'm going to my Father's house this morning, how about you?

September 1 ~ You, Now

I ran 18 miles this morning. Yes, EIGHTEEN MILES! It was tough, but I did it!   That's more then 2/3 of a marathon.  This is what I looked like about two minutes after I walked in the door.  No self portrait has ever been more beautiful!

You can read all about that run on my marathon blog - right here.