KETCHUP AND MUSTARD SATURDAY
Catch Up and Must Do
I have several things on my mind today, including the winter storm that is dumping on us here in the mid-Atlantic states. When I took these pictures a little while ago, out my front door, we were nearing 20 inches in a little over 12 hours. I just heard that it was now at 23 inches. Our church worship services and potluck have been cancelled for tomorrow.
.
I am really thankful that there is no ice involved in our storm today. A week ago yesterday we landed at the Nashville, TN airport on a runway packed with ice and snow. The highways to Alabama were ice packed and at times we were the only car moving down the highway as we passed cars and semis off in ditches.
We also passed multiple Cracker Barrels (a sign that we were in the South). Yet, we knew if we pulled off to get a bite to eat, we would likely not be able to get back on the highway. Right about the Alabama / Tennessee state line, the roads cleared. We stopped at a familiar Cracker Barrel in Athens, AL before driving on in to Huntsville.
Steve and I were scheduled to speak in Huntsville on Saturday / Sunday on a very serious topic. It seemed that we were in a battle for that to happen. My luggage had been lost (did not arrive until Sunday late afternoon). The fire alarm in the Holiday Inn went off 7 times that night. Yet, with God's strength we were able to minister to this congregation on the topic THE SILENT KILLER: Pornography. It is a sobering topic that our families and churches must take up our "swords" and fight now! What a blessing to be among a group of people who have chosen to do just that.
.
We met new eternal friends and re-connected with old eternal friends. My dear friend Benja is settling in with her new church family in Huntsville and making connections with strong christian women like DeLois.
Steve spoke to a packed house on Sunday a.m. on the topic: RISE UP, OH MEN OF GOD! Dozens of men recommitted their lives to doing just that!
.
We spent Sunday afternoon enjoying the fellowship at Benja and Ross' new home. We had made a deep and eternal friendship with them when we first moved to NJ in 2007. Then in 2008 God saw fit to move them elsewhere.
It's a small world! Little did we know that they would end up at the same congregation of some dear friends of ours who we had been in Indiana with... The Binford's. Here are Connie and Benja with Johnna looking on.
A whole lot has happened in the week since we have been with these two families. Yesterday, the Binford's nephew / cousin died. Yesterday, there was a school shooting in the school district where Benja teaches and the kids go to school. The young man died last night.
.
Solomon says that there is a time to die and a time to live. It's often hard to understand the dying part and why the young must die, too. I pray for all involved in these very difficult circumstances: family, friends, students, teachers... I only hope that people will be drawn to God and not blame Him. For as we know, No Matter the Circumstances, GIGATTAATTGIG.
.
Some of you know that I am a teacher. This is my ninth year to teach future teachers at the college level. My desire is to make the kind of difference that will lead to teachers who not only teach subject matter but meet the needs of their students via love, mercy, grace, and honoring the differences. God has blessed me with the opportunity to teach Differentiated Instruction which is required for all future teachers. This is my third semester to teach it and I have 3 classes of "D.I.". I have a blog that I start at the beginning of each semester for the class and add one post a week. We are on Week 4 for this semester. There is a lot of food for thought on this blog that also has to do with motherhood. If you have some time, I invite you to access it at anytime on the sidebar or click on it here.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment