Learning to live this temporal life through the lens of eternity..."For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
Hudson is now five months old,
has a little brother or sister growing
in his mommy's womb...
Sweet Husband and I were amazed
that three of our four children
got married in less than six months in 2009.
We thought 2010 would be
a calmer...less eventful year.
...not exactly.
But, we're having much more fun
than we would be with
"calmer and less eventful".
Our hearts are overflowing
with thankfulness and praise to God
the Creator and Sustainer of life!
This past Sunday, Bethany, Hudson and I
helped to "shower" another expectant mother
as she anticipates and prepares
for the arrival
of her and her husband's daughter, Lucy.
It was almost as fun celebrating with Whitney,
the mommy-to-be,
as with my own daughter, Bethany.
I've known Whitney since she was
a little whipper-snapper
with a cute little bowl-like haircut
red-headed and freckled...
cute as a bug's ear.
It's a little surreal seeing
that little whipper-snapper
almost nine months pregnant.
Where did the time go?
What am I talking about?
I'm a GRANDMOTHER now...
and Sweet Husband,
my swash-buckling, good-looking man
is a GRANDFATHER!
Yeah...we've put on a few pounds
grown a few gray hairs
get out of bed a little slower
and get in bed a lot earlier...(smile)
But has that much time really passed?
Indeed.
Here are Whitney (left) and Bethany catching up.
Hudson was enjoying some kick-time.
It seems like yesterday they were little girls giggling,
singing, dancing...dreaming about
what these days would be like.
Now they're living them.
...and what sweet, blessed days they are!
Congratulations Whitney and Matt!
Congratulations Bethany and Peter!
"For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:5
I typically listen to a sermon each morning
while I'm getting ready for my day.
Yesterday morning I listened to Francis Chan's message
which he delivered at the Desiring God National Conference.
Do yourself a favor...
be blessed...
be challenged...
be spurred on...
WATCH THIS!
I know the video is a little wider
than my blog space...
and my computer knowledge
does not exceed "copying the embed code and pasting"
so...it's just gonna be a little wide.
The weather has FINALLY cooled off some...
actually...a lot!
The high was in the 50's Sunday...
compared to the 90's?...
bbbrrrrr!
Saturday afternoon Sweet Husband and I
ventured to one of our favorite places
in our neck of the woods...
The Schultz Apple Farm.
We picked out some pumpkins,
large and small,
some butternut squash
that will be used as decorations
until the day when I cook them (YUM!),
some apple cider...FRESH!...without preservatives!,
homemade apple butter (special request of Bethany),
homemade blackberry jam (Sweet Husband's fave!),
some Arkansas Black apples...oh, yeah!...
and a couple of Cecelia's fried apple pies
to savor during the ballgame that evening (decadent!).
Precious memories were made at
The Schultz Apple Farm
when the kids were wee-ones.
One of my favorite pictures of our little ones
was taken at the Farm
while they were playing on a trailer
Wade Schultz uses to give hay rides.
It was a Fall tradition to visit the Schultz's farm
and we always brought home lots of autumn goodies...
bales of hay, pumpkins, a variety of gourds,
apples, fried apple pies, apple cider,
and, of course, blackberry jam!
Once home,
I would put together a Fall display in our front yard.
Since we live on a dead-end street
not very many people saw it...
but, we and our neighbors enjoyed it!
Back to 2010...
Sunday, our favorite day of the week,
we headed to church bright and early...
enjoyed worship with our church family,
a wonderful message preached by our senior pastor
on racial reconciliation (you can listen to it here)
followed by a yummy lunch of grilled burgers and brats,
french fries, homemade chili (the weather called for it!)
with Drew, Bethany and Peter (so hospitable!),
and lots of cuddle time with the little man...
He enjoyed playing in his bouncer while I cleaned up the kitchen.
Then he told me lots of stories and chewed on his toes.
I don't usually find that attractive in a guy...
but, when Little Man does it...I'm cooked.
Sweet Husband then tore me away from this sweetness
(we all have our challenges)
to head back to our church for a meeting
about the upcoming "Cornercopia"...
a Fall picnic featuring Ken Green's Famous BBQ...
some of THE BEST your taste buds will ever encounter!
As we planned...we feasted...
okay...I devoured...inhaled...gulped...
oh, it's good!
Combine the Little Man chewing his toes, Ken Green's BBQ,
The Schultz Apple Farm, Auburn won 52 - 3...WAR EAGLE!...
all in the company of Sweet Husband...
Ahhhh...now THAT's what I call a wonderful weekend!
We just got home from a couples care group meeting.
Without fail I leave these times
challenged, encouraged and thankful
for God's grace and the Body of Christ.
It was a time of sharing
where we are in our marriages...
struggles, hopes, prayers,
evidences of God's grace, as well as
confessing sinful patterns and
areas where we are not walking in truth.
More than anything
I leave these times reminded
it is GOD who is at work
in each of us...
broken, sinful, weak, prideful,
undeserving, though we are...
he is patiently and steadfastly
conforming us to the image of Jesus...
perfectly mindful of our frame
that we are but dust...
and though we tend to grow
fainthearted and discouraged...
he never grows weary,
he never slumbers nor sleeps.
Travis, our care group leader,
closed our time by exhorting us to remember...
while we were dead in our trespasses
God, by his great mercy, made us alive
together with Christ... (Colossians 2:13)
we have been called,
beloved in God the Father,
and kept for Jesus Christ... (Jude 1b)
it is by grace we have been saved,
through faith given to us by God
not by our works... (Ephesians 2:8)
I am truly only able to love
my husband...my children...anyone...
because my God first loved me!
Whew! What a whirl of a weekend!
...and I forgot my camera,
so you'll just have to use your imagination.
Perhaps it'll be more fun that way?
Friday began with a half-day of work at the Chamber
followed by taking Jonah (our yellow lab)
to Wagg n Purr (our local doggie boarder)...
Then I needed a bath
(you would understand if you ever took Jonah to board)
but I had to head straight to Knoxville
for lunch at Rafferty's with three lovely ladies...
Bethany, our daughter; Loren, one of our daughters-in-law;
and Janice, my mother-in-law...
and a heart-throb of a young man
who was looking particularly dapper in a
brown and white onesie paired with his new
fashionable diaper-hugging blue jeans,
just long enough for his always kissable (at least until he's 2)
feet to peek out from underneath...
oh, yeah...Hudson Jude was lookin' mighty fine!
After lunch I headed to our church
where around 30 kids from 6 to 13 years of age
gathered for Cornerstone Kids Praise (CKP).
They are learning "Messiah for Young Voices"
to be shared with friends and family on Sunday, December 12.
It's quite an undertaking...but, they are enjoying it, so far.
I remember our oldest son singing this work
when he was in third grade.
Seems so long ago...but, yet, like yesterday...
Following CKP I ventured to our Bethany's house
where we gathered some sweet snacks and Master Hudson
and went to her mother-in-law's house for some girl-time.
The men were in Chattanooga Friday and Saturday
attending a men's conference being sponsored by our church.
While they were "rescuing ambition"...
we were eating yummy lasagna (thanks, Nicole!), incredible bread,
scrumptious salad, and, while enjoying a chick-flick,
delectable cannoli dip on graham crackers with an ice cream chaser.
Can you say...i.n.d.u.l.g.e.n.c.e.?
I can say "fun time"!! Thanks, Hedger ladies!
Around midnight Bethany, Hudson and I headed back to
Rancho-Hedger...the junior version.
We slept like rocks...even Hudson slept a little later than usual.
Saturday morning was when I could've kicked myself
for forgetting my camera!
Hudson wakes up so so so so happy
and he was in rare form that morning.
He grinned from ear to ear...
told us all kinds of stories...
Yep. Charmed our socks off!
Bethany prepared a delicious breakfast and then
we enjoyed some cherished time (by me) to just sit and talk
and fold clothes while Hudson was taking a morning nap.
I love our daughter so much
and am always encouraged and challenged by her.
She is a precious friend and gift of grace to me!
Loren joined us around the middle of the morning
and our sweet fellowship continued...
until our stomachs informed us that it was past lunch time
and we decided to visit Sami's...
a fun little diner in West Knoxville.
Our waitress was named Jenny
and when she had delivered our food,
Bethany told her we were getting ready to pray
and asked her how we could pray for her specifically.
Jenny was pretty taken back by that question,
I think I heard her say under her breath,
"Nobody's ever asked me that..."
She thought for a minute and said,
"My mom died a year ago...
so I guess that I would believe that she loved me."
My heart cried within me for Jenny...
not only that she could've been sure of the love of her mother,
but, that she would know the perfect love of her Heavenly Father.
My heart was also drawn to deep thankfulness...
I was sitting at a table with two of our three daughters
enjoying the kind of fellowship that can only be enjoyed
by sisters in Christ...
fellowship that is eternal...
fellowship that we enjoy this day...
fellowship that we will continue to enjoy that day.
We returned to the Hedger abode
and Loren and I gathered our things
to return to our own abodes and husbands.
Girl-time is an awesome gift every now and then...
but husband-wife time...all the time...
priceless.
Today, our favorite day of the week,
we joined with fellow members of the body of Christ
and worshiped...through singing and
the preaching of God's Word.
One of the songs we sang had lyrics based on Psalm 130.
It's one of my favorite songs
as it points me to God's sovereign grace.
Here are the lyrics...
"Out of the Depths" Words & Music by Bob Kauflin
Out of the depths, O Lord, I cry to You
When I am tempted to despair
Though I might fail to trust Your promises
You never fail to hear my prayer
And if You judged my sin
I’d never stand again
But I see mercy in Your hands
So more than watchmen for the morning
I will wait for You, my God
When my fears come with no warning
In Your Word I’ll put my trust
When the harvest time is over and I still see no fruit
I will wait, I will wait for You
The secret mysteries belong to You
We only know what You reveal
And all my questions that are unresolved
Don’t change the wisdom of Your will
In every trial and loss
My hope is in the cross
Where Your compassions never fail
We sang this song in church this morning.
It's full of gospel truth...
Completely Done by Jonathan & Ryan Baird & Rich Gunderlock
What reason have I to doubt
Why would I dwell in fear
When all I have known is grace
My future in Christ is clear
My sins have been paid in full There’s no condemnation here
I live in the good of this
My Father has brought me near
I’m leaving my fears behind me now
The old is gone, the new has come
What You complete is completely done
We’re heirs with Christ, the victory won
What You complete is completely done
I don’t know what lies ahead
What if I fail again
You are my confidence
You’ll keep me to the end
I’m leaving my fears behind me now
The old is gone, the new has come
What You complete is completely done
We’re heirs with Christ, the victory won
What You complete is completely done
Death where is your sting? Grave, your victory? Christ has conquered all!
